Theodor Reuss, in addition to being the head of his revival of the Bavarian Order of Illuminati, was also the Grand Master of the Swedenborgian Rite of Freemasonry in Germany (charter dated July 26, 1901 from W. Wynn Wescott), Special Inspector for the Martinist Order in Germany (charter dated June 24, 1901 from Gerard Encausse), and Magus of the High Council in Germania of the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia (letter of authorization dated Feb. 24, 1902 from W. Wynn Wescott). With Kellner's assistance, Reuss applied to English Masonic scholar, John Yarker (1833-1913), to purchase charters to operate three systems of high-grade Freemasonry known as the Antient and Primitive Rite of Memphis of 97°, the Ancient Oriental Rite of Mizraim of 90°, and the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of 33° (Cernau Council of New York, 1807).
Reuss received letters-patent as a Sovereign Grand Inspector General 33° of the Cernau Scottish Rite from Yarker dated September 24, 1902. According to a published transcript, Yarker issued on the same date a warrant to Reuss, Franz Hartmann and Henry Klein to operate a Sovereign Sanctuary 33°-95° of the Scottish, Memphis and Mizraim rites. Yarker issued a second charter confirming Reuss's authority to operate said rites on July 1, 1904; and Reuss published a transcript of an additional confirming charter dated June 24, 1905. Reuss commenced publication of a masonic journal, The Oriflamme, in 1902.
These rites, along with the Swedenborgian Rite, were adopted as integral elements within the overall scheme of the Order. The Swedenborgian Rite included a version of the Craft degrees, and the Cernau Scottish Rite and the Rites of Memphis and Mizraim provided a selection of the workable "high grades" as nearly complete as had ever existed. Together, they provided a Complete System of Masonic initiation at the disposal of the Order. With the incorporation of these rites, the Order was enabled to operate as a completely independent Masonic system. Reuss and Kellner together prepared a brief manifesto for their Order in 1903, which was published the next year in The Oriflamme. Kellner died on June 7, 1905, and Reuss assumed full control of the Order. With the assistance of co-founders Franz Hartmann and Heinrich Klein, Reuss prepared a Constitution for the Order in 1906.
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