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For what we do presage is not in
grosse,
We are brethren of the Rosie Crosse;
We have the Mason Word and second sight,
Things for to come we can foretell aright.
-- Henry Adamson, from "The Muses' Threnodie"
(1638)
Freemasonry and Rosicrucianism
As briefly discussed in the
Introduction, a number of only slightly disguised symbols of both
Freemasonry and Rosicrucianism were noted in the center panel of the
Lehrtafel. Examples of such symbols are as follows:
Freemasonry:
1) The Jachin and Boaz pillars are
prominently displayed in the front of the temple;
2) the tessellated flooring of the
"Holy of Holies;"
3) and the only slightly disguised
Compass and Square symbol above the dome of Solomon's Temple.
Rosicrucianism:
1) Use of a red and white rosebush
hedge around the garden in front of the temple;
2) use of a stack of rose petals as a
motif upon the tops of both the Jachin and Boaz pillars;
3) placing of an only slightly
disguised Rosicrucian symbol in the middle of the temple dome;
4) use of Kabbalah symbolism, i.e., the
ten tree of life symbols (the Sephiroth) that appear on the facade of
the temple and in the garden.
This close intertwining of both Masonic
and Rosicrucian motifs suggest a connection with both societies by the
men who designed the Lehrtafel. Accordingly, in this article, I will
jointly investigate the existence of both of these Orders in 17th
century Germany.
One of the
earliest writers in the English language to jointly consider both
Freemasonry and Rosicrucianism was Thomas de Quincy (1785-1859). His
essay, first published in the London Magazine for the month of January 1824,
was
entitled:
Historico-Critical
Inquiry into the Origin of the Rosicrucians and the Freemasons.
In that essay, de Quincy defines both the internal and external characteristics of both orders.
His source for these attributes was an 1803 lecture given by the German
scholar, Professor J. G. Bruhle of the
University
of Göttingen.
Internal Characteristics Which Are
Maintained in Secrecy
I. As their fundamental maxim
they assume complete equality of personal rights amongst their members
in relation to their final object. All distinctions of social rank are
annihilated. Both
institutions were originally built upon the assumed personal equality of
all the individuals who comprised them.
II. Women, children, and those who were
not in the full possession of civic freedom, e.g., Jews, non-Christians
generally, and in the early days of the orders (prior to the 18th
century), Roman Catholics, were
excluded from these societies.
III. Both orders make pretensions
to the possession of knowledge of certain mysteries; that
frequently relate partly to ends and/or means that are derived
from the East. This occult wisdom may never be revealed to the
profane. This striving after hidden knowledge especially
distinguished these societies from others that also pursued
unknown objectives. Because their main object was a mystery, and
that it might remain as such, an oath of secrecy was demanded of
every member upon his admission. Nothing of this mystery could
ever be revealed to non-members, even during an interrogation by
the police.
IV. Both of
these orders have a fairly complex system of signs (e.g., that
of recognition) usages, symbols, myths, and festivals. Even
though some parts of these rituals and mythologies may already
known to the public, they will confirm conclusions drawn from
other historical data as to the origin and purpose of these
institutions. For example, we may be assured that the original
Freemasons must have had some reason for appropriating unto
themselves the attributes and emblems of real handicraft Masons.
Even though this part of their ritual they are far from
concealing, such that in London they often parade in public on
solemn occasions attired in full costume.
external characteristics which are
Publically Available to the Outside world
I. Public profession of
beneficence; not only to the Brothers of the Order, but also to
the general public. Many nations in Europe, where lodges have
previously existed or still do exist, are indebted to them for
the establishment of many institutions which have as their main
objective the mitigation of human suffering.
II. Both Orders are compatible
with every form of civil constitution. The orders are amenable
to all reasonable forms of social arrangements prevailing
amongst the nations, however widely separated in policy and
laws.
III. The Orders do not impose
celibacy. This is a criterion that distinguishes it from most
religious orders, and from many of the old knightly orders in
which celibacy was an indispensable law.
IV. The Orders require no
peculiar costume or mode of dress (except, indeed, in the
official assemblages of the lodges, for the purpose of marking
the different degrees), no marks of distinction in the ordinary
commerce of life and no abstinence from civil offices and
business. Here is another remarkable distinction from most
European religious and knightly orders.
V. Every member possess
the full liberty to dissolve his connection with the Orders at
any time, without even acquainting the superior officers of the
lodge. Of course, a member cannot release himself from the
obligation of his vows of secrecy. Also, even after many years
of voluntary separation from the order, a return to it is always
allowed. Conversely, in the religious and knightly orders,
members may have the power of leaving
them; but under no circumstances may they ever return to full
membership.
In assigning the above cited internal and
external characteristics of the Rosicrucians and Freemasons,
Thomas de Quincy has said nothing of the distinctions between the two orders
themselves. However, de Quincy does make
the following assertion:
Rosicrucianism, it is
true, is not Freemasonry; but the latter borrowed its form from
the first. He that gives himself out as a Rosicrucian, without
knowing the general ritual of masonry, is unquestionably an
impostor.
We shall now begin to consider the differences
between the Freemasons and the Rosicrucians.
Each of these organizations have a central myth
or legend about which the unique characteristics of each group have been
constructed:
Basic Masonic Legend -
Death
and Resurrection of Hiram Abiff
The legend of Hiram Abiff
has a partial Biblical basis from First Kings, Chapter 7 and
Second Chronicles, Chapter 2: there it is stated that King Hiram of the
Phoenician City of Tyre sent a skilled architect, also called Hiram, to Israel
to assist King Solomon in the building of his great Temple. The Masonic legend
continues as follows:
Hiram Abiff was "a widow's son" from Tyre,
skilful in the working of all kinds of metals; he was employed to design and
supervise the construction of King Solomon's Temple.
One day, while worshiping the Grand Architect
of the Universe within the Temple "Holy of Holies," Hiram was attacked by three
apprentice Masons named Jubela, Jubelo, and Jubelum - these three were known
collectively as "the Juwes." The three men demanded that Hiram give them the
"Master's word," i.e., the secret name of God. Hiram refused as this word could
only be given to those who had become initiated as Master Masons.
The first man, named Jubela, then struck Hiram
across the throat with a 24 inch gauge. The second man, named Jubelo, struck
Hiram's breast, over the heart, with a square. The third man, named Jubelum,
struck Hiram upon the forehead with a gavel. Hiram fell dead. His blood had been
shed within the temple.
After his death, Hiram's body was carried out
of the East gate of the Temple and buried outside Jerusalem on Mount Moriah.
Early the following morning, King Solomon
visited the temple construction site and found the workmen in confusion because
no plans had been made for the day's work. Fearing that evil had befallen Hiram,
King Solomon sent out twelve Fellowcraft Masons to look for Hiram, three Masons
to each of the four cardinal directions. King Solomon himself accompanied the
three Masons who journeyed towards the East.
Having finally located the grave of Hiram,
Solomon and his fellow Masons exhumed the body. A search was made for the
Master's word (the Name of God), but all that was found was the letter "G".
Finding the word lost, they cried out: "O Lord, my God, is there no help for the
widow's son?"
The Masons first took hold of Hiram's body with
the "Boaz" grip of the first degree.
This failed to achieve its purpose.
They then re-positioned their hold upon Hiram's
body using the "Jachin" grip of the second degree.
This also failed to accomplish its purpose.
Solomon finally raised Hiram from the dead by
using the third degree
grip of the Master Mason and by uttering in Hiram's ear the phrase "Ma-Ha-Bone."
Immediately after these words
had been uttered, Hiram Abiff was resurrected from the dead. He stood up and
departed from them saying that he was being ushered into a more glorious
existence. This marks the end of the basic legend.
Basic Rosicrucian Legend -
Life of Christian Rosenkreutz
The first Rosicrucian Manifesto,
known as the Fama Fraternitatis, gives an account of the life and
adventures of Christian Rosenkreutz (CRC), the legendary founder of the
Rosicrucian Society.
According to the Legend, CRC was
born in the year 1378 of a poor but noble family; he lived to reach the age of
106, which means that he died in about the year 1484. Having lost his parents when
still a boy, he was placed in a monastery when he was only five years old. There
he learned Latin and Greek. At fifteen years of age, finding the strict rules of
life in the monastery unsatisfactory, he joined a monk, Frater P., on a
pilgrimage to the Holy Land to visit the Holy Sepulture. His fellow traveler,
Frater P. died soon their arrival on the Island of Cyprus, but CRC proceed alone
on his journey to Damascus. At Damascus poor health detained him , and he
remained studying with astrologers and physicians. Hearing of groups of wise men
living in Damcar, an ancient and mysterious city in Arabia, CRC jorneyed to
Damcar and arrived there when he was sixteen years old. In Damcar he was
received by the wise men as someone they had long awaited; he remained among
them for three years, learning the Arabic language and translating their book
"M" into Latin. Subsequently, he sailed for Egypt, where he continued his
studies. After additional travel in the Mediterranean, he arrived at Fez, the
most famous city in Morocco. During the Middle Ages it was one of the most
important centers for the study of the Alchemical Arts. At Fez CRC was
instructed concerning the transmutation of metals and other substances.
From Fez he crossed over into
Spain, carrying with him many rare medicines, curious animals, and wonderful
books. There he conferred with the learned men of Madrid, but met an unfavorable
reception. So, deeply discouraged, he returned to Germany, where he built
himself a house on the brow of a little hill and devoted his life to study and
alchemical experimentation.
After a period of five years, CRC
selected three faithful friends from the old monastery in which he had been
initially educated. They began to arrange and classify the great knowledge that
he had acquired. Thus, the Rosicrucian Brotherhood was founded. Later four
additional members were accepted into the Brotherhood. Under the direction of
the Frater CRC, as Head of the Order, they began building a Temple, called the
"Temple of the Holy Spirit." When this temple was completed, the Brothers, being
by now thoroughly instructed in the mysteries and the sciences, agreed to
separate. Five of the Brothers traveled to distant lands to promulgate their
doctrines among the wise men of the earth. The travelers were to return to the
Temple at the end of each year, or to send an excuse for their absence.
The society thus formed was
governed by a code of laws. The first rule was that they should take unto
themselves no other dignity or extravagance except that they would be willing to
heal the sick without charge. The second rule was that from that they should
wear no special robe or garment, but should dress according to the customs of
the country wherein they dwelt. The third rule stated that every year upon a
certain day they should meet in the "Temple of the Holy Spirit," or, if unable
to do so, they should be represented by an epistle. The fourth rule stipulated
that each member should search for a worthy person to succeed him at his own
demise. The fifth rule stated that the letters "RC" should be their seal and
mark from that time forward. The sixth and last rule specified that the
Fraternity should remain unknown to the world for a period of one hundred years.
When the first Brother of the
Order died, in England, it was decided that the burial places of the members
should be kept secret. Soon afterward, Frater CRC called the remaining six
brothers together. It is supposed that he then prepared his own symbolic tomb, a
perfect miniature reproduction of the universe. The Fama Fraternitatis
records that none of the Brothers alive at the time of its writing knew when
Father CRC died or where he was buried. His body was accidentally discovered,
120 years after his death, when one of the Brothers decided to make some
alterations in the "Temple of the Holy Spirit." While making the alterations ,
the Brother discovered a memorial tablet upon which were inscribed the names of
the early members of the Order.
The memorial plate was of brass,
and was affixed to the wall by a nail driven through its center; but so firmly
was it attached that, in tearing it away, a portion of the plaster came off,
thereby exposing a secret door. Upon removing the incrustations from the door,
there could be read, in large letters, the following inscription:
POST CXX ANNOS PATERO (After One
Hundred Twenty Years I will appear)
After having gathered the other
members of the Order, they waited until sunrise the next morning; the brothers
then opened the heavy door. They discovered a heptagonal vault. Each of its
seven sides measured five feet wide by eight feet in height. Each wall had
several well-known symbols inscribed on them. The vault was illuminated by an
artificial sun in the ceiling; it was so bright that it was almost blinding to
the eye.
To their amazement, in the middle
of the floor there stood, instead of a tomb, a circular altar on which was an
inscription saying that the vault had been erected by CRC as a compendium of the
universe. Many other inscriptions were seen about the room, including:
JESUS MIHU OMNIA, LEGIS JUGUM, SET
FREE EVANGELLII (Jesus is my all, the yoke of the law, the liberty of the
Gospel)
Each of the seven sides contained
a door opening into a closet. In these closets, the Brothers found many rare and
valuable articles such as bells, mirrors, and lamps. There were also three
books: the History And Life of the
Founder; the Vocabulary of Paracelsus;
and the Secrets of the Order.
Lastly, upon removing the altar and the brass plate beneath it, to their
surprise, they came upon the body of CRC in a perfect state of preservation.
This event completes the basic legend of Frater Christian Rosenkreutz.
Origins of Freemasonry
In my opinion,
both Freemasonry and Rosicrucianism arose in Western Europe, mainly in Britain
and Germany, during the 16th century, The people behind these movements were
mostly Protestant supporters of the early Lutheran, Anglican and Presbyterian
churches. Almost from the beginning, both movements were closely associated with
each other. Indeed, Rosicrucianism may be considered the more elite, esoteric
wing of the 16th and 17th century Freemasons. Support for this position comes
from the noted English occultist, Arthur Edward Waite (1857-1942). In one of his books, published in
1924, Waite provides the following extract from a
1777 German Rosicrucian document (a secret document of the Order) which purports
to give the legendary history of the Rosy Cross:
... In the documents on
which I depend there is a traditional history, otherwise a Legend of Foundation,
presented in various forms to authenticate the Rite, and it may be summarised
thus: ... (12) That on such account it was reformed in the sixth century, A.D.,
by Seven Wise Masters and was brought in fine to its present position and
development. (13) That the better to conceal their real purpose the Superiors of
the Order established those lower Degrees which pass under the name of
Freemasonry. (14) That they served, moreover, as a seminary or preparation for
the higher curriculum of the Rosicrucian Order and as a kind of symbolical
prolegomenon. (15) That at the same time Masonry has deteriorated on its own
part and has passed almost beyond recognition, being profaned and adulterated by
so many idle and useless additamenta. (16) That all this notwithstanding it
remains the preparatory school of the Rosy Cross and from this source only can
the Order itself be recruited. ...
-- From The Brotherhood
of the Rosy Cross (first published in 1924), pages 441-442.
Lastly, the fact that the Lehrtafel of
Princess Antonia contains hidden symbolism from both of these organizations is
fully consistent with my hypothesis; the scholars who aided in the design of this
painting were probably associated with both groups.
Era of
Operative Freemasonry:
In the Middle
Ages, members of the stone mason guild, unlike almost all
other European guilds, were not bound to the parish or
village in which they were born; thus, they were termed to
be "free" - that is they were "Freemasons." Few men had the
unique abilities required in building complex stone
structures, especially churches and cathedrals; accordingly,
these skilled masons were permitted to travel and find work
throughout all of Christian Europe. While on a building
project, they were "lodged" in temporary structures that
were attached or near the building under construction. In
these lodges, they ate, slept and received their work
assignments from the master of the work. The freedom they
enjoyed was almost unprecedented for the time. To maintain
their privileges, guild masters exercised strict control
over the selection of those who would be permitted to enter
into apprenticeship. During training, high levels of
achievement were required from each apprentice. Furthermore,
instructors in the trade taught high moral values to these young men. In addition to possession of the practical skills
of the trade, members were also expected to display high
ethical standards and maintain a loyal fellowship with their
peers. During this era of Operative Freemasonry, the stone
masons possessed unprecedented privileges compared to
members of most other craft guilds; however, they still
functioned as a genuine craft guild. Ritual elements
of the guild were still relatively simple and there was no
evidence that a sophisticated philosophical outlook was
being promulgated.
Era of
Speculative Freemasonry:
During the
16th century, Freemasonry
underwent a gradual gentrification process, particularly in
Scotland. The guild rolls began to include an ever
increasing number of non-operative members, who were notable
for their social position in society not for their building
skills. Guild rituals began to include elements of an
increasingly speculative nature and demonstrated that an
infusion of sophisticated philosophical ideas was occurring.
Many Scottish lodge records, from this time period, have
survived which demonstrate this transition from an Operative
to a Speculative kind of Freemasonry. Unfortunately, no
records of English lodges have survived prior to 1717. Even
so, it is probable that by the beginning of the 17th century, Speculative
Freemasonry become
dominant, not only in Scotland, but probably in England as well.
Due to their close political and religious ties with
England, Speculative Freemasonry probably had spread to the
German Rhineland as well, most notably to the Palatinate and
Württemberg.
In the 17th
century, references are found concerning Freemasonry in
personal diaries and journals. For example, the noted
English antiquary, alchemist and probable Rosicrucian,
Elias
Ashmole (1617-1692), was initiated as a Mason in
1646; his diary cites attendance at several Masonic
meetings. There appears to have been a general spread of
Freemasonry in Britain throughout the 17th and early 18th
century. In 1717, four English Lodges, who were meeting in
various London Taverns, joined together and founded the
Grand Lodge of England. Taverns where they had held meetings
included the Apple-Tree Tavern, the Crown Ale-House near
Drury Lane, the Goose and Gridiron in St. Paul's Churchyard,
and the Rummer and Grapes Tavern in Westminster. After 1717,
the existence of Masonic lodges begin to appear in public
records throughout Europe.
Origins of Rosicrucianism
The renowned
English scholar and historian, Dame Frances A. Yates (1899-1981), intensively
studied the occult movements of 16th and 17th century Europe. In her book
entitled: The Occult Philosophy in the Elizabethan Age (first published
in 1979), she reached the following conclusions concerning the origins of
Rosicrucianism and its connection with both the Christian Kabbalah and
Freemasonry (see pages 197-199):
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"At the end
of the chapter on
Francesco Giorgi [1466-1540] in the
first part of this book, the suggestion was raised that Giorgi's
philosophy may be closely related to the philosophy of Rosicrucianism.
It is certain that
Robert Fludd's vast volumes on the
universal harmony, the Utriusque cosmi hisoria published at
Oppenheim in 1617-1619, are heavily influenced by Giorgi and represent,
in essence, the Giorgi philosophy in later form. Fludd [1574-1637], as
we know, was associated with the Rosicrucian movement. Was, therefore,
the influence of Giorgi which we have traced in the Elizabethan Age and
called an influence of Christian Kabbalah really the same as an
influence of Rosicrucianism, a movement possibly connected with secret
societies and particularly with Freemasonry? ...
" ... It was
certainly not called a Rosicrucian philosophy in Giorgi's time. How then
did it acquire that name and the associations which go with it? Many
suggestions as to the origin of the name have been made, but in moving
along the historical line which we are following, the
suggestion which seems most likely is that Giorgi's type of Christian
Kabbalah acquired this name when it became associated with
Elizabethanism, with the Tudor Rose, with Dee's scientific British
imperialism, with a messianic movement for uniting Europeans against the
Catholic-Habsburg powers. ...
" ... The
epic poem which celebrated this movement was
Spenser's Faerie Queene. A central
character in that poem is the Red Cross Knight. Spenser's poem, I would
suggest, is already a Rosicrucian poem, with Red Cross as the moving
spirit of occult Protestantism. In fact we know that later German
Rosicrucian writers associated Spenser's poem with their movement.
"Thus
Rosicrucianism was present in England in the form of Spenserianism,
before the name 'Christian Rosenkreutz' appeared in Germany as the
central character of the German Rosicrucian manifestos, published in
1614-1615.
"How did the
English knight, Red Cross, turn into the German 'Christian Rosenkreutz'?
The transition is fairly clear and has been indicated in my book [Rosicrucian
Enlightenment]. The German Rosicrucian manifestos reflect the
philosophy of John Dee
[1527-1629] which he had spread abroad in the missionary venture of his
second or continental period. One of the Rosicrucian manifestos contains
a tract which is closely based on Dee's Monas hieroglyphica. Thus
the Dee philosophy, which lies behind Spenser's poem, when carried
abroad by Dee would quite naturally translate Red Cross into Christian
Rosenkreutz." |
Dame Frances Amelia Yates (1899-1981) |
The Harmony of the World -
Francesco Giorgi and Robert Fludd
I'm not
sure that I completely agree with Yates regarding her view that the Venetian
Friar and Christian Kabbalist, Francesco Giorgi (1466-1540), was the principal
philosophical father of Rosicrucianism; however he was probably one of the
intellectual resources that the writers of the Rosicrucian Manifestos (see
below) used in developing their belief system.
In his
book entitled De Harmonia Mundi (1525), Giorgi proclaimed that it was
through the application of Pythagorean mathematics that "the fabric of the soul
and the whole world was arranged and perfected." Some art historians have
asserted that Giorgi put his ideas into practice when he designed the church of
San
Francesco della Vigna in Venice (1534). German art historian,
Rudolf Wittkower
(1901-1971), has
shown that this church may be considered as a practical application of the
harmonies of macrocosm and microcosm. Understood in this way, the sacred
geometry of the church could be interpreted as a metaphor of the mind of God.
The philosophy of Freemasonry
contains similar views; sacred geometry was a secret science which had been
handed down, first to the ancient Egyptians, and then ultimately to Hiram Abif,
the builder of Solomon’s Temple. Accordingly, sacred geometry provided a way to
have direct access to the structure of the Cosmos. Freemasons conceived of a
utopian, ideal society based on the same principles by which master-builders
constructed the temples of antiquity. For the Masonic architects of the
eighteenth-century, geometry had a transcendental meaning:
" … Geometrical bodies
were considered to be the most appropriate vehicle for reconciling man and his
institutions with the external Nature. This geometry was not a method or
operation. The figures were used because they were believed to be the
fundamental constitutive and visible elements of Nature. ... "
-- Pérez-Gómez,
Architecture and the Crisis of Modern Science, pages 159-60.
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A century after Giorgi,
the English
Rosicrucian defender,
Robert Fludd
(1574-1637),
expressed similar ideas in his book entitled:
Utriusque cosmi Maioris scilicet et Minoris metaphysica, physica
atque technica Historia (published at Oppenheim in 1617-1619), in
two Volumes. In
this vast two volume work, Fludd attacked Aristotle and other ancient
philosophers of his school; he attempted to replace them with an
understanding of nature based on Christian principles, using as his
guide the Mosaic books of the Bible. He interpreted the Creation account
in Genesis as a divine alchemical process, and looked for truth in the
Hermetic and Neoplatonic works of late antiquity and the Renaissance,
which he interpreted as mirroring Christian truths. He pictured the
universe with a central earth surrounded by the sun, moon, and planets.
Midway between the center of the earth and God, he located the sun. The
region of divinity was located beyond the fixed stars. According to
Fludd, relative distances in the heavens could be found by studying the
celestial monochord and mathematical musical harmonies. Divine truth,
Fludd contended, could be found in the macrocosm-microcosm analogy and
that humans and divinity were linked through nature. The microcosm was
intimately related to the macrocosm, for the seat of the Holy Spirit was
in the sun, which emanated light and the spirit of life, which made life
on earth possible.
Robert Fludd was born
in Bearsted, Kent on 17 January 1574 and died in London on 8 September
1637. He was a prominent English Paracelsian physician, astrologer,
mathematician, cosmologist, Kabbalist, and supporter of the Rosicrucian
movement. In the
Dossiers Secrets
d'Henri Lobineau, he was alleged to have been the sixteenth
Grand Master of the
Prieuré de Sion. |
Frontispiece
to Volume I of Fludd's book. |
German
Rosicrucian Manifestos
In the early 17th century,
three manifestos, purportedly by a secret Brotherhood of the Rose Cross, were
published in Germany as follows:
1) Fama Fraternitatis at
Kassel, Hesse in 1614;
2) Confessio Fraternitatis
at Kassel, Hesse in 1615; and
3) Chymische Hochzeit
(Chemical Wedding Of Christian Rosenkreutz) at Strasbourg in 1616.
The Fama Fraternitatis
proclaimed the existence of the Rosicrucian Brotherhood to the world and called
for sincere Christian reformation. The Confessio Fraternitatis gave more
details on Rosicrucian history and teachings. The Chymische Hochzeit was
a profound and highly symbolic alchemical work. The Fama Fraternitatis
explicitly referenced the Vocabulario of the noted physician and
alchemist, Paracelsus of Hohenheim (1493-1541). Indeed, many
modern Rosicrucians believe that Paracelsus was the real life model for the
mythical alchemist,
Christian Rosenkreutz,
described in the manifestos.
The real authors of these
documents have never been discovered; however, many years later, a Lutheran
theologian named Johann Valentin Andreae (1586-1654) claimed that he was the
author of Chymische Hochzeit. This same Andreae is known to have been an
advisor to Princess Antonia of Württemberg. It should also be noted that Andreae
was named in the Dossiers Secrets d'Henri Lobineau as having been the 17th
Grandmaster of the Prieuré de Sion, the successor of Robert Fludd!
Taken together the manifestos
called for a spiritual, scientific and artistic reformation of the European
social order on all levels. The manifestos were purportedly authored by men who
claimed to be members of the Rosicrucian Brotherhood; their reform proposals
were addressed to "all the learned men of Europe." These documents triggered a
considerable response not only in German speaking lands, but also in other
European countries. The appeal for reform struck a chord with the educated
elite, particularly the Protestant elite, who had become disappointed in the
Lutheran and Calvinist reformations, and the Catholic Counter-reformation; these
people felt that Christianity should be about living a true Christian life, in
daily practice.
The Manifestos advocated a
program of innovative, experimental research into the workings of the material
world as part of a scheme designed to understand and explore the natural world.
People who believed in independent thought and who were willing to place the
findings of experimental research above the authority of Aristotle or Galen,
were among the most enthusiastic readers of the Rosicrucian Manifestos.
Following the publication of
the manifestos, an intense debate ensued which included many printed responses,
both pro and con, that were issued during the next fifty years after the initial
distribution of the manifestos. It has now been almost four centuries since the
Rosicrucian Order first
announced its existence. Even so, there continues to be as much speculation about the Order regarding its secrets, history, and existence
as there was in 1614. The only certainty is that more questions than answers
remain concerning the true origins of this secret society!
Let me conclude this article with
some very fine words written by
Johann Amos Comenius (1592-1670), taken from his work
entitled Via
Lucis. Francis Yates has stated that this quote could
well serve as the principal text for both the "Rosicrucian Enlightenment" of the
17th century and the Aufklärung
of the 18th century:
"If a light of Universal Wisdom can be
enkindled, it will be able both to spread its beams throughout the whole world
of the human intellect (just as the radiance of the sun as often as it rises
reaches from the east to the west) and to awake gladness in the hearts of men
and to transform their wills. For if they see their own destiny and that of the
world clearly set before them in this supreme light and learn how to use the
means which will unfailingly lead to good ends, why should they not actually use
them?"
References
1) Arthur Edward Waite,
The Brotherhood of the Rosy Cross (London:
1924).
2) Christian Rebisse, Rosicrucian History
and Mysteries (San Jose CA: 2005).
3) Frances A. Yates, The Rosicrucian
Enlightenment (London: 1972).
4) Nicholas Goodricke-Clarke, The Western
Esoteric Traditions (Oxford: 2008).
5) Jacques Barzun, From
Dawn to Decadence (2000), pages 191-235.
6)
Thomas de Quincy, "Historico-Critical
Inquiry into the Origin of the Rosicrucians and the Freemasons" -
originally published in the London Magazine, January 1824.
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