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THE
ROSE CROSS A Historical and Philosophical View Prof. Carl Edwin Lindgren Member,
Royal Historical Society (London) INTRODUCTION This
brief work, is an attempt to provide historical
and philosophical insight into the ancient Rosicrucian Order. The
Fraternity, created in the early 17th Century, has for centuries
intrigued and baffled students of Christian mysticism, esoteric
philosophy and occultism. Professing an interest and mastery of
Spiritual or Mental Alchemy, not to be confused with Physical Alchemy,
these esoteric scholars and scientists attempted to transmute the evil
in man into that which was divine or, in alchemic jargon, the
transmuting of base metals into finest gold. "As above, so
below..." The
secret doctrine of the Rosicrucians was built on esoteric truths of the
ancient past. These truths, concealed from the average man, provide
insight into nature, the physical universe and the spiritual realm. Some
of these truths are also offered in higher degrees of Masonry and in
certain arcane Oriental orders. Who
really started the Fraternitas?
Why was the Fraternity started? Was the Order actually started in 1616
or does it date from ancient Egypt? This work attempts to provide some
answers to the aforementioned questions. Although some will agree with
the information provided, there will be others who will scoff and insist
on their own theories and interpretations. With
any historical work, especially one of this nature, it is difficult to
remain totally objective. Most writers have their own theories, beliefs
and prejudices which find their way whether consciously or unconsciously
into their works. Hopefully the reader will appreciate the writer's
candor and realize that through personal research, insight and diligent
soul searching the author has arrived at what he believes to be an
accurate interpretation. The reader should, however, remain free to
search for the Path which best suits his personal inclinations and soul
strivings. CHAPTER I THE
WAY OF THE ROSY CROSS The Initiatory Schools had their beginnings long before the rise of the Egyptian Hierarchy (Randolph 1939, 274). According to Rosicrucian manifestos, these secret philosophies existed back to the time of Moses and Solomon, or even Adam (Cavendish 1977, 100; Randolph 1939, 274). Although the Fraternity of the Rose Cross (Rosicrucians) did not exist, a philosophical foundation, even then, was being laid for what was to later occur. Through the philosophy of the early Egyptians, the Platonians, Aristotelians, Pythagoreans, Essenes, Gnostics, medieval Alchemists and Hermetists, a corner stone was being set for what was soon to become the Fraternity. With the formation of this Order, in early 1616, the Magus, Paracelsian, Gnostic and Alchemist were invited to join under one brotherhood (Clymer 1965, 1). As it were, all were placed on the level. Influence for the creation of this Fraternity came from
Egypt, India, Ethiopia and Persia. Although the Fraternitas
(Fraternity) would not exist formally until the early 1600s, scholars
and mystics such as Jean de Meung, Raymond Lully, Nicolas Flammel, Basil
Valentine, Thomas Norton and George Ripley were already defining and
refining the Craft. Several writers, however, including H.
Spencer Lewis (1993, 25), past imperator of the AMORC (The Ancient and
Mystical Order Rosae Crucis),* believe that the society had its origins
in the great mystery schools of Egypt. Therefore the Order has continued
throughout antiquity in various names and disguises, in sleeping and
waking stages. He further states that Rose Cross may predate Freemasonry
which also claims great antiquity from the time of Solomon=s Temple. Perhaps the two could have grown together as
brothers from one great father philosophy (i.e., Great White Brotherhood
- all being in search of the light which comes from the East). Some scholars believe that the first Rosicrucian type
society was formed in 1598 by Simon Studion of
Nuremburg (Spence 1993, 341). This society known as the Militia
Crucifera Evangelica consisted of an assembly of men of religious
character. The Militia thereby, was
the "Door" for the creation of the Fraternitas Rosĉ
Crucis, in that it joined many engaged in the Great Work. Arthur
Edward Waite (1961, 50), author of The Brotherhood of the Rosy
Cross believed that although there was no trace of the
Rosicrucian Fraternity before the 17th century, "the Brotherhood
... was in embryo prior to the year 1604 and that Naometria [work
by Studion] was its first memorial." This statement is
substantiated
by other scholars. According to the noted physician and scholar, Rev.
Dr. R.S. Clymer, M.D. (1946, I, 152), former Supreme Grand Master of the
Fraternitas Rosĉ Crucis, though Studion did not live to see the
creation of the Brotherhood of the
Rosy Cross, in spirit he was a Rose Cross. The Fama Fraternitatis. In 1614, a small pamphlet was published entitled the Communis
et Generalis Reformatio Totius Mundi et Fama Fraternitatis Ordinis de
Rosea-Cruce (8 vo. Casseliis).1 The
title, Fama Fraternitas et Confessio Fratrum Rosĉ Crucis
(Ratisbon, 1614) is also given (Clymer 1946, I, 219). Waite (1961, 115),
however, takes issue with this edition stating he believes it to be
mythical. During the same year, the booklet was also published in German (in Cassel and Ratisbon). The following year, editions appeared
in Frankfurt am Mayn and
Marburg. A Dutch edition was also released. Clymer (1965, 1)
substantiates that the Fama Fraternitatis was first
published
in 1614 by the Würtemberg mystic Johann Valentin Andreĉ (1586-1654)2.
However, John Ferguson in his work Bibliotheca Chemica
(1906, I, 27) states that the Fama was, in fact, printed
two years earlier in Cassel. Claude Jannet provides 1612 or 1613 as the
year for the first Rosicrucian work (no title given, not the Fama)
but with printing taking place in Venice (Waite 1961, 115). He further
states that the Fama was published some three years later.
There is, however, little evidence for these assumptions. Still others
(e.g., Adam Haselmeyer) stated that they had seen, four years earlier
(1610), a copy of the then unpublished MS of Fama (Case
1985, 3; Craven, n.d., 35, note Craven's date of Fama
publication; Waite 1961, 114-16). Clymer (1929, 138) also agrees that a
manuscript of the Fama probably existed as early as, if
not earlier than, 1610. Much evidence, however, shows that Andreĉ, an Initiate
within the Secret Schools (Randolph 1939, 272-73), not only published
the text, but also wrote its brief. Many say he wrote the entire work.
This truth, however, is refuted by some scholars who are inclined to
suggest that the manuscript was written by one of the following: Joachim
Junge, Giles Guttman, Tauler (Jones
1928, 856), Simon Studion (Waite 1961, 213) or even Martin Luther (Hermelink
1964, 97). Most scholars refute the claims for any one writing the
manifesto other than Andreĉ (Clymer 1929, 119 & 135). This small anonymous work produced a frenzy of
interest when it was published. The text recounted the life of
one Christian Rosencreutz (also spelt Rosenkreutz C
a
nom-de-plume assumed by Andreĉ?) (c. 1378 A.D.), a medieval knight, who
traveled extensively in Morocco and the Near East. This traveler hoped
to obtain knowledge of true wisdom and the elixir of life (Ellewood
1981, 631). This work, although anonymous, was reported by many of the
period to have been written by Rosencreutz, hidden after his death, and
then rediscovered. The work called for a union of all learned men, in
that they should join to re-establish moral values and "[establish]
... a synthesis of science,
through which would be discovered the perfect method of all arts"
(Spence 1993, 340). With this cooperation, a new age of understanding
and perfection could be established. According to Clymer (1965, 1), the work was half
satirical but deeply mystical in nature. The Fama was an
effort to provide insight into a society which was attempting to combine
physical and spiritual (changing the baser man) alchemy, the Kabbala,
mysticism and scientific advances within Protestant Christianity
(Cavendish 1977, 100). As
a Lutheran theologian and mystic, Andreĉ based his belief on inner as
well as outer experiences -- "transformation and spiritual
renewal." Ex deo nascimur; In Jesu morimur; Per spiritum
reviviscimus (From God we are born; In Christ we die; By the Holy
Spirit we are reborn) (Wehr 1983, 171).
Clymer (1946, I, 152) states that the Fama is a
combination of many esoteric ideas, concepts and instructions. These
instructions are based on Paracelsian principles, a
revision of Studion's Naometria, teachings of
Henricus Madathanus' Aureum Sĉvulum Redivivum (The
Golden Age Restored) (1625) and symbolism (Madathanus). From the
Fama itself comes, "Our Philosophy also is not a new
invention, but as Adam after his fall hath received it, and as Moses and
Solomon used it, also it ought not much to be doubted of ..." Who was Christian Rosenkreutz? According to the Fama, C.R.C.,** born in
1378 (note Confessio), was poor, although born of noble
parentage. When he was five, he was placed in a cloister (monastery).
After receiving his education, he traveled with Brother P.A.L.** who
died in Ciprus (Cyprus or perhaps a synonym for a secret or not revealed
place). C.R.C., however, continued on through the Holy Land in search of
knowledge regarding medicine, science, philosophy and religion. Upon
reaching Damcar in Arabia [this word could mean a symbolic place or as
Clymer states "a certain place," a misspelling of Damas
(Damascus), or "Blood of the Lamb" (/
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,
)] he began studying with wise men of the area. After having traveled
and studied for three years, he removed himself to Egypt and later to
Fez. After having stayed in Fez for some time, where he was taught how
to communicate with elementary spirits, he sailed to Spain in hopes of
revealing his knowledge to the learned in Europe. Being ignored,
criticized and laughed at by the literati of Spain he traveled to
other countries with his new philosophy. He was likewise rejected by the
elite of other nations until he returned "after a period of
time," to Germany where in 1413 he formed the Society of the Rose
and Cross. This original society consisted of four individuals including
Rosencreutz, and fratri G.V., I.A. and I.O.** It was to these
brethren that Rosencreutz unveiled the secrets which he had learned. Through the development of a mystical alphabet and
language (Clymer 1946, I, 256: "the jargon of
the Alchemists"), they were able to maintain secrecy and
progressed toward the transmuting of self into perfection (philosophy of
Paracelsus). Their "works" included: the Axiomata (esoteric
truths), Magicon, Protheus and Rota Mundi
(study Dr. Clymer's books for a better understanding of what these
concepts meant). Members of the Society were bound by six rules. These
included:
An entry by H. Hermelink (1964, 96) in The New
Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge also expresses
the belief that the original Rosicrucians were Protestants who professed
their belief in God and Christ while disavowing any connection with
false prophets, heretics and the profane. The Fraternity also rejected
those, who for their own physical gain through alchemy, desired to
transmute base metals to gold. Their philosophy was, "Jesus on
every side" (Hermelink 1964, 96). Regarding alchemy, True or Divine
Alchemy is discussed in Clymer's The Great Work: Its Neophytes
(161-66). Within these pages, Clymer explains that alchemy of the true
alchemist is the taking of "mortal man, with all the carnality
inherent in him from past generations, the weakness of his body, the
evil of his desire, the inertia of his mind, turning him into a pilgrim
entering the Path searching for reality and Spiritual Consciousness"
(p. 163; also note Spiritual Alchemy 1959). According to the New Catholic Dictionary (MacMaster
1967, 676) the Brotherhood built and stayed at the Domus Sancti
Spiritus (House of the Holy Spirit). Although some scholars state
that this was a physical structure or "its analogy with a
mysterious building erected at Cairo ..." (Waite 1961, 130), this
writer is more inclined to accept the suggestion that the
"structure" was a state of being, not an actual building. It
should be remembered that the Domus Sancti Spiritus is the Aentity@
which has "been seen by 100,000 people and was yet concealed from
the world" (Spence 1993, 341). This inner circle of brethren later formed a separate
circle of four brothers (R.C., B., G.G. and P.D.) to complete the
mystical work of the Rose Cross (Jones 1928, 856). These men, according
to the legend, remained bachelors and swore a vow of physical virginity.
Some years later (1459), Rosenkreutz wrote Chymische
Hochzeit. This text contained a series of hermetic, alchemic and
occult writings. Upon his death in 1484, at age 106,
CRC left instructions that his
tomb should be sealed. He further stated that after 120 years, his tomb
should be opened. According to legend, the tomb was opened in 1604 at
which time a series of important manuscripts was discovered. These
papers contained insights into his research in Spiritual Alchemy,
Hermeticism, Christian gnosticism and occult symbolism. There are many opinions on the identity of Christian
Rosenkreutz. Some scholars still believe that Rosenkreutz was actually a
historical personality. Others believe C
R C
was merely a composite of many mystics, alchemists and initiates who had
strived to unlock the secrets of God and nature while inwardly seeking
perfection. Finally, there are those who present a sound thesis that the
legendary Rosenkreutz was Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim or
Paracelsus (note Clymer 1946, I, 86-129). Clymer (1946 I, xix) states that "Paracelsus was
Father C R
C of the Confederation which
later became the Fraternitas Rosĉ Crucis ..." This is
easily proven by a comparison between the life and philosophy of
Paracelsus and Christian Rosenkreutz. Although there are
countless comparisons between Paracelsian principles and the Fraternity,
one of the most evident is the relationship between man and the universe
i.e., a comparison whereby man is a Microcosm (little world) or contains
within himself the potentialities of the whole universe (Macrocosm).
There is also reference to the Elemental Spirits which Paracelsus
re-introduced. Finally, there is reference to the mystic writings of
the Signatura Rerum (Spence
1993, 342; Clymer 1929, 123). Some writers (e.g., Mrs. Henry Pott, Francis Bacon and his Secret Society, 1891 and Wigston's four volumes)3 have attempted to connect Francis Bacon (1st Baron Verulam) with the founding of the Rose Cross. H. Spencer Lewis (1993, 135), states that it was Bacon who wrote the pamphlets that brought about the revival of Rosicrucianism in Germany. Others believe that Bacon was "a Rosicrucian Adept of great importance" (note W. Wynn Westcott, Data of the History of the Rosicrucians and Westcott's Introduction to F. Leigh Gardner's Bibliotheca Rosicruciana -- A Catalogue Raisonne of Works on the Occult Sciences). Finally, his name is linked as imperator of the fraternity; the true Fraternitas never had an imperator as its head! No scholarly evidence exists for these assumptions (Clymer 1929, 119 & 142). It further seems improbable that an individual of Bacon's temperament (self-serving, aloof, incapable of self-sacrifice and inductive in nature) would have belonged to a society such as the Brotherhood of Rose Cross. According to Robert Michael Cerello (1994) of The Francis Bacon Library: The connection of Lord Bacon either to the Rosicrucian Brotherhood or to
Freemasonry4 cannot be proven by direct testimony, eyewitness
or otherwise. However, there is no doubt, given the facts of his
familiarity with some of the symbols most central to these organizations
and with their philosophical purposes, that Lord Bacon knew much about
these organizations. There is direct testimony quoted in Alden Brooks'
Will Shakspere and the Dyer's Hand that Dyer, a leading
candidate for the Shakespearean authorship himself, was hiring secret
agents for service because they were Rosicrucians. The import of the
tale is not that anyone objected to the noted alchemist and literary
figure hiring Rosicrucians for such delicate secret service work but
because he was restricting his hiring to Rosicrucians. ... The
purpose of ... [the Fama,
Confessio and The Chymical Wedding] was to
announce a sort of Reformation
which the "invisible Brotherhood," who dressed as other men
when among them in any country, were prepared
to lead. David Stevenson in The Origins of Freemasonry
gives evidence for Lord Bacon's knowledge of Freemasonry's aims
and symbols. A.E. Waite in his book The Real History of the
Rosicrucians refutes any connection between the two orders;
he refuses to believe in the Rosicrucian Order existing before
the seventeenth century, in which German sources published
the three works cited. In this he is undoubtedly wrong, if only
because of the Dyer passage [Cerello is more inclined toward a date of
1580 c.]. Francis Yates has tried carefully and
imaginatively to argue a strong familiarity by Lord Bacon with
the symbols and larger aims of this Brotherhood, exampling her thesis by
the posthumous New Atlantis quite cogently. Her central
works on the subject are The Rosicrucian Enlightenment,
Routledge and K. Paul, London 1972 and The Occult Philosophy in
the Elizabethan Age, same publisher, 1979. The connection of
the movement to Protestant anti-Catholic
religionism is
obvious; its root C
in
alchemy, Hermeticism and Medieval reformation schemes
C
is
also a fact. To avoid being drawn
into a heated discussion which in itself would cover tomes and tomes of
writing, it is sufficient merely to say, based on existing historical
data, that Francis Bacon's founding or contribution to a "secret or
esoteric society" was non-existent. He is, however, to be
remembered for his groundwork in founding the noted Royal Society
(1660). This was the cause which was dear to his heart, the bringing
together of the learned of England and Europe in open forum for the
advancement of learning (i.e., natural science). For further discussion,
the reader should peruse Waite 1961, 18-34; Clymer 1946, I, 86-97;
MacMaster 1967, 677; and Alexander Wilder, MD, FAS, The
Metaphysical Magazine, June 1896. The Confessio Fraternitatis In 1615, both a Latin and a German edition of the Confessio
Fraternitatis R.C. ad eruditos Europĉ (1615) were published in
Cassel. Like the Fama, the work was unsigned (Craven, n.d.,
37). Consisting of fourteen chapters, the mystical work's introduction
denounced the Pope as the Antichrist. The introduction presents
thirty-seven points relating to the Brotherhood's purpose. The book's
first chapter also denounces Mahomet, while the other chapters attempt
to reveal (expound upon) many of the secrets first mentioned in the Fama.
Although it was not presented in the Fama, the later Confessio
(ch. 6) provides the date 1378 as C.R.C.'s birth. Reference is also made
to the Bible as being precious to the Order and a rule unto their lives.
In the final chapter, a stern warning is given to any false seeker of
the Fraternitas, that the "'partaker of our riches against
the will of God, shall sooner lose his life in seeking us, than attain
happiness by finding us'" (Craven, n.d., 38; note Waite 1961,
146-51 for listing and description of the thirty-seven points).
In the same year, Julius Sperber's Echo der von
Gott Hocherleuchteten Fraternitet des Löblichen Ordens R
C,
([The]
Echo of the God-Illuminated Brotherhood of the Venerable Order R
C
etc.)
was published at Danzig. Sperber, a Christian Initiate, had in 1600
authored the Kabalistic Prayers. In this work (i.e., Echo),
Sperber states that the texts of the Fama and Confessio
Fraternitatis were true and were known by "certain
God-fearing people" for over nineteen years (Waite 1961, 254). The
evidence for this pre-dating of Rosicrucian activity, according to Waite
(1961, 254) is questionable. A further discussion of this work is found
in Clymer's The Book of Rosicruciĉ, 1946, I, xxiii. The Chemical Wedding. By 1616, a third text on Rosicrucianism had appeared.
This manuscript, divided into seven chapters for the seven days,
professed to have been written in 1459, was entitled
Chymische Hochzeit Christiani Rosenkreutz
(The Chemical Wedding or Nuptials of Christian Rosenkreutz)
and was written in High Dutch supposedly by Christian Rosencreutz
(Strasbourg).5 According to The Encyclopedia of
Religion (Fogarty 1987, 476), this allegorical story was based
on the historical marriage of Princess Elizabeth, daughter of James I
(formerly James VI of Scotland), to Frederick V. A
parable of Hermetic
marriage, Rosencreutz appears to be a guest at the wedding though some
writers have elevated him to the marriage position (read Waite 1961,
158-181 for a better understanding of the Chemical Nuptials). Described
"'as a very abstruse alchemical work, in which the universal
alchemical process is taught under the figure of a marriage'"
(Craven, n.d., 38 from Newcastle S.R. in Anglia, I, iii, 53), it is,
therefore, revealed to the knowing, as an alchemistic initiatory
process. Although not
claiming authorship for the previous two works, Andreĉ claimed that he
had, indeed, written this allegorical work. The title of this work, (The
Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosencreutz), should be
interpreted to mean "The Spiritual Marriage (of the Soul)"
(Clymer 1929-30, II, 33). Case (1985, 37) does not believe that Andreĉ's
Christian Rosenkreutz is the same person as referred to in "the
most godly highly-illuminated Father, our Brother, C.R.C. a German the
chief and original of our Fraternity" as noted in the Fama
and Confessio. Case's (1985) assumption is that since no
names appear in the first two works, only initials, the works may have
pertained to different individuals, and were written by different
people. Concerning this third manifesto, Waite (1961, 185 &
209) states that Andreĉ
probably wrote the document in either 1602 or 1603 retaining it in
partial secrecy until he had "dressed it up" and published it
in 1616 with Rosicrucian trappings (names inserted in certain places to
make the work appear current and relating to Christian Rosenkreutz). If
this is true, and the work was a fabrication, why didn't Andreĉ go one
step further by including the name of C. Rosenkreutz's Order (i.e., the
Rose Cross)? According to Hermelink (1964, 97), Andreĉ later spoke
out against the Rosicrucian movement stating that he was not in the
accepted sense a Rose Cross. His work, Invitatio Fraternitatem
Christi, ad sacri amoris Candidatos, published in 1617,
presented this anti-Rosicrucian stance. Again in 1619, Andreĉ wrote
(anonymously) Turris Babel, sive Judiciorum de Fraternitate Rosaceĉ
Crucis Chaos (Tower of Babel, or Chaos of the Judgements
of the Rose Cross) which consisted of 24 or 25 dialogues which
to the profane seemed to repudiate his former belief in the Rosicrucian
movement. Waite (1961, 201) shares this belief, believing that the work
was a blatant attempt at mockery of the Fama. Some
believe, however, that Andreĉ did this in an attempt to appease the
Church of Württemberg and retain his oath of silence. Clymer (1946, I,
221) states that Andreĉ merely outwardly distanced himself from the
Fraternity. Through later forming what was called a "Christian
Fraternity" (The Brotherhood of Christ) Andreĉ was able to observe
and train those worthy of entry as Neophytes into the Fraternitas
Rosae Crucis.
Notes 3. Bacon,
Shakespeare and the Rosicrucians (1888); Hermes Stella
(1890), Francis Bacon-Poet, Prophet, Philosopher-versus Phantom
Captain Shakespeare, The Rosicrucian Mask (1891); and The
Columbus of Literature, or Bacon's New World of Science (1892). 4. Note
Waite's A New Encyclopedia of Freemasonry
for listing of several individuals who shared both membership in
the Rosicrucian Fraternity and Freemasonry.
As with Rosicrucians, "No genuine Mason, imbued with the spirit
of liberality, will ... exclude from fellowship any Brother who believes
in the existence of God, the Brotherhood of
Man and the Immortality of the Soul" (Buck, Mystic
Masonry). Much of the
teachings (on a spiritual basis) of the Rosicrucians are similar ((i.e.,
the attainment of the Master's Word
(Illumination), its power, its eventual loss (loss of
Light through disobedience and "sin"), the search for
its recovery, the Ineffable Name in
connection with the Lost Word and the building and restoration of the
Temple (regeneration of the body)). The concept of "bringing to
Light," although symbolic in the Master Mason
is actually brought to reality in the Rosicrucian (Clymer 1993).
5. In 1690, an English translation was published entitled The Chemical Wedding. This edition was written by R. Foxcroft, a Fellow of King's College, Cambridge. * The AMORC (Ancient and Mystical Order Rosae Crucis) and
Dr. H. Spencer Lewis are covered in the two-volume set of
Dr. Clymer's The Rosicrucian Fraternity in America.
** C.R.C. (believed to mean Rosencreutz) and
P.A.L. are initials used in the text. No names are used in
reference to initials. CHAPTER II
Many, during the early 1600s, requested entry into the Fraternitas
Rosĉ Crucis, as attested by unanswered letters in the Gottingen
library. Their pleas, however, went unanswered ("Many are called
but few are chosen"). Then, as today, one does not join the
Rosicrucians through rituals and outward displays (as in some
clandestine groups calling themselves Rosicrucian); rather, one BECOMES
a Rose Cross. Some people, unable to obtain satisfactory information,
became disillusioned by the search. Bitter and resentful, they spoke out
against the Fraternity.1 In answer to this outcry of
disbelief, the "Great Hermeticist" Michael Maier (1568-1622)
wrote Silentium Post Clamores (1617). In this work,
Maier tried to explain why requests for membership were answered with
silence. It is impossible, however, to determine just who gained
entry and who did not, as each neophyte was sworn to an oath of silence
: "none should confess to be Rosicrucians" (Clymer 1929-30,
II, 34). Many considered the Brotherhood a hoax and by 1620 to all
outward appearances, the Rosicrucians
and their publications slipped into obscurity. This
"sleep," however, was to mask the activities of the Order from
the profane and clandestine groups. This act was also a
response to outlandish legends beginning to circulateClegends
such as how Rosicrucians could prolong their life indefinitely, do
without food or drink and enjoy perfect health (Trowbridge 1961, 82). In
fact, the Brotherhood continued, growing slowly and secretly. According to The Book of Rosicruciĉ
(Clymer 1946, I, xxiii-xxvi), this early 17th century Confederation was
co-founded by John Valentine Andreĉ, John Baptista van Helmont, Henry
Khunrath, Julius Sperber, Berigard of Pisa, Jean D' Aspagnet and
Henricus Madathanas. Maier1 soon became the Rosy
Cross's first Supreme Grand Master. On 8 July 1617, Robert Fludd (also
Flud or Flood), a Brother of Light, became the Fraternitas Grand
Master of England (Clymer 1946, I, 191). Previously on 9 November 1615,
Fludd had visited Maier in Germany where he had received initiatory
instruction into the outer precepts of the Brotherhood (Clymer 1946,
I, 178). Regarding this, many scholars incorrectly state it was Maier
who visited Fludd in England (although Maier had on a prior visit to
England become acquainted with Fludd, he did not initiate Fludd
while in England). Also, many of the same state that Fludd was in 1615
initiated into the Brotherhood. As previously stated, an individual is
not made or initiated a Rose Cross: rather one becomes a Rose
Cross; a transmutation of self through willful, conscious action.
According to Waite (1961, 107-08), Fludd's spiritual
interpretation of the Rose Cross (i.e., the symbol of the Fraternity
being a red cross with a rose in the center) is that the cross
symbolizes the Christ and its red color the divine blood which
"cleanses from all sin" (to ancient Egyptians a symbol of Light
and to Masons "... foreshadowed in King Solomon's Temple").*
The red rose centered in the cross represented the labor of Sacred and
Divine Alchemy in the purging of that which is unclean and defiled --
i.e., the transmutation (change) of all that is base into finer gold
(also note Craven, n.d., 142-43). According to some (e.g., Fludd,
et al.) the Rose Cross symbol is nothing more or less than
"the Cross of Christ dyed by his rose-red blood" (Waite 1961,
108). For a variation of the symbolic language of the cross and rose,
note Clymer (1929, 183-97; 1946, I, 17-24) and David R. Clark's, MA, IXE
The Cross and its Symbolism. Fludd, a physician (Fellow of the London College of
Physicians) and first Grand Master of the Rosy Cross in England,
continued to defend his beloved Brotherhood until his death on 8
September 1637.2 Two years before Fludd's death, he
was introduced to antiquary and astrologer, Elias Ashmole (1617-92).
Ashmole had inquired through William Backhouse, a noted chemist and
follower of the Great Work, about entry into the Fraternity. Accepted as
a Neophyte, trained by Fludd and later by Backhouse, Ashmole, in 1646,
was inducted as Supreme Grand Master of England (Clymer 1947, II, 257).
Astrologer Ashmole may also have been responsible for introducing
mysticism into the Masonic Order (Jones 1928, 857). Upon his induction
as a Supreme Grand Master, Ashmole, along with Thomas Wharton, William
Lilly, Sir George Wharton, John
Hewett and John Pearson, formed a Rose Cross lodge in London ( Jones
1928, 857; also note vol. xxxi of Encyclopĉdia Metropolitana
1845). It should be noted, however, that some scholars believe Ashmole
was never associated with the Rose Cross (French 1972, 14). Waite (1961,
372), usually a skeptic, states, "I continue to think that if there
were living members of the Order in England between the death of Fludd
and the date of his [Ashmole] own passing, it is probable that he was
one of them ..." (i.e., a Rose Cross). During the 17th century, the celebrated mystic Thomas
Vaughan (1612-66), although denying association with the Fraternity
(Clymer 1929, 95), contributed greatly to the Brotherhood with his
publication of the Fama and the Confessio.
In 1652, under the pen name of Eugenius Philalethes, he published an
English version (Case 1985, 4; Cavendish 1977, 102-03) which presented
the philosophy of the Rose Cross to a larger arena of English scholars.
This action caused many misinformed people to assume that Vaughan was
himself a Rosicrucian. To this belief, Waite (1961, 374) hastens to
state that "Vaughan contribute[s] nothing to the history of the
Order ..." As in all historical periods there were people who
continued to attack what they feared or didn't understand.3
One such individual was the Abbé de Villars who in 1670 wrote The
Count of Gabalis or Extravagant Mysteries of the Cabalists and
Rosicrucians (Melton 1978, 178). In this work, de Villars
attacked Rosicrucians as being anti-Christian. Earlier, in 1621, Philipp
Geiger had written Warnung für die Rosenkreutzer Ungeziefer (Warning
to Rosicrucian Vermin) which launched a vengeful attack upon
the Rose Cross Order. The Rose Cross in America? Some believe that the Rosicrucians, as an organized
order, came to America in 1694 (Melton 1978, 179). This Order, known as
the Chapter of Perfection, was established in Germantown, Pennsylvania
by the young mystic Johannes Kelpius. Kelpius had left London on the
"Sarah Maria" reaching Philadelphia on 23 June (Waite 1961,
604). Settling on the banks of the Wissahickon, Kelpius's group (which
came with him) built an observatory, temple and living quarters. Kelpius,
fourteen years later died from consumption. With his death, at age 35
(1708) also came the death of a vision. Although surviving several more
years, the group, with their emphasis on celibacy slowly died away. For
more information concerning this Order, read The Diarium of
Magister Johannes Kelpius (1917) and The Hon. John W. Martin's
(1931-32) "The Wissahick Parade." This group of religious and
occult enthusiasts may have been in possession of Rosicrucian documents.
It is generally agreed, however, that this Order was not Rosicrucian but
rather was composed of German visionaries who had derived their
teachings from the Kabbalah and Jacob Boehme (note Clymer IV, 1931-32,
117-123). The Brotherhood in 18th Century Europe. According to Jones (1928,
857), in 1710 (or 1714), Sigmund Richter (Sincerus Renatus) published Die
Wahraffte und Vollkommene Bereitung des Philosophiscens Steins ... Orden
des Gulden und Rosen Kreutzes ... (The Perfect and True Preparation of
the Philosophical Stone According to the Secret Method of the
Brotherhood of the Golden and Rosy Cross). Within this
work was a listing of 52 rules by which the Rosicrucians were to follow.
Sixty-seven years later, the Reformed Rite of the Brethren of the Rose
and Golden Cross was formed (Jones 1928, 857; note Clymer 1929, 178-79). Richter's work, like the
later Golden and Rosy Cross, was based in part on the earlier
teachings of Henricus Madathanas' Aureum Sĉvulum Redivivum
(The Golden Age Restored) (1625) and his symbolism. A
manifesto entitled The Secret Symbols of the Rosicrucians of the
Sixteenth and Seventeenth Century, published in 1785 presented
Madathanas' symbolism. It should be remembered (Ch. I) that Madathanus
had presented the theme of true Philosophical Initiation: "that the
Great Work, or Initiation, was the preparation, building and
finding of the TRUE CENTER OF THE CENTER OF THE TRIANGLE" (Clymer
1949, III, 83). The foundation for the German Golden and Rosy Cross,
had been laid in the 17th century by John Amos Comenius. His Collegium
Lucas (exoteric society with Fraternitas associationCBrothers
of Light) was an attempt by a brother of the Fraternity to bring before
the public, after a period of Silence, the exoteric aspects of the Great
Work. Some say that the
Golden and Rosy Cross "gave birth to symbolic Masonry as a means
for outer activity to contact those who would be worthy Acolytes"
(Clymer 1949, 80). There is, however, no documentation to substantiate
this claim. It is known in Europe that (with the exception of England),
a Neophyte or Acolyte of the Fraternitas, must first have been a
proven Mason (p. 80-1). Clymer (p. 83) states that Brother Richter, acting as
the ADoor,"
led those worthy members of the outward expression (the Golden and Rosy
Cross, many being Masons) into the Light of the Fraternitas. Paschal Beverly Randolph, M.D. (1939, 114), the first
Supreme Grand Master in America, states that Dr. F. A. Mesmer was also a
member of the Rose Cross (i.e., German Order of the Golden and Rosy
Cross) who established a following called the Mesmerists or Magnetists
(remember, the Fraternitas has had many "Doors," each
having been known by many names, even today). Rose Cross and Freemasonry. Christoph Gottlieb von Murr, in 1803, published Uber
den wahren Ursprung der Rosenkreuzer.
... In this work, von Murr advanced his thesis that the Rosicrucians
and Freemasons were identical until 1633 (Westcott n.d., 66).
Concerning this issue, Thomas de Quincey published Historico-Critical
Inquiry into the Origin of the R.C.- Freemasons which was a
commentary on J.G. Buhle's Ueber
den Ursprung und die vornehmsten Schicksale der Orden der R.K. und
Freymaurer, eine Hist. Krit (Untersuchung, 8 vo. 1804) and C.F.
Nicolai's German essays (e.g. Das Entstehen der
Freymaurergesellschaft) (Westcott
n.d., 68). In these works, suggestion was made that the Freemasons were
an offspring (mother-daughter relationship) of
the more arcane Rosicrucians. Waite (1994, 77), however, takes
issue with this argument stating that the relationship was of "a
spiritual affinity." Waite (1994, 355) does, nevertheless, note the
similarity between their symbolism, and the relationship between the
Freemasonry Eighteenth Degree (ANCIENT AND ACCEPTED SCOTTISH RITE) and
the older Rose Cross Fraternity. This degree (Knight of the Rose Croix
de Heredom) was started by Lyons=
Freemasons in 1623. The Fraternity During the Revolutionary War. In 1654, a "Eugenius Philalethes"** visited
America. At the conclusion of this visit, the activities of the Fraternitas
in America were placed under the direct supervision and authority of the
Council of Three (Clymer 1963). This Council was to remain in authority
until Dr. Paschal Beverly Randolph's selection as the Americas' first
Supreme Grand Master (Supreme Grand Dome) in 1858 (Clymer 1947, II,
xxvii; read vols. I, II, III of The Book of Rosicruciĉ
for history between 1654-1800s). Rosicrucians continued to come to
America, individually and in small groups, during the 17th and 18th
centuries. Later, in 1772, they formed the first Great Council of the
Order of the Rosy Cross in America, which assembled in Philadelphia
(Clymer 1965, 3). However, between Thomas Vaughan's (1650 c.) appearance
in America and Thomas Paine's arrival in 1774, all of the activities of
the Fraternitas were secret (Clymer 1947, II xxvii). Thomas Paine's arrival in America on 30 November 1774
was at the request of Benjamin Franklin who had encouraged Paine's
participation in America's forthcoming revolution. Franklin had been
introduced to Paine upon his entry into the Order of the Rose (note
Clymer's Knights of Chivalry, 1917a).
Paine, besides his knighthood in the Order, was also a member of
the Fraternitas World Council (states Clymer).
Although it would be another eighty years before the
creation of a Supreme Grand Dome in America, many of America's early
patriots, who became famous due to their involvement with the
Revolutionary War or Declaration of Independence, were also involved in
Masonic and the Fraternitas' work. None is better known than the
Father of our Country, George Washington. Although during his life
Washington was classified as an Unknown (one who doesn't reveal
involvement in the Fraternity), after his death, it was revealed that he
had been a member of the World Council (note many of Clymer's works). 3. Works
of hostile rebuke included: Gabriel Naudé (1623) and attacks on Fludd
by Petrus Gassendus, Franciscus Lanovius and Marin Mersenne. It should
be noted that Andrew Libau (Libavius), a principal of the College of
Casimir initially believed that the Fraternity was merely one's
imagination (1615). Later, however, his opinion changed (some say not)
in that he encouraged his colleagues to join (Craven, n.d., 41-2; Waite,
1961, 235-40). Fludd, answered Mersenne's criticisms through the
publication of Sophiĉ cum Moria Certamen (Frankfurt,
1629). Also note the Jesuits' opinion of the Rosicrucians in Rosa
Jesuitica (c. 1620). Note The Royal Masonic
Cyclopĉdia (1877, 617)
for information concerning a Rosicrucian based order. A further listing
of books on Rosicrucianism is found in F. Leigh Gardner's Rosicruciana
-- A Catalogue Raisonne of Works on the Occult Sciences. * Masonic Rose Croix, 18th degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish
Rite and pinnacle of French Rite (Knight of the Eagle and Pelican),
signifies the rose (Christ) and the cross (instrument of his passion) C
i.e., Christ on the Cross. The French changed the ritual to some degree,
making a more Hermetic interpretation of the original Christian rite
(Clymer 1929, 178-79). Information
concerning the Rose Croix degree may be found in the hundreds of
reproductions produced by Kessinger Publishing Co. The Mysteries
of Freemasonry (The Morgan Exposé) presents a
series of rituals which purports to be authentic. Although valuable as a
historical reference the document is misleading. Chapter 6 of The
Higher Degrees in Freemasonry by Brother J.S.M. Ward
provides an interesting presentation of the Rose Croix of
Heredom's history, philosophy and Rosicrucian influence. Finally The
Text-Book of Advanced
Freemasonry (compiler unknown) provides the reader with a
beautiful history and ritual of the Knight of
the Rose Croix. Pages 189-196 provide historical remarks and
correlation between this Masonic degree and that of the Fraternitas. ** There are some who believe that this "Eugenius Philalethes"
was not Vaughan but rather a
Rosicrucian using Vaughan's nom de plume. |