|
An
inkling of the substance of Rosicrucianism--its esoteric
doctrines--can be gleaned from an analysis of its
shadow--its exoteric writings. In one of the most
important of their manifestos, the Confessio
Fraternitatis, the Brethren of the Fraternity of R.C.
seek to justify their existence and explain the purposes
and activities of their Order. In its original form the
Confessio is divided into fourteen chapters, which
are here summarized. The Confessio is important as a
motivator of the peoples who were oppressed by both
politics and religion at the time, however, the manifesto
was not a code or doctrine of virtues and spiritual
truth. The mysteries and insights were delivered in the
lodges and in secret. These mysteries were delivered to
BUILD the MAN on a mental, physical, and spiritual level
with a distinct focus on CHARACTER and
VIRTUE.
Chapter
I.
Do not through
hasty judgment or prejudice misinterpret the statements
concerning our Fraternity published in our previous
manifesto--the Fama Fraternitatis. The true purpose of our Order
was set forth in the Fama Fraternitatis. In this document, we hope so
to clarify our position so that you will be moved to join with
us in the dissemination of spiritual knowledge according to the
secrets of our illustrious brotherhood.
Chapter
II.
The Rose Croix
Fraternity has provided a remedy for the infirmities of the
world's philosophic systems. The secret philosophy of the
R.C. is founded upon that knowledge which is the sum and head
of all faculties, sciences, and arts. By our divinely revealed
system--which partakes much of theology and spiritual- mental
medicine but little of jurisprudence--we analyze the heavens
and the earth; but mostly we study man himself, within whose
nature is concealed the supreme secret. If the people of our
day accept our invitation and join themselves to our
Fraternity, we will reveal to them undreamed-of secrets and
wonders concerning the hidden workings of the
Universe.
Chapter
III.
Do not believe that the secrets discussed in this brief
document are lightly esteemed by us. We cannot describe fully
the marvels of our Fraternity lest the uninformed be
overwhelmed by our astonishing declarations and the vulgar
ridicule the mysteries which they do not comprehend. We also
fear that many will be confused by the unexpected generosity of
our proclamation, for not understanding the wonders of this
age, they do not realize the great changes which are to come.
Like blind men living in a world full of light, they discern
only through the sense of feeling. [By sight is implied
spiritual cognition: by feeling, the material
senses.]
Chapter
IV. Because of the great
depth and perfection of our knowledge, those desiring to
understand the mysteries of the Fraternity of R. C.
cannot attain to that wisdom immediately, but must grow
in understanding and knowledge. Therefore, our Fraternity
is divided into grades through which each must ascend
step by step to the Great Arcanum. Furthermore, those who
receive this knowledge shall become masters of all arts
and crafts; no secret shall be hidden from them; and all
good works of the past, present, and future shall be
accessible to them. The whole world shall become as one
book and the contradictions of science and theology shall
be reconciled. Rejoice, O humanity! for
the time has come when God has decreed that the number of
our Fraternity shall be increased, a labor that we have
joyously undertaken. The right to receive spiritual truth
cannot be inherited: it must be evolved within the soul
of man himself.
Chapter
V.
Though we may be accused of indiscretion in offering our
treasures so freely --without discriminating between the godly,
the wise, the prince, the peasant--we affirm that we have not
betrayed our trust. Seekers will find us
worldwide.
Chapter
VII.
Because of the need of brevity, it is enough to say that our
Father C.R.C. was born in the year 1378 and departed at the age
of 106, leaving to us the labor of spreading the doctrine of
philosophic religion to the entire world. Our Fraternity is
open to all who sincerely seek for truth; but we publicly warn
the false and impious that they cannot betray or injure us, for
God has protected our Fraternity, and all who seek to do it
harm shall have their evil designs return and destroy them,
while the treasures of our Fraternity shall remain untouched,
to be used by the Lion in the establishment of his
kingdom.
Chapter
VII.
We declare that God, before the end of the world, shall create
a great flood of spiritual light to alleviate the sufferings of
humankind. Falsehood and darkness which have crept into the
arts, sciences, religions, and governments of humanity--making
it difficult for even the wise to discover the path of
reality--shall be forever removed and a single standard
established, so that all may enjoy the fruitage of truth. We
shall not be recognized as those responsible for this change,
for people shall say that it is the result of the
progressiveness of the age. Great are the reforms about to take
place; but we of the Fraternity of R.C. do not arrogate to
ourselves the glory for this divine reformation, since many
there are, not members of our Fraternity but honest, true and
wise men, who by their intelligence and their writings shall
hasten its coming. We testify that sooner the stones shall rise
up and offer their services than that there shall be any lack
of righteous persons to execute the will of God upon
earth.
Chapter
VIII.
That no one may doubt, we declare that God has sent messengers
and signs in the heavens, namely, the new stars in
Serpentarius and Cygnus, to show that a great
Council of the Elect is to take place. This proves that God
reveals in visible nature--for the discerning few--signs and
symbols of all things that are coming to pass. God has given
man two eyes, two nostrils, and two ears, but only one tongue.
Whereas the eyes, the nostrils, and the ears admit the wisdom
of Nature into the mind, the tongue alone may give it forth. In
various ages there have been illumined ones who have seen,
smelt, tasted, or heard the will of God, but it will shortly
come to pass that those who have seen, smelt, tasted, or heard
shall speak, and truth shall be revealed. Before this
revelation of righteousness is possible, however, the world
must sleep away the intoxication of her poisoned chalice
(filled with the false life of the theological vine) and,
opening her heart to virtue and understanding, welcome the
rising sun of Truth.
Chapter
IX. We
have a magic writing, copied from that divine alphabet with
which God writes His will upon the face of celestial and
terrestrial Nature. With this new language we read God's will
for all His creatures, and just as astronomers predict eclipses
so we prognosticate the obscurations of the church and how long
they shall last. Our language is like unto that of Adam and
Enoch before the Fall, and though we understand and can explain
our mysteries in this our sacred language, we cannot do so in
Latin, a tongue contaminated by the confusion of
Babylon.
Chapter
X.
Although there are still certain powerful persons who oppose
and hinder us--because of which we must remain concealed--we
exhort those who would become of our Fraternity to study
unceasingly the Sacred Scriptures, for such as do this cannot
be far from us. We do not mean that the Bible should be
continually in the mouth of man, but that he should search for
its true and eternal meaning, which is seldom discovered by
theologians, scientists, or mathematicians because they are
blinded by the opinions of their sects. We bear witness that
never since the beginning of the world has there been given to
man a more excellent book than the Holy Bible. Blessed is he
who possesses it, more blessed he who reads it, most blessed he
who understands it, and most godlike he who obeys
it.
Chapter
XI. We
wish the statements we made in the Fama Fraternitatis
concerning the transmutation of metals and the universal
medicine to be lightly understood. While we realize that both
these works are attainable by man, we fear that many really
great minds may be led away from the true quest of knowledge
and understanding if they permit themselves to limit their
investigation to the transmutation of metals. When to a man is
given power to heal disease, to overcome poverty, and to reach
a position of worldly dignity, that man is beset by numerous
temptations and unless he possess true knowledge and full
understanding he will become a terrible menace to mankind. The
alchemist who attains to the art of transmuting base metals can
do all manner of evil unless his understanding be as great as
his self-created wealth. We therefore affirm that man must
first gain knowledge, virtue, and understanding; then all other
things may be added unto him. We accuse the Christian Church of
the great sin of possessing power and using it unwisely;
therefore we prophesy that it shall fall by the weight of its
own iniquities and its crown shall be brought to
naught.
Chapter
XII.
In concluding our Confessio, we earnestly admonish you
to cast aside the worthless books of pseudo-alchemists and
philosophers (of whom there are many in our age), who make
light of the Holy Trinity and deceive the credulous with
meaningless enigmas. One of the greatest of these is a stage
player, a man with sufficient ingenuity for imposition. Such
men are mingled by the Enemy of human welfare among those who
seek to do good, thus making Truth more difficult of discovery.
Believe us, Truth is simple and unconcealed, while falsehood is
complex, deeply hidden, proud, and its fictitious worldly
knowledge, seemingly a glitter with godly luster, is often
mistaken for divine wisdom. You that are wise will turn from
these false teachings and come to us, who seek not your money
but freely offer you our greater treasure. We desire not your
goods, but that you should become partakers of our goods. We do
not deride parables, but invite you to understand all parables
and all secrets. We do not ask you to receive us, but invite
you to come unto our kingly houses and palaces, not because of
ourselves but because we are so ordered by the Spirit of God,
the desire of our most excellent Father C.R.C., and the need of
the present moment, which is very great.
Chapter
XIII.
Now that we have made our position clear that we sincerely
confess Christ; disavow the Papacy; devote our lives to true
philosophy and worthy living; and daily invite and admit into
our Fraternity the worthy of all nations, who thereafter share
with us the Light of God: will you not join yourselves with us
to the perfection of yourselves, the development of all the
arts, and the service of the world? If you will take this step,
the treasures of every part of the earth shall be at one time
given unto you, and the darkness which envelopes human
knowledge and which results in the vanities of material arts
and sciences shall be forever
dispelled.
Chapter
XIV.
Again we warn those who are dazzled by the glitter of gold or
those who, now upright, might be turned by great riches to a
life of idleness and pomp, not to disturb our sacred silence
with their clamorings; for though there be a medicine which
will cure all diseases and give unto all men wisdom, yet it is
against the will of God that men should attain to understanding
by any means other than virtue, labor, and integrity. We are
not permitted to manifest ourselves to any man except it be by
the will of God. Those who believe that they can partake of our
spiritual wealth against the will of God or without His
sanction will find that they shall sooner lose their lives in
seeking us than attain happiness by finding
us.
Johann
Valentin Andreæ is generally reputed to be the author of
the Confessio. It is a much-mooted question, however,
whether Andreæ did not permit his name to be used as a
pseudonym by Sir Francis Bacon. Apropos of this subject
are two extremely significant references occurring in the
introduction to that remarkable potpourri, The Anatomy
of Melancholy. This volume first appeared in 1621
from the pen of Democritus junior, who was afterwards
identified as Robert Burton, who, in turn, was a
suspected intimate of Sir Francis Bacon. One reference
archly suggests that at the time of publishing The
Anatomy of Melancholy in 1621 the founder of the
Fraternity of R.C. was still alive. This
statement--concealed from general recognition by its
textual involvement--has escaped the notice of most
students of Rosicrucianism. In the same work there
also appears a short footnote of stupendous import. It
contains merely the words: "Job. Valent. Andreas, Lord
Verulam." This single line definitely relates Johann
Valentin Andreæ to Sir Francis Bacon, who was Lord
Verulam, and by its punctuation intimates that they are
one and the same individual.
|