Rosicrucian Beacon Online - 2012-03 - AMORC

Issue 05-­‐04-­‐2011 -­‐ April 2011 (Version 09/02/2012) 2

osicrucianBEACONONLINECONTENTSAn onlineEnglish Language Magazinepublished by the English GrandLodge for Europe, the MiddleEast and Africa of theROSICRUCIAN ORDER atGreenwood Gate,Blackhill,CrowboroughTN6 1XEUNITED KINGDOMTel: 01892-653197Fax: 01892-667432E-mail: info@amorc.org.ukWeb: www.amorc.org.ukStatements made in this publicationare not the official expressions ofthe Rosicrucian Order or its officersunless specifically declared to be so.All material published in thismagazine is copyright of the SupremeGrand Lodge of AMORC and may notbe copied or reproduced in any formwithout the prior consent of thecopyright holder and the individualcontributors.Finding the God of Your Heartby Sven JohanssonThe Mystery of Creationby Ralph M LewisBalancing Spiritualityby Sarah HunnifordTorrentiusby George TaylorThe Nature of Compassionby Cecil A PooleThe Beggarby Ella Wheeler WilcoxSamuel Hartlibby Paul GoodallConcept of Godby Joseph CampbellTowards an Ideal Societyby Robert A Daniels21013142021222829© Supreme Grand Lodge of AMORCVolume 2 - No. 1, 2012

devotion to a Universal Creator that seems soeasily to enter one’s being and sweep it away for awhile to spheres of Light and Holiness…, the veryessence of any true path of spiritual unfoldment.Holy is the LordSome years ago, as I was about to begin writingan article, I heard a brief part of the Sanctus fromSchubert’s German Mass, D872. In repetitiveform, the choir sings words paraphrased fromthe book of Isaiah 6:3…, “Holy, holy, holy…, holyis the Lord. Holy, holy, holy…, holy is he alone.” Itexpresses in a form beautiful and solemn to eventhe untrained ear, the awe and adoration thathundreds of millions have had for centuries forwhat is universally known simply as… “God.”There is a deep sense of reverence andsanctity in this sung form of worship, and it isalmost guaranteed that my eyes begin wellingup with tears before longas I listen to it and think ofthe countless numbers ofdevoted worshippers whohave listened to music likethis over the centuries,and found within themselves during momentsof private prayer and reflection, a new openingto the Supreme Holiness they instinctively yearnto discover.Some months after this, I had the pleasureof visiting a very special group of Rosicrucians.It was a warm reunion and one I look forward toeach year. The most important thing for me thatday was the presence of something extremelydiffuse, yet of deep and moving sanctity andpower in our midst throughout the day. I becameaware of the presence the moment I arrived.Not that I brought anything with me…, I merelystepped into something that was already there…,the powerful aura of something deeply sacred inand around our meeting hall right beside a lovelyold church.Throughout the day, during our manymoments of light hearted laughter and discussion,as well as our moments of quiet reflection, I felt© Supreme Grand Lodge of AMORCThe presence of our reality ofGod is always with us, whetherwe are aware of it or not.this presence as something light, optimistic,joyful, wise and above all…, of great holiness.But it was particularly towards the end of theday, in the clear light of a late afternoon sun asit streamed into our solemn period of groupdevotion, that the presence was the most intenseI can recall experiencing for many years. And Iknow there were several others who experiencedmuch the same.The presence of our reality of God is alwayswith us, whether we are aware of it or not. Ourreality of it actually never leaves us, though weof course are often too distracted to notice itssilent presence, and the reality we have of thisgreatest understanding of Sanctity we know isvery diluted. In fact, most of the time we hardlynotice it at all, and see and experience nothingmore elevated than our daily, humdrum existence.But there are fortunately also times when weare particularly attuned to our God, and wegain immensely from theresulting inner elevationthat we experience onsuch occasions.For the vast majorityof people though, thereare prolonged periods when it is a real struggleto feel the presence of any form of sanctity atall. Indeed, the challenges of life can create suchgreat distractions from the things we should befocusing on, that we see, feel and experienceprecisely zero in the manner of sanctity. Ourchallenges can take up such a large part of ourattention that we are in fact totally oblivious ofour deeper needs. And while our purpose in thisworld is in fact nothing short of the attainment ofmastery over our outer selves, and learning howto respond to our daily challenges with finesseand ease, to be frank, we don’t always deal withthese challenges too well, do we?And precisely when the inspiration of a“Higher Intelligence” would really come in handy,we are so immersed in the clutter and turmoil ofour immediate concerns that we don’t realise thatthe advice and assistance we seek is actually rightbeside us, eager and ready to help…, if only weVolume 2 - No. 1, 2012 3

the learned of Europe. But whilethey were welcomed by manyeducated people, among manyin the clergy they were roundlyvilified as being ungodly, heathenand inspired by the devil.Yet, when we read thesefabulous allegories in the lightof our modern intellectualfreedoms, we are immediatelymade aware of one overridingfeature…, the pious and godlynature of the allegorical founderof the Rosicrucian Fraternity, oneChristian Rosenkreutz. Throughoutthe narrative of the Fama, it isclear that this man and the groupof brethren he surrounded himself with, were menof deep religious conviction. Having its genesisin a Christian milieu, the author (or authors) ofthe Rosicrucian Manifestos would have beenkeenly aware of the words from Isaiah 6:3...,“Holy,holy, holy is the Lord of hosts.” The piousness anddevotion of the early Rosicrucian brethren to theirunderstanding of God comes through powerfullyand beautifully in the narrative.Although the early Rosicrucians of theseallegories were first and foremost Christian monks,it is clear from the narrative in the Fama, that thefounder Christian Rosenkreutz was also deeplyinfluenced by and instructed in the ways of bothJudaism and Islam…, and had a particularly greatdebt of gratitude towards the Islamic scholarswho instructed him for many years in the waysof holiness. The Fama, Confessio and AlchemicalWedding were without doubt testaments to theexistence of a Supreme Creator, a God of all lessergods, one who stood above all other conceptsof perfection and refinement that humans canaspire to.In the early 1600s life was dominated inEurope by Christian beliefs, customs and practices.Anyone professing a belief in anything otherthan the prescribed dogma of the handful ofestablished, though highly fractious Christianchurches, were courting a painful death by© Supreme Grand Lodge of AMORCTitle page to the first edition of the Alchemical Wedding ofChristian Rosenkreutz with its presumed author JohannValentin Andreae (1586-1654).burning at the stake. Outward, demonstrativeworship of God was central to all community life,and the Christian belief systems of the day were byour modern standards rigid and harsh, demandingtotal obedience to the clerical powers of the day.And this applied to all variants of Christian belief,not only the doctrines and practices associatedwith the Inquisition.There was no room for radical theories aboutGod, for everyone knew that God was physically“up there” in the heavens and man was “downhere” on earth, living in abject sin, poverty anddepravity, having but one chance at redemption,namely by living within the strictures of churchdogma. Of course there were illumined mindsthen just as there are today, and many deeplyspiritual men and women were burnt at the stakebecause they could not keep to themselves theenlightened thoughts they had received fromtheir deeper selves in moments of inner silenceand prayer. But they were determined to allowVolume 2 - No. 1, 2012 5

those wonderful concepts to spread out into aworld hungry for knowledge and deeper formsof spiritual expression..., much as I believe manyRosicrucians today seek to pass on the Lightof spiritual realisation to others who are avidlyseeking it but have not found it yet.One of the key features that distinguishesmodern society from the early 17 th century, is ourpresent-day legally protected rights to freedomof thought and speech. The freedoms we havetoday are hugely valuable, for they make itpossible for us to think and openly say things ofa spiritual nature that a person could never havesaid at the time of the first Rosicrucian Manifestos.Clearly however, the things alluded to in thesedocuments make it clear that the same thoughtswe have today about holiness and the nature ofGod, existed then as well…, and indeed with anabundant yearning for personal expression.The MysticIn a wonderful book entitled Sanctuary of Selfformer chief executive and Imperator of theRosicrucian Order, Ralph M Lewis, wrote thefollowing about what he believed a mystic to be.If you would know a mystic, do not confine yoursearch for him to monasteries and temples, butlook for him also on the highways and byways, intowns and hamlets, and in the hustle and bustleof the great cosmopolitan centres of the world.When you find a man who is industrious,studious, compassionate, loved by his friendsand neighbours, tolerant in his views, and whocan point out to you the magnificence and efficacyof God in the simplest of things, you have founda mystic.With these qualities, whether he be attired in asacerdotal robe or in the overalls of a mechanic,he is nonetheless a mystic.A mystic then is not a person who necessarilystands out as particularly “holy looking.” There areRalph M Lewis (1904-1987)no special robes, no special postures to adopt, nospecial chants or mantras to intone. The mysticis above all an ordinary man or woman of theworld first and foremost…, a person who willinglydeals with all aspects of the world, no matterhow unappetising they may be, but who has anabiding devotion to his or her concept of theSupreme Deity, and keeps this Light of spiritualexperience and understanding uppermost in hisor her mind and heart always.We differ yes..., but only on the outside.You and I may come from very differentbackgrounds. We may have different tastes, almostcertainly have different star signs, we may differin our preferences and opinions on things, andwe were born and brought up maybe continentsapart and in very different cultural milieus. And soit is with all people…, and thankfully we receivefrom this the richness of an immense variety anddiversity of opinions and expression.Rosicrucians differ outwardly among eachother about many things; but they are unitedabout one thing…, they are seeking sanctity inwhatever form it is available to humankind, andaspire to become accomplished mystics along theway. Their common goal is the search for sanctitywithin their own beings, and the immanenceof God in all things. Even if they can’t see auras,© Supreme Grand Lodge of AMORC6Rosicrucian Beacon Online

even if they can’t do so called “astral travel,”even if they can’t meditate properly, have littleimagination, lack proper focus and concentration,can’t visualise effectively, etc…, they still have thiscommon ideal…, the quest of finding God.Because Rosicrucians have accepted thechallenge of establishing their individual pathstowards greater and greater spiritual awareness,they are striving to realise fully and internally thatthey have a certain inner part of themselves thatis directly linked to God. Some Rosicrucians donot have quite that intensity of focus, but theystill know that they are seeking something veryspecial. They may not quite know what it is, butthey do know that it is out of the ordinary, is goodbeyond measure, and certainly it is more beautifuland sacred than the humdrum existence theyhave led till now.I am sure that every human being, at a deeplevel, seeks the experience of God in some form.It may not be a conscious yearning, and the word“God” may not even come into it. But as aspiringmystics, seekers on one of the major paths of innerspiritual unfoldment, the Rosicrucian Order…,Rosicrucians ultimately seek communion withand experience of the presence of God. Whetherconsciously aware of it or not, they are seeking toexperience the sanctity of that attunement dailyand hourly…, and would like it to be at their sideconstantly…, and for ever more.The Rosicrucian seeks to establish a lifelonglink between the outer self and the deepestrecesses of the inner self…, a part of the beingthat is closest to the individual soul and istherefore called the “soul personality” or, as itis more commonly referred to, the “God of myheart.” To be perfectly frank, very few will everfully develop this transcendent link; but if webelieve in reincarnation and the migration of thesoul from one human state to another…, once wehave started this journey, we will not…, indeed wecannot rest until we have reached our destination,something that will inevitably take many, manylifetimes to accomplish.Failing to establish this treasured link in onelifetime is not something to fret about, for oneknows from the outset that it is an impossibletask to complete in just one life. Leaving one’spath of inner development behind however, andabandoning it altogether…, that is altogethera much more serious matter. For as long as onestays the course by working constantly on thetask of uniting the outer and inner selves…,through both difficult and good times…, onewill be progressing, even if only marginally, andtherefore one will be developing crucial powersof patience and fortitude in the face of adversitythat are essential to the life of every mystic.Wandering off the PathAnd so, at last I come to the main point of thisarticle: What happens when we have wanderedoff our chosen path and find ourselves in themetaphorical wilderness, devoid of all feelings ofnearness to the God of our heart, and are inwardly asarid as a desert? Many years ago I devised a simpleemergency procedure to use if it ever happenedto me or to anyone I know and care for. I knowtoday that this procedure works exceedingly wellif followed to the letter, for not only has it helpedme several times, I have seen it assist others too.I once met a lifelong Rosicrucian whowas in precisely this situation at one point inlife. He was living from year to year with deepWhat happens when we have wandered off our chosenpath and find ourselves in the metaphorical wilderness,devoid of all feelings of nearness to the God of our heart,and are inwardly as arid as a desert?© Supreme Grand Lodge of AMORCVolume 2 - No. 1, 2012 7

unhappiness in personal matters; he experiencedmuch antagonism at work and received a very lowsalary to compensate for it all. One evening whileperusing his Rosicrucian studies for the week, heread about how a true mystic visualises the thingshe wants..., sees them accurately in his mind’seye, and feels and even smells what is desired…,and then releases the desire to the Cosmic to beactioned in accordance with his personal karmaand a universal code of justice. A particular partof the Rosicrucian teachings also said that ifone wishes to be happy and at peace, then allone needed to do was think, eat and breathethose concepts..., namely, think, eat and breathehappiness and peace. In desperation, he startedrepeating to himself a few simple sentences... “I amhappy, I am at peace and my life is fulfilled beyondmeasure. For this oh God, I thank you.” Over and overhe repeated the words in every possible place hewas in for months on end. Whether at work, onthe way to or from work, in the bath, or cleaninghis flat, he would repeat the slogan out of sheerhabit…, and sometimes even out loud. It was alsothe last thing he said inwardly each night beforeretiring to sleep.At first, he felt exceedingly foolish sayingsuch a ridiculous thing, for clearly he was nothappy, he was not at peace, he was not fulfilledin any way and he couldsee nothing he shouldbe grateful for. Quite thecontrary; life was harshand unyielding in itspersecution of him…that, at least, is how hesaw it. But he carried onrepeating the mantra overand over, as if blindly adhering to a principle inwhich he had faith but no understanding at all.The Rosicrucian teachings had given him a masterplan of escape from his miserable existence, andhe followed it meticulously.And then one day, nearly a year later,something changed in him. Maybe the inner selfgot tired of hearing his affirmations and decidedto grant him his wish…, for in an instant, quite8“For months afterwards, hesensed the presence of aholiness at his side, constantlythere to guide and assist himon his way.”Rosicrucian Beacon OnlineA true mystic visualises the things he wants..., sees themaccurately in his mind’s eye, and feels and even smellswhat is desired.literally as if a person had walked into the room,he felt the presence of someone or some beingthat was greater and more holy than anythinghe had ever known. It was a living presence ofunimaginable beauty, subtlety, refinement andwonder. He did not fall to the ground in tearsbut was overwhelmed with a feeling of supremeneutrality and serenity. There was no judgementin him, no recriminations against anyone anymore. He blamed no one and no thing for hismiserable life…, and the world and his life,he could suddenly see,were in fact unfoldingand developing exactlyas they were meant to…,not one bit too fast or tooslow, not one bit needingto change this way orthat…, all was unfoldingaccording to plan.In this state he sat for over an hour andreturned eventually to his normal senses, acompletely changed man. For months afterwards,he sensed the presence of a holiness at his side,constantly there to guide and assist him on hisway. It taught him things of the heart and soul hehad never thought possible before. In narratingthe story to me, he said the feeling slowly recededover a period of several years, and then twenty© Supreme Grand Lodge of AMORC

The Mystery ofCreationby Ralph M LewisPast Imperator of the Rosicrucian OrderNO MYSTERY HAS INTRIGUED the mind morethan that of Creation. How, and even why, didall of Being, the whole Cosmos, come intoexistence? Was it through spontaneous generation,or was it predetermined? If it was spontaneous,was there a previously created contributingsubstance? To cite chaos as the spring from whichthe Cosmos came forth simply precipitates thequestion as to whether chaos had a quality initself. If it had, then what was the origin?If you accept the alternative, that is, theconcept of predetermined cause, you enter therealm of teleology, or “Mind” as the motivatingforce of Creation. This assumes that Creation wasa primary idea, an objective to be attained; thatit was premeditated. This conception engenders10Rosicrucian Beacon Onlinethe idea of an embodied mind residing in athinking, reasoning entity. The only parallel wehave for such a mental capacity is the humanmind. Therefore, it is quite understandable thathuman intellect would think of such an InfiniteMind as an attribute of a Supernatural Being.If such a Being had the faculty of planningand formulating ideas, it must also have otherattributes similar to those of mortals, such as theemotions, passions and sentiments. And so thenotion of gods was born.At first, these gods were thought of asapotheosised humans; in other words, mortalswho had become divine. Later, the gods wereconceived of as self-generated beings, andeventually, the belief in a monotheistic Being, a© Supreme Grand Lodge of AMORC

sole God, arose. This sole God too, was thoughtto have been self-generated, that nothing hadpreceded deity. These notions aroused polemictheological and ontological discussions; in otherwords, they centred on the enigma of the termself-generated.Did the term “generation” imply a creationfrom a pre-existing “something” that wastransmuted into a Deity? Or did it mean the Godcame into existence from a void, a condition ofnon-existence? Even if the latter view is accepted,there is the implication that this non-existenceis a negative reality. Once again we return tothe repetitious question: “Where did that stateor condition, which is given the reality of a Non-Existence, come from? If it is realised and if it isnamed, is it not, therefore, a thing?”CausalityThis brings us to another aspect of the subject,the metaphysical. Did the Cosmos pass througha nascent state, that is, did it necessarily have abeginning? This question involves the profoundsubject of causality. Are there actually such thingsas causes? Or are they but a precept, a mereabstract idea, of the human faculties? Aristotle,on his doctrine of causality, set forth four typesof causes:1. The material cause, from which somethingarises.2. The formal cause, the pattern or essencethat determines the creation of a thing.3. The efficient cause, or the force or agentproducing an effect.4. The final cause, or purpose.self-designed to attain a particular ultimate stateor condition.Is it not possible that attributing a cause tothe Cosmos is due to humanity’s philosophicalconcept that for every positive state there is anopposite one of equal reality? More simply, thatNon-Being exists also? That which is, suggestsnon-existence as an opposite state out of which, itmay be imagined, came the substance, the causeof that which has discernible reality. It is difficult toderive, from common human experience, the ideathat there has never been a Primary Cause of All.As we look about us, we see what seemsto constitute a series of specific causes by whichthings appear as the effects. However, what weobserve as causes are in themselves but effectstoo, of preceding changes. Due to our limitedfaculties of perception, we are unable to seean infinite number of apparent causes. We maypresume that such do exist or think that there wasan initial or First Cause, a beginning. In drawingon our experience with natural phenomena, wetherefore imagine that the Cosmos had somebeginning. To theorise about such a beginning isonly to return to the original perplexing question:“Where did it come from?”The Doctrine of NecessityOrdinarily overlooked is an important doctrinein connection with the subject of Creation andWe will note that the first and third definitionsimply a pre-existing condition; in other words,that something was, out of which something elsecame into existence. In fact, the third definitionexpounds that this pre-existing state, or force,brought a transition, a change in itself, whichthen was the effect. The fourth definition stronglysuggests determinism, that is, that all Being was© Supreme Grand Lodge of AMORCWhat Came First?Volume 2 - No. 1, 2012 11

indeed whether there was a beginning. Thisis the doctrine of necessity. From a point ofratiocination, necessity is a state whereina thing cannot be other than what it is.Applying this doctrine to the question of theCosmos and Creation, we must ask ourselvesthe question: “Was a beginning necessary?”In other words, could there have beenanything other than the Cosmos? “Nothing”is only the negation of what is; it has noreality in itself. There can be nothing apartfrom what is. Since nothing is non-existent,all else then is by necessity. In other words,it must be. Being is positive and active andthere can be no absolute inertia.If the Cosmos is, by the necessity of itsquality of “Being” that does not imply that itis amorphous, namely that it has no innatequality. In its spectrum of energy, the Cosmosgoes through myriad changes of expression,which constitute the phenomenal world.However, no particular phenomenon is theabsolute reality of the Cosmos, but only arepresentation of its eternal motion.Is there a “closed Cosmos”? Is there acontinuous cycle of phenomena repeating itselfthrough infinite time, thereby amounting to alimitation on the nature of its activity? Were thephenomena which are now discernible to us,always as we perceivedthem, and will theyalways remain so? Orwere they differentin the vast span oftime, and will they benecessarily other thanthey are now known to human awareness? It isconsistent to think of all natural phenomena aspart of a subjacent force, a unified field in essence.But in its absolute quality, the Cosmos is active,never static.Mind and OrderThe doctrine of necessity is also applicableto those terms we refer to as Mind and Order.12“ The persistence of naturalphenomena, their recurrencea n d t h e i r s t r i v i n g t o b e ,corresponds to the attributes ofconsciousness.”Rosicrucian Beacon OnlineFLAT UNIVERSECLOSED UNIVERSEOPEN UNIVERSEIn a flat Universe the expansion would cease after a while. A closedUniverse would close upon itself, while an open Universe will go onexpanding forever.The commonly associated attributes of mindare consciousness, memory, reason and will.The persistence of natural phenomena, theirrecurrence and their striving to be, corresponds tothe attributes of consciousness. The repetition ofsuch phenomena suggests determinism or will. Theamazing organisation of nature implies a parallelto the faculty of intelligence and reason. Sucha similarity however,does not confirm thatthe Cosmos is innatelya Mind.However, to knowis to have a mental imageof the thing perceived orconceived. We would feel personally lost in thecomplexity of existence if we could not conceivethe Cosmos by some intimate idea. Therefore, theconcepts here considered are those, with variousothers, by which humanity has found “a unity withthe One” as mystics would say. Such ideas becomethe God of our heart as well as of our mind. If weare wrong in our conception, then all must bewrong; for which conception alone can be said tobe the absolute image of the Cosmos?© Supreme Grand Lodge of AMORC

BalancingSpiritualityby Sarah HunnifordIF YOUR HEAD MUST be in the clouds, keepyour feet on the ground. The rewards ofotherworldliness are dubious and besides, it’slonely up there.Whatever you may think of this physicalworld, it still remains the arena in which you mustperform. The basic instinctual drives propel andnecessity presides as ruthlessly as any despot. Acloud dweller is inevitably precipitated into theearthly melee and, unless your stance is firm, yourdefeat is certain. At best, you will be badly bruised.Cloud fabric is tenuous; as disappointing ascandy-floss melting immediately in the mouth,however iridescent and captivating it mightlook. The Ideal wears a material garb; its essencepermeates the Here and Now. And knowingly orunknowingly, all have embarked on the samejourney. The “Holy Grail” is an earthen vessel, itscontents potent with juices fermented from life’sexperiences. The tools of spiritual growth are athand and their use is compulsory.They are earthy tools and seeminglyunequally distributed. But if a spade can turnonly a little soil, the divinity that sparks eachgrain is the same that fills a steam shovel’s load.To ignore the tool fitted to one’s hand is foolish,for practiced skill is a prerequisite for masteringanother more complex one. This is not to saythat the human spirit is earth bound; that it can’tsoar and enrich itself by temporary respite from© Supreme Grand Lodge of AMORCphysical preoccupations. But mystic ecstasy is asfutile as dervish frenzy unless it is converted intopractical utility.Countless words have been written to expressthe inexpressible. They are nebulous, distractingand even dangerous if they induce detachmentand encourage idleness. Development of thespiritual consciousness is accomplished in theworld, for the world, and for the benefit of humanevolution. And that means dealing with the world,not avoiding it. Spiritual development is a turningof the inside out, a chemical-spiritual interactionfor which externality is indispensable.Unless the indwelling gaze sees outwardlyas well, there is no transmutation. Instead, thereis the danger of spiritual pride and intellectualstagnation, an insularism that precludes truespirituality and contributes nothing to theadvancement of humanity. Spirituality is notmade of cloud stuff; rather it is composed ofstruggle and effort, the conversion of spiritualinsight into practical action. The technologicaladvances of the modern age have finally reachedsuch a point where veritable spiritual perfection isdemanded to harness them to good purposes andprevent them from being used in less effectiveand destructive ways.This is the challenge, and the time is Now.Earth substance provides the means, and spiritualperfection is possible.Volume 2 - No. 1, 2012 13

TorrentiusThe Rosicrucian Order in 17th Century HollandTHE FRENCH SCIENTIST Samuel Sorbière(1615-70) whilst living in Holland oncesaid: “There is no country in the world that isso favourably disposed towards the Brethren of theRose Cross as Holland, where those who know thesecret of the great work enjoy so much freedom.”Another contemporary writer reported that therewere centres of Rosicrucianism in Amsterdamand The Hague by 1622, the members of whichbelonged to the “distinguished classes” and met ina palace. Later, the town of Warmond near Leidenwas added to this list and Sorbière mentionedother European centres in Nuremberg, Erfurt,Hamburg, Danzig, Mantua and Venice. The interestin the study of natural philosophy in Hollandwas so great that in Dordrecht in 1619, IrenaeusAgnostus published his Regula Vitae, in which hespoke highly of the hochberühmte tugendhaftenFraternität des R.C (“the highly renowned, virtuous14by George TaylorRosicrucian Beacon OnlineFraternity of the R.C.”). In 1615 a Dutch translationof the Fama Fraternitatis appeared, and in 1616the English philosopher and scholar Robert Fludd(1574-1637) published his Tractatus Apologeticusintegritatem Societas de Rosae Crucis in Leiden.The people of Holland cherished freedom ofthought and tolerated many different ideologicalgroupings. The syncretists and alchemists evenenjoyed the protection of the Stadholders(vice-regents) of the Netherlands. One of them,Barnaud, openly introduced the Stadholder PrinceMaurits of Orange (ruled 1584-1625) as theirprotector. From 1575-1577, Maurits had studiedin Heidelberg. He was the uncle of Frederick V andgodfather to some of Frederick and Elizabeth’schildren, and offered them all a home in TheHague. His half-brother Prince Frederik Hendrik ofOrange (ruled 1625-1647), who had married a ladyof the court of Frederick V, was favourably disposed© Supreme Grand Lodge of AMORC

Spranckhuysen, who carefully remained behindthe scenes and incited others to testify against theartist. The result was that Coppens was exiled, butTorrentius was tortured.On 25 th January 1628 Torrentius was tried incourt. He had to be carried into the court becausehe was totally paralysed after having sufferedtortures on the rack. There was a tremendouscrowd of people who had come from far andwide. Among these was Lodewijk van Nassau,the natural son of Prince Maurits, who had cometo Haarlem with his retinue specifically to attendthe session of the court. While this was goingon, the “dark powers” that were making thiseffort to hinder the breakthrough of the Light,had not remained idle. They had manipulatedpublic opinion and set it against the defencelessTorrentius. He was tried extra ordinaris. Why hewas not tried ordinaris is made clear from theFormbook of Willem van Alphen (1682). In it hewrote:“From extraordinary procedures no minuteswere kept in the Cause List of the Procurator-General,contrary to the case of those towardswhom ordinaris actions were taken.When the actions are taken extraordinaris and justice was delivered on the confessionof the delinquent, the latter is not allowed to appealagainst the condemnation.”According to surviving documents, the cityof Haarlem did not want to get involved in an“unnecessary and endless” trial and so Torrentiuswas not allowed to defend himself. AlthoughPrince Frederik Hendrik tried to intervene witha personal letter to allow Torrentius to take legalaction ordinaris and to be freed on bail, it seemsthat it had no influence on the Lords of Haarlem.But as Torrentius had not confessed, in spite ofbeing “tortured with heavy torments” the Haarlemjudges were somewhat at a loss with the case.Then the advice of five lawyers from The Haguewas obtained. Their conclusion and advice endedwith the words:“Also notwithstanding that said T, havingbeen tortured, had given no further confession, thismeans that he shall be sentenced not as a confessus,but as a plenario convictus.”And so, he was sentenced on the basis ofconviction alone. In the trial, not the slightestIn this contemporary Rosicrucian caricatureby Pieter Nolpe, Dutch etcher, engraver anddraughtsman,the second line of text in theleft column reads: Alwaer de broederschapvergaert van‘t roode kruis, meaning “Where thebrotherhood of the Red [Rose] Cross meets.”These figures may perhaps be identifiedas: Joost van den Vondel, ConstantijnHuygens, Torrentius (the artist in theforeground), Roemer Visscher, his daughterMaria Tesselschade Visscher, TheodoorRodenburg and Pieter Cornelisz. 1Roemer Visscher published in 1614 anemblem book (the first of three) entitledSinnepoppen relating directly to morality andmoderation in daily life. The first decadesof the 17 th century formed the zenith ofemblem literature in the Dutch Republic.Nowhere else was the genre to flourish asrichly as in the (Northern) Netherlands. 2(Image source:http://rosaecrucius.blogspot.com/)16Rosicrucian Beacon Online© Supreme Grand Lodge of AMORC

attention was given to the counterstatements ofthe witnesses for the defence and Torrentius wasconvicted because of “his godlessness, abominableand horrifying blasphemy, and also for terrible andvery harmful heresy.”ReprievedThe sentence demanded was the stake but insteadthe verdict given was twenty years imprisonment.A second attempt by Prince Frederik Hendrikto intervene was also unsuccessful. Finally KingCharles I of Britain, who was a great admirer ofthe paintings of Torrentius, sent a personal letterto the Prince of Orange, whose son had marriedCharles’ daughter, in which he wrote that he wassorry that such a unique talent would be lost. Verytactfully the King said that Torrentius had beenrightly punished for such a tremendous crime, butthat the two-year imprisonment he had alreadysuffered, and other chastisements should havesatisfied the judicial authorities.The Lords of Haarlem resisted all attemptsto free their victim, but unexpectedly the Princesigned a pardon and Torrentius travelled toEngland, becoming Court Painter to Charles I. Heremained there until 1642, but the tortures hadbroken his body. Of his once splendid appearanceonly a wreck remained when he returned toAmsterdam to his mother. He came home to die.On 17 th February 1644 his mortal remains wereburied in the Nieuwe Kerk, in Amsterdam.Although they had done irreparabledamage to his physical body, his mind andtalent had not weakened under the misery heendured, as reflected in one of the few worksthat he is known to have painted in England. It isthe tableau of Jesus with the Pharisees and theadulterous woman (John 8:3-11). The paintingcan be interpreted as a kind of revenge on thepart of this great artist. In it he depicts those whowere the chief offenders of his persecution as thesinister figures of the Pharisees. We can recognisein the painting the portraits of the clergymenGeesteranus and Spranckhuysen as well as thecruel Bailiff of Haarlem, Cornelis van Teylingen.© Supreme Grand Lodge of AMORCBaruch (or Benedictus) Spinoza is one of the most importantphilosophers, and certainly the most radical of the earlymodern period. His thought combines a commitment toCartesian metaphysical and epistemological principleswith elements from ancient Stoicism and medieval Jewishrationalism into a nonetheless highly original system. Hisextremely naturalistic views on God, the world, the humanbeing and knowledge serve to ground a moral philosophycentred on the control of the passions leading to virtue andhappiness. They also lay the foundations for a stronglydemocratic political thought and a deep critique of thepretensions of Scripture and sectarian religion. Of all thephilosophers of the 17 th century, perhaps none have morerelevance today than Spinoza.(From: http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2011/entries/spinoza/>.)The painting also contains other items of interestfor the history of the Rosicrucians of Holland.The conviction of the two prominentRosicrucians, Torrentius and Coppens, was aheavy, though not lethal blow for the Rosicrucianwork in Holland. Their influence lasted for along time with, for example, Holland’s greatestphilosopher, Spinoza. It might even be saidthat the Rosicrucian ideal had materialised withSpinoza. His ethics were above the differencesof belief of Christians, Jews and Muslims and theseal of Spinoza depicts a rose. He wore this sealattached to a key, as the symbol of the entrance tothe hidden truth. Spinoza desired to go unnoticed,like a true Rosicrucian; he even forbade his nameto be mentioned on the Ethica, a philosophicaltome, written between 1661 and 1665. Both inhttp://www.deliberacion.org/2011/06/spinoza/Volume 2 - No. 1, 2012 17

Emblematic Still LifeOil on Panel 52 X 50.5cm, 1614Rijksmuseum, Amsterdamthe Korte Verhandelingen (Short Discourses) andthe notes of the Tractatus Theologico-Politicus herecommends secrecy. Spinoza’s desire for secrecy,coupled with not mentioning his name on hiswritings, is wholly in line with the traditions of theRosicrucians of the 17 th century and mirrored thepersecution they lived under at the time.Torrentius was not the only, nor eventhe first, to be prosecuted for Rosicrucianassociations. In 1620 the Rosicrucian apologistAdam Haslmayr (c.1560-1630), the secretary toArchduke Maximilian von Habsburg, had beensentenced as a heretic and magician and wassent to the galleys for life. Nicolaes Janszoon vanWassenaer’s Historisch Verhael states that duringthe same period five Fratres Rosae Crucis werehanged in Germany. 318We see depicted a huge, half-full “roemer” (a glassused for drinking wine) between a long-spouted waterflagon and a wine jug, with a horse’s bridle abovethem. On the ledge there are two small clay pipes.The inscription on the sheet of music under the glassreads: “That which exists out of measure perishes inevil immeasurably.” To the initiated, the implication isclear. Overindulgence in drinking or smoking tobacco(an intoxicant recently introduced from the New World)should be curbed. Hence the horse’s bridle, and thewater flagon and wine jug that flank the roemer, forif wine is diluted with water its intoxicating effect istempered. (Retrieved at http://www.wga.hu/html_m/t/torrenti/allegory.html)The text under the musical notation reads: ER + Watbuten maat bestaat, int onmaats qaat verghaat (“That whichexists out of measure perishes in evil immeasurably”)emphasising the theme of morality and moderation.ER + stands for Eques Rosae Crucis, (“Knight of the RoseCross”).Rosicrucian SymbolismRosicrucian Beacon OnlineAlthough it was alleged during Torrentius’ trial thathe was connected with the Rosicrucians and somewould argue that this was merely a fabrication totry and bolster the case of the prosecution, thereis little doubt that he was indeed a Rosicrucian.We know this because of the secret signs that arefound within his art.In his painting “Emblematic Still Life” (1614),for example, the letters “ER+” standing for EquesRosae Crucis (Knight of the Rose Cross) appearupon a piece of musical notation set beneaththe central glass. Instead of the character “C” thesign of the cross (+) was used. 4 This work containsother things that identify the painter with theOrder Rosae Crucis. For example, the Rosicruciansymbols of the circle, the equilateral triangle andthe cross are found in the background, and thewhole work appears as an emblem of moderation:one of the key Rosicrucian precepts.There is yet another item worth mentioningto support the above. In the painting Christ andthe Woman taken in Adultery, in which Torrentiusdepicts Jesus writing the initials “R V” with hisfinger in the soil, we can see at the head of the “R”a little rose in the still wet paint. 5 We have alreadyheard about the composition of Torrentius’ still© Supreme Grand Lodge of AMORC

Rembrandt and his Nachtwacht(oil on canvas, 363 x 437cm, 1642)Rijksmuseum, Amsterdamlife mentioned above, into which the Rosicruciansymbols of the circle, equilateral triangle and crosswere incorporated. The perfect composition of hiswork has drawn particular attention, as has alsothe work of Rembrandt.It is known that several of the old Masterspainted according to a geometrical systemwhen determining the size and compositionof their paintings. De Haas 6 has shown that thegeometrical Rosicrucian symbols are not onlythe basis of the paintings of Torrentius, but alsoof some works of Rembrandt, especially DeNachtwacht (The Night Watch). It is possible thatThe geometry implied in the emblemsuggests a Rosicrucian connection.© Supreme Grand Lodge of AMORCseveral of these old master artists were secretlyassociated with the Rosicrucian Order.The connection between Rembrandtand the Order, although perhaps tenuous onthe surface, is reinforced by the fact that in theforeground of the Nachtwacht, a red rose wasoriginally painted, though Frans Banning Cocq(who commanded the Company in the painting)later replaced it with an orange on the copy inthe British Museum. It can also be shown thatthe geometrical basis of the composition of theNachtwacht is founded on the aforementionedRosicrucian symbols.Endnotes1. Information retrieved from http://rosaecrucius.blogspot.com/2. Information retrieved from http://www.dutch.ac.uk/studypacks/english_language/emblems/pages/sinnepoppen.html3. Historisch Verhael was a news compilation appearing in21 semi-annual parts covering the years 1621-1631 inAmsterdam.4. Rehorst, A J, in Torrentius, Rotterdam, 1939.5. Ibid., Rehorst argues that the painting in his own collection,Christ and the Woman taken in Adultery, was by Torrentius.Rehorst, who was himself a Rosicrucian, contended thatTorrentius was the leader of the Rosicrucian movement inthe United Provinces. (Information from Christopher Brown,“The Strange Case of Jan Torrentius: Art, Sex and Heresyin Seventeenth Century Haarlem” in Rembrandt, Rubensand the Art of Their Time, Pennsylvania State University,1997, p.225.6. The author of this article is probably referring to the artcritic Karl H de Haas… (ed.).Volume 2 - No. 1, 2012 19

environment were concerned. Both a philosopherand palaeontologist, Eiseley had numerousexperiences with the study of early hominids andthe conditions that surrounded their existence. Hespoke frequently of the early Neanderthal man,who was less evolved in appearance and way oflife when compared with modern man.Nevertheless, as he pointed out on severaloccasions, the first stages of what we wouldrecognise as “humanity” were clearly evidenced inthis species of human. Describing a Neanderthalburial, Eiseley wrote:“Massive flint-hardened hands had shaped asepulchre and placed flat stones to guard the deadman’s head. A haunch of meat had been left toaid the dead man’s journey. Worked flints, a littletreasure of the human dawn, had been pouredlovingly into the grave. And down the millenniathe message has come without words. ‘We toowere human, we too suffered, we too believedthat the grave is not the end. We too, whose facesaffright you now, knew human agony and humanlove.’It is important to consider that across 50,000 yearsnothing has changed or altered in that act. It is thehuman gesture by which we know a man thoughhe looks out upon us under a brow suggestive ofthe ape. If, in another 50,000 years, man can stillweep, we will know humanity is safe. This is all weneed to ask about the onrush of the scientific age.” 1From this quotation it is clear that Eiseley believedthat the future of the scientific age in which welive depends upon our ability to continue toregister compassion. As long as we can weep,as long as we can express emotions that haveto do with feelings of a nature that takes intoconsideration not only the well-being of ourselvesbut the well-being of all people, civilisation is safe.In my opinion, compassion is the key to the futureof the human race.Humanity will no doubt continue to evolveand struggle for ever greater achievement andrefinement for as long as men and women areable to express compassion. As we learn the dailylessons of life and study our Rosicrucian mysticalteachings, let us all remember that compassionis the single most important key by which weare able to express our own evolution. If humanevolution is to continue and civilisation is to besafe and secure, we must never give up or loseour ability to show and express compassion, thefeeling of mercy for all that lives.Endnote1. Eiseley, Loren, “Neanderthal Man and the Dawn of HumanPaleontology” in The Quaterly Review of Biology, Vol. 32,No. 4, 1957The BeggarIgave a beggar from my little storeOf well-earned gold. He spent the shining oreAnd came again and yet again, still coldAnd hungry as before.I gave a thought and through that thought of mineHe found himself, the man, supreme divine!Fed, clothed and crowned with blessings manifoldAnd now he begs no more.© Supreme Grand Lodge of AMORCElla Wheeler Wilcox (1850-1919)Volume 2 - No. 1, 2012 21

Frontispiece to Francis Bacon’sNovum Organum, 162022SamuelHartlibReformist andIntelligencerby Paul GoodallRosicrucian Beacon OnlineANAME THAT crops up fairly oftenin the first half of the seventeenthcentury in literature and textsrelating to Rosicrucianism and the idea ofuniversal reform is that of Samuel Hartlib.He was, in fact, one of a number of principlecharacters in that milieu of reformistidealism that characterised this period.Two contemporary engravingsevoke the aspirations of this circle ofpersonalities who wanted to bring aboutan advancement of scientific learning inthe seventeenth century that was typifiedin the writings of Francis Bacon (1561-1626). The first is the frontispiece to Bacon’sNovum Organum Scientiarum (“The NewInstrument of Science”) of 1620 depictingthe ship of learning sailing between thePillars of Hercules (in mythology situatedat the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea)and thus looking toward Atlantis and theundiscovered sea of knowledge. NovumOrganum formed the second part of a muchlarger unfinished work entitled InstauratioMagna (“The Great Awakening”). The otheris the frontispiece to Thomas Sprat’s Historyof the Royal Society published in 1667 wherewe see the figure of Francis Bacon as Atrium© Supreme Grand Lodge of AMORC

Instaurator (font of knowledge) pointingtowards the instruments of science (seepage 28).Samuel Hartlib was born aroundthe year 1600 in Elbing (modern Elblag)in Polish Prussia to a wealthy dye-worksowner and his English wife. He waseducated at the Brieg Gymnasium, andthe University of Königsberg beforestudying briefly at Cambridge inEngland. He returned to London in 1628 to escapethe upheavals of the Thirty Years War (1618-1648)in Europe where intellectual activity had becomea precarious pursuit. In 1630, he tried to establish aprivate academy at Chichester in Sussex, England,for selected refugees from Poland, Bohemia andthe Palatinate, but when this failed he returnedto London where he lodged students and foreignvisitors to earn a living. Once back in the city henever left it until his death in 1662.Utopian SocietiesBefore leaving his homeland, Hartlib hadalready become involved in an idealistic secretsociety called Antilia which was devoted to thereformation of education and religion spurredon by millenarian concerns for the future. In trueRosicrucian spirit its main aim was the universalreformation of society at all levels and it was thissociety that had prompted Hartlib to found theacademy at Chichester.The members of Antilia appear to havebeen specialists in science and technology. Itsmanifesto was to bring together experimentalknowledge and scientific pansophy (universalknowledge) for the benefit and ameliorationof society. Antilia was one of several utopianbrotherhoods such as Societas Ereunetica basedat the University of Rostock and Unio Christianafounded at Nürnberg in 1628. These formed ageneral Protestant utopian movement inspiredlargely by the writings of Johann ValentinAndreae, the author of Die Chymische HochzeitChristiani Rosencreutz (“The Chymical Weddingof Christian Rosenkreutz”) of 1616. They were© Supreme Grand Lodge of AMORCpreceded by Andreae’s own Societas Christianaupon which they are modelled.ReformPlan of Johann valentin Andreae’s utopianChristianopolis of 1619 upon which, amongothers, Hartlib based his ideas on a new society.In 1640 Hartlib addressed his utopian treatise, ADescription of the Famous Kingdom of Macaria, tothe so called “Long Parliament” which had beenexcluded from the affairs of the nation by Charles I.The fictional offshore island of Macaria is the sameas that created by Thomas More (1478-1535) in hisUtopia (1516), but is primarily based upon FrancisBacon’s New Atlantis of 1623 and the pansophy ofJan Amos Komenský (1592-1670), better known asComenius. In Macaria, Hartlib describes a societyin which government and people collaborate inprosperity through the practical application ofwidely disseminated knowledge.T h e c r e a t i o n o fHartlib’s Kingdomo f M a c a r i a w a spar tly influencedby Thomas More’sisland in his Utopia of1516 illustrated here.Volume 2 - No. 1, 2012 23

One of four letters to Samuel Hartlib by Comenius, 26th January - 1st July, 1638.(BPH MS M372, J R Ritman Library, Amsterdam)Har tlib and Comenius had been incorrespondence since 1632 and in 1634 hewas trying to raise enough funds to publishComenius’ reformist work Pansophiae Prodromuswhich he eventually did in 1639. While Macariawas being published in 1641 Comenius had beeninvited to England by Hartlib to assist in theexecution of the reforms that were envisagedand collaborate in the founding of a pansophiccollege. After his arrival Comenius wrote his ViaLucis (Way of Light) in 1642, outlining a ChristianAcademy that would guide and educate societytoward universal salvation.From 1628 Hartlib had been closelyassociated with one John Dury (1596-1680), theson of a Scottish minister, who wanted to healthe divisions that existed between the Protestantchurches and who had travelled extensively incentral and northern Europe in his quest to doso. Dury sermonised that Protestant unificationwas the only way to counter the advance ofthe Catholic Habsburg Empire in Europe. Inorder to maintain support for Dury’s activities,Hartlib published an account of his travels andnegotiations in 1641. Like Hartlib, Dury was alsodeeply interested in the reform of education andphilosophy and in 1640 Hartlib expressed hisapproval of Comenius and Dury in an addressto the Long Parliament as philosophers to bein future reforms. This was an attempt to win24Rosicrucian Beacon OnlineParliament’s aid and to encourage it to followpolicies which might lead to evangelical unionand universal reformation.Education and LanguageAside from unifying churches and reformingsociety, improvements in education lay at theheart of their ideas. Outlined in Comenius’pansophy were three “books of wisdom” in whichto gain knowledge, these were: the physical world,human reasoning and divine revelation.Books on their own were insufficient toachieve a universal wisdom; therefore pansophywould be the true objective of all educational andscientific endeavours. Reformation of teachingmethods would have to be undertaken throughthe authority of a sympathetic state so that in time,successive generations would be progressivelyinstructed to know the books of nature, God andReason. In this way humanity would attain theultimate stages of enlightenment.Another pressing issue was the idea ofcreating a universal language to conquer linguisticdivision. An agreed mode of communicationhad to be established to maintain internationalharmony and since this was an age of discovery,a scientific language was required in the Baconianfashion to express concisely the true nature ofthings. It was reasoned that human languages had© Supreme Grand Lodge of AMORC

fallen into decay resulting from the curse laid onthem at Babel. It must not be forgotten that thesewere Puritan men of deep religious convictionand such reasoning is entirely in line with theirstaunch faith in the Bible.History Repeats ItselfIn the summer of 1641 these three “foreigners”saw themselves on the brink of achieving theirreformist aims in England and establishingHartlib’s Macaria. The political situation wasripe for use. English society appeared poisedto embrace the pansophy of Comenius andthe ground was fertile to begin the process ofProtestant unification envisaged by Dury who hadarrived in London and been given the honorarypost of chaplain to the Earl of Leicester.Furthermore, all three had the patronageof the Bohemian Queen Elizabeth in exile inThe Hague, daughter of James I and widowof Frederick V of the Palatinate. Providence, itseemed, had brought to England the essentialagents of the new reformation and the futurelooked assured.From 1628 Har tlibh a d b e e n c l o s e l yassociated with JohnD u r y ( 1 5 9 6 - 1 6 8 0 )who wanted to healthe divisions thatexisted between theProtestant churches.In mid-October Parliament reassembled.Parliamentary friends of Hartlib had kept himinformed throughout September of political plansand activities and hopes were high. Hartlib andComenius were told to prepare to consult witha parliamentary committee and to await furtheradvice. Meanwhile they began looking for a likelyplace to set up a Pansophic College. Amongstthose considered was the Savoy Hospital, theHospital of St. Cross at Winchester and the ChelseaCollege founded by James I.But suddenly an event occurred which putpaid to the whole scheme. The Irish Catholics hadrebelled following the political shenanigans ofthe politician John Pym who had used them andthe Scots Presbyterians but had not paid theirprice. This changed things between Parliamentand Hartlib’s reforms. Although they waitedthroughout the winter of 1641-42 hoping againsthope that the tide might turn, it was not to be.The country was drifting towards civil war andParliament was preoccupied with other concernsthan the golden age of universal reform. In May1642 Dury left England to serve as chaplain toMary, princess of Orange at the Hague (althoughhe did return before the end of the Civil War)Pansophiae prodromus is the prequel to Pansophiae diatyposis in whichComenius also uses phrases from the Fama Fraternitatis. It is followedby the Sketch of Universal Wisdom. Comenius’ most compendious work onpansophy is De rerum humanarum emendatione (“On the amelioration ofhuman conditions” 1668), but this work was never finished. Pansophystrives for universal wisdom and harmony; it intends to educatepeople who live in a world of strife and disorder, war and destructionand to reform church, school, society, arts and sciences.© Supreme Grand Lodge of AMORCVolume 2 - No. 1, 2012 25

An example of Samuel Hartlib’s prolific outputto inform and educateand Comenius set sail on 21 st June bound forSweden never to set foot in England again.Hartlib remained in London, we can only assumesomewhat disillusioned.It seems that history has a way of repeatingitself. Just as the Thirty Years War had overtakenthe expectations of those involved in thepublication of the Rosicrucian Manifestos andits application in the Palatinate, equally forHartlib and his associates, success was deniedthem and the universal reformation wasindefinitely postponed.£100 in 1649. This was more than likely in view ofhis extensive contacts abroad which made him avaluable source of political information.The underlying motivation for this work wasstill the idea of universal reformation and as anactive publicist he published various pamphletson reforming methods, the Church and public life.He employed a team of copyists and translatorsat his own expense in order to circulate lettersand treatises. Although Hartlib became a majorconduit for passing literature on many diversesubjects it was only ever within the frameworkof education, science, technology or theologywhich were regarded by him as useful. Eventuallyhis residence at Dukes Place became too small torun this free intellectual exchange and he movedpremises to Axe Yard near Charing Cross.The Hartlib CircleWhat is often termed the “Hartlib Circle” wasin fact, not a society with a membership but amore diverse group of individuals who weredispersed in a wide geographic area. ThroughoutHartlib’s residence in London he had been inOffice of Address andCorrespondencyDuring the English Civil War which lasted from1642 until 1649 Hartlib acted as an agent forthe Parliamentary cause. He had become wellknown as an intelligencer, namely a distributorand conveyer of news and information. After 1646Hartlib began to promote his Office of Address andCorrespondency.The aim of this establishment was tobring together information from thinkers andpractitioners in every field and to allow them to bein communication with each other for their ownand the common good. Hartlib tried to get Statefunding for this organisation but was unsuccessfulalthough he was awarded an annual stipend of26Rosicrucian Beacon OnlineRobert Boyle (1627-1691): Anglo-Irish naturalphilosopher, chemist, physicist, inventor and scientist.© Supreme Grand Lodge of AMORC

correspondence or discussion with hundredsof people on issues regarding “useful” subjectssuch as educational theory, divinity, naturalphilosophy or schemes for practical improvement.Some of these contacts were people from whomHartlib had hoped to benefit, while others wereimpoverished scholars whom Hartlib oftensupported out of funds he managed to raise fromgovernment from time to time.Other more practical pursuits were aimedat proposing ways to relieve poverty and therebyincreasing the wealth of the nation, while themeans to prolong life and cure diseases weresought by alchemical discoveries and the practiceof iatrochemistry (chemical medicine). Hartlib andhis associates were ever seeking to apply newknowledge and new methods of understandingto further ameliorate the human condition.Hartlib could not avoid making theacquaintance of many significant personalities,of course, among whom were the chemistand exemplar of the experimental philosophyespoused by the Royal Society, Robert Boyle(1627-1691); the metaphysical poet AndrewMarvell (1621-1678); the diarist and foundermember of the Royal Society John Evelyn (1620-1706); and the poet and prose writer JohnMilton (1608-1674) who, to prove his admiration,dedicated his treatise On Education (1644) toHartlib. Many of these personalities, it shouldbe added, had some kind of connection to theRosicrucian stream of the times.The Invisible CollegeIt had always been the intention of Hartlib andothers to set up Baconian type colleges whichwould be the bastions of the new learning.On 13 th March 1642, when the expectationsof the reformers were at their highest, Hartlib,Comenius and Dury signed a pact committingthemselves to a secret fraternity to advance thegoals of their Pansophia which was essentiallythe same as the Rosicrucian vision of a universalsystem of knowledge embracing all aspects ofhuman learning.© Supreme Grand Lodge of AMORCThe original Gresham College where the RoyalSociety held their meetings.In his early days, Robert Boyle was a moralistand religionist and there was quite a lot ofcorrespondence between him and Samuel Hartlib.Hartlib’s influence is perhaps apparent when Boylewrites of a “new philosophical college” in lettersdating 1646 and 1647 wherein he refers to “ourInvisible College” when requesting books fromhis tutor. He also mentions this term “InvisibleCollege” and its relationship to community plansin a further letter to Hartlib in 1647. 1 It appears thatthere may have been some meetings organised inLondon in 1645 to discuss natural philosophy andthe new experimental philosophy which includedJohn Wilkins, the first secretary to the RoyalSociety, and one Theodore Haak, a German fromthe Palatinate. This kind of anecdotal and writtenevidence has led to some speculation that thisInvisible College was the antecedent to the RoyalSociety which was founded in 1660. Thus thereare links following through from Francis Bacon,Johann Valentin Andreae, Samuel Hartlib andJan Comenius among others that have a definiteRosicrucian perspective that ultimately lead us tothe foundation of the Royal Society.Final daysReligious dissent and political turmoil hadeffectively terminated the grand plan of the“Three Foreigners” but this did not stop SamuelHartlib continuing his work toward the realisationof something that would not appear in hisown lifetime. His importance in his role as anintelligencer was only made apparent in 1933Volume 2 - No. 1, 2012 27

The diarist Samuel Pepys was Hartlib’s closeneighbour at Axe Yard in the later years of his lifeand noted his social eminence and respectability.He was also visited by another diarist in the 1680s,John Evelyn, who recalled his impression of Hartlibas the “master of innumerable curiosities.” Havingbeen a part of the Cromwellian regime ensuredthat Hartlib was marginalised after the Restorationof the monarchy and his reputation suffered analmost total eclipse. He died in poverty in 1662. 2Endnotes1. See Harwood, John T., Introduction to The Early Essays andEthics of Robert Boyle, Southern Illinois University, 1991,pp. xx-xxi.2. See Greengrass/Leslie/Raylor, Introduction to SamuelHartlib and Universal Reformation: Studies in IntellectualCommunication, Cambridge University Press, 2002 edn.The frontispiece to Thomas Sprat’s History of the RoyalSociety published in 1667 depicting the crowning ofCharles II indicated by Prince Rupert, the first cousin ofthe King. Prince Rupert was, in fact, the son of FrederickV Elector of Palatinate and Elizabeth Stuart. The figureof Francis Bacon on the right is pointing towards theinstruments of science.when some of his papers were discovered in theoffices of a London firm of solicitors. These hadnot been seen since 1667 and were eventuallyacquired by George Turnbull, Professor ofEducation at the University of Sheffield.Bibliography• Francis Yates, The Rosicrucian Enlightenment, Routledge,1998.• Clare Goodrick-Clark, “The Rosicrucian Afterglow: The Lifeand Influence of Comenius” in The Rosicrucian EnlightenmentRevisited, ed. Ralph White, 1999.• Paul Bembridge, “The Rosicrucian Resurgence at the Courtof Cromwell” in The Rosicrucian Enlightenment Revisited, ed.Ralph White, 1999.• Chrisopher McIntosh, “The Rosicrucian Legacy” in TheRosicrucian Enlightenment Revisited, ed. Ralph White, 1999.• Mark Greengrass, “Interfacing Samuel Hartlib” in HistoryToday, Vol.43, Issue 12, 1993, pp.45-50.• John T. Young, Imperial College London, “Samuel Hartlib”in The Literary Encyclopaedia, 2004.• Hugh Trevor-Roper, Crisis of the 17th Century, Liberty FundInc., 2001.Concept of Godby Joseph CampbellIthink our search is somewhat encumbered by our concept of God. Godas a final term is a personality in our tradition, so that breaking pastthat “personality” into the transpersonal, whether within one’s self orin conceiving of the form beyond forms – although one can’t even sayform – is blocked by our orthodox training. This is so drummed intous that the word “God” refers to a personality. Now, there have beenvery important mystics who have broken past that. For instance, there isMeister Eckhart, whose line I like to quote: “The ultimate leave-taking isthe leaving of God for God.”From “An Open Road”28Rosicrucian Beacon Online© Supreme Grand Lodge of AMORC

Towards an Idealby Robert DanielsGrand Master EmeritusSOCIETYTHE DREAM OF an ideal society is an enduringgoal of many who have devoted their livesand interests to the mystical life and all itstands for. Through the centuries, Rosicrucianshave laboured for the upliftment and inspirationof humanity and have given unrelentingly of theirskills to advance society in its upward progress.We too have a dream of an ideal society inwhich people from all lands, cultures and interestscan work together in peace and harmony for thebenefit of all. For only in peace and harmony canthe ideals of a great society be fulfilled.Good ThoughtsIt is through the expression of the divine essencewithin us that we come to develop those powersand abilities which bring to us the breadth ofvision and service to humanity that is so necessarytoday.Our Inner Light begins to shine and revealitself as we seek to use the talents and abilities© Supreme Grand Lodge of AMORCwe have developed. It is expressed in goodthoughts, kind deeds and helpful advice. A wordof praise and encouragement whenever possiblecan bring Light into the life of another; it takesso little when one knows how. Good thoughtsand good deeds illuminate the lives of othersand are far more important and helpful than werealise. The extension of loving thoughts and acompassionate understanding towards othershas a subtle but tremendous influence whereverit is directed. Therefore, let us use wisely thesetools of the spiritual self for the advancement ofourselves and others.Our visualised ideals, good thoughts andpractical works are the means whereby weadvance daily. They are the stepping stones toour successful endeavours. Study and the practiceof mystical principles lay the foundation for ourgood works and prepare us for the service anddevelopment we envisage.Never underestimate the good you cando, for your thoughts are undoubtedly moreVolume 2 - No. 1, 2012 29

penetrating and far-reaching than you know.Once you begin extending a loving appreciationto others, a fusion of the mind with the Light ofthe living soul within you will begin to take place.Concentrated thoughts can have great effect.And when we visualise our desired ideals and theservice we want to render, we may be sure thatwe will be successful.The Divine Light residing in each of usawaits recognition and use. Its Light will illuminateour mystical endeavours and trigger deeperinsights into our daily affairs, if we will butallow it expression. Itspractical value in ouracademic and vocationalactivities will prove tobe a real blessing andencouragement in all we seek to do. This isthe mystical life; the living of a practical anduseful life in the world, ever seeking greaterknowledge and understanding; helping otherswhen the need arises, with a mind and heartuplifted and illuminated by the light of the DivineConsciousness within us.There is a great need today for the mysticalrevelations which can come only from thosewho are prepared to give themselves to the lifeof the Soul, and whose training and educationhave prepared them for service. That service canbe in science, medicine, industry or in many ofthe social aspects of life. In all parts of societywherever we look will be found those who havecommitted themselves to helping others. Theyfeel the compulsion to help others by sharingthe knowledge they have gained. Although theirmethods are at times a bit controversial, theyaccomplish a great deal of good. Many new ideasare being tried, and many old ideas are beingrevived for the benefit of those who can profitfrom them.A Channel of ServiceAs you attune yourself with your Inner Self,where the presence of God resides, just waitingfor your approach, you will receive inspiration30“Mystics of the past achievedmuch for the benefit of humanityin all areas of life.”Rosicrucian Beacon Onlineand enlightenment on how you may best utiliseyour abilities for the good of others. Your willinghands are needed, and the good you can do willdemonstrate the effectiveness of the Divine Lightwithin you, which seeks to shed its light and raysof love upon you and all mankind. This then, isthe task of all people of good will, individuallyand collectively: to make themselves count in thespiritual life of humankind.Mystics of past ages achieved much forthe benefit of humanity in all areas of life. Theyrevealed ways of approaching life which we arefree to emulate, indeedthat all people of goodwill are mandated tofollow. The Cosmic usedthem because they hadprepared themselves through many years ofdevoted study and practice in the great schoolof life.As Rosicrucians we ask everyone to usewhatever principles of goodness and sanctitythey have received; use them each day in sendingconstructive visualised thoughts to those in need;use them constantly to bring about necessarychanges in world affairs which are constructiveand positive for the good of all.And remember…, as you offer yourself asa channel of service, the Cosmic will provide youwith many opportunities to render practical anduseful service wherever and whenever the needarises. Opportunities for service are closer thanyou think. Embrace them, take them with bothhands, and eagerly serve the greater good. Onlywhen men, women and children of all nationstake their personal responsibilities to serve othersseriously, can our ideal society become a reality.This may seem utopian, and so it is. But without anideal and the stamina and will to carry that idealto fruition, we will never reach our goal of peaceon earth and good will to all mankind.The best way to find yourselfis to lose yourselfin the service of others...Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)© Supreme Grand Lodge of AMORC

To order any of these books, navigate to our online shop at–– http://www.amorc.org.uk/collection ––TDiscipleship on TrialHIS BOOK WAS written against the backdrop of the darkest days of theSecond World War. The momentous events of two world wars in the spaceof 25 years had markedly affected the psyche of nations and brought humanityto a crossroads in history.What was also facing a crossroads was “discipleship,” a concept the authoreloquently develops in this book. No longer could spiritual and esoteric ordersremain safe behind their outdated traditions and theoretical musings. A timefor radical transformation had arrived, but few had embraced it.During the two great conflicts of the period, statesmen led the way inadapting to a rapidly changing world while many esoteric aspirants were tied toworn out slogans of esoteric philosophy and secrecy, and proving themselvesutterly incapable of bringing about the changes needed.Forcefully advocating a disciple “warrior spirit,” Andrea does not implymilitancy for its sake alone, but encourages a “fighting mentality” to be used inthe service of others.by Raymund AndreaWThe Disciple and ShamballaRITTEN IN 1960, Andrea’s last major work gives an unsurpassed accountof the highest altitudes of the "mystic way," the universal path of spiritualenlightenment. One cannot help but be moved by the gentle urgency of hisspiritual devotion to the highest realms of holiness.Through proximity to the spiritual realm of Shamballa, the humble soulovercomes the "nemesis of Karma" and draws upon the source of infinite creativepower to accomplish a remarkable transformation. Andrea outlines the lifeof the advanced student who has passed through a hidden portal to a secretinner life of instruction, far from the comforts of the armchair mystic. The livingexperience of such a person is replete with trials and tribulations that serve ascatalysts for ever greater advancement and achievement.Mental creation through visualisation and the application of will isa crucial part of the technique of spiritual advancement given by Andrea.When applied correctly, an inner alchemy is begun as the student increasinglycomes under the numinous influence of Shamballa. The student’s life fromthat moment on is redirected wholly and exclusively in accordance with theholy will of inner Master.by Raymund AndreaOUnto Thee I GrantRIGINALLY PUBLISHED in English in 1750, this book has for over 250 years heldpride of place on the bookshelves of many seekers of spiritual enlightenment.Translated from a set of Tibetan manuscripts, and possibly originally meant as a “guideto-good-living”for Tibetan monks, even a cursory read convinces one that the chapterswere compiled by a person (or persons) of high spiritual intent. The inspiration it hasgiven to generations of seekers continues to this day. The simple, down-to-earth pointsof advice are timeless and as valid today as when they were first composed, possiblyover a thousand years ago.You can open this book on virtually any page and derive inspiration for the dayfrom the two or three paragraphs you will read there. It is a wonderful and worthwhilecompanion for life.FULLY INDEXED. Search for and find page references for all the most commonlyused words and expressions.The book consists of two parts: Part 1 is in the archaic English of the mid 18 thCentury, and Part 2 is in modern English.© Supreme Grand Lodge of AMORCVolume 2 - No. 1, 2012