THE CONCURRENCE

This Week’s Considération of a Famous Opinion

VVV
The Fama Fraternitatis is perhaps the best known
of the early Rosicrucian Manifestoes. Reproduced below
are the title pages of two of the early German éditions.

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Temple Section- AMORC ■The Rosicrucian Order

TWELFTH DEGREE NUMBER THREE PAGE ONE

To the Members of the Esoteric Hierarchy, Greetings 1

Let us read what the next paragraphs of the Fama tell us. "When now
these eight Brethren had disposed and ordered ail things in such manner, as
there was not now need of any great labour, and also that every one was
sufficiently instructed and able perfectly to discourse of secret and
manifest philosophy, they would not remain any longer together, but as in
the beginning they had agreed, they separated themselves into several
countries, because that not only their Axiomata might in secret be more
profoundly examined by the learned, but that they themselves, if in some
Country or other they observed any thing, or perceived some Error, they
might inform one another of it. .

■Their Agreement was this: First, That none of them should profess any
other thing, than to cure the sick, and that gratis. 2. None of the
Posterity. should be constrained to wear one certain kind of habit, but
therein to follow the custom of the Country. 3. That every year upon the day
C. they should meet together at the house S. Spiritus, or write the cause of
his absence. 4. Everv Brother should look about for a worthy person, who
after his decease might succeed him. 5. The word C. R. should be their Seal,
Mark, and Character. 6. The Fraternity should remain secret one hundred
years."

Now let us examine these six points of agreement. Take the first, for
instance. As these eight men went out into the various countries of Europe
and professed to cure the sick without charge and gave free treatments and
made remarkable cures, they must hâve attracted nation- wide attention. From
a modem point of view, this sort of thing was the best form of propaganda.
It was équivalent to saying "by thy works" let the world know who and what
you are. It was better than preaching, better than giving public lectures,
better than handing out pamphlets. Even today a man who travels across the
country giving free metaphysical treatments attracts attention in the
newspapers and by word of mouth. He soon has an enormous following.

These men did not hâve to call themselves Rosicrucians or mystics ;

they did not hâve to tell the people that they had some new and better
ideas. Ail they had to do was to treat and cure people, and by their acts
demonstrate to the public that they were in possession of some knowledge and
powers which others did not hâve.

Do you suppose that ail of the people would look at this treatment
work and marvel at it and not ask questions nor request to be put in touch
with the source of their knowledge and power? Do you think eight men
traveling through Europe, healing the sick, would not build up a following
and from that following form an organization? The very idea is absurd.

In the next point they were told they should not make
themselves conspicuous by wearing any kind of habit or strange

TWELFTH DEGREE NUMBER THREE PAGE TWO

dress. Please remember this was written in the days when Europe had monkish
Temple Section AMORC The Rosicrucian Order
orders of various kinds, and the streets of every city were filled with men
and women wearing black, brown, grey, or other robes indicating they were
monks or nuns belonging to some religious organiza- tion. Just as today we
do not want to hâve the Rosicrucian Order classified as a religious cuit, so
Christian Rosenkreuz wanted these eight meri to dress, live, and act, not
like monks connected with a religious organization, but as normal, naturel
human beings. The critics say this was done so that they would not attract
followers and build up an organization. This is ridiculous because they
would hâve had to discontinue giving treatments and doing anything in public
if they had wanted to prevent persons from being attracted to them.

The third point of the agreement says they are to meet once each year
on a certain day. That day you will become acquainted with later on. The
important point is that they were to corne together in the house of the
Sancti Spiritus, or the Sovereign Sanctuary, or, as it is called in Europe,
the S. S., meaning the international headquarters of the organization. If
the Order was intended to remain unformed and broken into segments, then why
should it hâve had a house ail to itself called the Sancti Spiritus? A
headquarters would not hâve been maintained for these early conventions and
meetings if the organization were not to grow and build up its membership.

The fourth point distinctly says that each of these eight founders
should constantly look for and be prepared to meet some person whom he
believed would make his logical suocessor to the position he oc- cupied.
This is highly significant. It shows that each of these eight understood
that the organization was to be perpetuated and carried on constantly into
the future, and to make sure of this each Brother was to pick out, while he
was still living, some person who would be a proper successor for him. He
was to train him and hâve him ready so that in case his transition came
suddenly there would be another to pick up the leadership of the work in his
particular country. Surely such a provision and arrangement is not made if
there is not to be a growing, continuing, physical organization.

In the next point we see a very clever arrangement for propagande.

These eight founders agréé that thewordR.C., Rosicrucian, Rosy Cross, or
Rose Croix, according to the different languages of Europe, should be on
their seals and be the mark to typify their character and personality. This
means that wherever these eight went to do any of their work and left a
symbol behind for identification, it always consisted of the word
Rosicrucian with the proper mark and symbol attached. This was sure to
croate a wide interest in these strange mystics and their organization. The
resuit was that thousands were — y mystified by the symbolism and name,
and they began to investi-
gâte and inquire.

This brought them to the very threshold of the organiza-

Temple Section A MORC- •The Rosicrucian Order

TWELFTH DEGREE NUMBER THREE PAGE THREE

tion. It was an excellent way of making themselves known.

The statement that the Order should remain secret one hundred years
has been greatly misunderstood by those who did not follow out the history
of the organization to see what the provision meant. It did not mean these
eight founders should work in secret for one hundred years, for how could
they carry on their healing work and do any of the other things they were
instructed to do if they had to keep secret for one hundred years? It meant
that after the organization was established by these men and they had
brought together enough néophytes to form an extensive body of men and women
in the whole of Europe, then the activities of the Order should enter into a
period of secrecy for one hundred years and later be revived again.

The resuit of this agreement was that it was found it took one hundred
and eight years before the organization in Europe was ready to retire into
secrecy. That brought them into the beginning of the eighteenth century. At
later conférences a definite cycle of years was decided on for the active
and silent periods in each country.

Another paragraph of the story is very interesting. It says that after

A was deceased Brother N.N. was appointed to succeed him. Earlier the Fama
says that A was the successor of D. There is, there- fore, a succession:
first Brother D, then A, then N.N. This should make it obvious that there
was a continuing, physical organization.

I hâve put so much emphasis on this matter of organization because it

is one of the things each of you may hâve to explain in the future. You may
meet people who will claim that any Rosicrucian organization which has a
physical body with living members, with buildings and head- quarters, with
propagande, and with a name and symbol does not repre- sent the true
Rosicrucian Order. They will say the true one never had such a physical
existence, but it was always a spiritual and invisible organization. Such
statements are disproved by the Fama itself.

The Manifesto says Brother N.N., "after he had performed his School
right, was minded now to travel, being for that purpose suffi- ciently
provided with Fortunatus purse, he thought (he being a good Architect) to
alter something of his building, and to make it more fit." That building was
the headquarters of the organization, the Domus Sancti Spiritus, where the
head of the Order resided and carried on his work. It is équivalent to
saying that the President of the United States on becoming head of the
nation decided to improve the headquarters from which he directs the affairs
of the nation. You do not hâve any reason for rebuilding unless there is an
organization back of it. That is why the Rosicrucian Order throughout the
world today sees that it has proper and fitting buildings as the
headquarters in each Jurisdiction.
Temple Section- AMORC ■The Rosicrucian Order

TWELFTH DEGREE NUMBER THREE PAGE FOUR

Now let us reconsider some facts about the life of our Venerable Grand
Master C.R.C. They found his body in the vault when Brother N.N. began
repairing the building. They discovered books and other ma- terials in the
tomb, in one of which they read that C.R.C. had been born in 1378, the date
given in the Confessio, the companion to the Fama. It was in 1604 that they
found his body. There is some referenoe to the fact that he was still living
in 1486 when he would hâve been 108 years old. He certainly lived during a
period which saw many great changes in the thinking and living of mankind,
and no doubt he was associated with many of the mystical, eduoational
movements which brought so many improvements to man during those years.

Thus, C.R.C. was born in 1378, and at five he was placed in a cloister
where he learned Greek and Latin. When he was "yet in his growing years," he
was "associated to a Brother, P.A.L. who had deter- mined to go to the Holy
Land." This old philosopher died in Cyprus, but young Christian Rosenkreuz
went on to Damascus. By his skill in physics, he obtained favor with the
Turks. He went to Egypt and "sailed the whole Méditerranean Sea for to corne
to Fez, where the Arabians had directed him. " He went to Spain and then
returned to Germany, as we hâve seen.

Now you will admit with me that this is a far different story than
that told by the critics, writers, and lecturers who want the reader to
believe one of two things. They would hâve us believe either the character
of Christian Rosenkreuz was entirely fictitious, or the or- ganization was
an invisible, nonexisting thing, and the whole thing is a piece of fiction.

May Peace Profound abide with each of you.

Fraternally

YOUR CLASS MASTER

Summary of This Monograph

VVV
Temple Section- AMORC ■The Rosicrucian Order

Below is a summary of the important principles of this monograph. It contains the essential statements
which you should not forget. After you hâve carefully read the complété monograph, try to recall as many
as you can of the important points you read. Then read this summary and see if you hâve forgotten any.
Also refer to this summary during the ensuing week to refresh your memory.

Before the eight Brethren separated, they made an agreement consisting of six rufes. They professed to
cure the sick without charge. This was better propaganda than preachings, lectures, or pamphlets.
Ç They agreed not to make themselves conspicuous by wearing any kind of habit or strange dress. They
were to dress, live, and act, not like monks, but as normal hu- man beings.
Ç Once a year on a certain day they were to meet together in the Sancti Spiritus, the Sovereign Sanctuary.
Ç Each one should look for a person whom he believed would make his logical suc- cessor. Each understood
that the organization was to be perpetuated.
The word R. C., according to the different languages of Europe, should be on their seals to typify their
character and personality.
Ç The statement that the Order should remain secret one hundred years meant that after it was established,
the activities of the Order should enter into a period of secrecy and later be revived.
The Fama also establishes a succession: first Brother D, then A, then N.N. This makes it obvious that
there was a continuing, physical organization.
The vault with the body of C.R.C. was found when Brother N.N. began repair- ing the building.
’i're wis-stt e11 «r.

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