ROSICRUCIANISM: THE INNER DOCTRINE OF MASONRYBy Chris Pinto http://www.noiseofthunder.com
One of the most difficult groups to define or categorize is that mysterious order known as the Rosicrucians. When working on the research for our "Secret Mysteries" series, this society was the most elusive and challenging to understand. To show you what we've learned, I will point to one of the chief oracles of the occult world, 19th century author, Arthur Edward Waite. In his book, The Real History of the Rosicrucians, he writes:"THREE derivations are offered of the name Rosicrucian. The first, which is certainly the most obvious, deduces it from the ostensible founder of the order, Christian Rosenkreuze. I shall show, however, that the history of this personage is evidently mythical or allegorical …" The first part of his explanation refers to the mythical story of Christian Rosenkreuze, which some scholars believe was an allegorical figure whose true identity was Sir Francis Bacon. This second explanation gets more interesting. A.E. Waite writes:"The second derivation proposed is from the Latin words Ros, dew, and Crux, cross. This has been countenanced by Mosheim, who is followed by Ree's Encyclopædia; and other publications. The argument in its favour may be fairly represented by the following quotation:--"Of all natural bodies, dew was deemed the most powerful dissolvent of gold; and the cross, in chemical language, was equivalent to light; because the figure of a cross exhibits at the same time the three letters of which the word lux, or light, is compounded. Now, lux is called . . . the seed or menstruum of the red dragon …"Here, he defines the Latin word "Ros" as meaning "dew," as in the morning dew that comes upon the earth. Interestingly, this is also how the manna is described in the Old Testament (Exodus 16:14), as coming with the morning dew. Then he says that the word "Crux" means cross and "light." Remember, Jesus said: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven" (John 6:51), and also, "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12). At this point, you might be thinking, "Well, this is not so bad! These are all references to Jesus, right?" But then Waite's description takes a sharp turn when he says that this "lux, or light … is called … the seed of the Red Dragon." Hence, this is not a reference to the Lord Jesus Christ, but rather shows itself to be of that spirit of antichrist; the counterfeit form of the true faith once delivered to the saints. Finally, Waite describes the third, and most well known explanation for the name Rosicrucian:"The third derivation is that which was generally adopted … It deduces the term in question from the words rosa, rose, and crux. This is sanctioned by various editions of the societies authoritative documents … This derivation is also supported by the supposed symbol of the Order, whose 'emblem, monogram, or jewel,' says Godfrey Higgins, 'is a Red Rose on a Cross …'"Though it would take you some time and additional research to learn this, the symbolism of the rose in the occult realm is a reference to secrecy (think of the term sub rosa used by Dan Brown in The DaVinci Code), and symbolizes the Ancient Mysteries that were kept by secret societies. The cross, as we know, is the traditional emblem of Christianity. In short, Rosicrucianism is what happens when you combine both of these ideas, blending the Pagan Mysteries with pseudo-Christian concepts. Is it any wonder that Mr. Waite tells us this is called the seed of the Red Dragon?

Rosicrucianism & the Founding Fathers

A number of the Founding Fathers have been associated with Rosicrucianism, including Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and Charles Thomson. Thomson (the man who made the final decisions for the Great Seal of the United States) was closely involved with Peter Miller, the Grand Master of the Rosicrucian Society at the Ephrata Cloister in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Miller was even chosen by Ben Franklin to translate the Declaration of Independence into different languages to be sent to the various nations of Europe. The Rosicrucians at Ephrata were said to have provided first aid to General Washington and his troops during the war, and their example was the origin of the Red Cross (Rose Croix). From a Rosicrucian Digest, we read:"There was no Red Cross in those days. No organizationcomparable to it in scope or operation. Yet America … found that it could rely on the Rosy Cross. Every enrolled Rosicrucianbecame a volunteer nurse for the decimated and discouragedarmy of the Revolution. So far as is known, the RosicrucianOrder was the only society of its day which offered the servicesof its total membership to the shaky cause of liberty. Ephratawas the only American community … Under the compassionatesupervision of Peter Miller … to care for the casualties thatkept coming … unsung heroes of the American Revolution." (Rosicrucian Digest, 1955, p. 250)In the above article from the Rosicrucian Digest, Ben Franklin is called a "Rosicrucian Master," while Thomas Jefferson is said to have been a "student of the Rosicrucian mysteries," and the Marquis de Lafayette referred to as a "follower of the Rosy Cross."Rosicrucianism is the inner doctrine of Masonry; in fact, the 18th degree of the Scottish Rite is called The Order of the Rose Croix (Cross). Once you understand that Rosicrucianism is the mingling of Christianity with Paganism, many of the founding fathers begin to make more sense. A Rosicrucian can readily quote the Bible, make references to "Christ," and "Jesus" and "the Savior" and so forth; but he will also exalt the teachings of Plato, and the philosophers of old; and look upon the gods of the ancient world as examples of virtue and justice. Consider this passage from Bacon's New Atlantis, where a band of "Christian" sailors come upon an unknown island:
"… the man who I before described stood up, andwith a loud voice in Spanish, asked, 'Are ye Christians?'We answered, 'We were;'… At which answer the saidperson lifted up his right hand towards heaven, and drewit softly to his mouth, which is the gesture they use whenthey thank God, and then said: 'If ye will swear, all ofyou, by the merits of the Savior that ye are no pirates …you may have license to come on land.'" (Source: Francis Bacon: The Major Works, The New Atlantis, p. 459)Notice Bacon's reference to the "merits of the Savior" in his dialogue? Though he clearly held to mystical beliefs, he had no problem referring to things that sound every bit like confessions of faith. Below are a series of passages from the New Atlantis to show how the use of Christian sounding dialogue flows from Bacon's pen:"He gave us our oath; 'By the name of Jesus and his merits;' and after told us that the next day … we should be sent …" (Ibid, p. 459)"… let us look upon God, and every man reform his own ways. Besides we are come here amongst a Christian people, full of piety and humanity …" (Ibid, p. 461)"Therefore for God's love … let us so behave ourselves as we may be at peace with God, and may find grace in the eyes of this people." (Ibid, pp 461-462)At one point in the story, the sailors make an inquiry as to how "Christianity" came to the mysterious island they have stumbled upon. We read:"But above all,' we said, '… we … hoped assuredly that we should meet one day in the kingdom of heaven, for that we were both parts Christians, we desired to know, in respect that land was so remote … from the land where ourSavior walked on earth, who was the apostle of that nation, and how it was converted to the faith?" (Ibid, p. 463)The answer Bacon provides to the above question is that the apostle Bartholomew sent forth an ark in the water with a copy of the bible, and the following letter:"I Bartholomew, a servant of the Highest, and Apostle of Jesus Christ, was warned by an angel that appeared to me in a vision of glory, that I should commit this ark to the floods of the sea. Therefore do I testify and declare unto that people where God shall ordain this ark to land, that in the same day is come unto them salvation and peace and good-will, from the Father, and from the Lord Jesus." (Ibid, p. 465)Did you notice all the rich, majestic words that have every impression of godly Christian faith in them? Notice that mentioning "the Lord Jesus" and "salvation" is not a problem for Bacon in this Rosicrucian fable? How can he do it? It is because all of these things have another meaning to the Rosicrucian adept. This is what Manly Hall was referring to when he said the "pagan intellectuals reclothed their original ideas in a garment of Christian phraseology." If one reads the whole story, he will begin to notice that the flowery words of Bacon are not unlike the words of some revolutionary founding fathers.Bacon's New Atlantis has also been called The Land of the Rosicrucians, (see A New Light on Bacon's New Atlantis, by Mather Walker) and that is exactly what America has become, thanks to the secret societies. The rise of Paganism in our country is no accident; it was planned from the beginning. The patriotic religion that demands "religious tolerance" and ends up teaching "many paths to heaven" is the ultimate doctrine these groups have always believed, and have worked to normalize in America.

What Saith the Scripture?

But even if Christians are ignorant of the history that has intentionally been withheld from them, they ought to know the teaching of scripture. The patriot Christian seems spiritually blind to the fact that rebellion against authority is not a Christian virtue. It is, however, a very Masonic virtue to fight against those who will not submit to the occult philosophies of their secret order. No, the followers of Christ did not dress up like wild Indians and besiege a ship in Boston harbor because they refused to pay a tax on tea. Imagine such a thing happening today! When the Minutemen went down to the Mexican border with cell phones, President Bush called them "vigilantes." Can you imagine what would have happened if they had hijacked a ship somewhere and thrown all the produce in the water? Would anyone, including men like David Barton, have said they were following in the "godly Christian" footsteps of the founding fathers? No! They would've said, "Those guys are nuts! What a terrible witness," and so on. As believers, we must test everything according to the Word of God, and of equal importance, is the example of Jesus and the Apostles. Would they have behaved themselves like the American Revolutionaries?
To learn about Rosicrucianism in their own words, check out this brochure on the society from AMORC (Ancient Mystical Order of the Rose Cross), which presents to the public an introduction to their society. While reading, be sure and notice the images of Sir Francis Bacon, whom we discuss extensively in our documentary, "Secret Mysteries of America's Beginnings: Volume I, The New Atlantis"