by Al Benson Jr.
As far as what they believe, the Rosicrucians seem to be a real mixed bag. One internet sit says “Rosicrucianism contains elements of Christianity, Hermeticism, Mysticism and Kaballah.” And it is claimed they are “a spiritual and cultural movement that arose in Europe in the early 17th century after the publication of several texts purported to announce the existence of a hitherto unknown esoteric order to the world…”
I make note of this because the Rosicrucians are mentioned in Arthur R. Thompson’s authoritative work To the Victor go the Myths and Monuments. Mr. Thompson observes, on page 13, that “The Illuminati influence spread too rapidly to have been an organization that was founded in a vacuum. There had to have been other networks that helped drive the work of the Illuminati. These obviously were of the aforementioned Enlightenment, but had to have a more central source of direction. Some claim it was the Rosicrucians, yet modern Rosicrucians claim they sprang out of the Illuminati. And, it is claimed that Weishaupt was a Rosicrucian. In addition it becomes confusing because the Rosicrucians were the first secret organization to combat the Illuminati. Since the Illuminati had a superior organization, in the long run they may have infiltrated the Rosicrucians. Rosicrucian writings do refer to the illuminati in their degrees, that a Rosicrucian could attain a certain degree that is referred to as ‘Illuminati.’…Of all secret societies the Rosicrucians have been the most elusive to pin down.”
Mr. Thompson noted that: “There is much about them that is deliberately fabricated to throw people off the track. One does not know if their claim on Lincoln’s membership is true, for instance. He is claimed, as well as Jefferson, Franklin, Giuseppe Mazzini and Albert Pike,..The head of the Rosicrucians in his writings in the early 20th century claims that Lincoln was chosen by the Supreme Council as the ‘annointed one’ to carry further the work of what they called ‘freedom.’ They further claim that earlier there existed a Council of Three, composed of Benjamin Franklin, George Clymer, and Thomas Paine, then Paine was replaced by Lafayette. Franklin and Lafayette both belonged to the Humanidad Lodge, which allegedly was a Rosicrucian entity. It is rare that anyone refutes these two facts: their membership and that it was a Rosicrucian entity…According to the Rosicrucians, the Council of Three was revitalized in 1842 by George Lippard. It is said by the Rosicrucians themselves that the council consisted of Dr. Paschal Beverly Randolph, Gen. Ethan Allen Hitchcock, and Lincoln. This is a recurring ‘fact’ in most Rosicrucian published sources…In all of Randolph’s biographies it is stated that he became such a good friend of Lincoln’s that he was on board the train taking the corpse of Lincoln from Washington, D.C. to Springfield, Illinois but was asked to detrain because some of the other personages objected to a man of color being aboard. Randolph was of mixed blood….What is known is that the world headquarters of the Rosicrucians was moved to America in 1848 and they stood for a parliament of the world. They are only one of many key conspiratorial organizations that moved their headquarters to America just before or after the Civil War.”
Interesting that they moved here in 1848. That was an eventful year, what with the communist/socialist revolts in Europe going on and also, here, the beginning of the women’s lib movement occurred in Seneca Falls, New York–an event that was rife with spiritualism. 1848 was not a good year for this country. We were subjected to influences that would eventually change this country–and not for the better.
Mr. Thompson also informed us that: “Of the above list of Rosicrucians, what is known is that Hitchcock was a Swedenborgian and the author of Swedenborgian books, including Christ the Spirit in which he attempted to show that Scriptures were symbolic books written by members of a Jewish secret society. He was a warm personal friend of Lincoln as well as a military advisor. He appears to have been a Rosicrucian, since he is listed as such by every leader of that society in every book written about the Order.”
So it would seem that there were connections between the Rosicrucians and the Illuminati and you had some “interesting” personalities that were Rosicrucians and some rather odd theology came from some of them. Theology that was not good for the country. Whether Lincoln was part of it or not, is hard to say, though the Rosicrucians claim he was. Given Lincoln’s anti-Christian bias and his interest in spiritualism, this all sort of fits our view of the “Great Emancipator.” We’ve been fed 150 years worth of lies about Lincoln that were created to build for us a legendary Lincoln that never really existed except in the minds of those forging the legends. Maybe someday our “history” books will get it right–but don’t hold your breath waiting!
revisedhistory 