The Catholic Church had many enemies down through the ages. The Church suffered infiltration and many movements wanted to reform the Church and change its teachings in various ways. Some of those that wanted to reform the Church were the “mystics” and their teachings were more closer to Gnosticism then to Christianity. They were called heretics and very often their books was destroyed and they were even burned at the stake.

Books were banned and in around the year 1600’s the “Index Librorum Prohibitorum” was created. This list show a lot of Rosicrucians, Freemasons and writers of the “Enlightenment Age”.

Rosicrucianism is a spiritual movement that involves the study of Kabbalah, Hermeticism, Alchemy, and Christian mysticism. The official history of this movement starts around 1500-1600’s with different manifestos and Johann Valentin Andreae (1586–1654) claimed in his autobiography that Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz was one of his works.The Rosocrucian movement was also seen as being a part of the Reformation movement and had an influence on the Protestant breakaway from the Catholic Church. Luther had a rose as his personal seal and Johann Valentin Andreae was also an influence on Johann Comenius of the Bohemian Brethren that was an “mystical” branch of the Reformation.

Rosicrucianism can be traced back into the “mystic orders” within the Catholic Church like Franciscans, Dominicans and the Cistercian Orders etc. These orders are said to be started by bloodlines of the Merovingians and if you go further back you end up with Alexandrian Gnostics and the Priest Ormesius and his monastic Society of Ormus.

Arnaldo de Villeneuve (1240-1311) is another connection to the early Rosicrucianism and he studied alchemy and astrology (his house in Montpellier, France, had a carved door showing a roaring lion and dragon that bit his tail, also known as Ouroboros, both recognized alchemical symbols, wiki). Arnaldo was also a doomsday prophet and influenced by Joachim of Fiore and in 1278 he claimed the world would end and the Antichrist would come in the treatise “On the Advent of the Anti-christ” from 1288. He was later accused of heresy and imprisoned for his ideas of church reform. His works was also burned at a later date.

Later in time other members within “mystical” reform movements within the family de Villeneuve was Hélion de Villeneuve (1270 – 1346) and he was a Grand Master of the Knights of St. John and Hélios sister was Roseline de Villeneuve (1263-1329) who was a Carthusian nun. It was said that she had great power over demons.

“Blessed Rosalina of Villeneuve had frequent visions, the gift of reading hearts, and other mystical phenomena. Her brother Hélian fought and was captured in the Crusades. Legend says he was freed from his chains and led safely home across the seas by a vision of Rosalina who appeared to him in a cloud of roses.” (Saints.SQPN.com)

In The Rosicrucian movement there can be seen an influence of the writer Tommaso Campanella (1568-1639) who was an Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, theologian, astrologer, and poet.

“Johann Valentin Andreae, the reputed author of the Rosicrucian manifestos, and his friend Tobias Adami (1581 – 1643), a disciple of Tommaso Campanella, author of City of the Sun, describing a utopian society ruled over by Hermetic adepts.” (David Livingston, ordoabchao.ca)

Tommaso Campanella was prosecuted by the Roman Inquisition for heresy in 1594 and spent 27 years in prison. While in prison he wrote City of the Sun that was influenced by Asclepius (philosophical book ascribed to the sage of Ancient Egypt, Hermes Trismegistus) and the Picatrix (Arabic grimoire of magic and astrology). City of the Sun was also inspired by Plato’s Republic and of Atlantis in Timaeus.

Later The Royal Society was founded in 1660 after the model of Francis Bacons House of Solomon where a secret elite would rule behind the scenes and be the controllers of all knowledge and sciences at there own benefit. Francis Bacon wrote the novel The New Atlantis about the utopian society.

This Society that was not just controllers of all knowledge and sciences but was also working for the unification of a world state, an idea going back to Plato. Alan Watt writes in his book “Cutting through”:

“The group of “high priests” who went under the collective name of Francis Bacon wrote extensively on the methods of realising Plato’s plan (unification of the world state) …Remember that when “Bacon” wrote “his” many books, few people could read…This frontman, obviously, could not have written so many books whilst participating as an adviser at the court and a judge…Only the international priesthood could have put together such volumes. Franciscain monks (French spelling) were the “mystic” brotherhood. Although called Grey-Friars from their habit, franc means red, Friars means brothers. Grey-men, in esoteric language are the go-betweens between light and darkness, black and white, those visible to the public and those unseen. Con is old English for spelling “son and sun”. BA is AB reversed, meaning Accepted Brother, a title used by all masons. We see typical masonic cryptography in “Accepted Brother of the Red Sun” which is Dawn and Set in the evening.” (Alan Watt “cutting through books” p.50)

The Rosicrusians were more into to “mystical” Christianity that meant that the soul’s mystical union with God was to be achieved. In mysticism there is also something called “theosis” that means humans gaining divine qualities. The word “mystical” or “mysticism” means “to conceal” or “hidden” and could mean a allegorical interpretations of the Bible or other sacred texts but could also mean to be “initiated” into the mystery religions. These allegorical interpretations of the Bible came from the disciples of Gnostic and Platonic teachings.

“In Neoplatonic thought, being emanates from the One or the Good. From the One comes the realms of Nous, of Soul, and then of Matter, which represents a falling away toward non-being or nothingness. Some souls remain unembodied and are not contaminated by incarnation. Human souls exist as embodied and are called to turn away from Matter as evil and ascend toward knowledge of and ecstatic union with the One.” (Gentz, William H., THE DICTIONARY OF BIBLE AND RELIGION, 1986)

Most Rosicrucians were aristocrats and belonged to the top ruling elites in the 1600-1800’s and they practiced Ritual Magic and talked to the dead which is called necromancy.

“Necromancy, communication with the dead, usually in order to obtain insight into the future or to accomplish some otherwise impossible task. Such activity was current in ancient times among the Assyrians, Babylonians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, and Etruscans; in medieval Europe it came to be associated with black (i.e., harmful, or antisocial) magic and was condemned by the church.”

I believe that Rosicrucianism made false connections to the Bible and this “union with God” was more in line with “Deify” which means to make someone or something into a God.

What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? Matthew 16:26

A List of Rosicrucians, Freemasons and occultist that had their books banned by the church in Index Librorum Prohibitorum:

Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) was a jewish philosopher of the French Renaissance that wrote “Essais” that was not liked by the church. Michel was a friend of Francis Bacon´s brother Anthony Bacon (1558–1601) while he was on a visit to France for two years. While Anthony was staying in France he was also accused of sodomy for having sex with a young boy but was never punished for this because of intervention by King Henry. Francis Bacons own writing “Essays” had some inspirations from Michel de Montaigne.

Giordano Bruno (1548-1600) was executed by burning by the Roman Inquisition because of his doctrines connected to Hermetic occultism, Neoplatonism, Kabbalah and early Rosicrucians. He was also a Dominican friar and this order have also connections to Christian mysticism.

Thomas Browne (1605-1682) was an Englishman who studied alchemy, astrology and the kabbalah and was also a fellow of the Royal Society. He had connections to the freemason Elias Ashmole.

Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) was belonging to the British oligarchy and was connected to the Rosicrusian Francis Bacon fellow British empiricist John Locke.In his book Leviathan published in 1651 Hobbes laid out a justification for oligarchic dictatorship, or fascism, based upon the need to restrain the uncontrollable violence inherent in man’s nature (schillerinstitute).

Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) was a french Catholic theologian and a follower of Jansenism. He is also listed as a member of the Rosicrucian movement.

René Descartes (1596-1650) was a french philosopher that is also said to have a membership within the Rosicrucian movement.

Gregorio Leti (1630-1701) was an Italian Jesuit educated historian who later became a Protestant. Leti was also elected a member of the Royal Society.

Francis Bacon (1561-1626) was an Rosicrucian who wrote the book New Atlantis that was used as a ground for the Royal Society.

John Locke (1632-1704) was an English philosopher and political theorist that is also listed as an Rosicrusian. He was a member of the Royal Society and a revolutionary of the middle class.

John Milton (1608-1674) was another writer not liked by the church. It is said that the 17th Century Rosicrusians protected each other by “hinting” at their connection with the brotherhood in their works and writings. It is said by some that this is shown in the first pressings of his book Paradise Lost. His works also shows Rosicrusian themes. John Milton had close associations with Samuel Hartlib and his “Hartlib circle” of contacts was one of the foundations of the Royal Society that had strong Rosicrusian connections.

John Winthrop Jr was another among Miltons associates and he studied alchemical philosophies of Paracelsus, John Dee, and the secrets of the Rosicrucians. Miltons work is listed on Index Librorum Prohibitorum but the English Parliament also had him imprisoned and had all his political publications burned.

Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772) was a Swedish mystic and medium. He studied Kabbalah while he stayed in London and was learning sexual yoga that was similar to Tantric Yoga that was to put him in a trance state where he could communicate with the spirit world.

“…while associating with Moravian and Jewish mystics in London, the fifty-six year-old Swedenborg learned how to perform the mystical Kabbalistic marriage within his mind, through the sublimation of his sexual energy into visionary energy. By meditating on the male and female potencies concealed in the vessels of Hebrew letters, by visualizing these letters in the forms of human bodies, by regulating the inhalation and exhalation of breath, and by achieving an erection without progress to ejaculation, the reverent Kabbalist could achieve an orgasmic trance state that elevated him to the world of spirits and angels.” (Marsha Keith Schuchard)

“In 1741, Swedenborg entered into a spiritual phase during which he experienced dreams and visions. This culminated in a spiritual awakening through which he claimed he was appointed by the Lord to write a New Church Doctrine to reform Christianity. According to the New Church Doctrine, the Lord had opened his spiritual eyes to allow him to visit heaven and hell and talk with angels, demons and other spirits.” (ordoabchao.ca)

Daniel Defoe (1660-1731) was an English writer and wrote books like A Complete System of Magick; Or, The History of the Black-art about history of the magical arts and overviews of various magicians. He also wrote The Political History of the Devil (1726) and this book was banned by the Roman Catholic Church.

Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677) a Dutch philosopher was a student of the kabbalist Menasseh ben Israel who was associated with the Rosicrucians of Hartlib circle that was one of the foundations of the Royal Society of London.

Spinoza was a friend with Jan de Witt who was tutored at an early age by Issac Beekman who was a known Rosicrucian who also associated with René Descartes. He was also in contact with Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz a known Rosicrucian. Spinoza used the rose symbol on his personal seal. (ordo-ab-chao website)

Isaac La Peyrère, Thomas Hobbes and Baruch Spinoza are identified with the foundation of modern historical biblical criticism in the seventeenth century (wiki).

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) was a influence on freemasonry and of the revolutionary Jacobin club that was active during the french revolution.

“Bro. Rousseau saw the Enlightenment period as an overthrowing of the religious establishment. Rousseau had little respect and admiration for traditions and western religious values. He saw the enlightenment as a dramatic change in social consciousness.” (James E Frey, 32°)

Denis Diderot (1713-1784) a friend of Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a freemason and his Encyclopédie is considered one of the forerunners of the French Revolution.

Voltaire (1694-1778). This french “Enlightenment” writer was a freemason along with other revolutionaries like Diderot, d´Alembert and wrote “criticism of Christianity” and advocated separation of church and state. These members of secret societies and writers of hermeticism wanted to replace one religion with another and put up states ruled by freemasons instead of the church.

Montesquieu (1689-1755). This french judge and political philosopher was a freemason and is being credited for being one of the founders of the French Craft. He stayed in England and during this time he became a freemason and back in France he is said to be one of the founders of the Lodge in Rue de Bussy in 1735.

Jean le Rond d’Alembert (1717-1783). The Jesuit priest Augustin Barruel wrote a book called “Memoirs Illustrating the History of Jacobinism” in 1797 that showed that the french revolution was planned and executed by secret societies. He wrote that they used a “pretend philosophy” which they used in their battle against Christianity. He also wrote that their so called “Enlightenment” led people into illusion and error by a “sect”.He alleged that Voltaire, Jean le Rond d’Alembert, Denis Diderot, and Frederick II, the King of Prussia, planned the course of events that led to the French Revolution (wiki).

Giacomo Casanova (1725-1798) was not just a famous lover of women but also a highest degree master mason as well as a Rosicrucian. The Venetian inquisition did not like this kabbalist and confiscated his books.

“Those who possess this treasure, who call themselves adepts, have many other small priviliges by knowing Cabbala. The cabbala they say signifies that by knowing the secret word God cabbalists are rendered masters of all the elemental spirits, their knowledge to be used for guiding everything they desire from the cabinets of state down.” (Giacomo Casanova)

Claude Adrien Helvétius (1715-1771) a French philosopher was a freemason and his great-grandfather Johann Friedrich Schweitzer known as “Helvetius”, was an Dutch physician and alchemist. His great-grandfather is notorious for the story that he actually carried out transmutation of lead into gold.

Erasmus Darwin (1731-1802) from the famous Darwin family was a freemason of the highest degree. He was also the founder of the Lunar Society. Members of the Lunar Society got the esoteric name ‘merchants of light’ which was the same name used in Francis Bacons book New Atlantis of the ruling society in that book. Erasmus wrote the book Zoonomia with his theory of evolution and his ideas seems to have come from the freemason John Locke.

Edward Gibbon (1737-1794) was initiated as a freemason of the Premier Grand Lodge of England in 1774. 2 Years later he published “The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire” with its criticism of the Christian religion that was not liked by the church.

Laurence Sterne (1713-1768) was a novelist and a priest within the Anglican Communion. This novelist is suspected of using esoteric number symbolism in his work “The Life and opinions of Tristam Shandy” and C. G. Jung in a letter thought that he was drawing on the secret teachings of the Rosicrucians.

“My most cordial thanks for your extremely valuable reference to Tristram Shandy. To begin with I did not have the feeling at all that I was guilty of plagiarism with my [anima / animus] theory, but in the last years it has become more and more uncanny as I have discovered quite suspicious traces of it also in the old alchemists, and now the mischief seems complete since it turns out that I was discovered already in the 18th century. I can only think that Laurence Sterne drew upon the secret teachings (presumably Rosicrucian) of his time. They contain the Royal Secret of the King and queen, who were none other than the animus and anima, or Deus and Dea” (Letter to Dear Dr. Boner,)

Sterne also wrote A Political Romance that received criticism by the church and was burnt.

Jules Michelet (1798-1874) wrote the book Satanism and Witchcraft (La Sorcière) in 1862. According to Michelet, medieval witchcraft was an act of popular rebellion against the oppression of feudalism and the Roman Catholic Church (wiki).

Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870) the famous french writer had connections to the Rosicrucian Paschal Beverly Randolph who was a member of Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor and wrote the book Magia Sexualis: Sexual Practices for Magical Power. Alexandre was considered to be a student of Randolphs teachings and his work. The Count of Monte Cristo was not liked by the church and appears to have Rosicrucian themes in its story.

Victor Hugo (1802-1885) another famous french writer was into Spiritism and met with the medium Madame Delphine de Girardin. He is also rumored to be a member of the Rosicrucian brotherhood. His book Les Misérables was at one time banned by the church.

But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul. Deuteronomy 4:29

Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ Matthew 22:37