Section 3

All this I most solemnly and sincerely promise and swear, with- out any hesitation, mental reservation or secret hope of profit, binding myself to the penalty of the traitor, which I know to be death of body and Soul.
So help me God and lead me aright. Amen.
FIRST AMERICAN MANIFESTO
OrpDER MILITIA CRUCIFERA EVANGELICA SUPREME COUNCIL CHAMBERS, 1902
Count M. deSt. Vincent, Presiding
There are latent powers and almost infinite potentialities within man, of which he has scarcely more than dreamed. Mere cultiva- tion of the intellect will not reveal them. Though his by birth- right, he may come into possession of them only through study and
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application of the complete philosophy of nature and of man. These universal and eternal truths may be obscured and seemingly lost in one age by misinterpretation, persecution or ignorance, but inevitably they appear again and again, rising like the Phoenix from its own ashes. Hidden by the symbols of antiquity, they may be revealed in all their grandeur and beauty only by the Perfect Master of the Mysteries. They are the Divine Ideal, concealed in a block of unhewn stone which the inept artist assails with mallet and chisel, square and compass, but to release a distorted image. The Real Truth is to be found in the theme that runs through the symphony of creation; in the lofty ideals that inspire the life of man and that may lead him from the lowlands, where hover the ghosts of superstition and fear, to the mountains in which he may dwell in inspiration, peace and light.
The grandest wisdom ever known to man was concealed in the Ancient Mysteries. It was expressed in a universal language of symbolism, that it might be hidden from the profane, and yet revealed to the initiate of all ages. This wisdom has never been lost; always there have lived a few who possessed the Great Secret.
This ancient wisdom is the fountain-head from whence all of the esoteric philosophies have risen. Many false interpretations have been rendered and numerous creeds and dogmas have developed— various and fantastic as the unbridled imagination of each unpre- pared and unauthorized investigator. ‘True initiates possess the Key, and when the search is guided by one who possesses the Key, the complete philosophy of the Secret Doctrine unfolds and reveals the ultimate meaning and purpose of human evolution. It is said that the great Lodge of Adepts or Perfect Masters has never ceased to exist, and that this Lodge, though secret and unknown, has often shaped the course of empires and influenced the fate of nations. It is believed that the process of evolution is now being guided by those who know, as not before in many centuries. The new cycle of liberation and enlightenment is dawning, and to those who are ready and to those who seek for the pearls of truth the Way is open. An ever-increasing number is seeking more Light. ‘Light Comes From the East.” It is ordained that the philosophy of the East shall illuminate the science of the West and dispel the darkness of the materialism of the western world.
The Occult Philosophy of the Ancient Mysteries is recognized by us as the Godmother and progenitor of all intellectual forces. Queen of Society, in her hands she holds the Key to all divine
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obscurities. “Toward this higher knowledge all useful and rational development tends. All systems of education, of culture and of religion, that aspire to the highest, inevitably reach those limita- tions which may be overcome only as the Ancient Mysteries guide the way. The Higher Knowledge is the Knowledge of the Soul. It concerns the origin, the nature, the powers and the laws that govern the evolution of the Soul. It is a wisdom that ancient science taught in the mysteries of antiquity in the ages long past. Behind the veil of all mystical allegories, beneath the ordeal of initiation, under the seal of all sacred writings, in the symbols of the old art of alchemy, in the secret mysteries of the Bible, in the ceremonies of all secret societies, may be found the traces of a principle, carefully concealed always and everywhere the same, differing only in expression. To revive the ancient wisdom is to recover the Lost Word and to facilitate and hasten universal prog- ress and the attainment of the Brotherhood of Man, but these secrets must be sought by the individual himself, for the Law is that every man must work out his own salvation. All evolution and regeneration is from within and it consists of an orderly un- folding of the natural powers of the individual, that he shall become the very thing that he desires to possess. All life is ani evolution; all real knowledge is initiation, and both proceed in natural order by specific degrees. ‘he candidate for initiation in the Ancient Mysteries must be “worthy and well qualified, duly and truly prepared.” He must feel that a realm of knowledge exists beyond the perception of his senses, and that knowledge he must desire intensely to possess. He must have passed beyond the stage of blind belief, of superstition and of fable, and he must seek to free himself from the bondage of fear and of appetite and of sense and he must demonstrate the desire to use his knowledge and his power for the good of himself and of others rather than for selfish or destructive purposes.
The purpose of initiation is to free the ego from the dominion of the appetite and the passions of the lower nature and thus to bring the operations of the body under the dominion of the will. This is mastery of self and through it finally is attained peace, clarity of vision, and spiritual discernment.
The lost word for which man seeks concerns the science of rhyth- mic vibration, and it is the key to the equilibrium of all forces and to the harmony of eternal nature. It is the key to the science of magic, and through it is opened a philosophy as boundless as
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Cosmos,* as inexhaustible as time and as beneficent as the “Father in Heaven.”’ ‘here exists now as there has existed through all the past a real and potent Magic; its secret constitutes the science of good and evil. The understanding of the science of Magic is the most precious gift of divine providence. It is the mysterious **key that opens to our dazzled intelligence the world of truth and light and joins the finite with the Infinite. It is the basis of that secret philosophy for which Democrates, Hermes, Plato and Pythagoras travelled to Egypt. Invisible to the senses, it must be studied with the vision of the Soul, and it can only be sensed and understood in the Light of Illumination. One of its principal vir- tues is its generative power, for which the sacred name is regener- ating fire, a principle jealously guarded by all true occult frater- nities. Soul of the world, permeating all nature, it is the essence and vital spark of all it animates.
The underlying aims, principles and purposes of the Order MiLitiA CRUCIFERA EVANGELICA are essentially those of its tra- dition. Its expression is twofold; it seeks to draw within the bounds of true fraternity those whose mutual aspirations are con- sistent with its higher teaching and to instruct them further in the regal philosophy which it has preserved. ‘The landmarks serve to guide and protect its members who aspire to the Ancient Wisdom, but today, as of old, the very nature of its teaching impresses the obligation of serving in a true sense as a Militia. The expression of intolerance, bigotry and prejudice changes its form from one era to another, but it is stalking amongst us today as of old, ever ready to force man into a conformity that defies his God-given heritage of free will. The Militia again must work to defeat these
* Among the sacred books of the Bible there are two which the church has made little claim to understand and has never attempted to explain; these are the prophecy of Ezekiel and the Book of Revelations, two Kabbalistic keys perfectly plain to the initiate in occult science. There is another book which is of all the most occult and unknown. It is the “key” to all the others. This work is still preserved unmutilated and in primeval characters, on detached leaves, like the tablets of the ancients. This book is the sum of all the sciences and can resolve all problems by its infinite combinations.
The church, whose special office is supposed to be the custody of the keys, does not pretend to possess those of Ezekiel and the Apocalypse, and many Christians suppose that the scientific and magical clavicles of Solomon have been lost; but nothing which has existed can perish.
** Moses depicts it under the figure of a tree which is in the center of the terrestrial paradise, in proximity to the Tree of Life, and has a radial connection therewith; at the foot of the tree is the source of the mysterious rivers; it is guarded by the sword of fire and by the four figures of the biblical Sphinx, the Cherubim of Ezekiel.
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destructive forces, that man may not be deprived of the freedom which is his and for which he has fought so long. It is firmly established in the western world as a constructive agency, and it remains in direct communication with the Supreme Order in the East. The Supreme Council continues in secret, but each brother may, if he will, fulfill his duty, effect direct contact with the Coun- cil and its initiate members.
The fundamental purpose of the Order is to aid in the establish- ment of the true universal Brotherhood of Man on earth, that all beings may be assisted to a higher expression of life.
Through its aid members who are worthy, and only those who are worthy, may develop the powers of Soul.
Through the guidance of its philosophy its members are taught to express and control the innate powers of the Soul, that they may gradually accomplish the elimination from their lives of error, disease and evil.
The Order teaches the true secrets of ancient alchemy, that the acolyte may ultimately manifest the potentialities of the macrocosm in his own microcosm, and in truth become a manifestation of the world in miniature. |
The Order seeks to establish a Brotherhood whose bonds are those of mutual love and of ministration, that Soul communion may become a source of mental exaltation and spiritual realization.
It accepts its responsibilities to uncover hypocrisy, charlatanry, intolerance and exploitation, and to deal with them fearlessly.
As the sun rises in the East to open and govern the day, so rises knowledge in the East to illuminate and govern the minds of men. The character, origin and modes of thought of the order as con- cern the Soul are recognized as coming from the East.
SECOND AMERICAN MANIFESTO
OrpER MILITIA CRUCIFERA EVANGELICA SUPREME COUNCIL CHAMBERS, 1903
We now, more than ever, should look toward the spirit of Truth, that we may become free from the bondage with which the bigotry, pride and love of power of the age would enslave us. Many of those who have acclaimed themselves leaders, whether in spiritual, political or social affairs, are in truth interested not in the welfare of the nation and of their fellowmen, but only in self-
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THE PHILOSOPHERS 143
While the vast majority of men are in far greater ignorance, at the present age, concerning Spiritual inatters, than have been the people of any past age, it is also true that they are more serious in their hunt after the read in life and are therefore open to instructions. Happy are they who find the truth and are fed on bread instead of receiving stones. We cannot at this day, give men a lot of things and tell them to pick out that which is good, we must take them as a child who is learning to eat, start them at the beginning, and give them the Spiritual “ood as fast as they can assimilate it.
it is fer this reason, that Mystic Orders, be they good or bad, are attracting thousands upon thou- sands of men and women, and are able to make them as unto themselves, either good or bad, or throw them into utter despair. Happy is he who may be able to lead but one out of darkness, for surely his labor has not been in vain.
After the First Manifesto had been issued by the Order, there was a demand for more light con- erning the Order and in the year 1903, another
mifesto was issued and was perused as eagerly
s the first one.
SECOND AMERCIAN MANIFESTO ORDER MILITIA CRUCIFERA EVANGELICA. SUPREME COUNCIL CHAMBERS, 1903.
Behind the veil of all mystical allegories of an- ‘ent doctrine, behind the ordeals of Initiation, un-
Reproduction of Page 143 of the First Complete Handbook of the MILITIA CRUCIFERA EVANGELICA, 1905 Edition. Note Heading and Opening Paragraphs of SECOND AMERICAN MANIFESTO, 1903.
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glorification and sordid gain. The bigot, by virtue of the arro- gance which he expresses in his leadership, draws from men the very essence or theirecharacter and reduces ‘them to a servitude from which it is more difficult for them to free themselves than from physical shackles. ‘That these false leaders, in the blind faith of dogma and creed, ultimately must suffer in terms of humill- ation for their presumption does not relieve their followers from the limitation with which their liberties have been enshrouded.
Belief in the infallibility of religious and social leadership must be broken or the ideals of the Freedom of Man and of Universal Brotherhood will be but empty dreams. Men have thought that because they hold membership in an established church they have fulfilled all that is necessary to pass the scrutiny of the One who views all things with justice and equity. Man’s true Master is His Conscience, and no one, regardless of his own self-approval or the approval in which he is held by his fellowmen, should dare hope to escape the judgment. [he Conscience is the avenging angel recognized by the Egyptians. It is The Great Book upon which is written all that man enacts, and each Soul must read ITS
OWN RECORD.
~ To deliver oneself to the blind leadership of another is a form of weakness, through which man is robbed of the God-given right Oietrecs will and is reduced’ to slavery. The true nature of man is manifested in love, in peace, in graciousness, in kindness. These qualities are only to be found in the Path to which we were guided by the first Master. It is the Path that leads to Greatness of the Soul and through which may be found Life and Light and Love. It alone points the Way through which man can come to live in harmony with the laws of nature and reap the fruits thereof. “Ye shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free.” Physically, mentally, spiritually, life may be enjoyed to its utmost, free from remorse and sin and misery and the sorrows that have been the lot of men. “As ye do unto others, so will it ultimately be done unto you.”’ As we forgive, so are we forgiven. Evil can be overcome only by the power of good. True superiority is proven by the use of a force, motivated by kindliness and love, fused with justice.
Through the Illumination of Man’s Inner Temple, and through the awakening of the intuitive faculties to the perceptions of the great truths of life, which le beyond the objective senses, may be found the ancient and royal road across the Threshold, to health,
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happiness, peace and immortality.
Those who may inherit the fullness of the promise, through which may be found the salvation of the body, the spirit, and the Soul, must trust in the Law and live it.
The words that were spoken to the early fathers were intended as well for their children unto many generations, for the vision could be seen by them only in part. In the new world and in the New Age, there is much of the early vision from which the veil that has obscured it may now be drawn. Behind the veil of the mystical allegories of the ancient doctrines, under the seal of the sacred writings, in the inspired pages of the Vedas, are found the traces of Magic. ‘The Bible is filled with mystic lore, the secrets of which are hidden from the profane through allegory and mystic symbol, but revealed to the initiate who possesses the Key. The Christianity of the Gnostic fathers was but initiation into the mys- teries and their teachings, and though obscured by creed and dogma, the early teachings have been guarded and preserved by those who refused to bend the knee at the altars which would rob the arcane teachings of their true spirit. Mysticism and its initi- atory expressions reigned in Persia with the Magi; it endowed India with its most priceless tradition; it concealed, in the calcula- tions of Pythagoras, the principles of all science and of all intel- lectual progress. It is the essence of the four secret sciences, magic, alchemy, occult-medicine, Cosmic Law. To the true initiate the ‘Philosophers’ Stone,” ‘“The Elixir Vita,” “the famous Universal Solvent,” all are spiritual works that belong to the realm of Soul.
True Philosophy seeks to solve rather than deny. We hear the modern materialist and religionist jeer at the ‘‘absurdities’’ of Magic and laugh at the dreams of the alchemist, but sincere re- search will prove that many of the greatest discoveries of science have had their roots in the discoveries and demonstrations of the alchemist, and the key to their mystic phraseology still may open the door to other and nobler achievements, for they studied deeply grand laws of nature, concerning which modern man, with all of his boasted advancement, knows little or nothing. The modern scientist is filled with theory, argument, conjecture and assumption concerning matter and its effects, but in spite of his imperfect knowledge governing the laws of nature, he stubbornly refuses to delve into that mysterious realm in which matter is given substance. The alchemist, not the chemist; the mystic, not the materialist, holds the keys to the doors of life’s great mysteries. The Brother-