Chapter IV, Parts One and Five, supra.

655
AN ANSWER TO LEWIS’ WHITE (7), BOOKS 2s
a charter at all and which Lewis knew was not a charter—confer- ring upon him Rosicrucian authority or giving unto him Rosicrucian ‘recognition,’ yet thereafter and as late as December, 1926, we find him abandoning all claims of authority by charter and revert- ing to his original false claim of ‘“‘sponsorship,” which he asserts in these words:
(8) “But, the fact remains that Rosicrucian bodies can be formed in only one way, by sponsorship and guidance by a superior Rosicru- cian body possessing and retaining the ancient authority, rituals, con- stitution and system as well as the pure teachings FREE FROM ALLI- ANCE WITH ANYTHING BUT PURE ROSICRUCIANISM.°®
“.. The AMORC in America today is the only Rosicrucian or- ganization affiliated with the international bodies [how many such bodies? ] of Rosicrucians throughout the world. It is the only Rosi- crucian body in America having received authority, powers, rights and assistance [how?] from a competent body of Rosicrucians of the ancient lineage and through the See of Toulouse,’ the recognized [by whom?] and traditional international seat of true Rosicrucian- ism for many centuries.
“Likewise the AMORC in America, as in dozens [?] of foreign lands, is the only Rosicrucian organization using the original and true Rituals, Titles, Degrees, symbols and secret work, as translated, revised and adopted from century to century under competent au- thority® and approved by the various international Rosicrucian Con- gresses.° And it is the only such body in America adhering to the true ancient traditions, keeping itself clean and wholesome, free from
6 The italics are ours. The capitalized emphasis is Mr. Lewis’. The fact that he knows nothing of pure Rosicrucianism and has never conducted his spurious Order as and in accordance with the well-known and elementary principles of the Rosicrucians is
proof within itself that his fabrication is a fraud which is fully corroborated by a great mass of other evidence.
“We shall later show herein by statement of J. Bricaud that no Rose Cross Lodge existed at Toulouse.
8 The “competent authority” who prepared and revised the rituals and teachings of AMORC is H. Spencer Lewis, and the manner in which he copied and fabricated the same is shown throughout this work. The titles which he first used were Masonic, not Rosicrucian, and the symbols which he fabricated and adopted are shown in our Repro- duction No. 68 to be presently discussed.
® As to his International R. C. Conventions and Congresses, these were effectively disposed of and shown to be non-existent in Chapter IV, sufra. In the same magazine at page 215 he gives a glowing account of an International R. C. Conclave at Toulouse which he attended in 1926. It is like unto the glowing accounts of International Masonic Congresses. See p. 271, supra. We do not have space to review Lewis’ account of the Congress that was not held in Toulouse in 1926, but the investigator will do well
656
Poke ClUAlIMS OF Rok C.-~AUTHORITY REVIEWED
sex teachings,’ political arguments or misleading affiliations, bearing the authority of Count de Bellecastle-Ligne as Hierophant of the International Council and having the sole American representations in the recent and past International Rosicrucian Congresses.” (The
Mystic Triangle, December, 1926, pp. 241-242.)
Therefore, it does appear conclusively from his own statement that his original claim to Rosicrucian authority, at least from 1915 to 1927, was based upon the alleged “Sponsorship” of one de Belle- castle-Ligne, irrespective of his many different and careless state- ments concerning the same, and regardless of whether he was the alleged “Grand Master of France,” the mythical ‘“‘Hierophant of the International Council” is entirely non-existent. As we proceed we shall carefully examine into these claims and show that they are snares and delusions.
The Randolph Foundation of the R. C.
Its Prior and Present Existence Known to Lewis
Immediately Sites his statement, in our quotation (evthat palshie Papers, ” i.e., his self-made and spurious papers, “‘permitted public Pee one Hoabe made én the United States only after Janu- ary 1, 1915, for the year 1915 was the one designated centuries before for the Order to be born in America,” he says:
(9) “. .. This is why the attempts of Dr. Randolph and one or more other Rosicrucians of foreign initiation to establish the Order in this country within the past hundred years have always failed. The necessary papers, co-operation and privilege could not be se- cured even regardless of the fact that Dr. Randolph was one of the ‘foremost men of the Order who ever lived in this country and was at one time the Grand Master of the R. C. Lodge in France, which ° was attended by one of the Napoleons.” (Official Publication Num- ber Two, AMORC, p. 10.)
This was his contrivance, his patched- -up excuse and futile apol- ogy for attempting to establish his spurious R. C. Order in the United States, in territory that was then occupied by the authentic
to study it carefully. See The Mystic Triangle, October, November, December, 1926; January, 1927.
1The manner in which he has kept AMORC clean, wholesome and free from sex teachings has been shown in the last preceding chapter.
657
AN ANSWER ‘TO LEWIS’ WHITE (2) BOOKe Ds
Rosicrucian Order, which had then been established for more than fifty years and has never at any time ceased to be active and con- tinuous since it, the first American Supreme Grand Lodge, was established in 1858 by Dr. P. B. Randolph, whom he then and there conceded to be a real Rosicrucian, one of the foremost men of the Order and a former Grand Master of the Rosy Cross of France, and from which Lewis claimed “sponsorship” for his fab- rication.
In Book Four of Volume I[° we have established beyond doubt and cavil that Lewis knew of the existence of the Randolph Foun- dation. His excuse and argument to avoid the existence of the well- established authentic Order in this country was based upon the subterfuge® that the true Order was only a “publishing company”’ publishing Rosicrucian books.
At the time he fabricated and launched his fraudulent R. C. Or- der he was fully acquainted with the universal fraternal landmark, recognized by all genuine fraternities and brotherhoods, which for- bids the establishment of the same Order or fraternity in occupied territory even by, through or under a duly authorized and authentic charter, and he was also entirely familiar with the law of prior usage of fraternal symbols and names, as is shown by his state- ments* published in The American Rosae Crucis, January, 1916, page 4, and October, 1917, pages 195 to 197 inclusive.
Yet, notwithstanding all of this, he went forward with the estab- lishment of his fraudulent device and spurious order in the face of and contrary to all established fraternal law, attempting to justify his action on the fiction born of his own imagination that the Order of the Rosy Cross could not be established in America until after January, 1915, and the faulty argument—fallacious in fact and in logic—that he (Lewis), claiming foreign initiation, ceremoniously conferred in one short nightly session, with only a “jewel,” some ‘papers’ and a mythical “sponsorship” from a non-existing lodge
2 Volume I, pp. 176 to 267 inclusive. For his own quoted statements, see pp. 195 to 224 or see our booklet, Rosicrucian Names, pp. 24 to 53 inclusive.
3 See his quoted statement, Volume I, pp. 219-220, or the booklet, Rosicrucian Names, p. 48, as published by him October, 1917.
4 The reader and investigator in connection herewith is earnestly requested and urged to carefully read and study his statements set forth and commented upon in Book Four of Volume I or in the booklet, Rosicrucian Names, especially on pp. 207 to 224 in Vol- ume I and on pp. 36 to 52 of the booklet.
658
BALSE CLAIMS OF RC. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
or council, was permitted to do and could successfully do that which a genuine Rosicrucian and Grand Master’ could not do. That, in- deed, is queer reasoning, unique logic, but as sound and as true as any of the false and ridiculous claims upon which he founded his spurious Order—verily, it is truly typical thereof.
The “Necessary Papers” A “Black Book” and “Charter” Made by Himself
Continuing with the announcement contained in his first propa- ganda booklet, he says that:
(10) “With the necessary papers® and assistance from the Suw- preme Council of France, the Order was established in America in February, 1915, and a Supreme American Council appointed’ April 1, 1915; and in September of the same year, after the Grand Lodge of America was in work in New York City, a visit to the Grand Master was paid by Mons. Jerome T. Verdier, Magi of the Supreme Council of France in Toulouse. His approval was given to the plans then under way for State lodges in every State of the Union and for local lodges in the principal cities. Final instructions, seals and secret papers were delivered into the hands of the American Grand Master after an examination of official reports; and approval was given of the delivery into the hands of the Grand Master of certain other pa- pers and jewels by agents selected by the French Council. These gave to America authoritative working instructions and power through devious sources unknown to the Grand Master in America, but delivered in due time in accordance with the laws.” (Jd., pp. 10-11.)
With “the Order”? established in February, 1915, his “Supreme Council” appointed on April 1, 1915, and the Councils in France, having delivered to him in December, 1914, “through many sources
° See Book Six, Volume I, pp. 412 to 463.
J
® The “necessary first papers,’ according to Lewis, were an “illuminated charter to be signed by the selected Councilors,’ which he selected, “and the first Black Book,” which he admits he prepared himself. See his statement to this effect in The American Rosae Crucis, July, 1916, p. 11, quoted in Volume I, p. 201, or booklet, Rosicrucian Names, pp. 29-30.
* As shown by Lewis’ statement in The American Rosae Crucis in July, 1916, at p. 13, “about thirty of the most active workers met... and therewith in due form constituted themselves the Supreme Council, signed an illuminated charter declaring authoritative, proper and legal establishment of the AMORC in America.” For quotation of his state- ment in full, see Volume I, p. 202, or said booklet, p. 31.
659
AN'“ANSWER TO DEWIS” WHITE (rt) BOOK 2s
and many persons various articles, papers and jewels with which to establish the Order,’’* one wonders why, in his delirious imagina- tion and ignorance of Rosicrucian affairs, he deemed it necessary to have the mythical “Magi” of the non-existing ““Supreme Council of © France in Toulouse” pay a secret visit to America to deliver to him final instructions, seals and secret papers, to give approval to the delivery of other papers and jewels by agents selected by the French Council, through devious sources—unknown to him—but delivered in due time in accordance with the laws, which gave him authoritative working instructions and power.
When his various statements as to the strange, most unusual and mysterious manner in which he received his authority and power to establish his fraudulent R. C. Order in America are casually read, one may conclude that they might form the basis of a fairly good fictitious mystery story, but when they are carefully checked, com- pared and analyzed and their nonsensical ridiculousness, utter false- ness and designing purpose become so apparent, they can be ac- counted for and understood only as fraudulent devices for the promotion of a fraternal swindle.
Because this is true, we urge the investigator, especially the offi- cial investigator, to secure all of Lewis’ literature, his advertise- ments, propaganda booklets, testimony in courts and lessons, lec- tures or so-called secret work and carefully compare and analyze them in the light of réason and truth. Space will not‘permit us to make anything like a complete comparison or analysis. However, we shall be able to point out sufficient of his ridiculous inconsist- encies and contradictions and obviously false claims to convince any reasonable person that his so-called R. C. Order was from begin- ning and is today a fraudulent scheme. Many of these contradic- tions and absurdities will be pointed out in the footnotes. There- fore, it will be necessary that the footnotes be read and followed carefully.
Continuing with his announcement in the first propaganda book- let in 1915, he proclaims:
AMERICAN ORGANIZATION COMPLETE (11) “The American Constitution—based upon the French Con-
8 See his statement of February, 1916, quoted in Volume I, p. 199, or the booklet, Rosi- crucian Names, p. 28.
660
Patol CGUAIMS OF Rok C.-AUTHORITY ‘REVIEWED
stitution®—the complete laws and rulings, all degree work and cere-
monies: and dies, seals and special symbols have been completed and
approved [by himself?], and the American Supreme Council is now
in charge of the Order’s affairs in America. .. . The Order in Amer-
ica will operate under its Charter,” signed by the Council [by him-
self and his selected Council| and will exist legally under another
Charter from the State of New York [which was never granted ].
The American Council and the Officers of the Grand Lodge?’ will
have the Supreme power in all Rosaecrucian matters in the United
States and dependencies.” (Jd., p. 11. The italics are ours.) Again one wonders that, inasmuch as the “laws and rulings, all _ degree work and ceremonies and dies (whatever may be their pur- pose or use), seals and special symbols” were completed in 1915, why it was necessary for Lewis to continue to collect seals, jewels and papers—why it was necessary for him continually unto this day to secure additional charters, important documents, new teachings and further “recognition.”” ‘That he deemed it necessary casts a cloud of suspicion upon his nefarious scheme, and the circumstances proclaim themselves to be Badges of Fraud.
How Fabricated Why the Name Was Used
The manner in which he fabricated the AMORC in 1915 and his excuse for the adoption of a Rosicrucian appellation for the fabrication originally designed and modeled after the Masonic Fraternity is shown by numerous quotations from the published statements of Mr. Lewis in our Booklet, The Right to the Exclu- sive Use of Rosicrucian Names (pages 27 to 53), and republished as Book Four of Volume I hereof (pages 198 to 224).
The reader and investigator is earnestly requested to read and carefully study those quoted statements in connection with the sub-
°C, W. Wheelock, of New York City, who was a member of the first “Supreme Council,” was also a member of the committee which drafted the first Constitution. He says that they “had no French Constitution to go by; that they used printed Constitu- tions of other fraternal orders and patched up a Constitution to please themselves and to satisfy Lewis.”
1 This is further evidence that he modeled his first fabrication after the Masonic Order with degree work and ceremonial initiation.
2 Presently we shall set forth this “charter” as published by Lewis.
3’ The Lewis family. is now the Council and Supreme Officers. See Chapter VI.
661
AN ANSWER TOVLEWJIS~ WHITE, Ga)ebOOkK
ject matter here under consideration. They will be referred to in the footnotes, compared with other conflicting and contradictory statements quoted and discussed in the text of this chapter. They will not be requoted, unless it is deemed advisable or necessary to complete the quotations herein made or to make clear and maintain the continuity of the text of this chapter.
It is suffic:ent to say at this point that those confused and con- tradictory statements show very clearly that he fabricated his fra- ternal racket and stole a Rosicrucian name for it, in complete ig- norance of the authentic Rose Cross Order, without authority or right from any source and under the false claim of a fictitious “sponsorship” of a mythical Grand Master of a non-existent R. C.
Grand Lodge.
The “Special Symbols” Specially Designed and Made by Lewis
The ‘“‘Seal and Special Symbols” referred to by Lewis in quota- tion (11) as having been “completed and approved” were de- signed, made and adopted by himself and published on page 5 of his first propaganda booklet as “the only true marks of the Order which he says distinguish it from all others—which is one of the few truthful statements made by him in connection with the fab- rication and promotion of his fraternal swindle. With the single exception of the Rosy Cross, which he uses wrongfully and without authority in connection with his specially designed and wholly fab- ricated originally adopted symbols, not one of said symbols are Rosicrucian symbols.
For convenience of the reader, we have reproduced these “‘spe- cial symbols.’ Referring to our Reproduction No. 68, beginning at the top of the page and reading from left to right, let us examine the ‘“‘true marks” of his fabrication which distinguish it from all others. 3
The first is the “General Symbol of the Order in the World,” which is an inverted triangle—the universally known and accepted sign and symbol of Black Magic—with a plain (not Rosy) cross inserted therein. Truly and certainly, this is a sign which distin- guishes his fabrication and spurious R. C. Order from all true and genuine Rose Cross Orders. Judging it by his Black Magic teach-
662
Povo CAMS OF Roe C. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
ing, as shown in Part V of the last preceding chapter, and his de- ceptive and anti-White Magic methods, as shown throughout this work, the “General Symbol” was not adopted inadvertently, but with intent to show the true nature of his organization and as a “sign” of recognition of the Black Brotherhood throughout the world. The use of the cross in connection with the sign of Black Magic is a wilful and unforgivable desecration of a holy symbol, and his denial of the true nature of his organization, as shown by its Black Magic signs, symbols and teachings, is despicable decep- tion and a Badge of Fraud and Degradation. |
The second is ‘“The Great Seal of the American Supreme Coun- cil,” which 1s intended to be a rose with the ‘General Symbol” and sign of Black Magic imposed upon it.
The third, the ‘‘sign of the American Publication Committee,” is another fabrication. It is made by imposing the inverted triangle— the sign of black magic—on the base of the Patriarchal Cross, which is an insult to every religion, ancient or modern, and every holy order using this cross as one of their sacred symbols. This cross has never been a symbol of the Rosicrucians.
The fourth, ‘““The Seal of the Founder,” is distinctive of the Lewis fabrication, a design of his own making and adoption. It has never been used as a part of the symbolism of the Rosy Cross.
The fifth, the ““Emblem worn by the Brothers and Sisters,” is a tell-tale fabrication which may be said to be symbolical of his Masonic-Rosicrucian swindle. It is made by combining the compass of the Masons with the Rosy Cross of the Rosicrucians. This, as we have noted, is further evidence of his use and misuse of Ma- sonry in the fabrication and promotion of his spurious R. C. Order.
The sixth, “The Rosae Crucis,’ is the 'Rosy Cross, the well- known symbol of the authentic Fraternity. The use of this symbol in connection with his synthetic fraternal fake and school of Black Magic is not only a miserable desecration of a holy symbol, but it is viciously fraudulent, more so than falsely selling adulterated and poisonous food under a brand well known, established by reason of its purity and sterling quality—because this unscrupulous fraternal racketeer is trafficking in brotherly love while appealing in a “holier-than-thou”’ attitude to the noblest sentiments and higher spiritual aspirations of mankind and thus selling his false, mystic wares and spreading his anti-Christ doctrines and Black Magic
663
AN: ANSWER TO LEWIS -WHITE (r)-BOOKS Da
teachings under the holy symbol of a genuine occult and spiritual
Order.
Masonic Titles and Symbols Combined With Signs of Black Magic
The seventh is ‘The Seal and Sign of the Secretary General.” It is made by placing the inverted triangle—the sign of Black Magic—beneath a Grecian cross and desecrating and misusing an- other holy symbol.
The eighth is the “Great Seal of the Grand Master General’’— a Masonic title. It is made by placing the Cross of the Christian Church and the compass of the Masons within an inverted triangle and broken circle—the vicious sign of the Black Brotherhood and the broken circle of death and destruction. A more depraved abuse of holy symbols of worthy things can scarcely be imagined. Surely, such an unthinkable combination of the symbols of the ultra-good with the signs of the debased and the damned is the product of a distorted imagination and a depraved heart.
The ninth, “The Sacred Insignia of the Grand Master General” of this Masonic-Rosicrucian swindle fabricated in 1915, is made in close and deceptive imitation of Masonic signature seals and used by Lewis in connection with his alleged official Rosicrucian signa- ture as Imperator* of his hierarchy of fraternal fraud.
These fabricated symbols of a fraternal racket, combining re- ligious, Masonic and Rosicrucian symbols with the sign of Black Magic and with the “sacred insignia” of the Grand Master Gen- eral of the fabrication made in close and deceptive imitation of Masonic signature seals, is still further evidence of Lewis’ inten- tion and purpose to fabricate his fraternal racket in close imitation of Masonry and to Masonically promote it under a Rosicrucian name. If there were the least doubt that such were his intentions and purpose, that doubt is completely dispelled by his statement in his second propaganda booklet issued in New York in 1917, which
4 This has been discussed throughout this work, particularly in Chapter III of this volume, p. 142, supra, and Chapter IV, p. 263, supra.
664
/
| FASE. CLAIMS OF R.»kC. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
is as follows:
ieee Mire EG TORES
(12) “But more wonderful than all our beautiful, ancient, sym- bolical and sacred ceremonies® [fabricated about the year 1915] are the illuminating, startling, mystifying lectures and demonstrations in the Temples.
“Each one of the twelve degrees of our Order consists of a night of Initiation,® followed by seven to ten lecture nights, usually two each month, held in the Temple.
“These lectures are given by the Masters of each Lodge,’ while the Brothers and Sisters sit with notebooks and take notes in signs, symbols and words.
“The lectures consist of a series of laws and explanations, based on the ancient teachings and added to continuously by the new findings [in books] and discoveries of the Master Minds of the World.® Subjects which have never been taught or explained [as Lewis teaches and explains them!] outside of our Order [his fabrication ] are made so plain, so simple and so practical that demonstrations are possible at home and in the Temple.
“No theories are given, no hypotheses, but proven laws which even the greatest schools of medicine, chemistry, physics, physiology, psy- chology or biology do not know or even dream of.®
“From degree to degree there are examinations for efficiency, pro- ficiency and attainment, until finally in the higher degree the Brothers and Sisters become Masters of the strangest laws? ever known.
“Rosaecrucians are practical workers, not dreamers. They know
5 This is proof sufficient that his fabrication was and is not a Rose Cross Order. True Rosicrucian initiation is not by symbolical ceremonies, as shown herein and as is well known to all who are informed on the subject.
8 As we shall later see, Lewis also claims that he was completely initiated and “made a Rosicrucian” in a single nightly session in France in 1909, which, of course, was an impossibility. See quotation (21).
7 See Mr. Riesener’s statement in footnote, supra.
8 Mr. Lewis and his staff are the “master minds” which fabricated the “ancient” teachings of his spurious Order. See his lessons quoted throughout this work, especially Volume I, pp. 279 to 334.
® Another example of exaggeration and over-inflated propaganda—another Badge of Fraud.
1 Masters of the “strangest” Black Magic and degrading Sex practices as taught in the higher degrees—such as the lessons on the Tenth and Eleventh Grades, shown in Part Five of Chapter IV, supra.
665
ANUVANSWER “FO (LEWIS. WHITE) Gr) BOOK a4
and know that they know. Therein lies their power, their strength, their love for each other and all mankind, and their devotion to God? and God’s laws, for they know God and know God’s laws as no one else can know them.
“The lectures are held in secret, in sacred form, with tiled (or securely closed and protected) Lodges, so that no one but a tested, tried, true, initiated member may ever learn a single word of the secrets there revealed.” (Italics are ours. Rosicrucian Initiation,
1917, p.:16.)
On the next page of the same propaganda booklet he caused the then “Secretary General” of his fabrication to address a communi- cation, which we shall later review, to his very much exalted self in this manner:
(13) “In the Name of the Grand Architect of the Universe :® “Before the Sign of the Cross, Greetings:
“To my Very Venerable and Very Exalted Supreme Grand Master General* of the Order Rosae Crucis, H. Spencer Lewis, Imperator of the North American continent and Chevalier,® and Commander-in-Chief of the Militant Order of Knights of the Rosy
Cross: “Respected Brother and Sire: . . . etc.” (Rosicrucian Initiation, pe 17%)
Charitable-Like Masonry But Not Exactly and Entirely So
On another page of the same propaganda booklet, wherein he tells of the most unusual and phenomenal growth of his fabrication,
2 In the beginning he made many conflicting and contradictory claims as to his fab- rication being or not being a religious organization. However, in recent years, since he began the teaching of degrading sex doctrines and its conversion into an organization of the Black Brotherhood, he has consistently maintained that AMORC is zot a religious organization. See Volume I, pp. 335 to 375, especially 375. We shall later in this chapter review his contradictory statements on this subject.
8 All Masons will recognize the significance of this terminology and will know that it is typically Masonic.
*’The use of this title in connection with his fabrication is an infringement of the Masonic Order of Memphis-Mizraim.
° Here he assumes to be and has himself addressed as a French Knight or nobleman, a member of the French Legion of Honor. Indeed, nothing is beyond the reach of this
“Very Venerable and Very Exalted Supreme Grand Master General” of fraternal fab- rication and fraud.
666
Pals EeGEAIMS: OF Ro-EC.. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
which completely collapsed a few months thereafter, as will pres- ently appear, he said:
(14) “No other philosophical, religious, educational or scientific organization or movement has ever grown so rapidly and so enthusi- astically as ours... .
“There are no regular assessments in addition to dues for funds of a personal nature, and all surplus of moneys are used in propa- ganda work® or private charitable work" known only to members.
“Bear in mind also that NO OFFICERS OF OUR LODGES THROUGH- OUT THE COUNTRY RECEIVE ANY SALARIES OR COMMISSIONS,® and we have no so-called ‘paid organizers.’ This being true, the rapid growth of the Order in America—unequaled by the growth of no other society or organization—speaks eloquently for the value of the teachings and benefits which our members receive from the Order.” (Italics are ours. Rosicrucian Initiation, p. 12.)
When we take the foregoing corroborative evidence into con- sideration with the overwhelming proof on the subject set forth in this work, it is conclusive and obvious that his fabricated Order and fraternal racket have been from the beginning and are now a Masonic-Rosicrucian swindle.
Official Self-Laudation To Gratify His Vanity—Also as Propaganda
In January, 1916, Mr. Lewis began the publication of his first
6 Lewis has testified in court proceedings that the expenditure for advertising and propaganda amounts to more than $50,000 per annum.
“ One of the notable and outstanding features of Masonry is its charitable work. One of the grounds on which M. McB. Thomson was convicted of Masonic fraud was because he used none of the funds collected for charity. See Thomson Masonic Fraud, p. 242, where the. court said: “Not one dollar of it was ever used for the business of the society, except to carry on this work of getting members. Not one word of charity or charitable funds or anything of that kind before the court.”” The Constitution of AMORC, Article XI, Sec. 31, now provides that the funds shall not be invested in any bonds “unless in a national emergency,” when the Board of Directors, the Lewis family, “may purchase some government bonds or state or city bonds of a guaranteed and protected nature, solely as a humanitarian gesture.” (Our italics.) No provision is made for ‘charity.
8 It is also a distinguishing feature of the Masonic and Rosicrucian fraternities that their Masters and Officers receive no salaries or compensation. H. Spencer Lewis and ‘his son Ralph receive large salaries and their families receive enormous benefits from
the AMORC, which is now the sole and exclusive family racket, as we shall see in ‘Chapter VI.
667
AN ANSWER TO LEWIS’ WHITE (?) BOOK “D”
official propaganda organ under the name of The American Rosae Crucis, issued and copyrighted by the Culture Publishing Company, being ‘““A Monthly Magazine Devoted to Science, Philosophy and Religion’ (our italics), “Official Organ of Ancient and Mystical Order Rosae Crucis.’ In the second (February) issue of said ofh- cial organ, on page 17, under the conspicuous heading: H. SPENCER Lewis, F. R. C., he has the following to say in unusual glorification of himself, to wit:
(15) “From childhood our Master has seemed to be a prolific writer on deep and unusual subjects,’ having the rare ability to so analyze and present the laws and principles of science that they be- come interesting to the lay mind. He insists that his peculiar insight, his seeming familiarity with the ancient and more modern sciences, is due. to experiences in some previous incarnation.’ His writings, which have been published in many publications and reference books, certainly indicate a most unusual knowledge of the laws underlying all phenomena of life.
“It is not remarkable, then, that even as a young man his work should have attracted the attention of men of science—especially Rosicrucians—in Europe. He was unanimously elected to Honorary Membership to the Societe Philomatique of Verdun, France, and to the Internaciona Ciencala Societo of Spain and the Societo di Arti e Cienci of France.* In 1904 he was made a Fellow of the Franco Ecole R. C. and given the Degree of Doctor of Psychology, and in
9 The Editor of The O. E. Library Critic, June-July issue of 1936, at p. 10, in com- menting on Lewis’ testimony in the case of RANKIN ws. AMORC, said, “The story is long and uninteresting, but a comic feature of the trial was that the AMORC Imperator stated on cross-examination that he had been in the advertising business for twenty-five years, but gave it up in 1917 to devote all of his time to AMORC.” As a matter of fact, he had no business except the business of fabricating and promoting the AMORC. In 1916 he was appealing to his friends for financial assistance. “The attorney for Rankin pointed out that 1917 minus 25 equals 1892 and that the Imperator was born in 1883. Hence he was in the advertising business at the early age of nine years. Surprising? Not exactly. Considering his display of wisdom in his AMORC documents and his mas- tery of the technique of getting people to accept his claims, one wonders whether he was not like Tsong-Ka-Pa, born with a full set of teeth and a long beard.”
1 Thus he attributes his “Jeculiar insight” and most unusual scientific knowledge (!) to a previous incarnation so as to leave the inference that he is a born mystic, which he hopes will explain many of the strange and peculiar unexplained and unexplainable things about the Imperator of the Lewis Hierarchy. Those who have followed his spec- tacular and successful career as a fraternal racketeer are willing to concede that he is a master at the fabrication of spurious orders and the promotion of fraternal swindles. Perhaps he learned all about fraudulent promotions and fraternal racketeering in a previous incarnation, since he knows, and knows he knows, it so well.
* This is correctly quoted.
668
PeveoerclalMs OF KRewC. AUTHORITY. REVIEWED
the following year the same college conferred on him the title of Doctor of Philosophy and proposed him a Dignitaire Supreme of the Rosaecrucian Order. (Our italics.)
“In this country he was likewise honored because of his editorial and general literary work and was elected President of the Publish- ers’ Syndicate for two years and appointed American Representative to the French Federation of Editors.” (American Rosae Crucis, Feb- ruary, 1916, p. 17.)
Part of the foregoing statement was quoted in Chapter IV, be- ginning on page 406, in connection with his fake claims of being a Doctor of Philosophy. The statement is here quoted in full to show that his claim of having been made a “Dignitaire Supreme of the Rosaecrucian Order” in 1905 is wilfully false, as shown by his own statement made in his fictitious story of ‘‘A Pilgrim’s Journey to the East,” published in his official organ in May, 1916, only three months later, to be presently reviewed. Because in his journey to the East in 1909, only four years later, we find him blindly groping in the dark, seeking the unknown and hidden Rose Cross, and by strange coincidences, in divers ways and through the most mysteri- ous guides he finally reached his cherished goal and found the secret, silent and hidden Supreme Grand Lodge of the Order in Tou- louse, France, at a place where it was not then located. Such con- tradictory and entirely irreconcilable stories, when placed side by side, show most persuasively, if not conclusively, that all of his claims as to Rosicrucian initiation, sponsorship and authority are false—that they are snares and delusions—poorly constructed de- vices of fraud.
_ However, let us proceed with our consideration of the hodge- podge of his inconsistent and contradictory claims asserted as the basis of and in justification of his fraternal racket. Continuing in the same article, we find him journeying to France and England in 1909 to receive again those “several honors and titles’ from the French R. C. Order and one (how modest) from the English Or-
der. Continuing in the same article, he says: Our Master’s Journey in 1909 Irreconcilable Statements and Claims (16) “But in 1909 our Master journeyed to France and Eng- 669
AN ANSWER TO DEWIS’ WHITE (7) BOOK is
land? to complete his preparation for the Rosaecrucian work—which always seemed to be his goal—and he was given several honors and titles by the French R. C. Order and one by the English Order. By agreement with the Supreme Council in France and Egypt,° the permission—long sought by scientists and earnest philosophical students—was given unto our Master to establish the R. C. Order in America in the year 1915. Six years of preparation and study were necessary, and in the month of December, 1914, the Council in France delivered to him, through many sources and many persons, various articles, papers and jewels* with which to establish the Order which is now growing so rapidly here under the direct supervision and ruling of our Master.
“Those who have met him know Mr. Lewis in business as a con- genial, pleasant writer with a magnetic personality and an open, honest countenance. In our Order we have learned to love and ad- mire his many kind and considerate qualities and his sincerity and devotion to this, his chosen and predestined, work.®
“In passing, let it be said that in his pride and satisfaction of the work so well under way, our Master paid a deep and lasting honor to his charming wife, whom all in the Grand Lodge have learned to love for her kindly help, pleasant words and sweet disposition. Our Master saw to it that Mrs. Lewis was the first to cross the Threshold of the Order in America and the first to wear the insig- nia. And, while Brother Lewis has three children, the youngest,
* According to another account of his travels in Europe in 1909, written by himself, he did not go to Europe by way of England, but sailed directly from New York to Cherbourg. See American Rosae Crucis, May, 1916, p. 13. Besides, the Powerful Order of the British Isles could not have conferred even one honor on him at that time, because, according to his own testimony, it was without power and had been suspended because it had refused to admit women. See American Rosae Crucis, September, 1916, p. 24. It is a zig-zag puzzle that cannot be fitted together.
° His earlier claims were that he was “sponsored” by the Supreme Grand Lodge of France, which in 1909, then and there, upon the event of his “one-session” Rosicrucian initiation, gave him “certain papers, jewels and devices” to fabricate his spurious R. C, Order in 1915. Authority from Egypt was not claimed until after he had received his remarkable and unique Pronunziamento No. 987,601. See American Rosae Crucis, Sep- tember, 1916, pp. 23-24. See quotations (40) and (41). ei
* This seems wholly unnecessary, because when he was leaving France in 1909, ac- cording to another of his statements, he was given certain papers, documents, jewels and “devices” to enable him to “spread the Light in America” and to proceed with the Order at the time and in the manner indicated. See American Rosae Crucis, May, 1916, p. 27, quotation (23).
° His predestined work was, with sincerity, consideration and devotion to convert “our Order” into a family affair, because he now claims that his family is the Order. See Chapter VI.
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FALSE CLAIMS OF R.+kC. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
Earle Cromwell, was the first Rosaecrucian to be born in America® and will be christened with due R. C. Ceremonies in the Grand Lodge during the year.” (American Rosae Crucis, February, 1916, p. 18. The italics are ours.)
If you can believe the foregoing statement, it would appear cer- tain therefrom that he had contacted the hidden ‘‘Rosae Crucis’ as early as 1904—the Order itself having been drawn to him by rea- son of his unusual ability—and that in 1905, at the tender age of twenty-two, he was a Doctor of Philosophy, a high-somebody and a dignitary supreme of great importance in the Rose Croix of France. If such were the case, you must wonder why it was nec- essary for him to write an “unknown” editor in Paris in 1909 to ascertain IF the R. C. STILL EXISTED and why he had so much diffi- culty in finding and joining it in 1909. See quotations (17) to (22).
Anyway, the young Doctor of Philosophy and the Dignitaire Supreme of the Rosaecrucian Order of 1904-1905 becomes a “Pilgrim” and journeys to the East in 1909 in search of the Rosae- crucian Order and tells the story of his wanderings, his strange experiences, his mystic flights, his marvelous “‘initiation’’ and his wonderful, glorious i//umination in the May issue of The American Rosae Crucis.
You will not believe it—you cannot believe it—but it is an inter- esting mystery story, a clever fable and a marvelous bit of fiction and promotional propaganda. As such, and as such only, it may be considered.
The Unique Story of Lewis His Mysterious Journey to the East
In the fifth installment of his “Complete and Authentic History of the Order,’”’ published in The American Rosae Crucis, May,
6 This ridiculous claim that his son was the first Rosicrucian born in America—as if Rosicrucians were born—cannot be reconciled with claims hereafter quoted, being quo- tation (67) that certain Rosicrucians came to America in the early part of the Seven- teenth Century on the Pacific Coast and that others came from Europe in 1694 and estab- lished a Rosicrucian Colony near Philadelphia that remained active until 1801. See also quotations (76) and (89) and compare with quotations (39) and (68).
* The interested student and the official investigator should carefully read and com- pare this “complete history” with his other “complete histories” of his fabrication—and especially with other contradictory claims. Indeed, it will reveal much proof of this fraternal fraud.
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AN ANSWER TO LEWIS’ WHITE (7) BOOK “D”
1916, pages 12 to 27, both inclusive, under the title: ““A PILGRIM’s JOURNEY TO THE East—dAnd I Journeyed to the Eastern Gate,” “our Master” fully demonstrated his unique ability as a “writer on deep and unusual subjects.”
The deep and unusual subjects of the fifth installment of his fic- : titious history of an alleged Rosicrucian Order is a simulated ac- count of his initiation in the Rose Cross Order and the manner in which permission was granted and authority was conferred upon him to institute, establish, organize or to cause the “Ancient and Mystical Order Rosae Crucis” to be born in America after all other American Initiates of the Order, some of them very prominent, had failed to secure such cherished permission and authority.
Here is a brief review of Lewis’ account of his Journey to the East. After many years’ study of the exoteric work of ‘‘Rosaecru- cianism”’ and an increased desire to join the Brotherhood, after a deep impulse to do so and many visions, some time in the early part of 1909, he wrote to an “unknown” editor of a Parisian paper, inquiring the ‘‘Way to the Rosy Cross.” He signed this letter with a “peculiar mark” beneath his name. He did not know or appre- ciate its significance, but it got results. The unknown editor promptly replied, directing him to a Professor of Languages in Paris who might help him. On July 9, 1909 (note the date), he wrote the Professor that he was coming. Fifteen days later he em- barked for Paris. As soon as the boat got under headway a dark- complexioned young man, probably an East Indian, persisted in seeking his company. The next day he honored him with his ac- quaintance. wo great occultists had met. They were kindred spirits.
Before he reached Paris, the strange gentleman from India gave him a square piece of paper with some writing on it. He “had a number of deck acquaintances subscribe their names to a picture of the steamer.”’ Some time he might be required to prove that he went to France, hence he would not be without evidence. Besides, it would be nice to show to future members of AMORC. He would show them the picture of the S.S. America on which their Imperator went to Europe to get “the documents, the few jewels, the Rosy Cross and devices” to bring back to America to establish the Order for them.
Timidly he strolled about Paris for a week before venturing to
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PALS CLAIMS OF KR.>ehC. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
see ‘Professor X’’—the Professor of Languages. He went about mentioning the words ‘“‘Rosae Crucis,” which ‘‘acted like a charm in most cases, bringing a look of wonderment, surprise, respect and awe to many faces, but ne’er a word or act of recognition.”’ One morning he said, ‘“‘Ros-a-e Crucie”’ slowly to a sixteen-year-old girl on her knees scrubbing the hotel lobby. She hastily arose, stood erect and faced him with that serene. but awe-inspired expression, that he has since seen upon the faces of several Vestal Virgins. Nothing happened. But he was sure that “the hotel proprietor, a wealthy guest (a Frenchman), a visitor from a convent in Paris, two taxicab drivers, one tramway conductor, two gendarmes, one fruit seller, one newsboy, one scrub-girl and a number of others of all classes and ranks knew of ‘Rosae Crucis’ and either feared or honored the words and that ‘Rosae Crucis’ was not dead in Paris.”
Thus encouraged in his search, early one morning he visited the Professor of Languages, who was the proprietor of a store. They had preliminary conversation that was useless, because it appears the professor was fully advised in advance in some mysterious way and knew all about his mission.
Then they had a most remarkable conversation—so remarkable that we think it will be well worth the space to quote it, not under our own quotation marks, but verbatim, as reported by Lewis, un- der his quotation marks. After giving a glowing account of the astute ‘Professor X,” he reports a fictitious conversation, showing that, although he had been a “Dignitaire Supreme of the Rosae- crucian Order” for four years, yet he was still:
SEEKING THE HIDDEN ROSAE CRUCIS
(17) “And why do you seek to know a Brother of the Rosy Croix?” he asked as we seated ourselves in his very old-fashioned office. [The School of the Order had made him a Ph.D. in 1905, yet in 1909 he did not know a Brother! ]
“Because I want to know if the old Order is still in existence, and if it is—’ I was lost for words. I could not say that I wanted to become a member. One could not bluntly ask such a privilege in the presence of a man like Professor X. [Think of it! He was a Dignitaire Supreme in 1905, seeking mere membership in the R. C. in 1909!]
“And that is your only excuse for coming to Paris, for coming
here? Is it what you call a curiosity?”
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AN ANSWER TO LEWIS” WELT Eo\-2) BOO Kays
“Ah, no, Professor,” I began, feeling that 1 had wrongly expressed myself and had done an injustice to my real motives. “I am not act- ing out of idle curiosity at least. I want to know because I want, some day, to be one of them, if I may.” There, the secret was out, I thought. Surely, I was being frank. [This is a strange request to be made by a “‘Dignitaire Supreme” of the Order. |
“But why, my friend? You want to be one of them? One of whom? Of the Brothers? You wanT to be? You ask as a demand? You neither pray nor beg, but demand! You are not acquainted with the Order, with any Brother, yet you demand to be one of them,
of the Order!”
There was no attempt to make me feel that | was in an awkward position or that I was impertinent. His remarks were made kindly but pointedly.
“But, Professor,” I began again, “I only want—desire—to learn how I may proceed if | am ever to have my fond hopes realized. I make no demand now for admission into the Order; I ask for no rare privilege or honor® at this time. 1 come to you only as a seeker for knowledge—for light.”
As I went on with my speech a more kindly expression came to his face, and it was,only as the last two words were literally forced out of my consciousness by some strange power that I saw the bar- rier between us drop. Those two words—For LIGHT—were like the magic words of old. It occurred to me as I said them that I was merely using words which others had used as a symbolical way of ex- pressing a desire for Eastern knowledge. But the years which have passed since then have shown me that I could not have used a better symbol nor more appropriate words. Light! The key to Rosaecru- cianism—the password to the secret realms.
“Then, my good friend, if you seek Light,’ he went on, “you must first show that you deserve light. We were born in darkness, and some of us must ever live in darkness on this plane and in this existence. The Light cannot come to all. The brilliancy, the fire, the heat, the illusion of Light may blind some and lead others to destruction. You must be sure that you deserve Light, and you can deserve only in proportion to your reason for desiring.”
“It is my great desire, sir, to learn the laws, the secrets, the great principles of Rosaecrucianism that I may assist in giving them to those who may deserve and to help mankind. 1 have no selfish mo-
SA “Dignitaire Supreme of the Rosaecrucian Order” seeking to learn how he might
find and join the Order—an “Imperator Lewis” seeking “no rare privilege or honor.” These seem impossible. The fiction does not fol!ow the facts.
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ews
Patol CEAIMS OF Ro-kC. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
tive whatever. I seek not for myself, but for others through me.° For years I have read and studied on similar lines of thought. I have edited several philcsophical magazines. | have written for many others. | have taught in a philosophical school. I have received rec- ognition from one of your French Academies for my philosophical writings. I love the work. It is my religion. And I have gained some reputation in America as a student of the occult and lecturer and writer. hat is why I am anxious to go further and do more.’
“And you come to me, sir,” he rejoined very quickly, “without other credentials than your worldly reputation and accomplishments. You have had worldly honors bestowed upon you. You have a col- lege degree [!] You have been recognized by a French Acad- emy. [!!] Your name is well known in American occult journalism and on American lecture platforms.? All worldly honors. What of yourself—your real self, your inner self? How has that spoken? How has that developed? Speak of your soul, your—well, I cannot say to you what | might say to another.”
“I have some other papers here,’ I said as I opened my wallet. “They concern my worldly affairs, I suppose, but throw some little light on my life work which fairly represents my aims and ideals in life. But of my soul, of my inner self, I know not how to speak. I—” (Italics are ours. )
“And you have there your business card,” he said, as I drew one from my wallet. “That is typically American or rather of the United States citizen. His card he considers as his passport, his letter of introduction, his letter of credit, his password into society, his ad- mission into heaven and his key to all that he desires. Yet I believe they can be printed for a few francs per hundred.”
He did not offer to look at my card, and, abashed at his remarks, I returned it to my wallet. There were other papers there of con- siderable interest to me. They—with my card—had served me well in worldly matters, but I felt instinctively that they were of no value now. Certainly, not to the Professor. So I closed my wallet and
® The deep sincerity of this statement is shown by the manner in which he converted his fraudulent fraternal enterprise into a family affair. See Chapter VI. Such state- ments as these can be regarded in no light other than being pure ballyhoo and promo- tional propaganda. They are Badges of Fraud.
1 This is a case of boosting the fabricator to promote his fabrication and fraudulent enterprise.
° Here the fiction failed. Lewis played a mean trick on the astute Professor, the Seer who knew all. In his blind endeavor to promote himself and his fabrication he has the Professor confirm that which is mot true. Lewis did not have a college degree; he had not been recognized by a French Academy; he was not a well-known occult journalist and lecturer. It is false promotional ballyhoo—a mere fraudulent device.
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AN ANSWER TO LEWIS WHITE (7) "BOOKS D4
made to place it in my pocket. He detained my arm in its movement and, looking significantly at me, said:
“And have you not a paper there which does not resemble the others?”
I thought a moment—and I seemed to discern his meaning, for the strange light in his eyes was unmistakable. It meant that I did have—that I could take from my wallet—that which he fully ex- pected to receive. What was it? I thought rapidly. It seemed like a résumé of my whole life and all that had ever been given to me. But in a flash one thing stood out before me—the square piece of paper which the foreigner had given me on the steamer.
“T have this,” I replied as I drew it from the wallet. “It is only an address and a few lines of other writing,” I added as I noticed for the first time that the writing below the name and address was in the form of a sentence.. ‘“‘Perhaps this is what you mean.” I could not help impressing him with the fact that I had noticed his evident reference to some particular paper.
“Yes, this is what I thought. It means little to you—perhaps little to me. It will mean a great deal to others at some time. I merely suggest that you preserve it, keep it always at hand and show it only when you are INDIRECTLY asked to do so. If you will call to see me again‘on Monday morning about noon, I will be very glad to answer the one question for you. It is a beautiful day. I trust you had a very pleasant trip across the sea. Do you like our Paris?” (The American Rosae Crucis, May, 1916, pp. 14-15.)
Wilful Intentions Shown He Had Knowledge of Nature of the R.C.
Although the foregoing fictitious conversation, which never took place, in fact, was written and published by Lewis to satisfy his gluttonous ego and for the purpose of promoting himself and his fraudulent fraternal business, and although it is a_self-revealing fraudulent device, yet it reveals much more. It shows that he knew the true nature of the august Fraternity. Whether he learned it from reading the published exoteric books and works of the Rosi- crucians or otherwise, the fact remains and his own statements re- veal that he knew that the Rose Cross Order does not and never did — solicit members and, most of all, that it does not use high-pressure, bombastic, urgent and deceptive advertising to secure members, and that those who would become Rosicrucians must of their own
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Paieor CEAIMS OF Roe C.:- AUTHORITY REVIEWED
accord seek the Way to the Temple of the Rosy Cross, show them- selves worthy and become Rosicrucians by living the life and through their own efforts. Certainly he knew that they do not and could not become Rosicrucian initiates simply by passing through a symbolical ceremony in a single session in one night.
Therefore, with such knowledge, for him to fabricate a spurious Order; to operate it as a Rosicrucian Order, with ceremonial in- itiation falsely represented to be a Rosicrucian initiation; to pro- mote it contrary to Rosicrucian fundamentals with high-pressure, deceptive advertising, and to operate it as he does as a family affair shows conclusively his continuing wilful design and fraudulent intent from the inception of his fraudulent purpose until now. This is but one circumstance which reveals fraudulent design and intent. The record he has made supplies evidence in abundance of his fraudulent design and intent.
A Lesson in Humility But Lewis Did Not Profit by It
Let us continue with our review of the “Pilgrim’s Journey to the East.” Promptly at the appointed time on the following Monday Lewis appeared at the book store of Professor X to receive the answer to his question as to where he could find the Rosicrucian Brotherhood and how he might join the elect.
Therefore, inasmuch as Lewis was writing a Rosicrucian story for promotional purposes, he thought it well and cunning to have the mythical Professor who knew all—who with occult clairvoyance could read the secret designs and real character of the seekers of the Way to Light—to deliver to him as a seeker of light a bit of a lecture, embodying some of the necessary qualifications of applicants of Pee can initiation of which he had read in published Rosi- crucian works. Accordingly, with his pen he made the Professor say:
(18) “Formality! Form! Conventionality—that’s American- ism! It’s not Rosaecrucianism. You say “Thank you’ because it is the custom to say it. In your heart you feel differently. Unless you speak as you feel, unless you break down the barriers of form and custom and become natural, you can never make the journey. You must become an humble soul groping for Light. Your credentials
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AN ANSWER -TO LEWIS” WHITE (7) BOOKS]
count for naught. It is not what you have been in the past in your worldly affairs that will assist you, but what you become now, from this moment on. Let your pride, your self-esteem, your spirit rise, and the darkness will engulf you. Cast away your precious reputa- tion. It is character alone that makes the true seeker for Light! Away with your worldly self—be a man as God made you—just one of His humble souls praying for guidance, crying aloud for help and ever conscious of your ignorance, your weakness and your oneness with all men.”
Then Lewis said for himself:
“T gave response in a most crushed and humiliated spirit. I began to feel that, after all, I was a most humble, weak, ignorant soul in the presence of one who could plainly see the real self in me.”
(id5 pol 65)
Imagine, if you can, the great Imperator of the Lewis Hier- archy feeling such abject humility. The after-history of the man and his daily conduct refute the idea. He fooled the “‘Professor” as he has fooled thousands since with his fair and plausible false pre- tensions, and the professor, according to Lewis’ story, started him on his marvelous career of fraternal racketeering and mystic swindling.
In Quest of the Golden Calf
Before he left the professor, never to see him again, he was shown a picture of an “old tower’ which he was to find. He was to take the 7:10 train for Avignon, where another would meet him with further instructions. He took the train. He was on his way; but did not know where he was going. He had scarcely started on this unique and strange journey when the mysterious ‘‘East Indian” who had given him the mysterious “square paper’ on the way across the ocean, turned up most unexpectedly. But he was not an ‘East Indian” at all; he was “a Persian that lived in Egypt most of the time,” who told him that his instructions were all wrong, that he was not going to Avignon at all, but to Montpellier, to the Hotel Metropole, where someone would call and make a sign.
From then on he met the most mysterious people in the most mysterious ways and places who directed him from place to place and handed him instructions. Finally, after many strange, odd and
678
PaAbobeCGEAIMS OF R.>owC. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
trying experiences that sorely tested his moral fiber, he landed at the Grand Hotel Tivolier in Toulouse, where he also had many mysterious experiences, described in minute detail; where he finally by “mere” accident located the “Old Tower.” Then he realized that the “Pilgrim’s Journey to the East” was nearing the end.
He entered the “Old Tower,” and there at last he met the right person, who spoke to him in English with a deep French accent. There he saw many wonderful things, such as sealing outfits, a quill pen, manuscripts, some horoscopical maps, very rare old books and antique furniture.
Then, to his surprise, he was told:
(19) “You have come here, my young friend, not by intrusion. You know astrology; you know ‘arcs of direction.’ Your coming here was by direction. See, I have on my desk your horoscope.? I have expected you, for there is a letter addressed to you. I know your purpose, for the contents of that letter are an answer to your question. But be seated. I have many things to show you and to explain.
“You have earnestly sought the Rose Croix Order. You wish to enter the Sacred Brotherhood. Your wish may be granted—but what then? Will you help in the great work? Will you spread the work to your land? You wish for a Herculean task! I admire your courage, your bravery and your determination.” (Jd., p. 25. The italics are ours.)
Then he was told of how he had been watched by the many mys- terious persons, that his complete history was there on their rec- ords and that, knowing all about him, it had been decided that very day that he should meet the “beloved Grand Master and Impera- tor in his Holy Temple.”
Thereafter, on some afternoon, the exact date not given—the time about 3:00 o’clock—he was driven for a mile or more to the city's gates, then along the banks of a creek towards the old City of Toulouse, the “original Roman City of Toulosa.” At last he arrived at a great and marvelous estate within a wall, with fields of flowers and beautiful lawns. There were also many square buildings within a walled chateau. When he approached one of
® AMORC does not teach astrology, yet how is this story of its fabrication to be rec- onciled with the fact that his fabrication has naught to do with astrology. It cannot be reconciled. It is a Badge of Fraud.
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AN ANSWER TO LEWI1s> WHIT & (2) BOOK = "Dm
these odd and old—very old—and ‘“‘ancient’’ buildings, he was met by a young man in semi-military uniform who knew the driver. With very cordial greetings, he was ushered into “a large recep- tion room.’ After a few moments he was confronted by an elderly woman who, bowing, led him to a small reception room and handed him some typewritten instructions. Those Toulouse Rosicrucians— in that very old building where wonderful manuscripts were made with quill pens—were very modern. They had a typewriter as early as 1909. These instructions informed him that he was to meet the Officers of the Grand Lodge at sunset, fully three hours later. He could not tell us about the instructions—that was a profound se- cret—but he did tell us what he did in the meantime, which in his own language is as follows:
(20) ‘‘And so I read—and yawned from fatigue. I read again— and relaxed. I read a little longer—and yawned once more—and fell asleep cn the old divan in the upper stone room of that old, cold mysterious building known throughout all of France as the Grand
Temple.” (Jd., p. 26.)
lndiated aed Wile ee
This ‘Grand Temple’—known throughout all France, where he yawned and slept as he dreamed the dream in which he created this mythical temple—is not known throughout France. Indeed, French occultists and editors, who would know about it if anyone knew, after making due inquiry, were unable to locate it and knew nothing about it, as will appear from the statement of J. Bricaud, to be presented.
And then he tells of the most unique, remarkable and wholly impossible mythical Rosicrucian initiations, which, of course, did not take place. This is his own statement and description:
(21) “Later that night I was initiated into the Order Rosae Crucis. I Crossed the Threshold in the Old Lodge in that very old building. I met many of the Officers; I took the solemn pledges; I received the great blessing and was made a Brother of the Order as the witching hour of midnight was struck by the old chimes in the lower part of the building.
“T had found the Light—and it illuminated me as I faced the Rosae Crucis.” (Jd., pp. 26-27.)
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FALSE CLAIMS OF R.-—kC. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
And, verily, this is his much-boasted and far-heralded Rosicru- cian initiation. In a single night, between the hours of six .o’clock and midnight—in six short hours at the most—by symbolical rites and ceremonies, we suppose, in an old non-existent lodge in a very old building that has ceased to be, he ‘‘crossed the Threshold,”’ stood before the Rosy Cross and was illuminated. The story is a myth—a FICTION. It did not take place. It is impossible—axso- LUTELY IMPOSSIBLE! To a Rosicrucian or occultist who knows that Rosicrucian or occult initiation is growth, an inner development, which is accomplished only by a slow process at best—by living the life and doing the work, and not by and through symbolical cere- monies—such an initiation as claimed and described by Lewis is a ridiculous absurdity—an utter impossibility! However, in this case it is a fraudulent device which he has used to “‘initiate”’ the curi- ous, credulous and gullible into his fraternal racket and extract from them the “Royal Revenues” for the support of his family hierarchy.
The Illuminati of Europe Feared, Despised and Discredited
After his marvelous “‘Rosicrucian initiation,” as vouched for and reported by himself, he remained in Toulouse just one week, “as directed,” during which time he attended a “‘great number” of lec- tures, demonstrations, experiments and private classes—if there is any difference between those and the private classes. He was shown much, told a great deal more and given a ‘very considerable amount of matter” in the form of hieroglyphic manuscripts to take away and study for a year or more. Compare this with quota- tion (82).
Whether he was initiated in The European Illuminati, a much- ‘ despised, feared and discredited political organization, with the same lightning speed, he does not tell us. But he does claim to be a “Twelfth Degree Illuminati, Toulouse, France.” (See our Re- production No. 69.) However, he does make the attempt to con- fuse the Political [/luminati with the Rosy Cross, whereas there is not and there never has been any connection between the two or- ganizations. But he does assert a connection with and membership in the [//uminati, as shown by his statement, as follows:
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AN:‘ANSWER TO LEWIS WHITE) @?) BOOKS
(22) “I attended the Monthly Convocation of the Illuminati in another old building* along the banks of the Garonne. The build- ing proper, illustrated in this article, was constructed of stones brought from various parts of Egypt, Spain and Italy, from build- ings, temples and pyramids now in ruins.” The illustration shows one corner of this building, and one can plainly see the odd manner in which these stones of various colors, qualities and sizes have been grouped. The cornerstone, bearing appropriate lettering, was brought from Ex AMARNA, where our Great Master once had his home.
“The upper part of this building and its courts are used as a Rosaecrucian Monastery. In the cellar is the old Rosaecrucian Gretto, where the Illuminati hold their convocations.” (Jd., p. 27.)
In his official organ, The Mystic Triangle, September, 1928, on pages 573 to 575, he tells of “A Strange Experience” of a stranger coming into the grand temple of his fabrication and giving the “orip of the Illuminati.”” Mr. Lewis asked for his birth date and worked out his horoscope, which he said clearly showed that the stranger was a “remarkable soul’—a “true mystic’ and a high officer in the Ordér in France, Egypt and Switzerland. All of which, we declare, shows that in the beginning he did stress the mysteries of astrology—even though he later denied it—and did promote his fabrication as being a part of the [//uminati.
However, in The Rosicrucian Forum, August, 1932, on pages 11 and 12 (another official organ for his members only), he de- nounces the //luminati, denies that his fabrication was ever associ- ated with the European or “so-called Illuminati in Germany” and
4In the American Rosae Crucis, November, 1917, opposite p. 212, he published a large photograph of a building taken, no doubt, somewhere in France, upon which he super- imposed two of the symbols which he made and adopted for his American fabrication in 1915 and the letters R. C. in bold relief. This he represents, by inference, to be one of the buildings of the Grand Lodge of France in Toulouse, where he received his Mythical Rosicrucian Initiation. But it does not square with his story which we are here review- ing. Indeed, it contradicts his story. In his story the R. C. Lodge of the hidden Order in France was very hard to find—very secret. You will recall how he finally found it with much assistance from many persons. In his mutilated and “doctored” picture of the building with “R. C.” imposed thereon he has the building boldly declaring to the world that the Rose Cross Order is located within, where he says the ‘“Secretary’s office” is located. It is one of his little tricks—one of his devices of fraud.
5 We suppose it would be possible to construct a very old temple in France, when transportation was slow and difficult, of stones from Egypt, Spain and Italy—but scarcely probable. However when one constructs temples in his imagination he may bring building stones from the four quarters of the earth in the twinkling of an eye.
682
Pero sClnliis, OF RoeC. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
tells of a German Illuminati, back in the early days of his activi- ties, making application for membership in his fabrication which was denied because he was an J/luminati. Nevertheless, this cun- ning pretender did take the precaution to explain—as a way out for himself and in explanation of his previous claims to Illuminati affiliation and authority—that “in the Rosicrucian Order there is a division or section of the work referred to as the Illuminati or, in other words, the illuminated ones.’ With this ‘‘explanation”’ on record, the very consistent Imperator of the Lewis Hierarchy of the AMORC has denied any connection with the I//uminati and is no longer ‘‘H. Spencer Lewis, F. R. C. (12° Illuminati, Toulouse, France )’’—see our Reproduction No. 69.
Ais First “Authority”
Tet us return to-the “Pilgrim’s Journey to the East.’ If one can believe this “Jonah” story of his rapid magical initiation into the Rosicrucian Brotherhood to the high stage of illumination and in The Illuminati even unto the twelfth and last degree thereof, one must at least be astonished, if not astounded, at the remarkable and sudden confidence which “The Most Worshipful Grand Mas- ter of France’ placed in this newly and rapidly made ‘‘Rosicru- cian” and “Illuminati XII°,” seeing that he left France with every- thing he desired “‘in the bag,” handed to him on a silver platter and with the “most wonderful ovations.” In this manner there was conferred upon him his first ‘‘authority” to fabricate an R. C. Or- der and to perpetrate a fraternal swindle in America, of which the says:
(23) “On the day I left Toulouse I was given certain papers and documents to enable me to proceed with the spreading of the Light in ‘America.’ The following is the substance of the last words I heard delivered to me by The Most Worshipful Grand Master of France [of his spurious R. C. Order or the Illuminati—which?], Mons. L—:
“ “Brother, these papers appoint you as a Legate of this Order for your country. Your duty and privileges are well defined. The docu- ments you have—and the few jewels I now hand you—will enable you to proceed at the time [in 1915, as we have seen] and in the manner, indicated. When you have made some progress you will
"meet with a representative from. the Order in Egypt, who will hand
683
AN ANSWER TO LEWIS’ WHITE (?) BOOK “D”
you, under certain conditions, other papers and seals. From time to time there will come to you from those whom you will recognize by the signs indicated. They will add to your papers and devices® un- til your working papers and tools are completed. Our archivists will send you under seal, with the protection of the French Government, other papers as soon as you have made the progress which will be re- ported to us by our Agents. Your semi-annual reports will warrant or deny you progress and assistance. The Masters of the world will be glad to administer to your wants and your requirements from time to time, and Peace and Power shall come to America if the dictates of our Order are faithfully fulfilled.’
‘These words, said so sacredly by the dear old soul, subscribed to by the French Supreme Council and accompanied by a most wonder- ful ovation, still ring in my ears. They were the blessing which the Masters sent to America, and I, in turn, give them to my Brothers and Sisters of the Order Rosae Crucis in the United States. A la Verite—Fr. 12. Ill. R. F., Profundis.” (Id., p. 27. Italics are ours.)
Spurious and Self-Constituted
It will be remembered that Lewis organized his fabrication on April 1—All Fools’ Day—1915, and that “about thirty of the most active workers met at the proposed lodge rooms on Seventh Avenue (in New York City) and there, with due form constituted themselves the Supreme Council, signed an illuminated charter declaring the authoritative, proper and legal establish- ment of the AMORC in America.’’’ With nothing in hand to show his right or authority to organize a Rosicrucian Order except “A paper and some insignia and other interesting exhibits, including the charter and Black Book’’* which he made himself to be signed by the self-constituted “Supreme Council,” it is not at all surpris- ing that his right to establish an R. C. Order and the authenticity
6 “Devices” is the right word. This continued flow to him of “papers, jewels and seals” from the beginning until now, about which he has had so much to say in propa- gandic and promotional literature, are, in fact, so many devices of fraud. It is to be noted that even his early “papers” were sent to him under Governmental protection, a device often used by him, as we have seen. If he were called upon to produce the “papers, documents, jewels and seals,” he would say that they have been lost. However, they cannot be produced because they never existed—they are pure myths,.and real devices of fraud and fabrication.
7-8 Statements made by Lewis in the American Rosae Crucis, July, 1916, pp. 12-13, which are quoted in the booklet, Rosicrucian Names, p. 31, and in Volume J, p. 202. The italics in the quotations are ours. See quotation (30).
684
FALSE CLAIMS OF RoC. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
thereof were seriously questioned from the beginning.
This being the case, we find him, in quotation (23) above, which was written and published a year afterwards, building up and pre- paring the way for “other papers and seals’ from the Order in Egypt, and additional “papers and devices” from France under the protection of the Government to strengthen the spurious and fan- tastic claims under which he organized his fabrication, which even his followers and members of the first “Supreme Council” rejected as being wholly untenable. See quotations (35) and (38). The manner in which he gathered together from time to time those certain “‘jewels, seals, papers and devices” will appear from his own statements and accounts thereof as we shall proceed.
The Office of “Legate”’
Entirely Distinctive of His Fabrication
Like the “special symbols’’ designed by himself, the office of Legate® to America, to which “The Most Worshipful Grand Mas- ter of France’ appointed him, is entirely distinctive of his scheme and the product of his imagination. Such an office and the term ““Legate”’ are unknown and unused in the authentic Order.
A Legate is defined to be (1) a diplomatic representative from one government to another; (2) specifically, an ecclesiastic dele- gate of the Pope of Rome; (3) an advisor of a Roman general in the field, and (4) a governor of a Roman province in Rome’s im- perial day.’
When Mr. Lewis’ innate desire and unquenchable hunger for greatness and power are considered in connection with his constant and continuing effort to glorify himself and to associate himself with kings, pontiffs and royalty—with men of prominence and power, and to confer upon himself numerous and limitless titles and honors—it is, indeed, understandable and obvious why and how, in his imagination in the fictitious story just reviewed, he ap- pointed himself Legate of the Order for America. Verily, the term “Legate’ so often used by him in connection with his scheme is another special and distinctive Badge of Fraud.
9 His latest claim is that he is a “Legate of the Fuposi.” See p. 518, supra. 1 See any unabridged dictionary.
685
AN ANSWER TO LEWIS* WHITE) (Gr) "BOOK
Grand Lodge at Toulouse
Unknown in France and to French Occultists
In February, 1928, we forwarded copies of Lewis’ Mystic Tri- angle to J. Bricaud, an eminent French Occultist, then Grand Mas- ter of the Martinist Order and distinguished Editor of Annales Initiatiques, a valued fraternal and occult magazine, and directed his attention to Lewis’ claims concerning his initiation in and au- thority from the Rose Cross Grand Lodge at Toulouse and certain other false claims that Lewis was asserting about the Martinist Order. In response to which we received from him the following letter written upon the official stationery of the Supreme Council Universal of the Martinist Order, from 8 Rue Bugeurd, Lyons, France, and under date of April 2, 1928, viz.:
“Dear Sir:
“TY received your letter in due time through the courtesy of Mr. Chacornac, of Paris. With your letter of February 8th I received two copies of The Mystic Triangle; for which I thank you.
“T am quite interested in all you say in your letter, and although I do not read English very fluently, the articles that you wanted me to read have drawn my attention to the groundless claims made in them.
“As to the Grand Lodge of the Rose Croix in Toulouse, France,
I very candidly declare to you, dear sir, that I have never heard of it. Even in Toulouse itself, it is absolutely unknown! Nobody in France knows anything about the ‘Rose Croix of Toulouse’ (Italics are ours. )
“To belong to the Martinist Order, as you know, you are re- quired to have the Third Grade (the Master’s Degree) of Masonry. Only on this condition is it possible to join the Martinist Order. With the same mail I am sending you several copies of the Annales Initiatiques. In one of these numbers you will find an historical account of the Martinist Order.’
“Will you accept, my dear sir, my thanks and best regards? a9 ““Fraternally,
“J. Bricaup, “Grand Master.”
* This paragraph of this letter was quoted in Part One of Chapter IV at p. 260, supra, in connection with Lewis’ claims regarding the Martinist Order to show that such claims are invalid because he is not a Master Mason.
686
PALSE CLAIMS OF R.»kC. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
Not only did Lewis create the mythical, non-existent Rosicru- cian Grand Lodge of ‘Toulouse as a device for the promotion of his fraudulent scheme, but he bolstered his fraudulent device by claiming that the “old, cold, mysterious building’ in Toulouse, wherein he alleges to have received his initiation, was known throughout all of France as the Grand Temple.’”*
Now it appears from the above-quoted letter that this said mythical R. C. Grand Lodge of France, located by Lewis in Tou- louse, is absolutely unknown in Toulouse and that nobody in France knows anything about the Rose Croix of Toulouse. It does seem reasonably certain that.if anyone in all France knew anything about this alleged institution which Lewis claimed was so well and gen- erally known that the late J. Bricaud, with his extensive knowledge of secret orders and fraternal associations in Europe, would have known.* Therefore, it must be concluded that the Lewistonian R. C. Grand Lodge of Toulouse was a myth and is non-existent, except as a Fraudulent Device.
Ais Fabrication Established
In the sixth and last installment of his ‘‘Authentic and Com- plete History of the Ancient and Mystical Order Rosae Crucis,” published in the American Rosae Crucis, July, 1916, he gives a much more extended account of the manner in which he organized and established his fabrication in America than in his First Propa- ganda Booklet, from which we have quoted. See quotations (8), (10) and (11), supra. Compare them with other of his statements hereinafter set forth.
To give the reader Mr. Lewis’ own account of the organization and establishment of the AMORC and to enable ready comparison with other and different accounts and conflicting statements which he has made from time to time, we shall set forth the major por-
5 So stated in The American Rosae Crucis, May, 1916, pp. 26-27. See quotations (20) and (21), supra.
- + We have in our files an abundance of evidence which conclusively shows that no R. C. Grand Lodge existed in Toulouse, France, as represented by Lewis, consisting of reports of the police, postal authorities and eminent persons in France, which we do not publish for want of space. However, we believe that the foregoing statement of this late eminent Frenchman is sufficient to satisfy any fair-minded person that Lewis’ rep- resentations are altogether false concerning said Grand Lodge.
687
AN ANSWER TO. LEWIS’ WHITE Gr) BOOK™ as
tion of his historical account of how it all came about, as follows:
(24) “In concluding this history, I feel that I must speak of the establishment of the Order in America.
“JT did not realize at the time—possibly I do not thoroughly real- ize now—the great responsibility and tremendous importance of the undertaking. Daily I am more strongly impressed with its power for good in this country and what it will eventually mean to Amer- ica and Americans.
“As the founder—organizer, if you will—I have most certainly made a few mistakes in matters important and trivial. With new and different conditions to meet and contend with, without prece- dence for many acts, I was forced to permit or institute quickly, and with the war in Europe to prevent my rapid communication with the Masters abroad I know I have had to use discretion and judgment requiring more mature understanding than one of my age and experience possesses.
“T would that I could undo some of the errors; I would remove from the hearts and souls of some the memory of anguish, disappoint- ment and sorrow which I have caused. I shall some time pay the penalty, however, and I trust that I may have the opportunity to do some kinder acts, sweeter deeds and more joyous matters to rec- ompense those whom I have pained.” (American Rosae Crucis, July, 1916, p. 11. Italics are ours.)
Mistakes Show Spuriousness
While stressing—as a cunning promoter would—his own great responsibility and the tremendous importance of his fabrication to America, in this statement he made fatal admissions which show rather conclusively that he was not “the founder’’—organizer, if you will—of an authentic Rosicrucian Order, but the organizer of a spurious, so-called R. C. Order of his own fabrication.
It is apparent that his admission of mistakes in the simple mat- ters and methods of organization of his alleged R. C. Order pro- claims it to be spurious. They are Badges of Fraud. If he had been a Rosicrucian Master, initiated and illuminated, as he claimed © in 1909,° and had spent six years in preparation for such organiza-
5 He will pay the penalty, whether in a Court of Justice instituted by his fellow- countrymen and maintained by our Government or under the immutable Law of Karma— of action and reaction. “As ye sow, so shall ye reap,” and none there are who escape.
6 See his statement in quotation No. (21), supra.
688
Peo e Cialis OH Kee e) AUTHORITY REVIEWED
tion under the sponsorship of the Grand Lodge of France and the Council of the World, as he has so often asserted, he would not have found it necessary to apologize for his organization and otherwise to admit mistakes, nor necessary to excuse them on ac- count of the World War on the grounds of his inability to com- municate with his mythical Masters abroad. Yet he held a ‘“World Council” in Egypt during the World War. See quotation (40).
If he had been a Rosicrucian Master, he would have known how to institute an R. C. Order, and he would never have made the many conflicting statements regarding his fabrication or told the strange, fantastic story of its organization which we shall now set forth and review.
Although he had been making necessary preparations since 1909 under alleged authority and definite instructions from his alleged sponsor, yet he tells of
His Great Mistake
(25) “It was not until the fall of 1913 that I began my out- ward activities for the Order in this country, and my first acts were a mistake!
“My instructions plainly said that the Order was not to be made concrete until 1915.7 Well I knew the year. The figures 1915 were blazoned in my mind; that was to be the ‘great year’ for America which many Rosicrucian students had been looking forward to for many years.*®
“But my instructions—in weird, symbolical language requiring careful translation—also stated that during the winter of 1914- 1915, ‘between December 15th of 1914 and Easter of 1915,’ I should make such preliminary announcements as would enable me to have my American Supreme Council selected by April lst and my Officers installed by not later than May of 1915. These instructions I had read many times during 1910, 1911 and 1912. During 1913 I was devoted to the preparation of the necessary ‘first papers,’ by the large, Illuminated Charter to be signed by the selected Councilors
7 That was his statement made in 1916 and often repeated to the effect that his fab- rication was not to be and, in fact, was not organized until 1915. However, recently he has claimed it was organized in 1909. See Rosicrucian Names, pp. 27 to 37, or Volume I, pp. 198 to 207. See quotations (83) and (89). fr
8 All Rosicrucian students in America then and for many years prior thereto were associated with the authentic Rose Cross established in 1858. Certainly they were not looking forward to the year 1915, when a spurious Order should be launched.
689
AN ANSWER TO LEWIS 9 WHITE (=) 500K) be
and the first “Black Book,’ which I had to design, letter and bind MYSELF, not being permitted to have any matter pass from my hands before the Order was established.
“Thus it was that as December of 1913 approached, the figures 1914 of the coming year seemed to stand forth boldly in my con- sciousness, and my instructions I misinterpreted as being: ‘Between December 15th and Easter of 1913-1914’ instead of 1914-1915.
“My papers for the preliminary announcement were ready. I anxiously awaited December 15th, and on or about that date I made my first mistake. I announced to some especially advanced members of the New York Institute of Psychical Research, of which I was then President, that I would have them meet with me to prepare the way for the establishment of the Order Rosae Crucis in America.
“A preliminary meeting was held during the winter of 1913-1914, and I was surprised to find no enthusiasm and little interest. Those whom I considered interested displayed no interest, but rather antip- athy. I recall very well the rainy night when I wended my way home from a lady’s home on Madison Avenue, near Thirty-fourth Street, with my papers, charter and “Black Book’ under my arm, dejected and puzzled. Of the twelve who had assembled (out of twenty invited), not even one signed the preliminary organization papers.
“Was this an indication of what the R. C. would be in America? was the question I tried to answer later that night in the stillness of my room.
“Then light came. I discovered my mistake of dates, and the morning’s sunlight brought joy at the thought that no one had signed that paper nearly twelve months before it was time to be signed. [he very weather, antipathy and disinterestedness of those there that night had prevented a grave error on my part. Truly a Rosaecrucian lesson! And, strange as it may seem, not one of
® Here is another fatal admission. He tells us that he devoted the year 1913 to the “preparation of the necessary first papers.’ Therefore, his first papers were not from France, as he claimed, but manufactured by himself. They consisted of a Black Book and an Illuminated Charter. We shall presently present and review this remarkably “Tluminated” Charter. (!) See quotation (32).
1 This was another contrivance and vehicle which Lewis fabricated and used for his early operations in his “psychic” business. He was not only President of it, but the whole society. (See p.111, supra.) In this “society,” on paper at least, he associated himself with Ella Wheeler Wilcox, Elbert Hubbard and other prominent Americans (see Rosi- crucian Manual—A MORC, 1934, p. 129), which name was in such close imitation thereof that it was confused with The Society for Psychical Research, a well-known and reputed organization in New York City. The association of prominent people with him and the exploitation of their good names and high standing was one of his prominent and much overworked Fraudulent Devices. See note 2 following.
690
IE
Peo eC AIMS Or RoC AUTHORITY REVIEWED
those twenty supposedly interested men and women? have to this day shown any interest whatever in the Order in this country.” (American Rosae Crucis, July, 1916, pp. 11-12. The italics are ours. )
Even to the lay reader it should be apparent, but to the Rosicru- cian who knows it is obvious that this is not the statement of a Rosicrucian Master possessed of the authority with the right to institute the Order in America. It is the foolish and fantastic pro- motional propaganda of a young and inexperienced impostor. It is a story within a story. The inside story which it tells is that of delusion and fraud. This will become more and more apparent as we proceed with the examination of the unique story.
Gathering in the Devices The Jewels, Seals and Insignia of Authority
To comply with his then ignorant conception of the manner in which Rosicrucian Grand Lodges are authorized and founded and to fill in the details of his story of the continuous, mysterious and secret delivery to him of papers, jewels, seals, trinkets and ‘‘what- nots,” which he alleges are insignia of his authority, he created the hoax of the mythical ‘Grand Old Lady,” the deep, occult student, world traveler, with close governmental and military connections ‘and of royal descent, as May Banks-Stacey,’ to deliver to him the first “batch” or consignment of paraphernalia and devices, of which he says:
(26) “However, the following winter I was even more ready and mere prepared to carry out the preliminary work. During the fall of 1914 there came to me a grand old lady who had been a deep student of the occult for years. She had traveled much abroad in search for knowledge and had been initiated in many forms of our
° This statement is important because it shows that none of the twenty “advanced members” of his “Institute for Psychical Research” who attended this preliminary and premature meeting ever became members of his spurious R. C. Order later organ- ized. This, therefore, effectively and finally refutes his subsequent claims that Ella Wheeler Wilcox, Elbert Hubbard and other prominent Americans were associated with him in the organization of his fabricated R. C. In fact, it disposes of much of his false promotional propaganda and many of his false claims and Fraudulent Devices.
3’The manner in which he used this myth as a device shall receive special attention later on in this chapter.
691
AN ANSWER PO LEWIS WHITE 2) 9B OO) a
work. Being of royal descent and intimately acquainted with gov- ernmental and military authorities here and abroad, she had been entrusted with a special errand and mission connected with the Or- der. ‘hus on another rainy night in the month of November—on my birthday, in fact—she unceremoniously and reverently placed in my hands a few papers, a small packet and—a beautiful red rose! In addition to these she gave me a locket of gold set with stones in symbolical form, containing a rare and historical piece of mineral. The latter was a personal gift to be worn in her remembrance, and ever shall I remember the dear old soul whose days are numbered,* but who is sure of a sweet place in the hearts of my wife, my chil- dren and myself. (S. of the C.!)
“The papers I found to be some of those which the Masters® had explained to me in Europe in 1909 and which were promised to come to me when I needed them most by special messenger. “The packet contained a seal and an insignia. I was pleased, astounded— and now greatly fortified for my work.” (Id., p. 12. The italics are ours. )
Why he was astounded and how these ‘few papers,” a seal and an insignia greatly fortified him for his work, he does not say, and we will, perhaps, never know.
If you will:keep in mind and carefully note the many different seals that were sent to him from time to time and the great impor- tance which he attaches to seals, you will conclude that he has a “seal” complex or that his “seals” are Insignias of Fraud.
Organization Under Way
Continuing the story of how his fabrication was organized, he tells us that: (27) “On or about December 20th of 1914 I made my prelimi- nary announcement. This time I simply placed a small notice in
the Personal Column of the New York Sunday Herald. It said that the writer would be pleased to hear from ladies and gentlemen
* He did not plan to let his myth—the hoax of the “dear old lady’—live long. No
one ever saw her deliver any papers or perform any official duties, but the myth has -
been used as a device in many ways. She is alleged to have been one of the co-found- ers of his spurious order. See quotation (92).
°In his former accounts of his sponsorship and his experiences in France in 1909 only one Master, Raynaud Emil de Bellecastle-Ligne, promised to send papers. Here the Master becomes “the Masters.” This, however, is as consistent as any part of his inconsistent story of the AMORC.
692
FALSE CLAIMS OF R.--C. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
interested in the work of the Order R. C.
“The replies were numerous, varied and very encouraging.° Great interest was shown, and the status of the most inquirers was pleasing, indeed.
“My next step was to plan a meeting of a few for organization purposes... . .
“The preliminary meeting was held on February 8 [1915] in my offices at 8:30 P. M. I find in my records the following entry regarding that meeting: ‘Meeting was called to order at 8:32 at 80 Fifth Avenue. There were nine present. "The Moon was in Sagittarius.’ Adjourned at 9:40 P. M.’
“A Paper and some insignia and other interesting exhibits, includ- ing the Charter® and ‘Black Book,’ were submitted to those present, and after a brief description of the aims and purposes of the Order, the nine men and women were made a committee to organize a Su- preme Council for America.
“The unusual enthusiasm shown, the deep interest manifested and the determination to build the Order magnificently and nobly in this country were a pleasant experience after the lack of interest shown a year previous.” (Jd., pp. 12-13. The italics are ours.)
This fantastical historical account of the process of the organi- zation of his fabricated, spurious R. C. Order becomes more ridicu- lous as we proceed. Think of it—the idea of a pseudo-Rosicrucian pretending to be a Rosicrucian Master, appointing a committee to organize a Supreme Council for America. It is preposterous! Rosicrucian Councils are appointed by the Grand Master from among the initiates—those who are real Rosicrucians—and they are not composed of the uninitiated or recent joiners who merely sign “the preliminary oath in the Official Black Book”’ of a spuri- ous fraternal Order. Continuing, he tells us that:
(28) “From the batch of letters about seventy-five were selected, and a letter was mailed inviting them to attend an organization meeting at “Che Leslie,’ West Eighty-third Street, near West End Avenue [New York City], on Wednesday evening, March 3 Oto
8 The replies were numerous and very encouragi ng, but only mime attended the pre- liminary organization meeting.
* Astrology, with which AMORC has nothing to do, was useful in the beginning of the fabrication.
8 This was not a charter, as we shall soon see. It was the paper which he had pre- -pared and which was later signed by himself and his self-constituted “Supreme Council.”
693
AN ANSWER TO LEWIS “WHITE, Gb OCG
“About eighty men and women attended this meeting, among them being several Freemasons bent upon investigating the purposes of the Order and a number of professional and scientific men and women.”
“Most naturally there were some so-called: skeptics present, and there were several who openly. charged that it was a religious or spiritualistic movement.’
‘The following explanation was given as the reason for the meet- ing:
“T will read from papers sent from abroad the aims, purposes, teachings and working of the Order. After that I will ask those who desire to affiliate with the Order to come forward and sign an application for membership, and then, before showing any of the sacred ‘jewels’ given to me or the signs and seals of the Order sent by the Masters, I will ask the applicants to sign the ‘Preliminary Oath’ in the Official Black Book.?
“About fifty signified their willingness—or rather delight—to take the necessary oath. Some demanded that all the sacred and secret matter be shown them before taking the oath or even signing an application for membership. Naturally those who took such an attitude, who demanded certain things without even professing their sincere desire to co-operate with us, were denied all information and were invited to retire. None who took such an attitude at that time have ever learned that the Light they sought was possible through humiliation alone. They are still without the pale of our Order.
“Of the others, the great majority now compose our Supreme Council? and constitute the Fourth Degree and are the most ad- vanced and enlightened Rosaecrucians in America. Their sincerity, faith and humiliation have been rewarded with the Great Light. Thus it shall ever be: none can demand, by any right, the Light!” (Id., p. 13. The italics are ours. )
° It is well to note again his constant promotional propaganda, namely, the profes- sional, scientific and important people who are connected with him and his fabrica- tion. It is one of the devices used to promote his fraudulent scheme.
1 However, he says nothing of several present who openly charged that his pro- posed Rose Cross Order was a fake and challenged him to show that it was not. They were asked to retire.
2 Of course, the “jewels, signs and seals’ were important (?). So, also, was the “Official Black Bock” in his fabrication. Real Rosicrucians have never signed a Black Book.
8 His Supreme Council has been a very elastic affair, expanding or contracting
according to his desires or necessities. Today the Supreme Council is his family, as we shall see later in Chapter VI.
694
|”;
i
FALSE CLAIMS OF RoC. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
The Supreme Council Of Whom Composed—How Formed
As to whom should comprise the Council and as to how it should be formed and constituted, he declares that:
(29) “It was my personal wish that the applicants who passed such investigation as was required by our Order should form a Coun- cil to organize the Supreme Grand Lodge according to the ancient rules. I further desired this Council to appoint the officers of the Supreme Grand Lodge and the national executive officers. I did not desire to arbitrarily use the power vested in me, and I felt that far better than merely announcing myself as Grand Master General or Imperator by virtue of the Masters’ orders would be to delegate the selection or election of such a responsible position to this Coun- cil, which was representative of the thinking and learned classes of the city.” ( Id., p. 13. The italics are ours.)
Thus it appears that his Council was composed of raw recruits who knew nothing of Rosicrucianism, but representative, of course, of the thinking and learned classes. Because this was such a won- derful Council, as we shall presently see, he decided to let them elect him as Grand Master General of his own fabrication, instead of arbitrarily exercising his ‘‘power”’ vested by ‘“‘virtue of the Mas- ters’ Orders.”’ Possessing no authority and power and having failed to establish the same with all his papers, jewels, seals and trinkets, he attempts to supply that important essential by boldly declaring that such power was vested in him by virtue of the Masters. How many, he does not say, nor does he confine it to the one mythical Master whom he claims sponsored his project and venture in fra- ternal fraud.
Continuing with his historical account of the difficult process of organization, he now tells us of how the illustrious “Supreme Coun- cil” was formed; how the illuminated charter came into existence and shows unto us the true and only source of his authority and ‘‘vested”’ powers, as follows:
(30) “Further organization meetings were held at the Hotel Empire on March 23rd, presided over by Dr. Julia Seton, and at our temporary Library at 68 West Seventy-first Street. Finally on April 1 [on All Fools’ Day, 1915], a Thursday, at 8:30 P. M.,
about thirty of the most active workers met at the proposed Lodge
695
@
AN ANSWER TO LEWIS” WHITE? Ga sbOC eas
Rooms on Seventh Avenue [in New. York] and there with due form constituted themselves the Supreme Council, signed an illu- minated charter [?], declaring the authoritative, proper and legal establishment [?]| of the AMORC in America and appointed the national executive officers under signs and seals.*
“That the present Grand Master General and Imperator was then elected and unanimously appointed was a natural sequence of the events which led to that meeting. But it will always be a proud mo- ment—a moment to remember with joy and sacredness—when the twenty-five Councilors, after weeks of deliberation, investigation and sincere appreciation of its import, arose as a body and rejoicingly signed the American Charter’ which installed fourteen national off- cers in their very responsible positions. This charter [?] hangs upon the wall in the Imperator’s office in the Supreme Grand Lodge and is destined to be a famous document [!] in American history. De- signed, executed and illuminated in all the rich colorings, szgns and decorations used by the ancients in the making of rare and sacred manuscripts, it is not only typical of the finest work in that line, but of persistent determination on the part of many Americans to bring to this country the noble, austere Order Rosae Crucis.” (Jd., pp. 13-14. The italics are ours.)
The Whole Truth
Unintentionally and Inadvertently Told
Although it was entirely unintentionally and most inadvertently disclosed, yet in the foregoing statement Mr. Lewis tells us the truth—the whole truth—about his fabricated and spurious R. C. Order, the principal device of his*fraudulent scheme.
Being without Rosicrucian authority (the most he claimed at that time was sponsorship of a mythical Master and “power”
4The “signs” illuminated it and the ‘seals’ made it authoritative in due form, proper and legal.
5 When the illuminated American Charter was signed is problematical. Thirty workers constituted themselves the Council on April 1, 1915. After weeks of investiga- tion, only twenty-five Councilors signed the charter which installed the Officers. These would be strange proceedings in the real Order. Therefore, they were not authentic. See other accounts to follow of the formation of the “Council.”
6 This document, destined to become famous, soon lost its fame and usefulness and was abandoned. It was not included in the publication of his important documents, although it was his first Charter (!). Inasmuch as it tells the real truth as to his so- called R. C. authority, it may yet become famous as part of the documentary proof of a notorious fraternal swindle.
696
Peaxboe CLAIMS OF Ri+hC. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
vested by orders of the Masters) and possessing no charter, he or- ganized his fabrication with about thirty of the new and uninitiated members constituting themselves the Supreme Council and with twenty-five of them signing, with himself and some of the officers which they had appointed, the illuminated (!) charter which he had prepared.
Clearly and unquestionably, it was a spurious, so-called R. C. Order, entirely self-constituted, working under a paper called a charter, signed by its own members and alleged officers, without the slightest power or authority from any real or authentic source. ‘THIS Is THE WHOLE TRUTH, AS APPEARS UPON THE FACE OF HIS EARLY PROMOTIONAL PROPAGANDA AND AS INADVERTENTLY RE- VEALED—BUT FULLY AND UNMISTAKABLY REVEALED—BY THE FABRICATOR AND PROMOTER OF AMORC.
Let us divert at this point to consider this so-called charter, alleged to be so wonderfully “illuminated,” and another story of the manner in which it was adopted. In his second promotional propaganda booklet, entitled Rosicrucian Initiation, issued in 1917, he sets’forth a copy thereof and tells another and quite different story of “the establishment of the American Supreme Council,” as follows:
The American Charter Another Story of How It Was Adopted
(31) “One of the first acts of the present Imperator was to call a meeting of hundreds of representative men and women, occult stu- dents, physicians, clergymen, scientists, lawyers and authors’ and, after securing their oaths of secrecy, permitted them to hear a read- ing of the Ancient Constitution of the Order and the Secret Man- damuses from his superiors. The Constitution® called for a Supreme American Council to legally and formally appoint the necessary na-
7 As we have seen by his statement made in 1916, only a few members—“about thirty,’ who constituted themselves the Supreme Council—were present who signed the “illuminated” charter. In 1917 he changes his story. Then it was adopted by “hundreds” of representative men and women, after which it was “properly signed by those selected to form the American Supreme Council.” But his promotional device of associating the most important people with his fabrication and fraudulent scheme con- tinues the same.
8 The Constitution had not been adopted at that time, and he had no “Ancient Con- stitution of the Order,” as we have seen. See note 9 to quotation No. (11), supra.
697
AN ANSWER TO-LEWISt {WHI EES (BOOK ws
tional officers for the Order in America, and this was given to those assembled as a sacred duty to perform. After many formalities, the following Charter was formed® and adopted on April Ist by those duly assembled for the purpose. (Rosicrucian Initiation, 1917, p. 7. The italics are ours.)
Without regard to who made it, how it was illuminated, when or how it was adopted and irrespective of Lewis’ conflicting tales about it, here is the self-made and self-executed “‘charter,”’ “destined to become a famous document” in the history of fraternal swin- dles, to wit:
(32) IN MEETING DULY ASSEMBLED
“We, the undersigned, Ladies and Gentlemen, of New York City, were formally constituted members of the
SUPREME AMERICAN COUNCIL of the ANCIENT AND. MystTICAL OrDER OF THE RosE Cross
in accordance with the Ancient Rites and Ceremonies under the direction and approval of the Most Worshipful Grand Master General of America. Therefore, be it known that we hereby proclaim the establishment of the
RosICRUCIAN ORDER IN AMERICA?
and recognize such Officers of its Grand Lodge as are hereunto subscribed as being duly appointed, in conformity with the
First AMERICAN MANIFESTO. Signed this lst day of April in the year 1915.
(Signed) H. Spencer Lewis, (Signed) THor KiiMALEHTO, Grand Master General. Secretary General.
(Signed) NicHoLas SToRM, Deputy Master General.
° Here he states that the “Charter was formed and adopted” by the hundreds as- sembled at the meeting called and assembled on April 1, 1915. Why did he not make that “illuminated charter” in 1913? This tale is repugnant to his story of 1916 in his historical account.
1 With the council “established” with the approval of Lewis, acting under the Masonic title of the “Most Worshipful Grand Master General,” his fabricated and fraudulent Rosicrucian Order was established in America by proclamation signed by himself and his uninitiated associates.
698
FALSE CLAIMS OF RoC pnw PTHORITY: REVIEWED
‘Let [Here Be Licut, Friar Lux?
“This Charter [!] or resolution was properly signed by those selected to form the American Supreme Council of the Order, and the Charter, framed and sealed, hangs in the Supreme Grand Lodge Temple in New York. Some of the original Supreme Councilors are Councilors still, while others are now Grand Masters and Off- cers of the Order in various capacities.” (Second Propaganda Pam- phlet, Rosicrucian Initiation, New York City, 1917, p. 7.)
In 1917 he began to weaken somewhat on his so-called charter and refers to it as: “This Charter or Resolution.’ Resolution is correct. His fabrication simply resolved itself into existence. It had, no real Rosicrucian sponsor, and it possessed no Rosicrucian authority. It was and still is a self-constituted, spurious R. C. Order—a fraudulent scheme.
Let us now return to his historical account of the fabrication and organization of his device called the AMORC. Continuing in the July issue, 1916, of The American Rosae Crucis, he says:
(33) “Thereafter various Council and Committee meetings were held in the Order’s Library, the Ancient Constitution of the Order was slightly modified to meet American conditions, voted upon and adopted,* and Lodge reoms— the first American Rosae Crucis Tem- ple‘—secured and equipped.
“On Thursday—the true Rosaecrucian day throughout the world’—May 13, 1915, the first true Rosaecrucian Convocation of the Order was held in the Temple amid beautiful and inspiring conditions, and al] the appointed National Officers, the Councilors and a few others were duly initiated into the Order, Crossed the Threshold and were raised to the dignity of Knights, Sorores, Brothers and Sisters of the Order Rosae Crucis in accordance with the true ancient rites and ceremony.®
2 As the light came and the truth became known, practically all of the first members deserted his fabrication.
3 Here it appears that the “Ancient Constitution” was not adopted until after the adoption of the “Illuminated Charter,’ which is hardly consistent with his statement in quotation (31).
4Mr. Lewis has published accounts and illustrations of at least three first Rosicru- cian Temples in America. See Volume I, pp. 292 to 400, both inclusive.
> This is real news for Rosicrucians. They have never heard of “the true Rosi- ecrucian day throughout the world.”
6 Rosicrucians are not made with “rites and ceremonies,” but become Rosicrucians,
699
AN ANSWER TO-LEWIS" WHITE, (%) (BOOK es
“What a glorious occasion! Sublime, perfect, sacred, mystic day—May 13, 1915! Long will it be remembered and honored by those who even now remain enthralled by the splendor and signif- cance of the Convocation.” (American Rosae Crucis, July, 1916, p. 14. The italics are ours.)
Preposterous and Impossible!
Beyond all doubt and cavil, this is the most preposterous ab- surdity ever asserted or put in print. The council was formed, the officers were elected, the establishment of the Order was pro- claimed by the signing of an “illuminated charter” by themselves on April 1, 1915, but not until May 13, 1915, were any of them, including the Most Worshipful Grand Master General, initiated— and then only by “rites and ceremonies’—and made Rosicrucians in one nightly session. Were Rosicrucians ever so initiated—was a Rosicrucian Grand Lodge ever so instituted? Never, Never— NEVER! Such things are impossible! It proclaims its own spuri- ousness—it isa fraud upon its face.
Continuing his promotional propaganda, he proclaims that:
(34) “So rapidly did the announcement of this important con- vocation spread among advanced occult students’ that the Mem- bership Committee found it desirable to invite a number to join with us in spreading the Light throughout America. ‘The result was that two weeks later, on Thursday, May 27, 1916, fifty more applicants Crossed the Threshold and were admitted into the First Degree as probationers.®
“Thereafter the regular convocations of the First Degree were held twice monthly, on Thursday evenings, and the work of illu-
self-initiated, by living the life and doing the work, as we have hereinbefore shown. See Volume I, pp. 205-206.
7 Very few advanced occult students were attracted. They knew it was a fake. The few who did take the trouble to investigate it immediately pronounced it a fraud. It was never intended as an organization for real occult students; it was designed to trap those who did not know and to prey on the gullible.
8 Here a number of First Degree members were admitted into the AMORC as PROBATIONERS. However, in the May issue of the American Rosae Crucis, at p. 29, in answer to the question: What of all these terms, “student,” “probationer,” “disciple” ? Where do they originate? Mr. Lewis states: “They do not occur anywhere in the ‘Secret Mandamuses’ of the AMORC, nor are they ever heard in the Rosaecrucian Temples of Egvpt, France, Spain, Tibet or Australia. They could have no place in the work of Rosaecrucianism.” So he does and, therefore, he docs not have proba- tioners in his fabrication.
700
Poe CUAIMS OF Roe C. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
mination—and elimination—was carried on throughout the warm summer months.
“Then, in July, at one of the Convocations, the Grand Deputy Master presented to the Grand Master General and Imperator, on behalf of the Lodge, a beautiful silver and gold Master’s Jewel set with a red stone, as the Lodge’s acknowledgment and apprecia- tion of the Order’s great work. ‘This ‘Jewel’ completed the Mas- ter’s authoritative regalia and made him the acclaimed and legal head of the Order in America.” (Jd., p. 14. The italics are
ours. )
We have remarked before that “jewels” play and have played a very important part in the fabrication of AMORC. They are among his important devices. However, it would seem from the foregoing that the ‘““Master’s Jewel’ becomes the headstone of his fabrication and is the master device of all the jewels and devices. Here he tells us that “this jewel,” presented to him by the Lodge, “completed the Master’s authoritative regalia and made him the acclaimed and legal head of the Order in America.”
Just how this “keystone” jewel, presented to him by his deluded members, completed his large and unique collection of jewels and made him the legal head of the Rose Cross Order in America, which had its own legal head, duly functioning, we are unable to explain. It does not seem logical and does not make sense to us. Perhaps the pinning upon him of this “beautiful silver-and-gold Master’s Jewel with a red stone”’ on it made him the master of his fabrication on the same theory and in the same manner that the pinning of a detective’s badge from the “Detectives Correspond- ence School” upon the gullible country boy made him the “‘world’s greatest detective’’—in his imagination.
However, his statement that he was the legal head of the “Order in America” was not quite true or there was still some lingering doubt about it, because later in the same “‘authentic’’ historical account of his fabrication he tells us:
Pronunziamento No. 987,432 Settles Every Question—Removes All Doubt
(35) “Early in August of 1915 a complete report of our Ameri- can activities and successes was sent to the Supreme Grand Lodge of France to be forwarded to the Supreme Council of the World.
701
AN ANSWER TO LEWIS’ “WHITE (2) BOUOKY We
At the same time a formal request was made by the Grand Master General on behalf of the Lodge here for a regularly executed paper of Sponsorship of the American Order signed by the Supreme Coun- cil,» should that Council deem the status of the American Order sufficient proof that its instructions and laws were being obeyed. “On September 30, 1915, after a special assembly of the Su- preme Council in France, there was prepared and duly issued ‘Pro- nunziamento R. F. R. C. No. 987,432’ embodying a Manifesto declaring that the Supreme Council and Grand Lodge AMORC of France on behalf of the Supreme Council AMORC of the World, declared and acknowledged its complete sponsorship of the Order in America, confirmed the initiation of the American Imperator and his appointment as Dignitary Supreme in North America and veri- fied its issuance of papers, instructions, jewels, seals, etc., to him.”
(Id., pp. 14-15. The italics are ours.)
Notwithstanding all of his alleged permission, sponsorship, pa- pers, jewels, seals, insignia and “what-nots’’ to the contrary, never- theless, he possessed no authority and had no right to establish an R. C. Order in America. He knew this—perhaps better than any- one—and his members also knew it. With this knowledge con- stantly in his mind and his members and prospects seriously ques- tioning his right and authority, he pretended to send an “official report’ to his “sponsors” in France, which he tells about in the foregoing paragraph, requesting a “regularly executed paper of sponsorship.” (Perhaps all his other papers, if executed, had been irregularly executed.) All of this was done preparatory to his pres- entation to his members and the world of ‘‘Pronunziamento R. F. R. C. No. 987,432,” which he himself made, manufactured and adorned with many mysterious seals and presented to himself to strengthen his spurious claims and to add to his devices of fabri- cation.
Continuing his historical account of his own cunning and decep- tion, he describes this unique “regularly executed paper of sponsor- ship” as follows:
® This procedure casts a serious shadow of doubt upon and belies his positive and unequivocal statement made in his own autobiography, published in the February issue of the American Rosae Crucis at p. 18—our quotation (16)—-when and where he says, in substance, that in 1909, at the time he received his marvelous Rosicrucian “Tnitiation,’ the Supreme Councils of France and Egypt gave permission to establish the R. C. Order in America in 1915, and that the Supreme Council of France con- firmed this in 1914 by sending to him papers, jewels and various articles with which to establish the Order.
702
PALSE CLAIMS OF R.>kC.. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
“Very Important Document”
(36) “This very important document written on the specially prepared and water-marked paper of the French Order, was signed and sealed by the present Supreme Grand Master of the Order in France,” his officers and the Grand Master who at one time initiated the American Imperator into the Order.
“The signatures—some of them of prominent men in military and governmental affairs of France, are accompanied by their official “marks and the seals? of various sizes and designs add verity and attractiveness to this unique document. Suspended from the paper itself is one of the curious, old-styled wax-and-paper seals of the Order, bearing its strange, though intelligible, marks and words.
“The document was enclosed in a lightweight metallic, telescope envelope, which was moisture proof. It was sealed, and had the French Orders national or Supreme Council’s seal impressed in the
metal of the container, and bore not only the necessary postage stamps but others of a military and ‘custom’ nature, bearing marks of approval and examination abroad.
“The document, properly framed and preserving the original container, hangs upon the wall in the Supreme Grand Lodge in New York beside the American Council Charter, where it may be easily seen and read, for it is written in very fair English.”* (Jd., p. 15. The italics are ours. )
“Specially Prepared” by the Artist, Mr. Lewis That “very important” but entirely spurious document—the
1 This “very important document” was not included among the “important docu- ments” published by Lewis. It was never important, except as a Fraudulent Device. Now it has been lost and can not be produced, because it was a fraudulent device and is evidence of his fraud.
2 Particular attention is directed to the fact that in quotation (35) the request for a “regularly executed paper of Sponsorship” was addressed to the Supreme Council of the World, whereas the document prepared and executed by Lewis purports to have been executed—“signed and sealed by the present Supreme Grand Master of the Order in France.’ That is a peculiar and strange mistake to have been made by one so ‘cunning as the Imperator of the Lewis Hierarchy of Fraternal Fraud.
3 Sponsorship by governmental and military officials with their official “marks” and “seals” is also one of his “official” devices often employed by him, as we have often pointed out. It also carries its own “official” Badge of Fraud.
4The circumstances that this paper, purporting to be a French document, was ‘written in English is suspicious. Frenchmen do not write their documents in English; they are too proud of their own language to execute important documents in any danguage other than French.
703
AN ANSWER TO LEWIS’-WHITE (7)- BOOK. DD]
“regularly executed paper of sponsorship’—was “Made in Amer- ica,’ designed, manufactured and executed on behalf of the mythi- cal French Grand Master and his officers by H. Spencer Lewis, by . him adorned with many seals—wrapped, packed and sealed—by him sent to France, to be returned to America as the written evi- dence of his false claim to French sponsorship of his fraternal racket. The only matters official on the wrapper, which was so carefully preserved for exhibition purposes, were the French post- age stamps, postal marks, customs stamps and inspection marks. These were the ‘“‘marks of approval [!] and examination abroad” which the wrapper showed. Such a statement is ridiculous, falsified ballyhoo.
His elaborate and detailed description of that spurious docu- ment—even to the alleged officially water-marked paper, the signa- tures of prominent military and governmental officials, official ‘“marks’’ and seals of various sizes and designs to add “verity” to it, and the stressing of the importance and uniqueness of the docu- ment—shows that he knew it was spurious. Guilty knowledge causes men to do such things. Such descriptions and extra precau- tion to make a document seem plausible and authentic are a Badge of Fraud. Authentic documents prove their own authenticity and need no such pretexts, elaboration and extraneous efforts to sus- tain them. |
After we have given final consideration to his historical account of the ‘‘establishment”’ of his fraudulent device in America, we shall give further consideration to that “very important docu- ment.”’
Important People
An Important Promotional Device
As shown in this work and as specially pointed out in comment- ing on his bombastic claims set forth in our quotation (6), he has continuously asserted the association of prominent, learned, pro- fessional, influential people and officials of government with him- self and his fraternal project.
In concluding his aforesaid historical account concerning his “Order,” he does so with one of his typical promotional devices in this fashion:
704
faeoteeCiAIMS OF “Ke C. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
(37) “Little more need be said regarding the work of the Order in this country which is speaking so eloquently for itself.
“After only fourteen months since the first initiation was held in this country we find the Order in many states, Lodges being con- ducted by clergymen, physicians and very often by men who are high-degree Freemasons.° Our rank and file of membership includes —as in other countries—the wealthy merchants, land owners, news- paper editors, government officials, physicians, surgeons, lawyers, scientists, professional men and women, artists, and artisans, even the lowly workers in the narrow and humble trades,—all working equally for a common good, meeting on a common level.” (Jd., p. 15. The italics are ours.)
In his second propaganda booklet, Rosicrucian Initiation, 1917, he published a fac-simile of his very important, regularly executed paper of sponsorship and gave another account of its origin and another description of its import, as follows:
Strange Looking Document Five Seals, Nine Signatures, With a Metal Container
(38) “As soon as THIS Supreme Council for America had ap- proved of the selection and election of the principal officers [April 1, 1915], it expressed its desire to have the American Order properly sponsored by the highest living authorities of the Order abroad.®
“Accordingly the Elected Grand Master, H. Spencer Lewis, reported the official acts of the Council to his superiors and requested a signed and sealed paper of sponsorship or Charter."
“In October of 1915—six months after the Supreme Lodge in
° This is further evidence that he used Masonry and Masons to promote his project.
® Compare this statement made in 1917 with his statement made in 1916—our quo- tation (35). Here he reveals that his supreme Council, as soon as it had approved of the selection and elected the ofhcers, which was on April 1, 1915, expressed a desire to have the Order “properly sponsored.” Here is further and significant evidence that those who joined with him in the organization of his spurious Order doubted and seriously questioned his authority and alleged rights.. Here also is shown the motive and the necessity for his manufacturing that “strange-looking document” of sponsorship. These significant facts cannot escape the attention, namely, that the “highest living authorities abroad of the Order” were to sponsor his American Order, which he contended was the “Supreme Council of the World.” However, the certificate of sponsorship which he manufactured only purports to have been issued by the Grand Master and Council of France.
“Here by cunning suggestion he would leave the impression that the paper in ques- tion was a charter. It is one of his little tricks to refer to papers as being “charters” when they are not charters at all.
705
AN ANSWER TO LEWIS: WHITE? (7) BOOK as
New York had held its first and succeeding convocations—there was handed to the Supreme Council the following official communica- tion, sent to the Grand Master in a metal container bearing the French Rosaecrucian Seal and other official marks, even to the R. C. symbols water-marked in the old hand-made paper upon which the communication was oddly written: [Here follows a fac-simile of the document in question which we have reproduced for our readers in our Reproduction No. 64. ]
“This strange-looking document, bearing 5 seals and 9 signatures, with its metal container or envelope, is framed® and hangs upon the walls of the Imperator’s office in New York, where it has been seen and examined by more men and women than possibly any other occult or scientific document ever known to America.°
“Tn a meeting of the Supreme Council duly assembled the com- munication was read, examined, accepted and adopted by the passing of official resolutions, and the Grand Master was duly made Imper- ator of the Order for America and Commander-in-Chief of the Knights of the Rose Cross for the North American Continent.
“In this wise was the Order established in America, after Mr. Lewis had gone to France to secure permission and power to do so,* and after hundreds of conservative, sincere, truth-seeking business men and women had tested every claim, every paper, every document and every principle upon which the Order in this Country was to rest its foundation.” (Rosicrucian Initiation, pp. 8-9. The italics are ours. )
Devices of Fraud
It was about the time of the arrival back in America of that American-made paper of French sponsorship that he decided that the single title of Grand Master General was wholly insufficient for the all-important head and founder of his fraternal racket and then assumed the titles of Imperator and Commander-in-Chief.
8 The fact and circumstance that he framed the envelope metal container along with the “paper” to prove that it had actually come from France, as shown by the canceled French stamps and postal marks, is very suspicious and indicates clearly that it was manufactured and spurious.
® This is braggadocio propaganda—a type of device often employed to promote his fraternal project. Very few people were in the Grand Lodge or in the Imperator’s office. It was seen and examined by a few. This is clearly indicated by the fact that his first organization “folded up” shortly thereafter, as we shall presently see.
1 Compare this statement, as to how he established his “Order” in America, with his preceding and subsequent statements on the same subject quoted herein.
706
Poop eAlViS OF Roe C. AUTHORITY, REVIEWED
Since that time he has continued to acquire and add titles to his name until their numbers are staggering and appalling.
In this manner Rosicrucian Grand Lodges are not established, yet in this promotional pamphlet issued to induce uninformed, credulous and gullible people to join his spurious R. C. Order, he represents that “in this wise’’—upon this spurious paper of spon- sorship— ‘was the Order established in America after Mr. Lewis had gone to France to secure permission and power to do so.” After a review of his alleged “permission and power’’ to establish “the Order” in America and an examination of his manufactured and counterfeit paper of sponsorship, his bombastic and false rep- resentations that the Order was not established until “after hun- dreds of conservative, sincere, truth-seeking business men and women had tested every claim, every paper, every document and every principle upon which the Order (his fabrication) in this country was to rest its foundation” can be understood only as a device and artifice of fraud.
Indeed, as we have seen (page 385, supra) and shall further see, it has been one of his favorite promotional “‘stunts’’ and often- employed fraudulent devices to assert—to positively represent— that his false ‘and fictitious claims to Rosicrucian sponsorship and authority have been examined, approved and pronounced genuine time and time again by the most knowing people and the highest authorities. |
“Settled” and “Accepted” Tested by the Very Highest Authorities (/)
Although he had presented to his members a very “‘strange- looking document” bearing five seals and nine signatures with a metal container, which he says his self-constituted Supreme Coun- cil had “examined, accepted and adopted by the passing of official resolutions,’ yet no one was convinced that he possessed one iota of Rosicrucian knowledge, power or authority. Despite all his cun- ning trickery and fair-faced misrepresentations, the doubt thereof still persisted, and the fraudulent practices heretofore described had failed. Irritated and in desperation, apparently he decided to become bold and to put over his questioned and questionable un- dertaking by the sheer force and astounding audacity of his own
707
AN ANSWER TO LEWIS WHITE (7) BOOK. =
declaration. Accordingly, in April, 1916, he brazenly, categorically and unequivocally declared that:
(39) “The American Ancient and Mystical Order Rosae Crucis is the cnly authoritative, sanctioned and legitimate Order of Rosae- crucianism in America, and IT HAS HAD NO AUTHORIZED PREDECES- sors.” It is the only Order having papers signed abroad by the Masters, possessing the ancient and official Jewels and Seals and having the true Secret Mandamuses, with correct ancient Lodge work and teachings. “Vhe very highest authorities* in such matters have carefully investigated and tested these claims, and aside from some little astonishment at the magnitude of the work being done,* there is mo question of the authority of the American Order.” (American Rosae Crucis, April, 1916, p. 29. The italics are ours.)
As we proceed we shall see how often he resorts to the use of the device of pretended examination and testing of his papers and claims and the willful declarations that they have been proven to be true and genuine. Such claims as above set forth and the like can only raise grave suspicions. ‘hey are declaratory Badges of
Fraud.
As a matter of fact, he has never submitted his claims and the evidence or proof thereof to any competent authority for an honest and fair examination. On the contrary, he has consistently evaded such an examination and test and refused to meet such a test when invited to do so,’ and his good faith was weighed in the balance and found wanting.
“The Supreme Pontiff in Egypt’
Another Mythical Being Is Created as a Fraudulent Device to “Approve” His Scheme
Inasmuch as he contended that Rosicrucian bodies can be formed
? This statement flatly contradicts and is repugnant to his later claims that early Rosicrucians established an R. C. temple on an island off the coast of California, to which he journeyed in 1918 and obtained rare “devices, papers, jewels and a sealed sarcophagus” ; and that a colony of Rosicrucians leaving Europe in 1693 established and maintained the “First American” R. C. organization for a number of years near Philadelphia, Pa. See quotations (74), (67), (68), (89) and (92).
® Such as his own selected “‘voluntary” committees, as shown in White Book D.
+ As we review his claims and devices, it would seem that the only astonishment that could exist is that resulting from the magnitude of his audacity and chicanery.
» See Volume I, Book Three, pp. 133 to 171, both inclusive.
708
Patol CEAlNvsS OF Kec. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
in only one way, and that by “sponsorship,” as shown in quotation (8), and whereas he had boldly claimed his authority under and by virtue of the sponsorship of the Grand Lodge of France and then produced the “‘strange-looking document bearing five seals and nine signatures” to prove it, which would appear to be altogether sufficient, if and provided his claims were true and well founded and the proof thereof genuine; but the claims were not true and well founded, and the “‘proof”’ which he tendered was not genu'ne and convinced none save only the gullible and credulous.
Therefore, still perplexed and desperately in need of a ‘‘paper”’ to prove his alleged Rosicrucian rights, powers and authority, he resolved to manufacture another document so apparently perfect that it would defy detection of its spuriousness and as coming from such a high source of concealed authority that none might question its authenticity. To do this it was necessary for him to postulate or imagine the existence of that which had never existed, namely, one Supreme Head or a Pope of the Rosicrucian Fraternity. This, however, he accomplished with the “greatest of ease’”’ by the use of his prolific imagination, which performs with the agility of the “young man on the flying trapeze,” and without difficulty he cre- ated, as another fraudulent device to further his scheme, the “PONTIFF SUPREME PERFECT HicH ANCIENT SHEKAH Et Mo- RIA Ra of Memphis,” and with equal ease and likewise as miracu- lously he created himself the “Most Prerrecr Master Prorun- pis’ of the largest Rosicrucian jurisdiction in the world with twenty-one votes out of forty-eight in his imaginary and mythical Council of the World, thereby removing his fabrication from under the “sponsorship” of France and placing himself directly under the personal care and immediate supervision of the one and only su-
preme head—‘the h'ghest Officer of the Order in the world.”’
With the aforesaid design of his perfect plan drawn on the trestle-board of his imagination, with his deft and artistic hands and cunning ability, he fashioned and fabricated “Pronunziamento R. C. No. 987,601,” forwarded it to France, to be mailed to the Supreme Secretary General of his fabricated and spurious Order Rosae Crucis in this country. It arrived back in this country on Tuesday, the 17th day of October, 1916 (about one year after the arrival of his strange-looking document of “‘sponsorship”’), which he published with an account thereof in the September issue, 1916,
709
AN ANSWER TO°LCEWIS WHITE) (:)7 500K as
of The .4merican Rosae Crucis, as follows:
(40) “Up to the present time, and from its inception and estab- lishment in this country, the Order Rosae Crucis in America has been under the protection of the Order Rosae Crucis in France, which had issued a paper of sponsorship for the Order here.
“A PRONUNZIAMENTO FROM FRANCE “On Tuesday, the 17th of October [1916], the Supreme Secretary-
General of the Order Rosae Crucis in this country received by mail an official document bearing several seals and official marks, mailed from France. ‘The document consisted of a paper 26 inches long and 10 inches wide, carefully engrossed and written and containing a specially made map of the world in the centre of its text. It reads as follows:
““PRONUNZIAMENTO
“ “Republic Francaise, R. C. No. 987,601. “A la Occident:
“Te Secretaire-General, Respected Knight Thor Kiimalehto, An- cientuk] GC.
“Greetings Before the Sign of the Cross :—
““At a High Lateran Council® of the Council R. C. of the World held in Egypt in Memphis on July 20, A. D. 1916, R. C. 3269, the R. C. territories of the world were readministered in contingency of the necessary readjustment after the termination of the warring activities of the nations of Europe and Asia, and in contemplation of the certain reorganization early in the year 1917 A. D., the said Council decreed a division of territories as conceived on the map and chart which constitutes an official part of this document.
“Tn accordance therewith we officially notify you, and through your respected offices the Supreme Council of Amerique,’ that there are now Eight Jurisdictions in substitution of the original Seven,®
6 A Lateran Council is a high council of the Catholic Church always held in Rome, never in Memphis, Egypt, as we shall presently show.
7 Note the spelling of America. This use of just a few French words in this spuri- ous paper is a dead give-away. It shows that it was written by one who knew only a few French words. No Frenchman would use the English word for republic in con- nection with the French word for French, thus: “Republic Francaise.” A Frenchman would write it: “Republique Francais’ or possibly with the female ending “Francaise.”
8 This is not only fallacious—it is childlike and foolish. The Rosicrucians have never divided the world into any certain number of jurisdictions. Therefore, this
TALOe
Povioterc iAlMS: OF RoeC. AUTHORITY. REVIEWED
and that the jurisdiction of Amerique has been made an Offcial Jurisdiction no longer under the protectorate of any other Jurisdic- tion, but coming directly under the direction of the Pontiff Supreme® Perfect High Ancient Shekah, El Moria Ra of Memphis. Official notice accompanied by the Gold Seal of the R. C. High Council will be mailed direct to your Most Perfect Master ‘Profundis’ when such gold seal bearing his name and new title’ shall have been com- pleted in the Atelier of the Memphis Grotto.
““As a result of the position your territory now occupies, andl since your Jurisdiction is now the largest in the world, your Coun- cil is privileged with the honor of twenty-one of the forty-eight votes on the Council of the World to which dignity your Jurisdiction is elected by its allotment to separate Jurisdiction.”
““Furthermore, by this decree, and by this document it is so decreed, the Most Perfect Master, H. Spencer Lewis, is made a Councilor of the World,® likewise you, Most Respected Knight, are appointed Councilor of the World* and in the hands of both of you shall rest the appointment of the third Councilor and such appoint- ment is to be duly reported to us that we may inform the High Archivist at Memphis.
“ “May Peace and Power crown your noble efforts and those of your Most Perfect Master to whom you shall transmit these decrees,
statement is false. It is more than a reverie of a fraternal racketeer. It is a fraudu- lent device.
9 Here he creates a Pope Supreme for his fantastic world-wide myth and places his American fabrication under the immediate direction of the non-existent supreme ruler, thereby taking himself from under the faked French sponsorship.
1.And he collects another seal—a gold seal this time! Here he tells us that the new title, Profundis, was conferred upon him at the “Council R. C. of the World” in Egypt, the notice of which he received on October 17, 1916, but we note that in closing the Fifth Installment of the Complete History of his fabrication he signs it “Fr. 12. Ill. R. F., Profundis.’ See quotation (23). This was published in May, 1916. Therefore, it appears that he created the title Profundis for himself before he created the meeting of the World Council in Egypt which conferred it upon him. In his declaration of “authority” in 1921 he says in quotations (58) that the name of “Profundis as Fratre”’ was conferred upon him at the time of his alleged initiation in France in 1909. It is a mystery how he became “Profundis” and the “Most Perfect Master Profundis.”
2 Here he creates himself a separate jurisdiction—and almost captures the “Council of the World!” It would be marvelous if it were not ridiculous.
3 Heretofore he had appointed himself a “Dignitaire Supreme of the Rosaecrucian Order” and a Legate of the Order for this country, but here he appoints himself a “Councilor of the World.’ The swift expansiveness of his imagination is remarkable.
4Lewis was magnanimous when he wrote this “Pronunziamento.” With his same magical wand he created his beloved Le Secretaire General a “Most Respected Knight” and also appointed him a Councilor of the World.
yi!
AN ANSWER TO LEWIS’ WHIDE. C?) BOOK es
so mote it be!
“Signed and given to seal on the 20th day of September,
ASD. 1G16s Re Co3269 in theta ne ee ee France, Vicotatec eee J Sackaote eens tee (Seal) Archivist Subscribed, WIA Ml. de lan msn ee (Seal) Secretary ““ “Approved, | AS ONE ee Sag OL ob TS
(Official Seal of the Supreme Council of France.)’
“Wonderful Compliment’
Tremendous Voting Power
“The map on the above document shows that the whole North American Continent, from the Republic of Panama to the most Northern point of the continent, forms the American Jurisdiction, and includes all above and all below the United States as well as the Hawaiian and Philippine Islands. Other very important changes on the map will be shown in our next issue, when possibly the map itself will be reproduced. One of the most important changes, however, is that not only has the Dominion of Canada come under our Jurisdiction, but Australia is now under the Royal Jurisdiction of Egypt; and the British Isles, once powerful in the Order, are now without any power whatever, their Jurisdiction having been taken from them because the Order there limited its membership for many years to men in an attempt to make it semi-Masonic.® Until the Order in England again admits women on an equal basis with men it will be denied the right to assemble, to hold Lodge meetings or to have the secret work or teachings.’
°» Masons will recognize this declaratory closing phrase. It is entirely Masonic in its use. Rosicrucians never encroach upon Masonry and, therefore, never use this phrase. Here we have further evidence of his misuse of Masonry in the fabrication of his fraternal racket and the promotion thereof.
6This is ignorant prattle. The authentic Rosicrucian Order-of England never denied membership to women. No attempt was ever made to make it “semi-Masonic.” In ignorance he confused the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia with the Rosicrucian Order in England. There are two different and distinct organizations. See pp. 216 to 221, supra, especially p. 220.
7It being particularly noted that he suspended the “once powerful” English Order so as to acquire jurisdiction over the Dominion of Canada, but placed Australia, other territory of the British Empire, under the “Royal Jurisdiction of Egypt.” There
El
feveoeeeimxlvS OF (Ror C. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
“The document itself gives to our Order here not only a greater field—the largest Jurisdiction of all, but gives us the voting power of almost one-half of the Council of the World, with three World Councilors, each having seven votes.
“This is indeed a wonderful compliment to the work we have done and the success we have attained. [!] It refutes many state- ments made by those who would weaken our power and justifies the high expectations of those who have become intimately acquainted with the inner workings of the Order. [This braggadocio is a typi- cal selling device. ]
“(The name of the place, city, and officers at the close of the docu- ment is purposely left blank in this public printing of this document, for it would furnish additional information to those who have been trying to personally and commercially benefit through the Order.)* One very important fact stands out boldly and that is that the name of the highest Officer of the Order in the world is not Moria El as a few would have it in order to commercialize some facts, but is EI Moria Ra,® a very different name with a very different meaning, and he resides in Memphis, not Tibet.” (American Rosae Crucis, September, 1916, pp. 24-25. The italics are ours. )
Proclaims Itself a Fake
As is the case with all his “important”? papers, documents and alleged charters, this novel and ingenious ‘“‘Pronunziamento”’ pro- nounces itself to be a fake. It is a fraud upon its face. Purporting to be of importance and of French origin, it is written in poor
is no accounting for this action, except that the Imperator of Fraternal Racketeering is now and then a trifle inconsistent.
8 Lewis was very fearful lest someone should profit commercially through his fab- rication. However, he successfully converted it into a fraternal merchandising con- cern, as we shall see in Chapter VI.
9In the June issue, 1916, of the American Rosae Crucis, at p. 17, Lewis published an article by G. A. Immanuel M. Sykes with a picture of “Master Moria El’ opposite the article. Mr. Sykes claimed that Moria El] was the Supreme Master of the Order Rosae Crucis of the World and that he resided in Tibet. Sykes, who owned certain pictures of said alleged Master, accused Lewis of trying to steal them. They fell out over the disputed right to sell these pictures of the alleged Master Moria El to the gullible. This is the explanation for the above statement of Lewis and the reason he ‘created a new Master with a similar name, to wit: “El Moria Ra,’ residing at Mem- phis as the supreme head of his world-wide myth and non-existent, world-wide Order. Space does not permit us to go into the details of this story of the “Masters” and Lewis’ quarrel with the Brother Sykes. However, from that time on, off and on, ‘Lewis has been selling pictures of the “Masters” to his members.
FAS
AN ANSWER TO LEWIS’ WHITE (?) BOOK aS
English, with a few French words to give it a French flavor, yet used as no Frenchman would use them. It appears to be a “French document” prepared by an American. As said before, it is certain that no Frenchman would write an important document in English. Although he admits that he knows but little French, it has been a common practice of this charlatan to use French titles and to sprin- kle a few French words here and there in his “‘papers”’ to give them the appearance of being of alien origin and to.add to their mys- tery and profundity. In so doing he has also added a few Badges of Fraud to show that the aforesaid papers are spurious.
Here we have what purports to be a document originating in France, purporting to have been signed by officers of the Supreme Council of France, under the official seal of said alleged Supreme Council, certifying to action taken by an alleged superior body, under the supreme head of the Order, at a “High Lateran Coun- cil” held in Memphis, Egypt. It is a ridiculous farce. What would you think of the alleged action of a Justice of the Peace on the banks of the Belle-Fourche River near Cheyenne in attempting to certify to the actions and proceedings of the Supreme Court of the United States? You would promptly pronounce the certificate a huge joke and the Justice of the Peace a crank and simpleton. /¢ is not done. Inferior bodies do not certify to the proceedings of su- perior bodies.’ If the alleged “Supreme Council Rio @onerae World,” holding an alleged “High Lateran Council” in Memphis, had certified to its alleged proceedings, under the alleged “‘Gold Seal” of the alleged “R. C. High Council” from Memphis, Egypt, the certificate would have been more plausible on its face. Instead, by its very foolish method of certification, “‘Pronunziamento No. 987,601’ CERTIFIES TO ITS OWN SPURIOUSNESS. Indeed, the ‘‘Most Perfect Master Profundis” got his procedure and certificates all mixed up at the very beginning of his profound career of fraternal racketeering—gave himself dead away and FURNISHED THE EVI- DENCE OF THE FRAUDULENT NATURE OF HIS OWN FABRICATION.
High Lateran Council
A High Council of the Catholic Church Always Held in Rome—Never at Memphis or Elsewhere
No one—not even the ‘‘Most Perfect Master Profundis’’—ever
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FALSE CLAIMS OF R.«C. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
heard of the Rosicrucians or any other organization, except the high Catholic Church, holding a High Lateran Council,’ because such Councils are distinctively and exclusively Roman Catholic Councils, held in the CHURCH OF ST. JOHN LATERAN at Rome, and not elsewhere, which is the Cathedral Church of the Pope as Bishop of Rome and as such is the highest ranking Catholic Church in the world. The Lateran Palace, originally imperial, was for- merly a residence of the Popes and is now a Museum.’ Lateran Councils are High Councils of the Catholic Church, held in the high church of St. John Lateran or formerly held in the Lateran Palace in Rome. Therefore, when the Imperator of AMORC— the Lewistonian Hierarchy of Fraternal Fraud—created this fraudulent device and made it certify to the proceedings of a “High Lateran Council” of a mythical ‘Council R. C. of the World,” held in Memphis, Egypt, he made himself the BARON Mun- CHAUSEN OF THE OccuLT—not the ‘Most Perfect Master Pro- fundis’’—by ridiculously certifying to that which never was or is or yet shall be, thereby showing upon its face and by the utter foolishness and absolute impossibility of its contents that his Pro- nunciamento No. 987,601° is a fake—a counterfeit—A DELUSION AND A FRAUD.
Despicable Chicanery An Appeal to Anti-Catholic Sentiment
At the same time that he was attempting to steal the High Lateran Council from the Catholic Church and to make it a high council of his own fabrication he attempted to promote his spuri- ous Order R. C. by an appeal to anti-Catholic sentiment published immediately preceding his announcement concerning his aforesaid
1 But Mr. Lewis also held another “Lateran Council” of his spurious American ‘Order R. C. in New York City on October 25, 1917, being the Twenty-first “Lateran Council” of his fabrication at which a Supreme Grand Master of AMORC was duly elected. See American Rosae Crucis, November, 1917, pp. 223-224.
2See Funk & Wagnall’s Practical Standard Dictionary (1936), p. 650, or any stand- ard dictionary or encyclopedia.
8 Lewis issued to himself Pronunciamento No. 987,432 in October, 1915, and Pro- ‘nunciamento No. 987,601 in October, 1916. One hundred and sixty-nine are a good many pronunciamentos to issue in one year. But where are the other 169 pronuncia- -mentos? That is a profound mystery which should be looked into very deeply.
Fie)
AN ANSWER TO LEWIS: WHITE? (@) BOOK DD
faked pronunciamento, as follows:
(41) “Our members and our readers generally will be pleased to learn that the Order Rosae Crucis in America has been greatly honored by the Supreme Council abroad and that this compliment comes just at the time that the Roman Catholic Church is attacking the Order.
“Just as has Freemasonry been attacked by the Roman Catholic Church so has our Order been attacked. Because of the aggressive- ness and its growth the Order Rosae Crucis in America as well as in all other countries has been condemned by the Pope as destructive to the principles of Roman Catholicism. It has issued what is popularly called ‘Bulls’ against the Order, and it was no surprise to learn that the Pope has decreed against the Order in this country as his predecessors have decreed against the Order in every other country of the globe where it has been spreading the Light.
“Our Order here will forever feel that it has been complimented by receiving the condemnation of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church. It will always appreciate such a compliment almost as greatly as it appreciates the other compliment paid by the Supreme Council of the World and which will be explained later in this article.” (American Rosae Crucis, September, 1916, pp. 22-23.)
The Pope had not attacked Lewis’ spurious R. C. Order; he knew nothing of it. Indeed, it was too small and insignificant to attract his attention. It was simply an appeal to anti-Catholic sentiment to secure members for his fabrication—especially to Masons. This is another example of his various attempts to use Masons and Masonry to promote his Rosicrucian swindle. Verily, verily, the tricky devices of this Most Perfect Master of fraternal racketeering are of infinite variety and of countless number! Let us return to the consideration of his aforesaid pronunciamento.
Betrayed by His Mathematics
Mathematics is the essential basis of science, yet this highly sci- entific Most Perfect Master Profundis has been betrayed by his poor mathematics. According to his statement and his pronuncia- mentos, there were seven jurisdictions represented in the World Council, which met and created his own jurisdiction without saying a word to him about it, and then there were eight jurisdictions. His being the newest, with an insignificant organization with the fewest
716
Pees P eer AIMS OF RoC. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
members with the most territory, was the most important of them all. Nevertheless, he was given three World Councilors with seven votes each, twenty-one votes in all out of a total of forty-eight votes of the entire Council, leaving only twenty-seven votes to rep- resent the other seven remaining igs dictons representing all the rest of the world.
Now, according to another and earlier Perens =aeortion (6)—his mythical world organization was then the most powerful secret organization in the world with its millions of members -in every country on the globe, but, of course, with very few of them at that time in this country, where his fabrication was struggling to get itself organized and really did not get under headway untu 1926—-some ten years later. Therefore, for his pitiful handful of members to be represented on the “World Council” with twenty- one votes, while the teeming millions in every country on the globe were only represented by twenty-seven votes, does not seem exactly right. It makes the tail wag the dog. He is betrayed by the mathe- matics of his story, and his World Council—created and existing only in his imagination, wherein his own self-importance is more important than his World Council—is shown to be a myth, a delu- sion and a fraud.
There Was, But Now There Is Not, One Supreme Flead of Flis Mythical World-Wide Order
If further evidence is needed to prove that his said Pronuncia- mento last mentioned is a rank counterfeit, there is this further convincing proof, furnished by himself, which clearly establishes its spuriousness.
Under this curious and unique “‘paper’’—twenty-six inches long and ten inches wide—called “Pronunziamento No. 987,601,” he claims that there is one Supreme Head of his fabrication through- out the world, namely, “Pontiff Supreme Perfect High Ancient Shekah El Moria Ra,” under whose immediate jurisdiction and direction he placed himself and his American fabrication.
Under the heading, “The Jurisdiction of the Order,’ in the October issue of his official organ, he says:
(42) “By the recent decree of the Supreme Rosaecrucian Coun-
cil of the World, held in Memphis, Egypt, July 20, 1916, and pre- ley,
AN ANSWER TO LEWIS WHITE. @ )bOC@ ws
sided over by the Pontiff Supreme Perfect High Ancient Shekah El Moria Ra, the Order in America was given a distinct Jurisdiction to be known as the American Jurisdiction. By this decree, trans- mitted through the Supreme Rosaecrucian Council of France, which was the sponsor for the Order in America, we have the necessary _CHARTER or PATENT for our official existence in America and our afhliation throughout the world.” (American Rosae Crucis, Octo- ber, 1916, p. 8. The capitalization and italics are ours.)
And again in December, 1916, with some variations, he claimed the right to establish his fabrication in America by virtue of the approval of the one “Supreme Pontiff of the Order in Egypt,” as follows:
(43) “For the benefit of those who receive this publication for the first time, or who have no clear understanding of the purposes of our Order, we wish to make plain these fundamental statements:
“The Ancient and Mystical Order Rosae Crucis was established in America in February of 1915.* It is practically two years old in this country, but has established, in this short time, Grand and Sub- ordinate Lodges in many states and territories. It is growing and will soon have Lodges in every state and eventually in every large city of the North American Continent.
“Its rights and privileges to establish, as well as all its rituals, teachings and wonderful laws, have been transmitted to the Supreme Council in this country from the Order in Europe by the approval of the Supreme Pontiff of the Order’? in Egypt and through the Supreme Grand Council in France. It is the only mystical or occult organization in this country, so far as we know, which has so direct and complete authenticity® and power from recognized sources.” (American Rosae Crucis, December, 1916, p. 2. The italics are ours. )
Let it be carefully noted and remembered that—in quotation (42)—he claimed that the certification of the proceedings of the
4He moves the “establishment” of his fabrication back to February, 1915. Com- pare this with his statement in quotation (30), where he states that it was established on April 1, 1915, and quotation (33) where he states that all the Officers and Coun- cilors were initiated on May 13, 1915.
® Let it be particularly noted that here he makes the claim that there is one Supreme Head who approved the transmittal of rituals, teachings and wonderful laws to his fabrication through the Order in Europe.
6 Here he declares his fabrication to be more authentic and superior to all mystical and occult organizations in this country. A rather broad and careless assertion, don’t you think? Perhaps it is another Badge of Fraud.
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FALSE CLAIMS OF R.—C. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
said Lateran Council through France (i.e., said Pronunciamento ) is the Charter or Patent’ for the existence of his spurious R. C. Order in America. This claim entirely repudiates his self-made illuminated “charter” under which he organized on April 1, 1915, thereby abandoning the “‘charter,” which was ‘‘destined to become a famous document in American history,” under which he organ- ized and worked for about eighteen months.
Myths and Devices of Fraud
As to whether there is one supreme head of his world-wide myth and fabrication, in his official organ in January, 1917, he declared:
(44) “El Moria Ra is a living human being who holds by elec- tion the position of Supreme Executive of the Ancient and Mystical Order Rosae Crucis. He was elected to this position because of ability, knowledge and wonderful love. Nothing supernatural is claimed for him, of him, or by him, and his headquarters are in Memphis, Egypt.” (American Rosae Crucis, January, 1917, p. 29. The italics are ours. )
Even though he made the foregoing positive statement in 1917, asserting that his fabrication had an international and supreme head, yet, nevertheless, in 1928 we find him repudiating the same by asserting:
(45) “We find nowhere, in not a single book of the hundreds available, nor in a single one of the hundreds of authentic Rosicru- cian manuscripts in all the foreign libraries, nor in one of the half dozen authentic histories of the Rosicrucian Order, nor in a single one of the Freemasonic Encyclopaedias or Histories (all of which deal with the various phases of the Rosicrucian fraternity), any reference to any person at any time ever holding the position of Grand Master, Imperator, Supreme Master, ruler, chief or head of the Rosicrucian Order or fraternity or brotherhood throughout the world. On the other hand, we see immediately that each country had its own chief, its own high officer, and there could not have been
7 The abandonment of the French sponsorship and this claim of necessary Charter or Patent for the official establishment of his racket is entirely repugnant to and inconsistent with his claim of “Authority by Sponsorship” asserted in December, 1926— quotation (8)—by which he also repudiated and abandoned this Egyptian “charter or patent.”
719
AN i ANSWER TO LEWIS’ WHIT Eee )obeOke 2
any Grand Master of the entire world.” (White Book C, p. 10.)
And in the last edition of his history book, entitled “Rosicrucian Questions and Answers With Complete History of the Rosicrucian Order”, i in response to Question 2, he makes the statement which follows said question:
(46) “No. 2. Q. Do the Rosicrucians in each country have a ereat leader or founder who is their absolute ruler, and to whom allegiance must be pledged?
“A. The organization in every country is physically formed like a society or other organization of men and women, with chief execu- tives equivalent to presidents, vice-presidents, secretaries, treasurers and recorders. The organization has no national or international founders, leaders or discoverers, to whom personal allegiance must be pledged at any time or in any manner. All officers of the organt- zation are elected and do not hold their positions by any super virtue or Divine decree® that is unique to each as an individual. The chief executives of each branch in each land are on an equal basis, consti- tuting an international advisory Council like the Board of Directors
of a business concern.” (Rosicrucian Questions and Answers with Complete History, etc.—1932 edition—pp. 179-180. The italics are ours. )
Thus it is that he repudiates the one supreme head, under whose immediate jurisdiction he placed himself and his fabrication in 1916, and abandons his spurious pronunciamento, charter or pat- ent, his ‘‘World Council” with its eight jurisdictions and his three Councilors with twenty-one votes. Here he claims that the inter- national organization of his fabrication is composed of the chief executive of each branch in each land on an equal basis and that these constitute his “international advisory council.’ And so his original World Council governing his spurious AMORC through- out the world, allotting territory, making his spurious Order a separate jurisdiction with the largest territory in the world, giving him three Councilors and twenty-one votes and a “charter or pat- ent” for the official existence of his fraternal racket in America did not really exist at all, but was a mythical creation of his pro-
8 This statement is in sharp contrast with his claims of authority by blood trans- fusion and descent of authority from father to son in the royal line of descent of the Lewis Family, which we discussed in Part Three, Chapter IV, pp. 353 to 359, supra. And his statement here that all officers are elected is at complete variance with his present claims, to be discussed in Chapter VI.
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Pe weobeClealivis OF KH Cc. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
lific imagination, and that, after all, despite all of his various con- tradictory statements and many different claims, the so-called World or International Councils from and through which he has in various ways claimed authority for the operation of his fraternal swindle is nothing more than an INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY COUN- CIL without power to grant authority to anyone.
Original Scheme Unsuccessful Modified to Include Mail-Order Business
It will be recalled, as has heretofore been shown, that in the original scheme the fabrication was designed in imitation of Ma- sonry with a lodge system, with degree work, ceremonial.and ritual- istic initiation and with oral lectures only obtainable in the lodge room. The only resemblance it had to the Rose Cross was its pla- giarized name.
Notwithstanding the many puffed-up statements and the inflated propaganda for promotional purposes about the rapid, most un- usual, phenomenal and unequaled growth of the enterprise, it was not a success, and it did not pay.
It was accordingly determined to expand the scheme so as to in- clude the selling of lectures by mail. This was to be done by and through the National Lodge’—to include membership by mail in the entire country to produce the much-needed revenue—as a sub- sidiary or auxiliary of the Supreme Grand Lodge, but preserving the lodge system of the original scheme. The National Lodge was to be ushered into existence with all the dramatization of high- powered and mystical promotion.
On April 1, 1917, Thor Kiimalehto, K. R. C., former Secre- tary-General, in the name of the “Grand Architect of the Uni- verse,” wrote the Very Venerable and Very Exalted H. Spencer Lewis, as the Supreme Grand Master General,' etc., etc., telling him of the insistent demands for ‘‘Light” and pressing necessity for a National Lodge and prayed that he be commissioned to forthwith organize the same. This fervent plea is published in full in the
®’This is now the Grand Lodge which produces the Royal Revenues of the Lewis Hierarchy, who are “the Order,” and the Supreme Grand Lodge, as we shall see in