Confessio Fraternitatis

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The Confessio Fraternitatis was published in 1615 by Wilhelm Wessel in Kassel under the full Latin title "Confessio Fraternitatis R. C. Ad Eruditos Europae" and shortly afterwards in Danzig together with the "Fama Fraternitatis" under the German title "Confession oder Bekandnuß der Societet und Brüderschaft R. C. An die Gelehrten Europae".

„"The outside world has been repeatedly made aware of Rosicrucianism through the two writings that date from the beginning of the seventeenth century. In 1614 the so-called "Fama Fraternitatis" was published, and a year later the so-called "Confessio" - two books about which there has been much dispute among scholars. And not only about what is usually disputed with so many books, whether that Valentin Andreae, who in his later years was a quite normal superintendent, really wrote the book - but with these books it has also been disputed whether they were taken seriously by the authors or whether they were only meant to be a mockery of the fact that there was a certain mysterious Rosicrucian brotherhood which had such and such tendencies and aims. Then, in the wake of these writings, there is a whole series of others which tell all kinds of things about Rosicrucianism. If you take the writings of Valentin Andreae and also other Rosicrucian writings in your hand, then, if you do not know the actual basis of Rosicrucianism, you will find nothing special in these writings. For it has not been possible until our time to become acquainted with even the most elementary aspects of this spiritual current, which has really existed since the fourteenth century and still exists today. All that has passed into literature, all that has been written and printed, are individual fragments, individual lost things which have come to the public through betrayal, which have been inaccurately and in many ways perverted through charlatanry, swindling, ignorance and stupidity. The true, genuine Rosicrucianism has, ever since it has existed, only been the subject of verbal communication to those who had to take an oath of secrecy. For this reason, nothing of any significance has passed into the public literature. Only then, when one knows what can be communicated publicly today - for certain reasons which would go too far to explain now - in elementary Rosicrucianism and what we will be able to speak of today, can one find some sense in the often grotesque, often merely comic, but often also dizzy and seldom harmonious communications of literature.“ (Lit.:GA 55, p. 176f)

With this writing, the Society of the Rosy Cross now - after the Fama Fraternitatis - spoke out again. Basically, the first appeal to the European intellectual world to contact the authors is repeated. On the one hand, the Confessio is strongly permeated by Protestant spirit: the Pope is attacked and Bible reading is propagated as an essential access to the Rosicrucian Society. The Confessio also mentions for the first time the birth and death dates of the founder Christian Rosenkreutz (C.R.), 1378-1484. On the other hand, the writing can also be interpreted satirically: It spends three quarters of its length in allusions to the secret knowledge of the Society, only to warn towards the end against "most of the books of the false alchemists, who think it a joke and a diversion when they [...] deceive the people with wondrous figures and dark, hidden speeches and deprive the simple-minded of their money", not without then stating once again: "Shun and flee such books, you who are shrewd, and turn to us, who do not seek your money, but offer our great treasures to you good-willingly. "

The Fama and the Confessio caused a tremendous echo in Europe: between 1614 and 1625, more than four hundred prints appeared on the subject. The respective authors wanted to contact the Brotherhood, express criticism or approval, or state that in their opinion the Society did not exist.

See also

Literature
References to the work of Rudolf Steiner follow Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works (CW or GA), Rudolf Steiner Verlag, Dornach/Switzerland, unless otherwise stated.
Email: verlag@steinerverlag.com URL: www.steinerverlag.com.
Index to the Complete Works of Rudolf Steiner - Aelzina Books
A complete list by Volume Number and a full list of known English translations you may also find at Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works
Rudolf Steiner Archive - The largest online collection of Rudolf Steiner's books, lectures and articles in English.
Rudolf Steiner Audio - Recorded and Read by Dale Brunsvold
steinerbooks.org - Anthroposophic Press Inc. (USA)
Rudolf Steiner Handbook - Christian Karl's proven standard work for orientation in Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works for free download as PDF.

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