I.

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Although there has been almost no century since the birth of Christ that has not produced heretics and schismatics, or has been free from perverse minds, the monuments that writers of Ecclesiastical History and other curious observers of events have endeavored to collect for us testify sufficiently, and more than enough, that the previous seventeenth century was more fertile than the rest. Among the number of these, who disturb our nurturing Church, to say nothing of others, are held the Rosaecruciani Rosicrucians. How many disturbances they have caused in the century that has already passed is revealed by the almost infinite number of their published writings. Since, therefore, I found so many varying opinions among writers regarding their origin and progress—some of which are such that they either cause manifest harm to the Church, or damage the reputation of men who have served the Church most excellently (to which point refers, in the first place, the commentary that we find on them in Arnold’s Haeresiologia, Part II, Book XVII, Chapter XVIII), or rely on I know not what trifles and fables, while others are found worthy of greater investigation and study—I deemed that I would be doing something worthwhile if I were to examine, against the scales of historical truth, the more powerful and extant opinions that are commonly held about them, as well as the judgments that have been published here and there regarding them, as is commonly the custom with new things. I do this so that I may present to the Benevolent Reader, in this humble commentary, in one single view as it were, those things which we are accustomed to laboriously gather here and there from various writers regarding this Philadelphía brotherly love. But lest I proceed without order, first, I shall be solicitous about the name of this [group]; second, I shall inquire at what time the Fama fame/report of these Brethren most arose or became famous; third, I shall present various opinions concerning the first author of this society; fourth, I shall indicate the defenders, together with their principal writings, and clear the way for adversaries with their writings; fifth, I shall propose their dogmas plainly; sixth, and finally, I shall briefly touch upon their customs, together with the judgment of M. Arnold regarding them, as far as it is permitted in a philosophical circle.