"For us... it is imperative that one be an active Free-Mason and have attained at least the degree of Master Mason in order to be a candidate for the clergy. We estimate this to imply that the members of the clergy have symbolically passed through the death of the physical body in the first degree and that of the soul in the third degree, and that they have thereby attained the immortal, liberated and androgynous spirit. This also permits us to have women amongst our clergy - as in the 2nd and 3rd centuries where female bishops held the title of 'Sophia'." -René Chambellant, T. Renatus in ecclesia

All historians and commentators agree that modern Freemasonry has its immediate origins in the Master Mason builders of the great European Gothic Cathedrals of the Middle Ages. These builders were themselves closely tied to the Knights Templar and to the Templar building associations, heirs to the Central European monastic associations and the Byzantine Colleges which, in their turn, had their origins in the Roman Collegia. Via this chain, Freemasonry can be said to date back to the sixth century B.C.

This uninterrupted chain leads us back to the important Initiatory Schools of Egypt, in which certain adherents had attained the highest degrees of initiation. Moses, Pythagoras and Plato are believed to be among these high initiates.

The Masonic bond with the Order of the Temple, both initiatory and as holders of the principal traditions, is undeniable. upon the dissolution of the Knights Templar at the hands of the Inquisition, several of its members took refuge in European countries where the Order still existed or in the Lodges of the Masonic builders. Those who had found refuge in Scotland, consequently, founded Scottish Freemasonry. The religious and monastic aspect of the Order of the Temple has also been transmitted through the centuries and forms an interior part of our own ecclesia which holds the succession of the Johannine Church, also sometimes called the Primitive (meaning 'original') Church, or simply the Christian Church.

To the ancient builders, all of life's acts were intermingled with religious meaning. The work had a sacred character because it symbolized the creation of beings and things by the Divine. So the builders worked on the sites, in Lodges, where only the people of the profession were admitted and the secrets of construction were transmitted from Master to student. The products of their endeavors, the imposing cathedrals, were and are still the true Esoteric Books of Wisdom where the Masters of that age wrote down the inherited knowledge of the mysteries of antiquity, hidden in the symbols of the buildings themselves and the sculptures adorning them. These ancient builders, however, were not just architects or stone cutters. During the construction of these monuments, the members met to work upon metaphysical research and philosophical teachings. The end of the great operative period of construction marked the beginning of that which we now call speculative where the philosophical aspect of the initiatory work has continued to the present time.

All authentic Initiatory steps aim at awakening the adherent. The best possible instruction cannot give Knowledge because the awakening cannot be provoked except by a systematic introspection which must be supported by the knowledge of deep-seated psychic mechanisms. The object of initiation is to guide the inidividual towards this Knowledge (Gnosis) by an interior illumination, projection, and understanding of the *self* at whose center is the transcenent Light. The initiatory method is an essentially intuitive path and that is why Freemasonry uses symbols to provoke this enlightenment, since these symbols speak the language of the unconscious.

The initiation transmitted throughout Freemasonry is a kind of spiritual alchemy, having as its goal a real transformation of the individual, a personal blossoming, and a personal realization. While all Masonic bodies are considered part of the larger tradition, in today's present age, many of the more recognized Masonic institutions have moved even further away from the operative methods of our ancient brethren. What has come to pass is that rather than remaning speculative (implying an intellectual and theoretical method), much of modern mainstream Masonry has become spectatorial. As such, we feel it important to distinguish between "regular" Masonry and "esoteric" Masonry and recommend those interested, in the most sincere way possible, find an esoteric Masonic body with which to become affiliated. As for the Eglise Gnostique, our principal connection has been with the Ancient and Primitive Rite of Memphis-Misraïm for many years, and so we provide that link for you for more information, although any Masonic body, regular "mainstream" Masonry, Co-Masonry, are viable options. If in question, merely ask.