The publication of this edition of Randolph's Soul, The Soul-World, keenly and most willingly and with reverence, turns our thought back to the summer of 1893, when it happened - if ever things do merely "happen" - that a booklet on the subject of the Lesser Mysteries fell into our hands and we found ourselves profoundly absorbed in an extended description of the contents of Soul, The Soul-World. So deeply interested were we that we at once ordered the book itself and in our then youthful and intense state of mind it seemed years, though it was but a few days, before the book arrived. When we finally held it in our hands, we were caught up into that state described by the poet -

"All earth forgot and all heaven around us,"

and often in the years since that blissful period have we wished that it were possible for us once again to experience such an ecstatic uplift as was ours at that time. All the usual pleasures and activities of boyhood were laid aside while we devoured the contents of the book - a spiritual feast such as we have not known since. Every word held us enthralled. We had never heard anything resembling its teachings. We had lived chiefly in an environment of woods and streams and were no little in tune with Nature, and here was something new, itself in harmony with the inmost reveries known to such as live close to her heart.

As we read and pondered, we were thoroughly converted to all that Randolph set forth in his book and, after a second careful perusal of the precious pages, we began a definite and earnest search for the fountain head of the Wisdom there hinted at - we would make that Wisdom ours if at all possible!

It was perhaps a year before we were successful in making contact with one of the teachers and guides authorized by the Fraternity to accept neophytes, but only to learn that before our application could be accepted by the instructor, it was necessary for it to be forwarded to the See of the Fraternity for consideration. This requisition was complied with and then arose further delay because of the youth of the applicant, but finally all objections were removed, our name inscribed on the records, we were accepted on probation and began to be instructed in the Laws of the Fraternity and the Philosophy underlying the training.

Years passed before we attained to the First Degree in the august Fraternity and were permitted to pass the Threshold. But at last we were electrified to know that we had succeeded to the point which permitted an interview with our instructor and guide, and that was a glorious moment in the year 1901 when we were granted a personal interview with Dr. James R. Phelps and admission to the Temple in Boston - then so secretly and sacredly guarded that, though all of its officials were prominent men, the Temple itself was unknown to any but those who had the great honor of membership.

Shortly after meeting Dr. Phelps we were further honored and trusted, and, one wintry day, set out for Salem, there to meet face to face Dr. Edward H. Brown, the then Grand Master of the Fraternity and the Hierarch of Eulis, and received further instruction and had the needs of the Great Work pointed out to us.

In 1902, after our return from Boston, we laid the foundation for the text, The Rosicrucian Fraternity, which was approved by the Grand Master and issued in 1904. From this period our activities in the Great Work Constantly widened until, by the year 1909, all of our time and thought were devoted thereto.

Up to this period every sincere occult student was well aware of the fact that the Rose Cross was considered a sacred and most secret fraternity and that none could become members until after fulfilling an extended novitiate, during which they were instructed, trained, disciplined; and all the Fraternity literature up to this period was clearly positive in its assertion that no individual could be made a Rosicrucian - that such attainment was possible only by becoming through spiritual growth. It sometimes required a search of years before an aspirant was able to connect with the Center of the Order, and only the most profound students, such as the Platonist Alexander Wilder and his peers, dared even to hint that they knew anything of the Rose Cross, its philosophy and practices. But the times have sorely changed. Today the merest novice in occult studies publicly proclaims himself a brother of the Fraternity, and, what we may term, the wares of the Fraternity - which, however, are not any nearer to Rosicrucianism than are the easy pronouncements of New Thought - are blatantly advertised in numberless cheap magazines.

Time and again in our earlier years of labor we were urged to depart from the Ancient Landmarks of the Fraternity and popularize the work so that any curious-minded dabbler in the occult might become connected with the Order. We resisted every suggestion of the kind and did our best to live up to our solemn obligation and the traditions and teachings of the Fraternity.

Ages and moods change; fundamentals are changeless. In one period men and women hold a reverent attitude toward sacred things; in another, materialism reigns, subjugates to its demand everything that was formerly considered inviolate, parodies both virtue and religion, popularizing the latter and cheapening everything good and holy.

Up to about 1910 both religion and mysticism had the profound respect of the majority, whether among thinkers or the mass. Then a sudden change took place - the reaction. Reverence for great and holy things - those which belong to the realm of God and His heaven - began to wane, and men and women no longer hesitated to offer for barter and sale that which once they would have shrunk in holy horror from even exposing to the light of trivial comment.

What, then, has been the ultimate result as concerns the Rose Cross in this age of irreverence? Simply that we see in operation the well-known law that where there is a demand there will be found the supply, irrespective of irregular methods or dishonest procedure in furnishing that supply.

We have been taught to reason by analogy - here is a thoroughly modern one that will be apparent to all. We have reference to prohibition. When the Volstead law went into effect, when "pure liquor" was withdrawn from public consumption, and it became increasingly difficult to obtain the genuine article, numberless supposedly good citizens were eager to supply a substitute and "moonshine" came into being, a product far different from the old-time liquor that went by that name, a product that, far from being a natural stimulant, spreads destruction and death. This modern "moonshine' may be characterized as clandestine liquor, and now, except to the minority, this deadly substitute is so well known and so much used that even those who formerly might have been called connoisseurs have so ruined their discriminating senses that few of them could recognize the genuine article if offered to them.

Even thus has it been with the Rose Cross. When the Masters of the Fraternity refused to open its doors to the unworthy and to wonder-seekers, when they declined to depart from the ancient landmarks, when they refused to degrade the order by advertising its sacred work in any and every popular medium, then arose those who were willing and ready, aye, eager - for a consideration; always for a consideration - to supply "moonshine," a clandestine article, indeed, and the traffic and use of this false substitute is proving ruinous both to those who sell and those who buy.

And, much as it has been with the name of the Fraternity and its work, so is it becoming with the publications of Randolph. In his day, and for some time after his decease, they were popular both in America and Europe. Then their sale waned for a time. When we came into office and recognized their value to students, we began to make them again widely known. During recent years, by permission, we have republished a number of the best known of Randolph's books, and the result is that in certain European countries some of them are republished without permission. Their mere republication in itself would not be so serious, but the "moonshiners" do not stop at that; in order to stimulate sale, matter which Randolph condemned and prohibited has been added to some of them with the claim that such matter was, in Randolph's time, secretly taught. Here is a specific instance:

It is less than two years since we issued his book, Eulis, with notes. Since then a book has been published in Europe which gives - steals - parts of Eulis, parts of Seership (also published by us), with the addition of matter that purports to be certain mysterious sex teachings promulgated by Randolph.

The truth is that Randolph never taught such "mysteries." On investigation, we find that these sex teachings formed part of a book published one hundred or more years ago in India, under the title, Sexual Happiness. Immediately on its appearance, this book was proscribed and prohibited by the British Government as obscene and perversive of public morals. Since then it has been clandestinely circulated in manuscript form. It is doubtful if the book could be sold in England if its contents became known, and it is almost certain that the American government would no permit its entry into this country. Nevertheless, some copies will, no doubt, be circulated, and, as a result, the facts being generally unknown, this will bring dishonor upon an author whose books have been known for more than seventy years and whose teachings are being found sound by scientists.

One of the claims made by these conscienceless purveyors of spurious Randolph publications is that he, Randolph, was at the head of the Temple of Luxor. Now the Temple of Luxor was not a Rosicrucian body, but one of the exoteric activities of the Hermetic Brotherhood, and the Grand Master of the entire Hermetic Fraternity, W.P. Phelon, M.D., was one of the greatest men we have ever known and an author of some remarkable books. There is no shame to Randolph in the claim that he was the head of this body, but it is gross misrepresentation with but one purpose: to sell the spurious Eulis.

Still another misrepresentation employed in order to sell this book is the statement that Dr. Randolph was well acquainted with and, in a sense, was a co-worker of Madam Blavatsky, one of the founders of the Theosophical Society.

In a letter which Madam Blavatsky wrote to a friend in Russia, under date October 28, 1874, she said: "I have been living in America for about a year and a half...." In the book, the Real H.O. Blavatsky, by William Kingsland, published in London, we find this record: "...she went to America in 1873, arriving in New York in July of that year." Dr. Randolph departed this life at the hands of an enemy in the early 1874. There would have been but little time or opportunity for them to have become associated, particularly as Madam Blavatsky lived in Philadelphia and New York during that time, while practically all of the eighteen months prior to his passing Dr. Randolph had been in San Francisco looking after the interests of his Temple of Eulis, then in full activity.

All the other claims and pretensions are on the same level of distortion with the instances here cited, and it is clear that all that is said in the publicity literature concerning these European publications is unreliable and given with the sole purpose of finding buyers. As already stated, the material published is only in part by Randolph, and much of it is, in character, such as the compilers and publishers thought to be somewhat of the same type as the writings of Randolph and, therefore, would the more readily "catch" the class of readers they seek.

We regret that it has become necessary for us to make these facts known to the readers of this new edition of Soul, The Soul-World, but we feel it to be duty not to be evaded, and that such evasion would render us guilty before the law. The United States Government, which keeps informed regarding sex teaching from abroad which seek foothold in this country, as well as sincere seekers after unadulterated truth, should be warned so that they may be prepared. Furthermore, it is unjust to Randolph to saddle upon him teachings which are morally degrading and which have been condemned and prohibited by other governments.

The Rose Cross was officially founded as such in America in the year 1858, and has continued to exist since then. Its Temples have remained open at all times to sincere seekers. The Ancient Landmarks have been faithfully adhered to, despite all opposition and the establishment of clandestine bodies. Its annual Convocations have been held regularly and the present edition of Soul, The Soul-World is the official publication of the Seventy-third Convocation, held All-Souls Night, November 2, 1931.

It may be that some readers will consider that our spirit has been over-militant in the foregoing exposé. Our grounds are these: Knowing the facts as we do; having been conversant with the teachings, the mysteries and the inner workings of the Fraternity for more than thirty years; being fully and accurately informed of the various activities of publishers in Europe, their claims, pretensions and degrading substitutions, as well as thoroughly cognizant of the clandestine organizations now active in America; could we, solemnly sworn as we are to perform our full duty regardless of the personal cost or sacrifice, do otherwise? Before you find fault, before you condemn, answer to yourselves this question: "What would I do, were I similarly situated, under the same responsibility and bound by the same sacred vow?"

Fraternally written,
          R. Swinburne Clymer

Hierophant of the Secret Schools
Supreme Grand Master of the Rose Cross
and Hierarch of Eulis
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