OFFICIAL LECTURE CRADE__-4¢ — Coe no_/* © ~ ak, Vii A Rosa Cruris NOTE :—The matter contained herein is officially issued through the Supreme Council of the A.M, . B,C, under the above emblem, which was registered in the United States Hatent Office for the purpose of protecting all the “printed, engraved, typewritten. 2a. and photographic copies of official, prescribed and copyrighted lecinres, dissertations, scientific postulations, philosophical discourses and acadewiv studies. diagrams, iMustrations and charts,” as used by the Twperator of A. M.O. RC. The contents herein are to he used for the purpose intended, and for no other. and all rights and “ privileges are retained by the Imperator. A. M.O. R. C. is the only Rosicrucian organization authorized 10 use the above Registered name and symbols, and the Imperator has the sole right to grant the use of the above to other allied organizations or movements, »AMORC - Rosicrucian Order -E- ARCANE COSMOLOGY LECTURE NUMBER ONE PAGE ONE (Supplementary Lecture) In addressing our students at this time and bringing before them the first and elementary principles of Cosmology, our students must feel, as we do, the overwhelming impression of the deepness, the profundity, of the subject, Probably there is no other subject, no other study, embodying so many scientific principles, fraught with so many scientif- ic proofs and yet so difficult to master completely, as is this subject. Yet it is fundamental; it is elementary; it is basic, Even the subject of God's laws, even the study of God, is not as difficult to present as the very world we live in, and we cannot study God or God's works with- out a thorough comprehension of the Universe. Before we can properly take up this subject--or any other importent scientific subject--we must understend how the knowledge we seek may be conveyed to us, We must analyze and properly value the various methods of arriving at facts and of substituting theories when facts are not available or known, Theorjes have their place in the construction of comprehensible teachings on any subject, but statements made as part of a@ theoretical explanation should be clearly labeled as THEORETICAL and not permitted to pass as facts. This is the great error in our present= day system of education, end the more profound, because arcane, the subject, the more likely are we to have theories given to us in the garb of facts, When facts are NOT known and the true facts cannot be easily found or proved, theories are easily substituted without fear of contradiction, and for years, even centuries, the theories may remain in the teachings as facts and never appear in their true light because the light of truth has not been cast upon them. If all this is true of any subject, it is most certainly true of our system of Cosmology as taught during the past hundred years or more and as it is being taught even now in the most advanced universities and colleges of the world. Copernicus was the man, his was the mind, that tried to give us a sys- tem whereby we might understand the universe as it is--that is, that part of it which he considered as being of interest to us. Certein facts were known to him and to others. The phases of the moon were seen constantly and were in accordance with some law regulating the changes so accurately thet future changes could be easily predicted al- though the laws causing the changes were not known, Sunrise and sun- set were other observable facts not understood. Man wished to know what caused these phenomena, and in his desire for en explanation var- ious theories were conceived, and some adopted. Copernicus however, evolved & complete theoretical explanation of all the phenomena, an ex- planation which was so satisfying, accounting for neerly every mysteri- ous Cosmic end earthly occurrence, that mankind seized upon it, taught it to his children, and now his greet-great-great-grandchildren are still studying the seme explanation and accepting it as LAW and FACT. You may ask: "Have not more advanced scientists, equipped with tele- scopes and modern devices, added to, modified or altered the explana- tion of Copernicus? Do we not teach our children now what science has discovered since the time of Copernicus? We may answer yes, to theAMORC - Rosicrucian Order i ARCANE COSMOLOGY LECTURE NUMBER ONE PAGE TWO second question, and even yes, with some modification or qualification, to the first question. But--and here lies the danger in all the pres- ent-day schools of science--each and every investigation and test on the part of science and scientists, since the day of Copernicus, has been primarily for the purpose of PROVING the theory of Copernicus to be true, and 811 facts and suggestions seeming to contradict the theory of Copernicus have been either rejected or held in doubt. Therefore practically all of the ideas and theories of Copernicus are embodied in our present-day teachings regarding the universe and the earth, except that they have been enlarged, exaggerated, and otherwise added to. The great struggle in this subject today, on the part of those engaged in such research work, is to make the great mass of newly discovered fects fit into the theory first outlined. That this is true and not an opinion, you will discover before this subject is half-way completed in this course of lectures. The mass of evidence found and revealed by science and scientists, which they have rejected or ignored because it does not prove, coincide with, or substantiate the old worn- out Copernican theory, will be used by us, with much other matter not known to them, as proof of the truth regarding the universe and the earth on which we live. Bear in mind thet Copernicus did not intend to give the world a hoax. It was not his intention to deceive, but to help us understend our uni- verse by giving us an explanation which would satisfy our desire to work out the unknown problems. Theories, false and true alike, often help to solve a problem oniy to show us later that the false theory served a mute and important purpose, false though it was. Copernicus warned the readers of his theory by stating in his manuscript that he was submitting only a working hypothesis, and that if proofs--actual, tangible proofs--were demanded of the correctness of his theories, or if in the future science demanded facts to substantiate his system or explanation, there were no proofs, no facts! It is this system, ques- tioned and doubted even by its originator, given with qualification and apology by its sponsor, that we are still using, end, what is more piti- ful, the children of our schools, the adults of our colleges, are not told, when taking up this study of the Copernican theory: "Beware, for this is only theory and the man who first outlined it died centuries ago and apologized for it then, but we heve not yet learned the truth to give you." No, the students are taught the subject as LAW and TRUTH. All this explanation is made to you so that you may be prepared for the truth thet Is to be told to you in these lectures. We will take some facts from old Rosicrucian writings and some from the investigations of the German mystic, Neupert, and the American, Teed (Koresh), and others. Someday, after taking helf of this course, you will not rest without putting some pretty hard questions to some of your learned friends who have been made believers of the Copernican ideas, and they may put some questions to you regarding Copernicus, so it 1s well for you to know all thet has been said in the above words, and, further, to look in any large encyclopedia, such as the Encyclopedia Britennica (at home or in any Public Library), under the heading of COPERNICUS and read of his life and his ideas.’ This will prepare you to argue many points, but