Editing Rosicrucianism (section)

=== Reception ===
The manifestos were, and continue to be, not taken literally by many but rather regarded either as [[hoax]]es or as [[allegory|allegorical]] statements. They state: "We speak unto you by parables, but would willingly bring you to the right, simple, easy, and ingenuous exposition, understanding, declaration, and knowledge of all secrets."<ref name="Yates">{{Cite book |last=Yates |first=Frances |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q8uAAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA321 |title=The Rosicrucian Enlightenment |date=2003 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-134-49836-9 |page=321 |author-link=Frances Yates |orig-year=1972}}</ref>

The first Rosicrucian manifesto was influenced by the work of the respected hermetic philosopher [[Heinrich Khunrath]], of [[Hamburg]], author of the ''Amphitheatrum Sapientiae Aeternae'' (1609), who was in turn influenced by [[John Dee]], author of the ''[[Monas Hieroglyphica]]'' (1564).<ref name="Yates, Frances A 1972" />{{rp|51}} The invitation to the royal wedding in the ''[[Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz]]'' opens with Dee's philosophical key, the ''Monas Hieroglyphica'' symbol. The writer also claimed the brotherhood possessed a book that resembled the works of [[Paracelsus]]. [[Adam Haslmayr]] a friend of [[Karl Widemann]] wrote him a letter about Rosicrucian people who revealed the Theophrastiam{{clarify|date=April 2019}} 24 December 1611.<ref name="Grell">{{Cite book |last=Ole Peter Grell |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_m1Mf52bK70C&q=Paracelsus%20Widemann&pg=PA163 |title=Paracelsus |year=1998 |isbn=9004111778 |page=163| publisher=BRILL }}</ref>

In his autobiography, [[Johann Valentin Andreae]] (1586–1654) claimed that the anonymously published ''Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz'' was one of his works, and he subsequently described it as a ''[[ludibrium]]''. In his later works, he makes alchemy an object of ridicule and places it along with music, art, theater, and [[astrology]] in the category of less serious sciences. According to some sources, his role in the origin of the Rosicrucian legend is controversial.<ref>Cf. [[Frances Yates|Yates, Frances A.]] (1972), ''The Rosicrucian Enlightenment'', London & Edighoffer, Roland (I-1982, II-1987), ''Rose-Croix et Société Idéale selon Johann Valentin Andreae'', Paris</ref> But according to others, it was generally accepted.<ref>Cf. Dickson, Donald R. (1996), "Johann Valentin Andreae's Utopian Brotherhoods", ''Renaissance Quarterly'' 22 December 1996</ref>