Coëns elected officials

The Order of the Knights Elected Masons Coëns of the Universe is an initiatory rite more often known under the name of Élus Coëns. This rite appeared in France in second half of the XVIIIè century and would make according to certain part of what one usually describes as " Masonry illuministe".

The Order of the Coëns Elected officials resorts to a completely particular symbolic system based on the doctrines made public by Martines de Pasqually, its leader in our areas. Thus the Coëns Elected officials are men consicents original place of the man and his initial destiny. They also conscious of the fact that it to him is occurred following the fault of Adam, or are original sin to have to imitate divine creation. They have thus as a role to restore the man in his virtues first, i.e. to reconcile it with its Creator, and by, gradually, reinstating there the universe created in the divine vastness.

However, life of the Order " original" will be of short duration, because of the " spécificités" , it will never succeed in being integrated among the other rites maconnic. To note however that the followers of Martinès will form future masonry, with names like Louis-Claude of Saint Martin's day says the Unknown Philosopher, Willermoz, of Hauterive, De Lusignan, the marquis de Chefdebien, and many other famous names. The Order will be however " réveillé" by Sâr Aurifer (Robert Ambelain) since 1942, on the basis of some rare document coming from the Order " original" who were found. It may be since the Ritual ones still practiced today differ slightly from those used originally by the Order of Martines de Pasqually. More " célèbre" of these documents being the " Manuscript of Alger" discovered tardily and transcribed completely by Georges Courts containing part of the secret instructions for a few degrees only, of which the Knight of the East.

The Order is divided into several classes of degrees:

Masonry Symbolic system (*)

Apprentice
Companion
Master-Mason

Martinisme (*)

Associated
Initiated
Higher Unknown

Porch

Apprentice Cohen
Companion Cohen
Main Elected official Cohen

Interior Order

Large Master Elected Cohen/Great architect
Large Elected official of Zorobabel/Knight of the East
Commander of the East/Apprentice Réau-Cross (6th class) (**);

Secret Class

Réau-Cross

(*) =Lorsqu' a layman, i.e. a " not initié" ask its admission, one confers sometimes the degrees of Masonry Symbolic system, but nowadays, in fact to him especially the Martinistes degrees are conferred, because judged " more efficaces" to prepare with the theurgic operations of the higher degrees. It is as to note as the majority of the allowed people in the Cohen Elected officials generally already received initiation in a Cabin Maçonnique or Martiniste.

(**) =Le degree of " Commander of the East/Réau-Croix" Apprentice; is a rank " préparatoire" for those and those which will be brought to be ordered with the ultimate degree of " Réau-Croix". There is no ceremony for this degree, the member will have on the other hand to carry out various high operations of théurgies in order to claim and prepare to receive the last degree of the Order. The Order thus has two objectives:

to reconcile each one of its members with his Creator
to reconcile the whole of the universe created with its Creator and it is what one calls rehabilitation

The means to which the members of the Order resort are of pertaining to worship nature addressing itself to God, Père, Fils and Holy Spirit, via its Angels (at the time of Martinès only by spirits, angels being used as protection) in their various classes. Our contemporaries qualify this work of " théurgique" in the direction where the followers of Martines seek to influence the Angels of God (spirits would be necessary it to say) to which they claim assistance in the work of reconciliation and rehabilitation.

Several contemporary initiatory ways result about the Coëns Elected officials:

the Scottish Rite rectified founded by Jean-Baptiste Willermoz: the doctrines of Martines de Pasqually were maintained implicitly in the various ranks of rectified Masonry and explicitly in its secret class known as of " Profession" ;
readers and friends of Louis-Claude of Saint Martin's day, also known under the name of Unknown Philosophe, who they are affiliated or not to the one of the Orders known as " martinistes" and all resulting of the Ordre Martiniste of Papus which does not have a bond, other that spiritual, with the Unknown Philosopher;
members of qualified Natures of néo-coëns, sometimes in connection with rectified masonry and more often in connection with the orders martinists, in all the cases not-connected to the Order of the Knights Masons of the Coëns Elected officials of the XVIIIè century if it is not spiritually. These orders néo-coëns are attached often, directly or indirectly, with resurgence coën initiated by Georges Lagrèze, Robert Ambelain and Robert Amadou in the Forties. This resurgence itself does not have real historical filiation but is attached nevertheless, said one, with a checked spiritual filiation.

The Order nowadays

The Order of the Knights Elected Freemasons Cohen survives nowadays with difficulty, and summarizes with some Cabins or Chapters in France and Belgium, nonfederate, operative in greatest discretion and gathering only one handle of members each one. Until there is little, there were two more Chapters " sédentaires" in France, federated and having an Internet site, but they are " tombés" in sleep until there is little.

It is also frequent to meet operative Cabins Martinistes practitioner certain ritual of the Cohen Elected officials, without to practice the degrees with the clean direction of them.

On the other hand, the Order would still enjoy a relatively stable activity in Canada, and after many years of waiting, the Canadian branch comes to receive the authorization to confer the ultimate Magistral degree of " Réau-Croix".

It will be noted finally that there exists " Ci and là" various groups claiming Cohen Elected officials and not having however any relationship with the Order and its practices. It will consequently be advisable to get information well when one approaches or when one is approached by such or such organization.

External bonds

the Institute Eleazar
Biography of Martines de Pasqually, by Jean-François VAr.

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