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N.I. Novikov als Vrijmetselaar", De spirituele zoektocht van een Russische
schrijver, publicist en uitgever 1744-1818
de Kok, A.C.H.M.
Publication date
2000
Link to publication
Citation for published version (APA):
de Kok, A. C. H. M. (2000). N.I. Novikov als Vrijmetselaar", De spirituele zoektocht van een
Russische schrijver, publicist en uitgever 1744-1818.
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NOVIKOVV AS A FREEMASON SUMMARY Y
Chapterr 1 of this book outlines the dawn of freemasonry. The spiri-tuall orientation of eighteenth-century freemasons centered on An-cientt Egypt and the fabled Hermes Trismegistus, the 'inventor of everythingg known to the human intellect'. Hermetic philosophy gainedd increasing popularity during the Renaissance, spreading from Florencee across Europe. It influenced the rise of the Invisible Society off the Rosicrucian Brotherhood and of masonic Britain aim la lettre. Thee year 1717 saw the association of a number of lodges in London, whichh had in fact been in existence for decades. This marked the be-ginningg of ,freemasonry, as an official institution. The movement subsequentlyy spread to the continent, to Russia.
Thee role played by Peter the Great in the transfer of masonic culturee is obscured by a web of legends. There is convincing evi-dence,, however, to show that his successors Anna Ivanovna, Elisa-bethh and Peter III did make real contributions to this cultural trans-fer.. Under Catherine the Great freemasonry secured a lasting position inn Russian society, becoming the first organisation independent of churchh and state.
Soonn after freemasonry set foot in continental Europe, a hostt of ritualistic systems developed from the original British ma-sonicc way of working. Changes and adaptations of the British ways weree of the order of the day in eighteenth-century Europe. Some-timess this led to chaos and intense feuding among different systems. Russiaa was no exception.
Chapterr 2 contains a sketch of Novikov's life. Little is known about hiss early youth and information about his years in school is
frag-mentedd For family reasons Novikov had to give up school prema-turely.. He was predetermined to follow a career in the army. As a militaryy man he was noted for his inquisitiveness and his erudition. Hiss superiors recommended him as a clerk for Catherine the Sec-ond'ss extensive legislation project. When the project began to falter, Novikovv decided to leave the civil service. Catherine the Great, whosee intention it was to liberalise Russian society, created room for aa 'free' press. Novikov took this opportunity to engage in satirical journalismm and developed his first publishing activities.
Hiss work as a clerk and his journalistic interest in the prob-lemss and deficiencies of the social system confronted him with the essentiall questions of his time. He developed a strong need for a new emotionall frame of reference. Unexpectedly he found himself at a mentall crossroads, one road leading to the body of thought of the Frenchh enlightenment philosophers, the other to the transcendental universee of religion. At that point, freemasonry entered his life. Not withoutt strong hesitations did he accede to the lodge, refusing the initiation,, however. Nevertheless, the first and most significant occa-sionn he attended was an initiation, not his own but that of others. Be-causee the initiation is a crucial event for the freemason and in view of Novikov'ss later position within the lodge, this subject will be dealt withh at length.
Novikovv was disappointed by his experiences in the lodge. Thiss disenchantment was not related to the essence of masonry, the usee of symbols and prescribed rituals, but rather to the lack of seri-ousnesss in the way the brethern went about their masonic labour. Despitee the disappointment of his initial experiences, however, he camee to need freemasonry as an essential spiritual vehicle. Before longg Novikov had established a position of great authority in ma-sonicc circles. He became Master of the Lodge, the primary official in conductingg the initiation and promotion rites. Competition between thee various masonic systems and the loose approach to masonic la-bourr displayed by many brethern around him forced Novikov to es-tablishh his own lodge, together with others of the same mind How-ever,, the original British system with its three symbolic degrees was tooo limited to meet their spiritual needs and therefore he and his kin-dredd spirits set out to find the substance of 'true freemasonry'. They
hadd got word that this existed and was embodied by a most exclusive andd secret society: the order of the Gold- undRosenkreuz.
Tliiss was the beginning of a quest that was eventually to lead Novikovv and his confederates to Berlin. We follow them on their heels,, thus getting to know the protagonists of the German order. Wee shall see the Moscovian freemasons achieve the Theoreticus gradee and how they were received into the order. This will bring out thee hierarchical relationship between the German and Moscovian brethemm and shed special light on Novikov as a mason.
Novikovv had entered an esoteric society in which alchemy andd aspects of theosophy and hermeticism predominated. Jesus Christt and the gospel were at the centre of the rosicrucians' world Yett again, in these new masonic surroundings, Novikov won a large measuree of trust: he was initiated and under German guidance and supervisionn he became one of the three most prominent figures amongg the Moscovian rosicrucians.
Chapterr 3 deals with Novikov's place in the Masonic East. The East iss the symbol of the freemason's orientation towards the Great Ar-chitectt of the Universe. East and West are two important symbolic orientationn points in freemasonry. Novikov's life as a mason is em-beddedd in the context of this East-West perspective.
Betweenn 1775 and 1777 Novikov's outlook concentrated on theosophic-gnosticc thought. During that period he went through an orientationn phase, resulting in his pursuit of 'true freemasonry'. When hiss brother Schwarz leaves for Berlin charged with the search for true freemasonry,, Novikov forewarns him that in case there were any-thingg contrary to Christian belief, he would reject a possible associa-tion.. In fact, one of the central points developed in this chapter is thatt both upon his accession to the lodge and when consenting to his initiationn in the Theoreticus grade of the rosicrucians, Novikov's conditionn was that there should be nothing in the masonic ways of workingg that conflicted with his conscience or was contrary to his Christiann beliefs. The articles he wrote in 1777 were of a theosophical nature.. However, after his initiation into the Theoreticus grade in 1783,, and having joined a movement in which the adoration of Jesus Christt was a prominent element, he published his article on the (re-ligious)) upbringing of children. In this article he refers to Jesus Christ
andd we get to know him as a Christian stressing the importance of meaningfull confession of faith and religious practice. In 1786 arch-bishopp Platon, who had been commissioned by Catherine the Great too scrutinise his beliefs, professed him to be an orthodox Christian. Sincee that time his Christian faith also permeates his letters. It be-comess evident that his lifelong secondary orientation towards esoteric knowledgee has but one goal: that of fortifying and deepening his Christiann creed and attitude in life.
Alll of Novikov's thought was rooted in his Christian up-bringing.. This chapter therefore also treats some historical and relig-iouss aspects of Russian orthodoxy. The platonic idea embodied by thatt creed, and the mystical force emanating from it constitute the basiss of Novikov's experience of church and faith in his younger years.. The same elements defined the spiritual atmosphere in which Novikovv and his brethern grew up.
Thee notions of eighteenth-century enlightenment formed an importantt precondition for the expansion of freemasonry in Russia. However,, the numbers of Russians who tried to achieve social ad-vancement,, building on the rational concepts of enlightenment and bypassingg the structures of state or church, remained relatively small andd their possibilities limited. The state of development of Russian society,, right up to the highest social strata, was such that the ideas of enlightenmentt were not fully appreciated Among those who rejected thee ideas of enlightenment there was a group of Russians who - just likee the rationalists of enlightenment - tried to find ways of social im-provementt while bypassing the structures of church and state. This group,, led by Novikov and his masonic friends, did not turn to the wealthh of ideas of the encyclopedists nor to empirical science, but soughtt to obtain the answers to the existential questions from the-osophists,, pietists and mystics. Freemasonry was the workshop in whichh they laboured at the ideas of these thinkers.
Wee shall discuss the theosophist and mystic Jakob Böhme, thee French theosophist De Saint-Martin and the Lutheran and pietist Johannn Arndt. Although Novikov in fact nowhere mentions Böhme
byy name, we discuss Böhme because he was a spiritual beacon for the upperr layer of all of Russian freemasonry. De Saint-Martin's thoughts,, which Novikov does explicitly mention as one of the sourcess of his personal inspiration, are reflected in, among other
things,, the above-mentioned articles that Novikov wrote in 1777. As forr content, Novikov felt attracted most to Arndt's way of thinking. Thee latter's pietist concepts connected closely to Novikov's orthodox Christiann feelings. The spiritual world of these men was the backdrop forr the development of Novikov's notions concerning the religious valuess in life. These notions, which are contained in his masonic-religiouss views, will be treated in depth.
Thee first aspect to be discussed will be Novikov's views on Egyptiann antiquity and his way of connecting these with freemasonry. Nextt we consider his perceptions of God, of man in his relation to Godd and Creation, of Jesus Christ, the Gospel, prayer, sin, free will andd divine mercy. This section ends with a summary of Novikov's practicall ideas about proper religious education and of his relation to thee church. We have to go into quite some detail, not only to gauge thee intensity of Novikov's labour in the masonic East, but also to ex-aminee the religious dimension of his emotional life. This part of our discussionn takes place in the light of the various qualifications that weree applied to Novikov by Russian writers and scholars over the last twoo centuries. There is remarkable variety in the ways in which he has beenn characterised, which range from proponent of enlightenment, rationalistt and deist to mystic, occultist and obscurant. The latter threee qualifications were based on his being a member of a hermeti-callyy oriented organisation, an aspect characteristic of the order of the Gold-Gold- undRosenkmizer.
Thiss chapter makes it clear that Novikov was not an enlight-ener,, nor a Christian enlightener. His social actions were not driven byy an intellectual concept founded on rationalist or rational-Christian notionss of enlightenment. Rather, they received their impetus from ann intuitive, orthodox religious concept amalgamated with theo-sophicall and alchemistic elements. For Novikov this concept implied aa social duty, which he fulfilled by means of the masonic symbolism off the Rough and the Perfect Ashlar. His 'enlightening' actions con-stitutedd an imperative of that masonic symbolism. Those aspects of Novikov'ss actions used as arguments to characterise him as one who workedd to spread enlightenment, need to be placed in this masonic context.. Within this framework in which the 'masonic method' holds sway,, the (apparent) contradiction between Novikov's social actions andd his religious attitude is removed Over a period of 42 years,
whichh includes years of strenuous work during the 1780's, there is clearr evidence of Novikov's attachment to the ethical-moral masonic frameworkk in which he lived.
Novikovv grounded his existence in the masonic East in his unconditionall devotion to the words in John 17. Thus he demon-stratedd that there was only one qualification that applied to him: that off a Christian who explored many ways in seeking to deepen his faith. .
Inn the fourth and last chapter, Novikov in the masonic West, his workk in society is described During the first few decades following thee year 1717 in which freemasonry was founded, one could not yet speakk of a 'masonic' morality proper. This began to change towards thee late 1730's and during the second half of the eighteenth century, underr the influence of freemasons like Andrew Michael Ramsay and Gottfriedd Ephraim Lessing, among others. They gave freemasonry its specificc ethical-moral dimension. Their ideas came from the heart of thee masonic rites, from the symbolism of the Rough Stone. This im-pliedd the mason's duty to seek moral perfection in his relations with hiss fellow human beings and with society at large, under the 'eye' of thee Great Architect of the Universe.
Inn eighteenth-century Europe, the social environment in whichh the lodges had to function was shaped by absolutism. The freemasons'' efforts to implement their masonic mission in society wass a potential danger for the autocracy. However, from the time its Constitutionss were laid down,, freemasonry has stressed its members' dutiess towards the king and the legal authorities, based on the Chris-tiann belief that the powers of the Crown stem from divine provi-dence.. This implied a fundamental limitation on the social responsi-bilitiess flowing from masonic symbolism, which prevented sonryy from becoming a political movement. In Russia, too, freema-sonryy recognised the central symbolism and its ensuing social mis-sion.. Under Catherine the Great, masonic activity was tolerated ini-tially,, but when members began to manifest themselves in society as freemasons,, Catherine stepped in. Freemasons like Radiscev and No-vikovv personally experienced what that meant.
Thee quality of implementation of the masonic mission in the Westt was closely connected with the exercise of morality. Novikov's
labourr in society is rooted in masonic virtues. His views with respect too these virtues were determined by his religious ideas. For Novikov thesee virtues served as goal and guidance in his work. His views on thesee virtues find their expression in his choice of the spiritual writ-ingss which he published and the social activities in which he engaged. Duringg the decade from 1779 and 1789 Novikov pursued sociall activities as a mason. Two organisations occupied central posi-tionss in his life during those years: the Dru&hoe u&noe oblöesivo and thee Tipograft&skqya Kompaniya. The Drufyskoe u&noe obf&stvo was the platformm for pedagogical and philanthropic projects. The
Tipcgra-ft&skqyaft&skqya Kompaniya at its height was a combination of three printing officess and the source of a stream of spiritual books which reached
alll corners of the Russian empire. The wide-ranging interest of the freemasonss in spiritual matters is illustrated by an ample selection fromm the titles published. One of the masons' important activities in thee masonic West was to practice various forms of charity. Because thee two organisations of the Moscow freemasons had considerable sumss at their disposal, they were able to engage in a number of dif-ferentt fields.
AA decade of masonic activities provoked reactions that led to seriouss anti-masonic opposition. The first signs of this appeared in universityy circles. Later on, however, when the stream of religious bookss started to swell and the increasing social activities of the Mos-coww freemasons became noticed, opposition spread beyond the uni-versity.. The freemasons' activities caused the natural suspicion to-wardss freemasonry that lived within the crown and the church to turnn into open hostility. The contacts with Crown Prince Paul I, the connectionss with the Berlin rosicrucians and the alleged negative role off freemasonry during the French Revolution together formed suffi-cientt reason for the tsarina to have Novikov thrown into jail. Her reasonss were rooted in her fear of losing the throne. As for the church,, Novikov was a spiritual rather than a physical threat. The churchh regarded him as a neo-schismatic. Fear of its religious mo-nopolyy being challenged was at the bottom of this accusation.
Novikovv remained a convinced freemason until the end of his life. Afterr his release from prison in 1796 he continued his activities as a masonn for over two decades. He was the single central figure for the
Russiann rosicrucians long after the Berlin centre had ceased to exist. Butt despite his devotion to his work in the Theoreticus grade of the rosicrucianss he remained true to the original three symbolic degrees. Too him, these remained the foundation of freemasonry. The symbol-ismm of the Rough and the Perfect Ashlar was his lodestar in life.
