Man: His True Nature and Ministry

Louis-Claude de Saint-Martin was originally a high initiate in Martinez de Pasqually's 'Ordre des Chevalier Maçons Élus Cohen de L'Univers', better known as 'Elus Kohen', a theurgic order dedicated to human salvation through High Magic. The group maintained a Gnostic-like belief that human souls had become trapped in material bodies at the Fall, and that Jesus - the 'Great Repairer' - had come to return humanity to its original estate. While agreeing with the fallen state of Man and the material world, Saint-Martin became disillusioned with Elus Kohen magical practices, and formulated his own 'Path of the Heart': a mystic, meditational technique for achieving the same ends. 'Man, His True Nature and Ministry' is St Martin's most important exposition of this philosophy, and his method of regaining the primordial divine grace. First published in 1802, it was also Saint-Martin's last work - he died the following year.