The Invisible College: The Royal Society, Freemasonry and the Birth of Modern Science [Paperback]

Some may consider the inception of a supposed 'elitist' society to be little more than the inevitable result of the restoration, a monarch's money and political cronyism. However, in The Invisible College, Dr Lomas' demonstrates a rich complicated history replete with intrigue, science and humour set against a backdrop of conflict, plague and fire.

In this personal account of his search for the roots, and above all else the purpose of the formation of the Royal Society, Dr Lomas develops the key issue of membership, notably one member, Sir Robert Moray. Robert Moray, Scotsman, visionary, spy, and soldier, with an apparently flexible approach to choosing political sides in the Civil War. The history of the Royal Society is inextricably linked to the life of the non-scientist, Robert Moray the close friend of the King.

Moray's vision and Charles II patronage saw seemingly irreconcilable adversaries from both sides of the Parliamentarian / Royalist conflict manage to sit side by side under the auspices of Science and Philosophy, and develop an experimentation approach to solving the riddles of nature. The Royal Society, through experimentation, is responsible for many of the facts of modern life that we consider to be the norm. Facts such as: thermodynamics, the laws of motion, the measurement of longitude, and frozen chicken. But beyond the promotion of a new approach to science and the extended storage of fresh comestibles, what was Robert Moray's motivation in championing the inception of the Royal Society? Was it just as a 'Q' branch for the struggling Royal Navy, or was there an additional layer of purpose?

The Invisible College explores links between Freemasonry and the early membership of the Royal Society, revealing a close relationship between the Brethren and the founder members, significantly, one Sir Robert Moray among many others. The relationship is clearest in the articles and documents of the members, especially the frontispiece of Sprat's "History of the Royal Society" as presented to the Society in 1667. The Masonic imagery is apparent, once pointed out in Dr Lomas' text, as are a vast number of other references, overt and otherwise.

The Freemasonry relationship established, the book charts the next couple of hundred years of the life of the society in its closing chapters. During that period, The Invisible College documents the expansion of English Freemasonry and the changes to the structure and philosophy of the Royal Society during the Hannovarian 'purging' of the influences of Moray's Jacobite Scottish Freemansonry.

Without revealing too much of the evidence cited in this book, it could be said that this personal voyage provides the definitive work linking Freemasonry to one of Britain's oldest and most respected scientific bodies. It most certainly provides some very tasty food for thought.

This solo effort from Dr Robert Lomas, follows on naturally from two earlier books (co- authored with Christopher Knight) viz: 'The Hiram Key' and 'The Second Messiah.' A criticism levelled at the former book, concerning the vast range of events attempted in a single volume, is fully answered in 'The Invisible College'. Dr Lomas has taken the content of a few pages from 'The Hiram Key' and expanded it into an interesting, and well researched account.

That there is a connection between Freemasonry and the Royal Society, in its early days, there can be little doubt, as even a cursory examination of prints of the time will readily testify. Dr Lomas takes a thorough look into the causality of this connection. The main theme centres on an important period in the life of, Sir Robert Moray,( the first initiate into Freemasonry in England, Elias Ashmole was later) and leads on to what might be termed the Machiavellian but beneficial exploits of our hero. These were times when science as such was in its infancy and had not fully emerged from mysticism and alchemy, which themselves had barely emerged from the dead hand of religious dogma. The bitter civil war had recently ended, and it was no mean feat of Moray's to bring thinkers together who had found themselves on opposing sides. No scientist himself, his motivations given in the text, of exploiting the love of military power by kings and politicians are entirely plausible.

The emasculation of the older forms of Freemasonry into what is known as St John's Masonry by the United Grand Lodge of England for political reasons at the time, is thoroughly covered.

The hostility of the Roman Catholic Church to Freemasonry stemming from the papal edict of Clement XII 1738 In eminenti, and reinforced by successive popes, is popularly supposed to arise from the demand for secret oaths (now no longer secret) religious indifferentism and possible threat to church and state. None of these appear convincing in present times. This hostility has been reiterated in recent times (November 1983) by the head of the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, Cardinal J Ratzinger. Dr Lomas raises more likely possible reasons.

This is a refreshing approach, perhaps because it has been written by an Professional Engineer who has looked at historical events through fresh eyes and from a sound scientific background. That said, 'The Invisible College' is highly readable and a jolly good read. My major criticism was the difficulty I had in putting it down.