ccording to injunctions given by Tsong Kappa (fifteenth century) the secret Brotherhood of transhimalayan Adepts known nowadays as “The Great White Brotherhood” was to disclose, in the last quarter of every century, some important teachings in order to help Humanity progress spiritually through the acquisition of knowledge and unburden itself from materialistic appetites!

A huge problem arises between the time that this message is delivered and begins to be assimilated, and when it succeeds bearing fruits. Indeed, the “obscure forces” dwelling at the depths of the subconscious mind, are galvanized  to   build  resistance  whenever  a positive change of their  nature is called for; as a result, History shows that a  gap  always exits between the  moment the Message is delivered and when It begins to be accepted and  put into use by humanity; During this process the Messenger is often “sacrificed”…

The Message may come through the establishment of an Occult Organization, or an influence aiming to change the political order, or perhaps, as the disclosure of Teachings to the public. We may consider some examples concerning the past six centuries:

• Last quarter of the Fifteenth century: The Fraternity of the Rose+Cross, initiated by Christian Rozencreuz in Germany  in 1459, began to emerge in Europe; during the same period , Paracelsus — a Kabbalist, Alchemist, amongst other things — avoided the pyre and cast the foundation of the whole medicine.
  
  
• Last quarter of the Sixteenth century: The European Hermetists continued to organize secretly and Giordano Bruno publicly professed Platonism, redeemed Ancient Paganism and Its Wisdom and secretly attempted an armed attack on Rome to depose the papal imposture;1 we all know the outcome of the whole endeavour: he was burned at the stake on this sinister day of January 1600, at Campo dei Fiori, near Rome.
  
  
• Last quarter of the Eighteenth century: The Count of Saint Germain attempted, in vain, to inspire king Louis XV on imperative political changes; that attempt would face the same outcome by Louis XVI when he could contact only through Marie Antoinette who, upon meeting him, unfortunately, did not believe him.   At the same time, supporting the Program of Reforms, via the Masonic Lodges, A. of Cagliostro attempted, also in vain, to disclose some truly occult Teachings to these Lodges; transcending the political needs of the time, without ever neglecting them, he tries to demonstrate that an Ancient Knowledge underlies all the religions and that Egypt is to the West, the cradle of Its lost Wisdom. How did all that end? By a bloody revolution and the subsequent rejection of all Occultism from the Masonry. The former (Saint Germain), called Impostor, disappeared from the scene; the second (Cagliostro) tortured, imprisoned, saw his honor unpugned (an “impostor”, a “quack”, etc) and worse, the Message excluded. However, from the end of that century, things began to change and mentalities are convulsed: the Revolution has nevertheless borne its fruits and the minds are avid of knowledge, eager to break away from the ecclesiastical obscurantism imposed upon in  past centuries. The political freedom conquered could not endure without the freedom of speech and education. See “Programme of the Adepts in the eighteenth century”.

Thus the Adepts try to rescue Man from his ignorance and help Him reach the heights of Spirit.

They did the same in the last quarter of the nineteenth century (See “Programme of the Adepts in the nineteenth  century”.

1 See the excellent book filled with references — amongst which are numerous extracts from the certificated records of the trial of Giordano Bruno — written by Frances Yates “Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition”