Martinism was marked by highly respected men, whose teaching is always to be situated in the particular context and time of personal history.
The XVIIIth century had undermined the foundations of clerical religion, with the development of a philosophy creating the conditions of an anguished, disordered world.
Martinism then brought a method of work: knowledge and faith could be united. Martines rested on freemasonry but Martinism was independent from freemasonry. It is not necessary to be a freemason to become a Martinist. Many enlightened freemasons join the order at some stage of their routes.