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The Spiritist Review - Journal of Psychological Studies - 1860 > April
April
Bulletin of the Parisian Society of Spiritist StudiesFriday, February 24th, 1860
(General Session)
MULTIPLE COMMUNICATIONS:
(General Session)
MULTIPLE COMMUNICATIONS:
1st – Letter from Dieppe confirming all points of the spontaneous
manifestations which took place in the house of a baker from
Grandes-Ventes, near Dieppe, and reported in La Vigie (published
in our March issue);
2nd – Letter from Mr. M. from Teil d’Ardèche, providing
new information about manifestations which took place at Fons
Castle, near Aubenas;
3rd – Letter from Baron Tscherkassoff, containing circumstantial
and authentic details about a very extraordinary fact
of spontaneous manifestation by a rapping spirit, which took
place at the beginning of the century, with a manufacturer in St.
Petersburg (to be published below);
4th – A report was given of an event of tangible apparition,
having all the characteristics of an agénère (temporarily materialized
spirit), which occurred last January 15th, in the village of Brix, near Valognes. The fact was transmitted to Mr. Ledoyen
by someone acquainted with him and that verified its accuracy
(published below);
5th – A text was read about a Muslim tradition regarding
prophet Esdras, extracted from the “Moniteur” on February 15th
1860, based on a fact of mediumship.
STUDIES:
1st – Spontaneous essay by Charlet, received by Mr. Didier Junior,
confirming the work already initiated;
2nd – Evocation of Mr. Jules-Louis C…, deceased on January
30th last, in the Val-de-Grâce hospital, as a consequence of a cancer
which had destroyed part of his face and jaw;
This evocation was carried out following the wishes of one
of his friends who was attending the session and another person
who was a family friend. It is educational, above all, regarding the
changes in our way of thinking after death, since Mr. C… was
openly materialistic when alive.
3rd – St. Louis is asked if it would be possible to call the spirit
that manifested in the house of the baker of Dieppe. He responds
that he cannot, for reasons that would be understood later.
Friday, March 2nd, 1860
(Private Session)
Several administrative matters are analyzed and discussed.
Study and appreciation of several spiritist communications obtained
at the Society and outside of the sessions.
Once asked to provide a spontaneous essay, St. Louis writes the following
through Ms. Huet:
“Here I am my friends, ready to give you my advices as I have been doing
so far. Beware of the bad spirits who may mingle among you, seeking to disseminate disunion. Unfortunately those who wish to become useful
for the accomplishment of a task always find obstacles. They don’t
find a generous person but someone willing to achieve a given intent.
Have no fear. You shall triumph over all obstacles through patience and
a firm attitude against voices that want to impose themselves. Regarding
the multiple communications attributed to me, these are sometimes from
another spirit that uses my name. I give few communications outside of
the Society that I have taken under my sponsorship. I do appreciate these
meetings, particularly devoted to me. It is only here that I like to give
warnings and advices. Thus, beware of other spirits that sometimes use
my name. May peace and union be among you! This is my wish in the
name of God who created good.
St. Louis
A member of the Society makes the following observation: “How
come an inferior spirit may take over the name of a superior spirit without
the latter’s consent? This can only happen with an evil intent. Then, why
would the good spirits allow it to happen? If they cannot oppose that,
does it mean that they are less powerful than the evil ones?
This was answered as follows: There is something more powerful than
the good spirits: God. God may allow the bad spirits to manifest in order
to help them to advance, and even more, to test our patience, our faith,
our confidence, our resolve to resist to temptation, and above all to exercise
our perspicacity in distinguishing between the true and false. It is up
to us to have the will of keeping them away, proving to them that we are
not toys in their hands. If they have authority over us, that is only due to
our own weakness. Pride, jealousy and all human evil passions constitute
their strength, giving them domination. We know out of experience that
their obsession ends when they don’t succeed and tire of trying. Then, it is
up to us to show them that they are wasting their time. If God wishes to
test us, then no spirit can oppose that. Thus, the obsession of malevolent
or mischievous spirits neither stems from their power nor from the weakness
of the good ones, but from a will that is above them all. The greater
the fight, the more merit we have, if we win.
Friday, March 9th, 1860
(Private Session)
The project containing proposed changes to the regulations of the Society
are to be introduced as such.
Mr. Allan Kardec presents the following observations with that
respect:
“Considerations about the objective and character of the Society
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Some people seem mistaken with respect to the true objective and
character of the Society; allow me to remind you of that, in a few words.
The objective of the Society is clearly defined in its own title and in
the preamble of the existing bylaws; that objective is essentially, and one
may say, exclusively, the study of the Spiritist Science. What we want, before
anything else, is not to convince ourselves, since we are already convinced,
but to get instructed and learn what we still don’t know. In order
to get there we need to position ourselves in the most favorable way; since
those studies require calmness and reverence we want to avoid anything
that may cause disruption. Such is the consideration that must prevail in
the appreciation of the measures that we adopt.
Starting from that principle, the Society then is in no way a vehicle of
propaganda. There is no doubt that each one of us wishes the dissemination
of the ideas that are considered useful; in order to achieve that each
one contributes in the circle of their relationships and according to their
own capacities. Yet it would be false to believe that it is necessary to gather
in society, and even more false to believe that the Society is the pillar
without which Spiritism would be in jeopardy.
Since the Society is regularly established, it proceeds with more order
and method than if marching serendipitously; but, besides all that,
the Society is not more preponderant than thousands of free societies
or private gatherings that do take place in France and abroad. Still
once more, what it wants is instruction; that is why it does not admit in its heart but serious persons, animated by the same desire, considering
that the antagonism of principles is a cause of disturbance. I
mean a systematic antagonism about the fundamental basis, since the
Society would not be able to put away the discussion of details without
contradicting itself. If it has adopted certain general principles it
is not due to a narrow spirit of exclusivism; the Society has seen it all,
studied and compared it all, and only after all that that an opinion
was formed based on experience and reason; only future can tell if the
Society is right or wrong.
Meanwhile it seeks no supremacy and only those who don’t know
the Society may suppose a ridicule pretension of absorbing all adepts of
Spiritism or to be positioned as the universal regulator. If it did not exist,
each one of us could learn independently, and instead of one meeting
only we could perhaps have ten or twenty, that is the whole difference. We
don’t impose our ideas to anyone; those who adopt them, it is because they
find them fair; those who come to us believe that there is an opportunity
to learn here but this is not like affiliation, since we neither form a sect nor
a party; we gather for the study of Spiritism like others do for the study
of Phrenology, History and other Sciences; and as our gatherings are not
based on any material interest, we don’t mind that others are formed right
beside us; truly, it would be the same as attributing us with very petty,
narrow and puerile ideas if thought that we would see them with jealous
eyes, and those who wanted to create rivalries would be showing for that
very reason how little they understand the true spirit of the Doctrine;
we would regret one thing only: that they don’t know us well enough to
suppose that we are accessible to the ignoble feeling of envy. It is understandable
that mercenary and rival companies which may be harmed by
competition see each other with suspicious eyes; however, if these gatherings
only aim at, as they should, an exclusively moral interest, if there is
no commercial consideration intermingled with them, I then ask how
they can be harmed by multiplicity. Some will certainly say that if there is
no material interest on one side, there is self-love on the other, the desire to
destroy the neighbor’s moral credit; but such a drive would be even more ignoble. If that were the case – certainly contrary to God’s wishes – we
would only have to feel sorry for those moved by such thoughts. Do you
want to overtake your neighbor? Do better than him; that is a noble and
dignified fight, when it is not stained by envy and jealousy.
That is, ladies and gentlemen, an essential point which should not
be out of sight, that we neither form a sect nor a society of propaganda,
or a corporation with a common interest; if we ceased existing, Spiritism
would suffer no damage and other twenty societies would be formed from
our remains. One must understand that the roots of Spiritism are not in
our Society but in the whole world. There is something more powerful
than them, more influential than all societies: it is the Doctrine which
reaches the heart and reason of those who understand it; and particularly
of those who practice it.
These principles, ladies and gentlemen, tell us the true character of
our regulations, which have nothing in common with the bylaws of a corporation;
there is no contract bonding one to the others; outside our sessions
we have no reciprocal obligation but to behave as educated people.
Those who don’t find in these meetings what they expected to find have
total freedom to leave, and I would not even conceive the idea of having
them around since what we do here is not suitable to them. It would not
be logical that they would come here to waste their time.
In every meeting one needs rules to maintain the good order; our
regulation is then nothing but a word of order with the objective of establishing
the organization of our sessions, keeping the relationship among
the attendees civil and adequate, necessary to preside over every assembly
of people of good manners, abstraction made of the conditions which are
inherent to the specialty of our activities, since we don’t deal exclusively
with human beings but also with the spirits that, as you know, are not
all good spirits and that one must be on guard against the falsehood of
some. Among them there are some very astute ones who can even push us
towards a dangerous avenue, just for the hatred of good; it is up to us to
exercise prudence and perspicacity to frustrate them, a fact that forces us
to take special precautions.
Keep in mind, ladies and gentlemen, the way by which the Society
was formed. I used to receive in my house people in “petit comité” (small
groups); as that number grew, people said: a larger place is in order. In
order to have a larger place it will be necessary to pay for it and we then
had to share the costs. It was also said: one needs order with the séances;
we cannot admit the first one who shows up; then we need rules; and that
is the whole story of the Society. It is very simple, as you see. The idea of
founding an institution had not crossed anybody’s mind, or the occupation
with any other business outside the studies, and I even declare very
formally that if in any case the Society wanted to go beyond that objective
I would not follow it.
What I have done, others are equally free to do the same on their side
and at will, following their own tastes, ideas and particular viewpoints;
and these different groups may understand each other perfectly well and
coexist like good neighbors. As it is physically impossible to gather all
adepts of Spiritism in the same place, unless a public area was used for the
assemblies, those different groups must be fractions of a larger whole but
not rival sects; and a given group, if becoming too large, may be subdivided
like the swarms of bees. These groups already exist in large numbers
and multiply every day. Well, it is precisely against such multiplicity that
the ill faith of the enemies of Spiritism shall breakdown, for the obstacles
would have the unavoidable effect, and by the force of things, of multiplying
the private gatherings. By that, one must acknowledge that there
is among certain groups a kind of rivalry, or even antagonism; what is the
cause of that? Oh my god! That cause is in human fragility, in the spirit
of pride that one wishes to impose; it is above all in the still incomplete
knowledge of the true principles of Spiritism. Each one defending their
principles like the Greek cities defended their gods in the former times
who, one must recognize, were no one else but the more or less good spirits.
Those dissidences only exist because there are people ready to judge
before they have seen the whole picture or who judge from the standpoint
of their restrict personalities; they shall fade away as many have already
done so, while the Science is being formulated; truth is definitely one and it shall come out of the impartial assessment of the different opinions.
Under the expectation that light will shine upon all points, who shall be
the judge? Reason, you will say; but when two persons contradict one
another, each one invokes their reason; what will be the superior reason to
decide between those two reasons?
Without discussing the more or less pompous language, a form which
the imposter and pseudo-clever spirits know well how to use in order to
seduce by appearances, we start from the principle that good spirits give
only good advices, those of union and concord; that their language is
always simple, modest and full of benevolence, exempt of acrimony, arrogance
and presumption, in short, that everything in them breathes the
purest charity. Charity - that is the true criterion to judge the spirits and
to judge oneself. Whoever finds a germ of rancor against their brother or
sister when digging up their most inner soul, even a simple bad wish, may
say to oneself that a bad spirit is soliciting them, since the maxim of Christ
is forgotten: “you will be forgiven as you have forgiven.”
Thus, if there is rivalry between two spiritist groups the truly good
spirits could not take the side of the one who had said anathema against
the other since a sensible person could never believe that envy, rancor,
malevolence, in short, every feeling against charity could stem from a
pure source. Look and find the side in which there is more practical charity
and not in words and you shall recognize effortlessly on which side
the good spirits are, and consequently from whom one is more likely to
expect the truth.
Such considerations, ladies and gentlemen, far from keeping us away
from our subject, they place us on the right terrain. The regulations, seen
from that perspective, totally lose their character of contract, assuming a
much more modest one, that of simple disciplinary rule.
Every meeting, whatever their objective, must forearm against an obstacle
which is the disordered characters that seem to have been born
to spread disturbance and fissure everywhere; disorder and contradiction
are their element. The spiritist sessions, more than the others, must fear
them since the best communications are only obtained in calmness and reverence, incompatible with their presence and that of the sympathetic
spirits that they bring along.
In summary, we must strive to remove all causes of disorder and interruption;
keeping good relationships among us, which the sincere spiritists
should give the example, more than others; we must oppose to any movement
of the Society away from its objective, by not dealing with questions
which are not in its scope, or paying the price to degenerate into an
arena of personalism and controversy. Furthermore, we need to look for
simplification in our procedures, facilitating the execution of the works.
The more complicated the procedures the more we will have causes for
disturbance; relaxation will come in by the sheer force of things and from
relaxation to anarchy is only one step away.”
Friday, March 16th, 1860
(Private Session)
Regulations are discussed and modified.
Friday, March 23rd, 1860
(Private Session)
The persons are indicated and the whole Committee nominated.
STUDIES:
Two spontaneous essays were obtained, the first one from the spirit of
Charlet, through Mr. Didier Jr.; the second through Mrs. Boyer, from
a spirit who said to have been forced to come, accused for having tried
to break the harmony, spreading disruption, provoking envy and rivalry
among those who should be united. The spirit acknowledges his guilt on
some of the charges. Such spontaneous confession, he says, is part of the
punishment imposed on him.
Formation of Earth Theory of Planetary Incrustation
Our wise comrade from Brussels, Mr. Jobard, sends the text below regarding
our article about the pre-adamites, published in last month’s
issue of the Review:
“Allow me some thoughts about the creation of the world, with the
objective of rehabilitating the Bible to our eyes and to the eyes of the free
thinkers. God created the world in six days, four thousand years before
the Christian era. That is what is contested by the geologists, based on
the study of fossils and on the thousands of incontestable indications of
antiquity that throw Earth’s origin to thousands of millions of years back.
Nevertheless, the Scriptures tell the truth and so do the geologists, and it
is a simple peasant that shows the agreement, teaching us that our Earth
is nothing but an incrusted planet, very modern, composed of materials
very ancient.”
“After the elevation of the unknown planet, reaching maturity or harmony
with what was around in the place that we occupy today; Earth’s
soul received a command to gather its satellites in order to form the current
globe, according to the rules which governed everything. Only four
of those globes consented with the proposed formation; only the Moon insisted in its autonomy, as the globes also have their free-will. In order
to proceed with such a fusion, Earth’s soul stroked those globes with an
attractive magnetic ray, thus bringing the vegetable, animal and hominid
components of the community into a cataleptic state. The sole witness
of that operation was Earth’s soul and the great celestial messengers who
helped in that enormous endeavor, opening their globes and sharing their
innards. Once the fusion was achieved the waters flowed over the voids
left by the absence of the Moon, from whom one was supposed to expect
a better appreciation of its interests.”
“The atmospheres blended and the awakening, or the resurrection of
the germs from the cataleptic state, started. The human being was the last
one to be retrieved from his hypnotic state, finding himself surrounded
by luxuriant vegetation of the terrestrial paradise and the animals which
peacefully grazed around him. Would you believe that all this could have
happened in six days, considering such powerful workers to whom God
had assigned the task! Planet Asia brought us the yellow race, the oldest
civilization; planet Africa the black race; planet Europa the white race and
planet America the red race. The Moon would certainly have brought us
the green or blue race.”
“Thus, certain animals from which only the remains are found would
have never lived here in our current Earth but would have been dislocated
from their aged worlds. The fossils that are found in climates where they
could not have survived certainly lived in different zones in their original
globes. Those remains are found on our Poles while in their planets they
would have lived around the Equator. Besides, those huge masses whose
existence we cannot conceive in the air, used to live on the bottom of the
oceans under the pressure of a medium that facilitated their locomotion.
Future studies of the seas will bring us other remains, other germs which
will wake up from their long lethargy, showing us unknown species of
plants, animals and autochthones, contemporary of the floods, and you
will be surprised by discovering new islands in the middle of the oceans
populated by plants and animals which cannot come from anywhere, nor
can they be transported by the winds or by the waves.”
“Our Science which contests the Bible will end up by restituting its
merit as it was forced to do regarding the rotation of Earth, since it is not the
Bible that is in error but those who do not understand it. Here is the proof:”
“Joshua stopped the sun by saying: Sun, stand still…! Well, it is still
since then because you will find nowhere that he had ordered the Sun to
move again; and since the defeat of the Amalekites, if night succeeds day,
it is necessary that Earth moves. Then it is not Galileo but the inquisitors
who must be reprimanded for not having taken the Bible literally.”
“The existence of the biblical unicorn was also denied and two have
just been killed in the Tibetan mountains. The apparition of the spectrum
of Saul was denied and thank God you are about to convince the
skeptical. Let us always remember this warning from the Scriptures: “Noli
esse incredulous sicut equus et mulus, quibus non est intellectus”.
“Kind and respectful regards to the author of the Ethnology of the
Spiritual World.”
Jobard
The theory of Earth’s formation by the incrustation of several planetary
bodies was already given on several occasions by certain spirits and
through mediums who did not know one another. We do not support that
doctrine, which we must confess, has not been sufficiently studied yet
so that we can speak about it, but we recognize that it deserves a certain
examination. The ideas that it suggests are nothing but hypothesis until
more positive findings may come to confirm or deny them. Meanwhile it
is a milestone which can lead to great discoveries, guiding our researches
and scientists who may perhaps one day find in them the solution to many
problems.
Nevertheless, certain critics will say: “Don’t you trust the spirits? Do
you have doubts about their assertions? Since they are intelligences no
longer attached to matter, can they not remove all doubts of Science and
shed light where there is darkness?”
This is a serious issue that is related to the foundation of Spiritism and
that we cannot solve at this point without repeating what we have already
said with that regard. We shall only add a few words in order to justify
our reservations. To begin with, we will respond by saying that we would
very easily become people of lessor knowledge if we limited ourselves to
only enquiry the spirits in order to know everything that is unknown to
us now. God wishes that we acquire knowledge through work and God
has not assigned the spirits with the task of bringing us that preprocessed
knowledge, favoring our idleness. Next, one must consider that humanity,
like the individuals, has its infancy, adolescence, youth and maturity.
Since the spirits have been assigned by God to instruct human beings,
they must then provide teachings that facilitate the development of human
beings’ intelligence. They will not say everything to everyone, and
before sowing they expect the terrain to be ready for the seeds so that they
can bear fruits. That is why certain truths which we are told today were
not taught to our parents, who also questioned the spirits; furthermore,
that is why truths for which are not mature yet will only be taught to
those who will come after us. Our mistake is to consider ourselves to be
on the summit when in reality we are only half way through.
Let us say in passing that the spirits have two ways of instructing
human beings. They can do it by communicating directly with human
beings, a fact that has always happened at all times, as demonstrated by
sacred as well as profane history, and they can also incarnate among human
beings to accomplish missions of progress. Such are those righteous
individuals and geniuses that show up from time to time, like lighthouses
to humanity, making it advance a few steps. Observe what happens when
those individuals come before the time is right for the propagation of the
ideas that they want to spread: they go ignored in life but their teachings
remain. These are stored in the world’s archives, like the precious grain
that is spared, reaching the ground the day when it can fructify.
From the above it is understandable that if the time were not right to
disseminate certain ideas we would then hopelessly interrogate the spirits.
They cannot say but that which they are permitted. There is however another reason that everyone who has some experience with the spiritual
world understands well.
It is not good enough to be a spirit in order to reach the universal science;
otherwise death would make us almost equal to God. As a matter
of fact, simple common sense refuses to accept that the spirit of a savage,
of an ignorant or evil person, when separated from the body, would be
on the same level as that of the virtuous individual. That would not be
rational. Hence, there are advanced spirits and others more or less delayed,
who still need to pass through several stages, go through numerous filters
before leaving behind all their imperfections. As a consequence, all varieties
of moral and intelligence existing among human beings are also found
in the spiritual world, and some others. Now, experience demonstrates
that the bad ones communicate as much as the good ones. Those who
are openly bad are easily identified but there are also the pseudo-wise
ones, the false wise, the presumptuous, the systematic and the hypocrites.
These are the most dangerous ones since they bear a serious appearance,
of wisdom and science, towards which they always proclaim the most absurd
things amidst some truths and good teachings. They are not afraid
of using respectable names in order to better deceive. Separate the true
from the false; discover the occult deception out of a cascade of beautiful
words; unmask the imposters, that is, without a doubt, one of the greatest
difficulties of the Spiritist Science. A long experience is required in order
to overcome that; get to know every trap used by the low class spirits; exercise
a lot of prudence; see things with the most undisturbed cold blood
and particularly abstain yourself from the blinding enthusiasm. With
time, experience and a little bit of finesse one can easily figure them out,
even under the coverage of the most pretentious language.
Unfortunate, however, is the medium that judges them infallible, deluded
by the communications that they receive. The dominant spirit may
fascinate them to the point of leading them to believe to be sublime something
that is sometimes absurd and obvious to everyone else but them.
Let us return to the subject. The theory of the formation of Earth by
incrustation is not the only one given by the spirits. In which one should we believe? This demonstrates that outside the moral world, which cannot
have two interpretations, one must not accept scientific theories from
the spirits, unless with great reservation, because and once more they do
not have the mission of bringing us the final Science; they are far from
knowing everything, particularly with respect to the beginning of things;
finally, it is necessary to suspect the systematic ideas, that some among
them want to make prevail and to which they have no scruples in associating
a divine origin. Examining those communications cold-bloodedly
and especially without prevention; pondering all words with maturity,
we easily find out the signs of a suspicious origin, incompatible with the
character of the spirit with whom we supposedly speak.
These are sometimes such clear scientific heresies that one would need
to be blind or very ignorant to miss them. Well, how can one admit that
a superior spirit may make such absurd mistakes? Other times these are
trivial expressions of ridicule, puerile forms, and a thousand other signals
which betray the inferiority of the spirit to anyone who is not fascinated.
What sensible person could ever believe that a doctrine contrary to
the most positive findings of science could be originated from a wise
spirit, even when bearing the name Arago? How can one believe in the
goodness of a spirit who gave advices that were contrary to charity and
benevolence, even when signed by an apostle of beneficence? In addition,
it is a profanity to mix venerable names with communications which show
evident traces of inferiority. The more respected the names, the more they
must be taken carefully and the more one must be aware of the risks of
being deceived by mystification.
In summary, the important criterion taught by the spirits is logic.
God gave us reason and the capacity to judge so it can serve us. The good
spirits recommend it to us and we can use it to give proof of their superiority.
The others take great care. They want to be given credit for their
words, for they know they stand to lose if there is serious examination.
As seen, we have many reasons for not accepting lightheartedly every
theory given by the spirits. When a theory shows up, we position ourselves
in the role of the observer. We make abstraction of the spiritist origin, not allowing ourselves to be obfuscated by the light of pompous names.
We examine that theory as if coming from a simple mortal and see if it
is rational, if it encompasses everything, if it solves all challenges. That is
how we proceeded with the doctrine of the reincarnation, which was not
promptly adopted by us, although coming from the spirits, but only after
we had acknowledged that such theory, and only that theory, could solve
what no other doctrine could have ever done before, and abstraction made
of all material proofs which are daily given to us and many others about
that theory. Hence, never mind the contradictors, even if these are spirits.
As long as the theory is logic, according to God’s justice; than nothing
else more satisfactory can be presented to us, we will not bother with that
more than we would with those who state that the Earth does not turn
around the Sun – because there are spirits that defend this idea and consider
themselves shrewd – or those who say that human beings came from
another world, perfectly formed, riding the back of a winged elephant.
We agree even less with the point of view about the formation and
particularly the population of Earth. That is why, since the beginning,
we said that for us the issue was not sufficiently clarified, as seen from a
purely scientific point of view. We just say that, at first glance, the theory
of incrustation did not seem completely unfounded and, not supporting
or denying it, we say that this is a subject for examination. In fact, once
the physiological characters of the diverse human races are studied, it is
not possible to attribute them with a common origin, because the black
race is not a bastardization of the white race. Yet, adopting the Biblical
text, which yields all human beings descending from Noah’s family, two
thousand and four hundred years before the Christian era, one would
have to admit not only that such family populated the whole Asia, Europe
and Africa in a few centuries but that they had become black. We know
well the kind of influence that the climate and habits may have upon the
human body. A scorching Sun darkens the skin but it has never been seen,
even under the most intense tropical conditions, white families procreating
black children, without crossing races. Hence, it seems evident to us
that the primitive races on Earth came from different origins. What is the principle? That is the question, and up until there is material proof, one is
not allowed to make more than assumptions about the subject. Therefore,
it is up to the individuals of Science to identify those which are more in
agreement with the facts already attested by Science. Without examining
how the welding and fusion of several planetary bodies was possible for
the formation of our globe, we must recognize that it is not impossible
and then this could explain the simultaneous presence of heterogeneous
races, so much different in their habits and languages, that each part of
the globe would have carried their germs or embryos; and that perhaps,
who knows, the already formed individuals. Under such assumption, the
white race would have come from a different world than the one which
would have brought the black race. In all cases the fusion would not have
taken place without a general cataclysm, yielding the survival of a few
individuals only. Thus, according to this theory, our globe would be very
old for its constituent parts, and very new for its agglomeration. As seen,
this theory does not contradict the geological periods that would date
back to an undetermined period, prior to the fusion. Nevertheless, and
whatever Mr. Jobard says, if things took place in such a way, it seems difficult
that such events had happened and particularly that the equilibrium
of such a chaos could have taken place in six days of 24 hours. The motion
of the inert matter is submitted to eternal laws that cannot be breached
by miracles.
One must still explain the meaning of Earth’s soul since nobody can
attribute some sort of will to matter. The spirits have always said that
some of them have special assignments. Agents and God’s ministers manage,
according to their degree of elevation, events of physical as well as
moral nature. Thus, since some of them watch over individuals, of whom
they become familiar spirits or protectors, others take under their sponsorship
groups of individuals, communities, cities, peoples and even globes.
Earth’s soul must then be understood as the spirit called upon by its mission
of managing her and making her advance. The governing spirit of a
world must necessarily be of a superior order, and the more elevated the
more advanced that world is.
If we insisted on several points that could seem strange to the subject,
it was precisely due to the fact that they are related to an eminently controversial
scientific issue. It must be strongly stated to those who judge
things without knowing them that Spiritism, is far from taking everything
that comes from the invisible world as an article of faith and that,
contrary to what they intend to say, Spiritism is not founded on blind
belief, but on reason.
If all adepts of Spiritism do not keep the same circumspection, it is
not the Science’s fault but of those who do not endeavor to study it further.
Likewise, it would not be more logical to pass judgment based on the
exaggeration of a few individuals than to condemn religion based on the
opinion of a few fanatics.
Letters from Dr. Morhéry about Ms. Désirée Godu
We spoke about the remarkable faculty of Ms. Désirée Godu as a
healing medium and we could have cited authentic witnesses that
we have in our possession. However, here is a testimony of incontestable
reach. It is not one of those attestations that are provided somehow lightheartedly.
It is the result of serious observations by a knowledgeable man,
eminently capable of assessing things from both points of view of Science
and Spiritism. Dr. Morhéry sent us the two following letters, whose publication
the readers will appreciate.
“Plessis-Bloudet, near Loudéac (Côtes-du-Nord)
“Mr. Allan Kardec,
“Although overloaded right now by my regular activities, as a
corresponding member of the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies
I see it as my duty to inform you about an unexpected event
which is certainly of interest to all our colleagues.”
“You have praised Ms. Désirée Godu, from Hennebon, in
the last issues of your Review. You said that after she had been
a clairvoyant, hearing and writing medium, the young lady had
become a healing medium in the past few years. That is how
she came to me, requesting my support as a medical doctor, to demonstrate the efficacy of her medication, which I believe
it could be called spiritist. In the beginning I thought that her
motives where the threats against her and the obstacles created
to her medical practice for the fact that she was not certified.
She told me, however, that her guiding spirit, working with her
for six years, had advised her to do so, as a necessary condition
from the point of view of Spiritism. In any case I found it to be
my duty and in the interest of humanity to accept her generous
proposal, but I had doubts if she would accomplish that.
Although not knowing her in person or even having never seen
her, I learned that the devout young lady had never wanted to
be away from her family but in one exceptional circumstance
at the age of 17, in order to accomplish an important mission.
I was nicely surprised when I saw her coming to my house led
by her mother who left the next day, leaving her with profound
sadness. Such sadness, however, was mitigated by the courage of
her resignation. Ms. Godu has been living with my family for 10
days already, and she has become the focus of much joy, despite
her nerve-racking occupation. “Since her arrival I have already
attested 75 cases of several diseases, against which the medical
resources had failed in most of them. We have amaurosis fugax,
severe ophthalmic disorders, paralysis and all that reject to any
treatment, scrofulous, the scabby, cataracts and terminal cancer,
all cases that are duly registered; the nature of the disease is established
by me, she indicates the dressings, and all procedures
are followed as in a regular clinical treatment room.”
“Time was not enough for my peremptory pronunciation
about the healings operated by Ms. Godu. However, I can already
affirm that I am impressed by the revolutionary results that she
obtains with the application of her ointments whose effects vary
to the infinity through an action which I could not explain, based
on the ordinary rules of Science. I also saw with pleasure that she would cure fevers without the use of any chemicals or balms, by
simple infusion of flowers or leaves of several plants.”
“I particularly follow with great interest her treatment of a
third degree cancer. This cancer has been identified and unsuccessfully
treated by several colleagues, as always, and it is the focus
of great concern by Ms. Godu, who is very preoccupied by
it. I sincerely wish that her efforts be rewarded with success and
that she can heal that indigent which she treats with zeal beyond
praise. If she does, then other success cases are naturally expected
and she will be doing a huge service to humanity, curing such a
terrible and atrocious disease.”
“I know that several comrades may be laughing at my own
expectations. Why bother if those hopes come true! I have already
been criticized for helping a person whose intentions are not contested
but whose healing skills are denied by the majority since
she was not formally trained in the academia.”
“I shall respond to that by saying that it was not the Faculty
which discovered the vaccine but simple shepherds; it was not
the Faculty that found the bark of Peru but the native Indians
of that country. The Faculty attests the facts, groups and classifies
them, forming the precious basis of teaching, but it does not
exclusively produce them. Some silly people, and unfortunately
there are some here as everywhere else, judge themselves witty,
calling Ms. Godu a witch. She is certainly a very kind and useful
witch for she neither inspires fear nor the desire to have her sent
to burn at the stake.”
“To the others who see her as an instrument of the devil
I will respond by boldly saying: if the devil comes to Earth to
cure the incurable, the abandoned and indigent, one must then
conclude that the devil has finally converted and deserves our
thanks. Besides, I doubt very much that among those who speak
of her in such a way, there are many who would not prefer to be cured by her hands instead of dying in the hands of the doctors.
Let us then be open to goodness from whatever source it
may come and let us not attribute its merit to the devil without
authentic proofs. It is more rational and according to the good
moral to attribute the good to God and just say grace. I believe
that you and all other colleagues will share my point of view.
As a matter of fact, whether or not this becomes a reality, there
will always remain something for Science. I am not a man who
forgets certain employed means which are neglected these days.
They say that Medicine has made enormous progress. Yes, it has
done so to Science but not to the art of healing. We learn a lot
and forget a lot too. The human spirit is like the ocean: it cannot
encompass everything; when a beach is taken another one
is left behind. I will come back to this subject and let you know
about this curious experience. I give serious attention to this. If
she triumphs, it will be a brilliant manifestation, against which
it will be impossible to fight, because nothing stops those who
suffer and seek cure. I am determined to fight whatever is necessary
with that objective, including ridicule which is so much
feared in France.”
“I take the opportunity to send you my inaugural thesis. If
you take the burden of reading it you will easily understand how
much I was prepared to accept Spiritism. That thesis was defended
when Medicine had been taken by the most profound materialism.
It was a protest against such a current which dragged us
towards organic Medicine and mineral Pharmacology, so much
abused. How much health had not been devastated by the abusive
use of mineral substances that in case of reaction amplifies
the disease and in case of improvement it still leaves traces in our
organism!”
Yours sincerely,
Morhéry
March 20th, 1860
“Sir,
In my last letter I indicated that Ms. Désirée Godu had come
to practice her healing skills before me. This is to bring you some
more news.”
“I started my observations with a large number of patients
since February 25th, almost all of them indigent and incapable of
finding adequate treatment. Some have diseases of little importance
but the majority suffers from illnesses which would resist
the ordinary means of treatment. I have logged 152 cases of several
disorders since February 25th. Unfortunately in our land, and
particularly the indigent and sick, follow their own caprices and
have no patience to follow a stable and methodical treatment. As
soon as they experience some improvement they consider themselves
cured and do nothing else. This sometimes happens to my
own patients and it should necessarily happen to Ms. Godu’s too.”
“As I said before, I don’t want to pre-judge or affirm anything,
except the results attested by experience. Later I shall
report the whole thing and point out the most remarkable observations.
However, I already want to express my admiration for
seeing cures which were obtained outside conventional practices.”
“I saw three intermittent, resistant fevers, cured without the
use of cinchona, one of which had resisted to all means employed
by me.”
“Ms. Godu also cured three cases of paranitium and two
sub-aponeurotic inflammations of the hand in a few days. That
really impressed me.”
“I can also attest, the not yet complete cure but already advanced
treatment of one of our most intelligent workers, Pierre Le
Boudec, from Saint-Hérve, who has been deaf since he was 18.
He was as astonished as I was when after three days of treatment
he could hear the birds singing and the voice of his children. I saw him this morning and all indications are that he will soon be
completely cured.”
“The one who attracts most attention among our patients is a
so called Mr. Bigo, a worker from Saint-Caradec, who has cancer
in his lower lip for two years now. The cancer achieved its last
degree. His inferior lip is partially destroyed; the gum and the
sublingual glandules are cancerous and the bone of his inferior
jaw is also affected by the disease. His condition was desperate
when he came to the house. His pain was excruciating. He hasn’t
been able to sleep for the past six months. Surgery was not recommended
given the advanced stage of the disease. A cure seemed
impossible to me and I frankly declared it to Ms. Godu, warning
her about an inevitable defeat. My opinion did not change the
prognosis. I still cannot believe in the cure of such an advanced
cancer. However, I must declare that since the application of the
first ointment, the patient experiences some relief and since that
day, February 25th, he sleeps and eats well; he is confident again;
the wound has visibly changed in appearance and if that pattern
continues, despite my personal opinion, I am forced to expect a
cure. If that comes true, it will be the greatest phenomenon of
cure which one could attest. It is necessary to wait and be patient,
like Mr. Bigot. Ms. Godu addresses him with special care.
Sometimes she changes the bandages every half hour. He is her
favorite destitute.”
“There is nothing else to say. I could report rumors and gossips,
and comments about witchcraft, but since foolishness is inherent
to humanity, I don’t bother trying to cure it.”
With my respect,
Morhéry
OBSERVATION: As it can be seen from the two letters above, Mr. Morhéry
was not led by enthusiasm. He observes things cold-bloodedly, and as an enlightened
man, without illusions. He shows extreme good faith, leaving aside his medical pride. He is not afraid of confessing that nature may not need
him, inspiring an uneducated young lady with the means of healing, that he
had not found in the Faculty or in his own brain, and not feeling humiliated
by that. His knowledge about Spiritism teaches him that it is possible, without
breaching the laws of nature. He understands it, since such a faculty is a
simple phenomenon more developed in Ms. Godu than in others. One can
say that this young lady is to the art of healing as Joan of Arc was to the the
art of military. Well-informed about the two essential points – Spiritism as the
source, Medicine as the control – Mr. Morhéry puts aside his self-love and any
personal feelings, positioning himself in the best place to judge impartially,
and we congratulate Ms. Godu for her resolution in choosing him to be her
sponsor. The readers will certainly appreciate the fact that we will keep them
informed about future observations.
Varieties
The Manufacturer of St. PetersburgHis countryman Baron Gabriel Tscherkassoff, who lives in Cannes and who attests to its authenticity, transmitted the following facts of a spontaneous manifestation to our colleague, Mr. Kratzoff, from St. Petersburg. As a matter of fact, it seems that the facts are very well known and were a sensation in its day.
“In the beginning of the century there was a rich artisan in St. Petersburg that employed a large number of workers in his workshops. I can’t remember his name but I believe he was English. He was a rightful, decent, humane person, not only enjoying the good returns of his products but also ensuring the moral as well as physical well being of his workers who, in turn, offered the example of good behavior and an almost fraternal agreement. According to Russian costumes, still existent in our days, food and lodging were covered by the employer, where they occupied the upper floors and the attic of the same house. One morning several workers could not find their clothes after waking up, clothes they had set beside their beds before going to sleep. Nobody thought of robbery. They unsuccessfully questioned one another, suspecting that the most malicious ones could be tricking the group. Finally, thanks to their searches, all missing objects were found in the cellar, in the fireplaces and even on top of the roof. The boss warned everyone since nobody would confess wrongdoing. On the contrary, everyone protested innocence.”
“Some time later the same thing happened again. There was new recommendations, new protests. It gradually began to happen every night and the owner was really upset because he saw his work suffering and the threat of his workers leaving the house where, they said, supernatural things were taking place. Following the owner’s advice, a nightly watch was organized by the employees themselves in order to catch the offender, but it was unsuccessful. On the contrary, things changed from bad to worse. The workers had to climb dimly lit stairs to get to their rooms. When they would arrive, several of them received blows on the head and had their faces slapped. Whenever they tried to defend themselves they would only find emptiness, while the violence of the blows gave them the impression that they were dealing with a solid creature. This time the owner advised them to form two groups: one should stay on the top of the stairwell, the other on the bottom. Following that procedure the bad guy could not escape and would receive the deserved correction. However, the owner’s strategy failed once again. The two groups were badly beaten and one accused the other. The complaints became violent and as it reached the highest possible level of disagreement among the workers, the owner was even considering moving or shutting down the whole operation.”
“One evening he sat, sad and full of thoughts, surrounded by his family. Everyone was feeling disheartened when suddenly a huge noise was heard in the room next door, which was used as his office. He stood up promptly, looking for the cause of that noise. The first thing he saw was an open desk with a lit oil lamp. However, he had just closed that desk and put the light out. He approached the desk and saw a glass inkpot and a pen that did not belong to him and a sheet of paper on which he read still in fresh ink: “Have the wall in such a place taken down (above the stairwell). There you will find human remains which you will have buried in sacred land.” The owner grabbed the piece of paper and rushed to the police.”
“The day after they tried to identify the origin of the inkpot and the pen. They were shown to the neighbor who had their business on the ground floor and confirmed that the pieces were his. Once questioned about the person to whom he had given them, he said: “Last night I had already closed shop when I heard knocks on the window; I opened and saw a man whose looks were not familiar, who said: “I need you to give me an inkpot and a pen. I will pay for that.” I gave him the objects and he threw a large copper coin which I heard falling on the ground but I could not find it.”
“The wall was demolished at the indicated spot and there they found the human remains which were duly buried and everything went back to normal. The origin of that skeleton was never known.”
Facts of such a nature must have happened at all times and it can be seen that they were not provoked by the spiritist knowledge. It is understandable that in remote centuries or among ignorant people they have given rise to all kinds of superstitious assumptions.
“In the beginning of the century there was a rich artisan in St. Petersburg that employed a large number of workers in his workshops. I can’t remember his name but I believe he was English. He was a rightful, decent, humane person, not only enjoying the good returns of his products but also ensuring the moral as well as physical well being of his workers who, in turn, offered the example of good behavior and an almost fraternal agreement. According to Russian costumes, still existent in our days, food and lodging were covered by the employer, where they occupied the upper floors and the attic of the same house. One morning several workers could not find their clothes after waking up, clothes they had set beside their beds before going to sleep. Nobody thought of robbery. They unsuccessfully questioned one another, suspecting that the most malicious ones could be tricking the group. Finally, thanks to their searches, all missing objects were found in the cellar, in the fireplaces and even on top of the roof. The boss warned everyone since nobody would confess wrongdoing. On the contrary, everyone protested innocence.”
“Some time later the same thing happened again. There was new recommendations, new protests. It gradually began to happen every night and the owner was really upset because he saw his work suffering and the threat of his workers leaving the house where, they said, supernatural things were taking place. Following the owner’s advice, a nightly watch was organized by the employees themselves in order to catch the offender, but it was unsuccessful. On the contrary, things changed from bad to worse. The workers had to climb dimly lit stairs to get to their rooms. When they would arrive, several of them received blows on the head and had their faces slapped. Whenever they tried to defend themselves they would only find emptiness, while the violence of the blows gave them the impression that they were dealing with a solid creature. This time the owner advised them to form two groups: one should stay on the top of the stairwell, the other on the bottom. Following that procedure the bad guy could not escape and would receive the deserved correction. However, the owner’s strategy failed once again. The two groups were badly beaten and one accused the other. The complaints became violent and as it reached the highest possible level of disagreement among the workers, the owner was even considering moving or shutting down the whole operation.”
“One evening he sat, sad and full of thoughts, surrounded by his family. Everyone was feeling disheartened when suddenly a huge noise was heard in the room next door, which was used as his office. He stood up promptly, looking for the cause of that noise. The first thing he saw was an open desk with a lit oil lamp. However, he had just closed that desk and put the light out. He approached the desk and saw a glass inkpot and a pen that did not belong to him and a sheet of paper on which he read still in fresh ink: “Have the wall in such a place taken down (above the stairwell). There you will find human remains which you will have buried in sacred land.” The owner grabbed the piece of paper and rushed to the police.”
“The day after they tried to identify the origin of the inkpot and the pen. They were shown to the neighbor who had their business on the ground floor and confirmed that the pieces were his. Once questioned about the person to whom he had given them, he said: “Last night I had already closed shop when I heard knocks on the window; I opened and saw a man whose looks were not familiar, who said: “I need you to give me an inkpot and a pen. I will pay for that.” I gave him the objects and he threw a large copper coin which I heard falling on the ground but I could not find it.”
“The wall was demolished at the indicated spot and there they found the human remains which were duly buried and everything went back to normal. The origin of that skeleton was never known.”
Facts of such a nature must have happened at all times and it can be seen that they were not provoked by the spiritist knowledge. It is understandable that in remote centuries or among ignorant people they have given rise to all kinds of superstitious assumptions.
Tangible Apparition
Last January 14th Mr. Lecomte, a farmer from the village of Brix, in the district of Valognes, was visited by an individual who was said to be one of his old comrades, with whom he had worked at the Port of Cherburg, and whose death goes back two and half years. The apparition wished to ask Lecomte to have a mass celebrated in his name at the Church. On the 15th the apparition showed up again. Lecomte, less afraid this time, effectively recognized his old comrade. Still disturbed, he did not know what to answer though. The same thing happened again on January the 17th and 18th. It was only on the 19th that Lecomte said:
• Since you want a mass, where do you want it celebrated? Will you attend it?
• I want, responded the spirit, that the mass be celebrated at St. Savior Chapel, in eight days. I will be there. And he added: I haven’t seen you for a long time and it was far away for me to come and see you. That was what he said and then he left with a handshake.
Mr. Lecomte did not fail his promise. The mass was celebrated on the 27th at the St. Savior Chapel and he saw his old comrade kneeling on the steps of the altar, near the vicar. Nobody else had seen him and although he had asked the priest and the assistants, they did not see him as well. Since then Lecomte was no longer visited, returning to his usual tranquility.
OBSERVATION: According to this report, whose authenticity is attested by a trustworthy source, it is not related to a simple vision but to a tangible apparition, since the deceased friend of Lecomte had shaken his hand. The incredulous will say that it was a hallucination. However, we still wait for their clear, logical and truly scientific explanation of the strange phenomena that they designate by that name, with the only objective, as it seems to us, of denying any solution.
Mr. Lecomte did not fail his promise. The mass was celebrated on the 27th at the St. Savior Chapel and he saw his old comrade kneeling on the steps of the altar, near the vicar. Nobody else had seen him and although he had asked the priest and the assistants, they did not see him as well. Since then Lecomte was no longer visited, returning to his usual tranquility.
OBSERVATION: According to this report, whose authenticity is attested by a trustworthy source, it is not related to a simple vision but to a tangible apparition, since the deceased friend of Lecomte had shaken his hand. The incredulous will say that it was a hallucination. However, we still wait for their clear, logical and truly scientific explanation of the strange phenomena that they designate by that name, with the only objective, as it seems to us, of denying any solution.
Spontaneous Essays
The Angel of Children(Society, medium Mrs. de Boyer)
My name is Michael. I am one of the spirits assigned to guard the children. What a kind mission! What happiness it gives to the soul! The protection of children, you will ask! Don’t they have their mothers, the good angels designated to shelter them? Why would there still be the need for a spirit to watch over them? However, how about those who no longer have their mothers? Don’t they exist in a large number?
And how about the mother, doesn’t she, sometimes need help? Who wakes her up in her first sleep? Who makes her foresee the danger, creating relief when the pain is great? It is us, always us. We turn the naughty child away from the cliff; we keep the dangerous animals and the wild fire away from her, fire that could burn her beautiful hair. Our mission is gentle! We are still the ones who inspire in them compassion towards the poor, sweetness, goodness. Not one of them, even the worst of them, could disturb us. There is always a time when their little hearts are open to us. How many of you will be impressed by that mission. However, don’t you always say that there is a God to the children, particularly to the poor children? No, not a God, but angels, friends. Otherwise, how could you explain these miraculous rescues? There are still many other powers whose existence you don’t even suspect. There is the spirit of flowers, of perfumes; a thousand and one others whose more or less elevated missions would seem charming and privileged to you, after your tough life of trials. I will invite them to come to you. At this point in time I am rewarded by a life entirely dedicated to children. Married at a young age to a man who had many, I was not fortunate to have my own children. Entirely dedicated to them, the good and sovereign God has allowed me to guard the children. Smooth and sacred mission, I repeat, whose efficacy the mothers present here could not deny. Good-bye, I will go now to the bedside of my little protected ones. The time of sleep is my time, and it is necessary that I visit all those lovely closed eyelids. Make no mistake, the good angel who watches over them is not an allegory but a truth.
Advices
(Society, November 25th, medium Mr. Roze)
In the old days you would have been crucified, burnt at the stake, tortured. The force was diminished; the fire extinguished and the instruments of torture broken. The terrible weapons of ridicule; so powerful against the lies and weaken the will against the truth. Its fiercest enemies retracted into an impenetrable circle. In fact, denying the reality of our manifestations would be the same as denying the revelation that is the foundation of all religions. Attributing it to the devil, pretending that the evil spirit has come to comfort you; cultivate the Gospel, urging you towards the good; to practice all virtues, it is simply and happily only to prove that the spirit does not exist. Every divided kingdom shall perish. Bad spirits will remain. A good tree never produces bad fruits; a bad tree never produces good fruits. You have nothing better to tell them but what Christ used to tell his oppressors when they formulated the same accusations against him, begging for God’s forgiveness since they didn’t know what they were doing.
The Spirit of Truth
(Another essay dictated to Mr. Roze, and read at the Society)
France carries the banner of progress and she must guide the other nations. That is demonstrated by previous and current events. You were chosen to be the mirror which must receive and reflect the Divine light, which must illuminate Earth, up until now soaked in the darkness of ignorance and lies. However, if you are not animated by the love to thy neighbor and by a boundless devotion; if the desire of knowing and propagating the truth, whose paths you must open to posterity, is not the only motive driving your works; if the slightest shade of pride, selfishness and material interest find shelter in your hearts, we shall only be served by you like the artisan that temporarily uses a defective instrument. We will come to you up until the time when we have found or stimulated a center richer than you are in virtues, more sympathetic to the phalanx of spirits sent by God to reveal the truth to the people of good will. Give some serious thoughts to that. Dig deep into your hearts, probe their most intimate thoughts and vigorously expel the bad passions which keep us away, otherwise you must leave before risking the work of your brothers and sisters by your presence or by the presence of the spirits that you bring along with you.
In the old days you would have been crucified, burnt at the stake, tortured. The force was diminished; the fire extinguished and the instruments of torture broken. The terrible weapons of ridicule; so powerful against the lies and weaken the will against the truth. Its fiercest enemies retracted into an impenetrable circle. In fact, denying the reality of our manifestations would be the same as denying the revelation that is the foundation of all religions. Attributing it to the devil, pretending that the evil spirit has come to comfort you; cultivate the Gospel, urging you towards the good; to practice all virtues, it is simply and happily only to prove that the spirit does not exist. Every divided kingdom shall perish. Bad spirits will remain. A good tree never produces bad fruits; a bad tree never produces good fruits. You have nothing better to tell them but what Christ used to tell his oppressors when they formulated the same accusations against him, begging for God’s forgiveness since they didn’t know what they were doing.
The Spirit of Truth
(Another essay dictated to Mr. Roze, and read at the Society)
France carries the banner of progress and she must guide the other nations. That is demonstrated by previous and current events. You were chosen to be the mirror which must receive and reflect the Divine light, which must illuminate Earth, up until now soaked in the darkness of ignorance and lies. However, if you are not animated by the love to thy neighbor and by a boundless devotion; if the desire of knowing and propagating the truth, whose paths you must open to posterity, is not the only motive driving your works; if the slightest shade of pride, selfishness and material interest find shelter in your hearts, we shall only be served by you like the artisan that temporarily uses a defective instrument. We will come to you up until the time when we have found or stimulated a center richer than you are in virtues, more sympathetic to the phalanx of spirits sent by God to reveal the truth to the people of good will. Give some serious thoughts to that. Dig deep into your hearts, probe their most intimate thoughts and vigorously expel the bad passions which keep us away, otherwise you must leave before risking the work of your brothers and sisters by your presence or by the presence of the spirits that you bring along with you.
The Spirit of Truth
Ostentation
(Society, December 16th, 1860 – Medium Ms. Huet)
In a beautiful spring afternoon a rich and generous man was sitting in his living room. He happily smelled the aroma of garden flowers while complacently tallying all the good deeds he had done that year. He could not avoid giving an almost despicable look at the house of one of his neighbors who gave but an almost insignificant contribution to the construction of the local church. As for me, he said, I gave more than a thousand francs to that work; I deliberately threw a 500 franc bill into the basket that the young Duchess circulated in favor of the poor; I gave much more to the beneficent parties, to all kinds of raffles and I believe God will be thankful for so much I have done. Ah! I forgot the small alms that I lately gave to an unfortunate widow who has a large family, still raising an orphan. However, what I gave her is so small that this is certainly not what is going to open the doors of heaven to me.
• You are mistaken, he suddenly heard from a voice that made him turn his head: that is the only one accepted by God; here is the proof. At the same time a hand erased everything he had listed on the piece of paper with all his good deeds, leaving the last one only, the voice and the paper went back into heaven.
Hence it is not the alms given with ostentation that is the best, but the one given with humility of heart.
Joinville, Amy de Loys.
In a beautiful spring afternoon a rich and generous man was sitting in his living room. He happily smelled the aroma of garden flowers while complacently tallying all the good deeds he had done that year. He could not avoid giving an almost despicable look at the house of one of his neighbors who gave but an almost insignificant contribution to the construction of the local church. As for me, he said, I gave more than a thousand francs to that work; I deliberately threw a 500 franc bill into the basket that the young Duchess circulated in favor of the poor; I gave much more to the beneficent parties, to all kinds of raffles and I believe God will be thankful for so much I have done. Ah! I forgot the small alms that I lately gave to an unfortunate widow who has a large family, still raising an orphan. However, what I gave her is so small that this is certainly not what is going to open the doors of heaven to me.
• You are mistaken, he suddenly heard from a voice that made him turn his head: that is the only one accepted by God; here is the proof. At the same time a hand erased everything he had listed on the piece of paper with all his good deeds, leaving the last one only, the voice and the paper went back into heaven.
Hence it is not the alms given with ostentation that is the best, but the one given with humility of heart.
Joinville, Amy de Loys.
Love and Freedom
(Society, January 27th, 1860 – Medium Mr. Roze)
God is love and freedom and it is through love and freedom that the spirit moves closer to God. Through love the spirit develops new relationships that get him closer to the unity in each existence; through freedom the spirit chooses the good that gets him closer to God. Be eager to spread the new faith but may the sacred eagerness that animates you never cast any harm upon the freedom of others! You must avoid mounting a kind of worn out and almost yielded resistance by insisting too much before a terrible and proud incredulity. The reign of coercion and oppression is over; it is time for reason, freedom and fraternal love. From now on, it is no longer by force and fear that the earthly powers will acquire the right of governing the moral, spiritual and material needs of its people but by love and freedom.
God is love and freedom and it is through love and freedom that the spirit moves closer to God. Through love the spirit develops new relationships that get him closer to the unity in each existence; through freedom the spirit chooses the good that gets him closer to God. Be eager to spread the new faith but may the sacred eagerness that animates you never cast any harm upon the freedom of others! You must avoid mounting a kind of worn out and almost yielded resistance by insisting too much before a terrible and proud incredulity. The reign of coercion and oppression is over; it is time for reason, freedom and fraternal love. From now on, it is no longer by force and fear that the earthly powers will acquire the right of governing the moral, spiritual and material needs of its people but by love and freedom.
Abelardo
Immortality
(Society, February 3rd, 1860 – Medium Ms. Huet)
How can an intelligent person not believe in the immortality of the soul and consequently in a future life other than that of Spiritism? What should become of that immense love that a mother devotes to her children, the great care since their infancy, and the enlightened dedication of a father to the education of a beloved son? All annihilated at the time of separation or death? Would we then be like animals whose instincts are undoubtedly remarkable but which no longer take care of their offspring beyond the time necessary to attend their maternal needs?
When that time has come parents abandon their children and it is all over: the body is raised, there is no soul. However, the individual would not have a soul, an immortal soul! How about the sublime genius that can only be compared to God, since it comes from God, that genius that generates prodigies, that creates masterpieces, all that would be annihilated by the individual’s death? What Profanation absurdity! One cannot destroy in such a way those God given things. Raphael, Newton, Michelangelo and so many other sublime geniuses still illuminate the world with their spirit, although their bodies no onger exist. Make no mistake; they live and shall live forever. As for the communication with you, that is more difficult to admit by the vast majority of people. It is only through the study and observation that they can be ensured of such possibility.
Fénelon
How can an intelligent person not believe in the immortality of the soul and consequently in a future life other than that of Spiritism? What should become of that immense love that a mother devotes to her children, the great care since their infancy, and the enlightened dedication of a father to the education of a beloved son? All annihilated at the time of separation or death? Would we then be like animals whose instincts are undoubtedly remarkable but which no longer take care of their offspring beyond the time necessary to attend their maternal needs?
When that time has come parents abandon their children and it is all over: the body is raised, there is no soul. However, the individual would not have a soul, an immortal soul! How about the sublime genius that can only be compared to God, since it comes from God, that genius that generates prodigies, that creates masterpieces, all that would be annihilated by the individual’s death? What Profanation absurdity! One cannot destroy in such a way those God given things. Raphael, Newton, Michelangelo and so many other sublime geniuses still illuminate the world with their spirit, although their bodies no onger exist. Make no mistake; they live and shall live forever. As for the communication with you, that is more difficult to admit by the vast majority of people. It is only through the study and observation that they can be ensured of such possibility.
Fénelon
Parable
(Society, December 9th, 1859 – Medium Mr. Roze)
An old ship was hit by a terrible storm in its last journey. In addition to a large number of passengers, the ship transported to its final destination several foreign merchandise accumulated by the greed and cupidity of their owners. Danger was imminent. There was chaos aboard. The shipmasters refused to throw the load overboard. The orders were ignored since crew and passengers alike had lost their trust in them. It was time to consider abandoning ship. Three lifeboats were lowered. The most inexperienced, stunned and impatient rushed to the first one, swiftly rowing towards a dim light seen ashore. They soon fell in the hands of a group of castaways who took over the boat and then hastily collected the precious belongings, ruthlessly mistreating them.
The second group, more insightful, was able to distinguish a liberating lighthouse amidst the misleading lights that illuminated the horizon. They confidently allowed themselves to be dragged by the caprice of the waves, wrecking the boat against the coral reefs at the foothill of the lighthouse that kind of stared at them permanently. They felt their ruin and the loss of their properties as much as they had yearned their salvation.
The third group, less numerous but shrewd and sensible, carefully guided the boat through the wreckage, saving bodies and goods, not suffering except for fatigue after the trip.
Thus, don’t be content by only avoiding the bright lights of the shipwrecked and the bad spirits; but know how to avoid the mistakes of the idle ones, those who lost their goods and become shipwrecked at the port. Know how to navigate your ship through the wreckage of all passions and you shall happily get to the port of eternal life, carrying the wealth of virtues acquired in all your journeys.
St. Vincent de Paul
An old ship was hit by a terrible storm in its last journey. In addition to a large number of passengers, the ship transported to its final destination several foreign merchandise accumulated by the greed and cupidity of their owners. Danger was imminent. There was chaos aboard. The shipmasters refused to throw the load overboard. The orders were ignored since crew and passengers alike had lost their trust in them. It was time to consider abandoning ship. Three lifeboats were lowered. The most inexperienced, stunned and impatient rushed to the first one, swiftly rowing towards a dim light seen ashore. They soon fell in the hands of a group of castaways who took over the boat and then hastily collected the precious belongings, ruthlessly mistreating them.
The second group, more insightful, was able to distinguish a liberating lighthouse amidst the misleading lights that illuminated the horizon. They confidently allowed themselves to be dragged by the caprice of the waves, wrecking the boat against the coral reefs at the foothill of the lighthouse that kind of stared at them permanently. They felt their ruin and the loss of their properties as much as they had yearned their salvation.
The third group, less numerous but shrewd and sensible, carefully guided the boat through the wreckage, saving bodies and goods, not suffering except for fatigue after the trip.
Thus, don’t be content by only avoiding the bright lights of the shipwrecked and the bad spirits; but know how to avoid the mistakes of the idle ones, those who lost their goods and become shipwrecked at the port. Know how to navigate your ship through the wreckage of all passions and you shall happily get to the port of eternal life, carrying the wealth of virtues acquired in all your journeys.
St. Vincent de Paul
Spiritism
(Society, February 3rd, 1860 – Medium Mrs. M)
Spiritism is called upon to clarify the world but needs a certain time to advance. It has existed since creation but only acknowledged by a few persons since in general the masses don’t bother to give any thought to spiritist questions. Now, with the help of this pure doctrine, there will be a new light. God who does not wish to keep His children in ignorance allows the more elevated spirits to come to support us, countering the spirits of darkness who try to embrace the world. Human pride shades reason, leading to many mistakes. Simple and kind spirits are necessary to spread the light and mitigate all evils. Courage! Stay with this God pleasing work for it is useful to His greater glory and great good shall come from that for the salvation of the souls.
Francis de Sales
Spiritism is called upon to clarify the world but needs a certain time to advance. It has existed since creation but only acknowledged by a few persons since in general the masses don’t bother to give any thought to spiritist questions. Now, with the help of this pure doctrine, there will be a new light. God who does not wish to keep His children in ignorance allows the more elevated spirits to come to support us, countering the spirits of darkness who try to embrace the world. Human pride shades reason, leading to many mistakes. Simple and kind spirits are necessary to spread the light and mitigate all evils. Courage! Stay with this God pleasing work for it is useful to His greater glory and great good shall come from that for the salvation of the souls.
Francis de Sales
Philosophy
(Society, February 3rd, 1860 – Medium Mr. Colin)
Write this: Human beings! What is that? Where do they come from? Where are they going? God? Nature? Creation? The world? Their past and future eternity! Nature’s limit, relationships between the infinite and the private being? Passage from infinite to the finite? – These are questions that people should have framed, when for the first time and still a child, they saw with the eyes of reason the mysterious march of the celestial bodies above their head; Earth below their feet, alternatively dressed up in fancy clothes in the shaking wind of spring or covered by the mantle of mourning, under the cold breath of winter; thinking and feeling they saw themselves suddenly thrown into this vital maelstrom between yesterday, the day of their birth, and tomorrow, the time of their death. These are questions asked by all people, at all times and in all schools, still enigmas to the future generations. Nevertheless, these questions deserve the attention of investigative spirits of your century, the genius of your country. Thus, if you had one person, ten people among you, aware of the high importance of their apostolic mission, willing to leave a stamp of their passage on Earth, as a milestone to posterity, I would tell them this: for a long time you have come to terms with the errors and prejudices of your time; the period of physical and material manifestations is over to you; what you call experimental evocations can no longer teach you much since in the majority of cases there is only curiosity at play. However, the philosophical era of the Doctrine is near. Do not remain attached to the rotting pillars any longer, but courageously enter the heavenly sanctuary, firmly raising the flag of modern philosophy, in which you fearlessly will inscribe: mysticism, rationalism. Be eclectic in modern eclecticism; do as the ancients did, supported by the historical, mystical and legendary tradition, always observing the revelation though, an illuminating torch that we have all missed, resorting to the lights of the superior spirits, missionary devoted to the march of the human spirit. Those spirits, however elevated they may be, they don’t know everything. Only God does. Besides, they cannot reveal everything that is known to them. Where would the individual’s free will be then, his responsibility, merit and demerit, and also the sanctioning of punishment or reward? Yet, I can provide you with the guidelines containing some fundamental principles. Hence, listen to this:
1st – The soul has the power of separating from matter;
2nd – The soul can elevate well above intelligence;
3rd – Such state is beyond reason;
4th – It can put people in touch with everything that escapes their senses;
5th – Human beings can incite it by praying to God, by a constant struggle, reducing their soul to the state of pure essence, so to speak, denying sensitive and exterior activity; in a word, by abstracting everything that there is varied multiple, indecisive, chaotic, of exteriority inside the soul;
6th – There is up until now a completely ignored force in the very self of the individual. Thus, search for that.
(Society, February 3rd, 1860 – Medium Mr. Colin)
Write this: Human beings! What is that? Where do they come from? Where are they going? God? Nature? Creation? The world? Their past and future eternity! Nature’s limit, relationships between the infinite and the private being? Passage from infinite to the finite? – These are questions that people should have framed, when for the first time and still a child, they saw with the eyes of reason the mysterious march of the celestial bodies above their head; Earth below their feet, alternatively dressed up in fancy clothes in the shaking wind of spring or covered by the mantle of mourning, under the cold breath of winter; thinking and feeling they saw themselves suddenly thrown into this vital maelstrom between yesterday, the day of their birth, and tomorrow, the time of their death. These are questions asked by all people, at all times and in all schools, still enigmas to the future generations. Nevertheless, these questions deserve the attention of investigative spirits of your century, the genius of your country. Thus, if you had one person, ten people among you, aware of the high importance of their apostolic mission, willing to leave a stamp of their passage on Earth, as a milestone to posterity, I would tell them this: for a long time you have come to terms with the errors and prejudices of your time; the period of physical and material manifestations is over to you; what you call experimental evocations can no longer teach you much since in the majority of cases there is only curiosity at play. However, the philosophical era of the Doctrine is near. Do not remain attached to the rotting pillars any longer, but courageously enter the heavenly sanctuary, firmly raising the flag of modern philosophy, in which you fearlessly will inscribe: mysticism, rationalism. Be eclectic in modern eclecticism; do as the ancients did, supported by the historical, mystical and legendary tradition, always observing the revelation though, an illuminating torch that we have all missed, resorting to the lights of the superior spirits, missionary devoted to the march of the human spirit. Those spirits, however elevated they may be, they don’t know everything. Only God does. Besides, they cannot reveal everything that is known to them. Where would the individual’s free will be then, his responsibility, merit and demerit, and also the sanctioning of punishment or reward? Yet, I can provide you with the guidelines containing some fundamental principles. Hence, listen to this:
1st – The soul has the power of separating from matter;
2nd – The soul can elevate well above intelligence;
3rd – Such state is beyond reason;
4th – It can put people in touch with everything that escapes their senses;
5th – Human beings can incite it by praying to God, by a constant struggle, reducing their soul to the state of pure essence, so to speak, denying sensitive and exterior activity; in a word, by abstracting everything that there is varied multiple, indecisive, chaotic, of exteriority inside the soul;
6th – There is up until now a completely ignored force in the very self of the individual. Thus, search for that.
Moses, Plato, and later Julian
Communications Read at the Society
(By Mr. Pêcheur)
My friend, don’t you know that the person who follows the path of progress is always faced by ignorance and envy? Envy is the dust lifted by your steps. Your ideas cause revolt to certain people because they don’t understand them or muffle the voice of their conscience with their pride, which proclaims in turn: what you repeal now shall one day be brought back to you by your judge. It is God’s hand reaching out to you to remove you from the quagmire in which you were thrown into by your own passions. Listen to the voice of reason for a moment. Consider that you live in the century of money, dominated by the self; that the love for things dries your heart out, overloading your conscience with your faults, and even crimes which must be confessed. Unfaithful people who call themselves skillful, your skills will wreck you. You shall be offered no help. You turned a blind eye to the misfortunes of others and you shall go down without a tear dropped on your behalf. Stop! There is still time. May regret get into your hearts; may it be sincere and God shall forgive you. Look for the unfortunate ones, who dare not to complain, slowly killed by their misery, and the poor relieved by your gestures will have your name in their prayers; they shall bless the hand that may perhaps save their daughter from dying of hunger and dishonoring shame. Disgrace will fall upon you if your ears are deaf to their voices. God told you, through the sacred mouth of Christ: love your neighbor as yourself. Hasn’t God given you reason to judge between good and evil? Hasn’t God given you a heart to have pity on the sufferings of your equals? Don’t you feel that you are suppressing the voice of charity and progress by suppressing your own conscience? Don’t you feel as if you are dragging an empty body? Don’t you feel as if nothing beats in your chest, making your walk in uncertainty?
As you have fled the light and your eyes have become of the flesh, you are filled with darkness and fear that agitates you. You search, but it is too late to leave this road that is crumbling under your feet. Fear that you cannot define, you judge as superstitious. You pretend to be generous, hoping to redeem your selfish life; you give alms with the fear that you will snatch it back, but God knows what drives you. You cannot deceive God. Your life shall end hopelessly and you won’t be able to push it back by a single day. It shall end, despite your wealth, ambitioned in anticipation by your children, since you have given them the example. Like you, they have a unique love for gold, their only dream of happiness. When that time of justice comes, you will have to face the supreme and forgotten Judge.
Your daughter
My friend, don’t you know that the person who follows the path of progress is always faced by ignorance and envy? Envy is the dust lifted by your steps. Your ideas cause revolt to certain people because they don’t understand them or muffle the voice of their conscience with their pride, which proclaims in turn: what you repeal now shall one day be brought back to you by your judge. It is God’s hand reaching out to you to remove you from the quagmire in which you were thrown into by your own passions. Listen to the voice of reason for a moment. Consider that you live in the century of money, dominated by the self; that the love for things dries your heart out, overloading your conscience with your faults, and even crimes which must be confessed. Unfaithful people who call themselves skillful, your skills will wreck you. You shall be offered no help. You turned a blind eye to the misfortunes of others and you shall go down without a tear dropped on your behalf. Stop! There is still time. May regret get into your hearts; may it be sincere and God shall forgive you. Look for the unfortunate ones, who dare not to complain, slowly killed by their misery, and the poor relieved by your gestures will have your name in their prayers; they shall bless the hand that may perhaps save their daughter from dying of hunger and dishonoring shame. Disgrace will fall upon you if your ears are deaf to their voices. God told you, through the sacred mouth of Christ: love your neighbor as yourself. Hasn’t God given you reason to judge between good and evil? Hasn’t God given you a heart to have pity on the sufferings of your equals? Don’t you feel that you are suppressing the voice of charity and progress by suppressing your own conscience? Don’t you feel as if you are dragging an empty body? Don’t you feel as if nothing beats in your chest, making your walk in uncertainty?
As you have fled the light and your eyes have become of the flesh, you are filled with darkness and fear that agitates you. You search, but it is too late to leave this road that is crumbling under your feet. Fear that you cannot define, you judge as superstitious. You pretend to be generous, hoping to redeem your selfish life; you give alms with the fear that you will snatch it back, but God knows what drives you. You cannot deceive God. Your life shall end hopelessly and you won’t be able to push it back by a single day. It shall end, despite your wealth, ambitioned in anticipation by your children, since you have given them the example. Like you, they have a unique love for gold, their only dream of happiness. When that time of justice comes, you will have to face the supreme and forgotten Judge.
Your daughter
Conscience
Each person has in one’s innermost self what you call an interior voice. It is what the spirits calls conscience, a severe judge overseeing all actions of your life. When the individual is alone one hears that conscience and ponders things in their fair value. The person is sometimes ashamed of oneself. At that moment one acknowledges God but ignorance, that fatal advisor, pushes the person away, dressing one up with the mask of pride. It shows itself full of emptiness, seeking to deceive you by its arrogance. But the righteous person does not hold a proud head; one thoughtfully listens to the words of wisdom; one feels that God is everything. The person seeks enlightenment in the book of nature, written by the Creator’s hand. One’s spirit elevates, expelling from one’s body the material passions which frequently veer oneself off course. That dragging passion is a dangerous guide.
Stay strong my friend and let the skeptical laugh since one’s laughter shall end. The human being becomes a believer at the time of one’s death. My friend, keep God in your thoughts, the only one who will not deceive you. Keep in mind that there is only one path leading to God: faith and love to one’s fellow being.
Each person has in one’s innermost self what you call an interior voice. It is what the spirits calls conscience, a severe judge overseeing all actions of your life. When the individual is alone one hears that conscience and ponders things in their fair value. The person is sometimes ashamed of oneself. At that moment one acknowledges God but ignorance, that fatal advisor, pushes the person away, dressing one up with the mask of pride. It shows itself full of emptiness, seeking to deceive you by its arrogance. But the righteous person does not hold a proud head; one thoughtfully listens to the words of wisdom; one feels that God is everything. The person seeks enlightenment in the book of nature, written by the Creator’s hand. One’s spirit elevates, expelling from one’s body the material passions which frequently veer oneself off course. That dragging passion is a dangerous guide.
Stay strong my friend and let the skeptical laugh since one’s laughter shall end. The human being becomes a believer at the time of one’s death. My friend, keep God in your thoughts, the only one who will not deceive you. Keep in mind that there is only one path leading to God: faith and love to one’s fellow being.
Your daughter
Dwelling of the Elected
Ones (By Mrs. D…)
Your thoughts are absorbed by earthly things. If you want to listen to us you must forget them. Let us try to talk from a higher level. May your spirit elevate to those regions, the dwelling of the elected ones by the Lord. Behold the worlds that await all mortals, whose places are set according to the merits they have earned. What happiness is found by those dedicated to the sacred things, to the great teachings given in the name of God! Oh men! How little you are compared to the spirits parted from matter, who inhabit the spaces by the glory of the Lord! Happy are those invited to dwell the worlds where matter is not but a word; where everything is ethereal and translucent; where disagreements are no longer heard. Heavenly music is the only noise that clears the senses, so perfect capturing the tiniest sounds, of which are called harmony! How graceful are all those creatures so much loved by God! What a subtleness when moving about those enchanted regions, their refuge! No more disagreements, envy or hatred there; love has become the link destined to unite them all. Such a love which fulfills their hearts, the end in itself, summarizes faith, love and charity.
A friend
(Another, by the same medium)
Your obliviousness afflicted me. Don’t leave me any more for such a long time without calling me. I feel prepared to speak with you and give you advice. Be careful and don’t believe everything the other spirits might tell you; they could perhaps lead you to the wrong path. Before anything else, be sensible so that your God given mission is not denied to you, and do as follows: help to bring to people’s attention the revelation about the existence of the spirits around them. Not everyone is ready to understand and appreciate the elevated reach of these things, whose knowledge God only allows to the elected ones. There shall be a day in which this Science, full of greatness and consolation, will be shared by the whole human race, when there will no longer be a single skeptical. People will then have a hard time to understand how such a tangible truth could have ever been disputed by the simplest of the mortals. In truth, I tell you that half a century will not go by without having the ears and eyes of everyone open to this great truth: that the spirits circulate in space and occupy different worlds, according to their merit before God’s eyes; that the true life is in death and that the individual needs to redeem many times before obtaining the eternal life, achieved by everyone in more or less centuries of suffering, according to their more or less faith before the teachings of the Lord.
Ones (By Mrs. D…)
Your thoughts are absorbed by earthly things. If you want to listen to us you must forget them. Let us try to talk from a higher level. May your spirit elevate to those regions, the dwelling of the elected ones by the Lord. Behold the worlds that await all mortals, whose places are set according to the merits they have earned. What happiness is found by those dedicated to the sacred things, to the great teachings given in the name of God! Oh men! How little you are compared to the spirits parted from matter, who inhabit the spaces by the glory of the Lord! Happy are those invited to dwell the worlds where matter is not but a word; where everything is ethereal and translucent; where disagreements are no longer heard. Heavenly music is the only noise that clears the senses, so perfect capturing the tiniest sounds, of which are called harmony! How graceful are all those creatures so much loved by God! What a subtleness when moving about those enchanted regions, their refuge! No more disagreements, envy or hatred there; love has become the link destined to unite them all. Such a love which fulfills their hearts, the end in itself, summarizes faith, love and charity.
A friend
(Another, by the same medium)
Your obliviousness afflicted me. Don’t leave me any more for such a long time without calling me. I feel prepared to speak with you and give you advice. Be careful and don’t believe everything the other spirits might tell you; they could perhaps lead you to the wrong path. Before anything else, be sensible so that your God given mission is not denied to you, and do as follows: help to bring to people’s attention the revelation about the existence of the spirits around them. Not everyone is ready to understand and appreciate the elevated reach of these things, whose knowledge God only allows to the elected ones. There shall be a day in which this Science, full of greatness and consolation, will be shared by the whole human race, when there will no longer be a single skeptical. People will then have a hard time to understand how such a tangible truth could have ever been disputed by the simplest of the mortals. In truth, I tell you that half a century will not go by without having the ears and eyes of everyone open to this great truth: that the spirits circulate in space and occupy different worlds, according to their merit before God’s eyes; that the true life is in death and that the individual needs to redeem many times before obtaining the eternal life, achieved by everyone in more or less centuries of suffering, according to their more or less faith before the teachings of the Lord.
A friend
The Spirit and the Trial
(By Mrs. Netz)
The individual’s freedom is totally individual. One was born free but such a freedom is sometimes one’s disgrace. Moral freedom, physical freedom, it all goes together but often lacks discernment, what you call common sense. If a person has spirit but lacks discernment it is as if one had nothing because what shall be done of the spirit if it cannot be governed; if the necessary intelligence to lead the spirit is not there; if the individual thinks to be walking the good path when in reality one is in a swamp; if one always thinks to be right when in reality one is wrong? Discernment may take the place of the spirit but the spirit can never replace discernment. It is a necessary quality and when we don’t have it we must make every effort to acquire it.
(By Mrs. Netz)
The individual’s freedom is totally individual. One was born free but such a freedom is sometimes one’s disgrace. Moral freedom, physical freedom, it all goes together but often lacks discernment, what you call common sense. If a person has spirit but lacks discernment it is as if one had nothing because what shall be done of the spirit if it cannot be governed; if the necessary intelligence to lead the spirit is not there; if the individual thinks to be walking the good path when in reality one is in a swamp; if one always thinks to be right when in reality one is wrong? Discernment may take the place of the spirit but the spirit can never replace discernment. It is a necessary quality and when we don’t have it we must make every effort to acquire it.
A familiar spirit
The Skeptical
(By Mrs. L…)
Your doctrine is beautiful and sacred. The groundwork has been laid and firmly positioned. All you have to do now is to move forward. The path before you is ample and majestic. Blessed will be the one who arrives at the port. The more proselytes you have made the more shall be counted in your favor. But the doctrine must not be coldly embraced for that. One needs eagerness, which shall double since God is always with you when you do good deeds. Those that you bring with you shall be the other sheep to add to the herd. Poor stray sheep! Believe me, the most doubtful, the most atheist, as well as the most skeptical always have a little spot in their hearts which they would like to hide from themselves. Very well! That is the spot that you must look for, that you must find, the vulnerable side that is necessary to attack. It is a small gap intentionally left open by God, facilitating to God’s creature the means of coming back to God’s heart.
St. Benedict
(By Mrs. L…)
Your doctrine is beautiful and sacred. The groundwork has been laid and firmly positioned. All you have to do now is to move forward. The path before you is ample and majestic. Blessed will be the one who arrives at the port. The more proselytes you have made the more shall be counted in your favor. But the doctrine must not be coldly embraced for that. One needs eagerness, which shall double since God is always with you when you do good deeds. Those that you bring with you shall be the other sheep to add to the herd. Poor stray sheep! Believe me, the most doubtful, the most atheist, as well as the most skeptical always have a little spot in their hearts which they would like to hide from themselves. Very well! That is the spot that you must look for, that you must find, the vulnerable side that is necessary to attack. It is a small gap intentionally left open by God, facilitating to God’s creature the means of coming back to God’s heart.
St. Benedict
The Supernatural
(By Mr. Rabache, from Bordeaux)
My children, your father did well in calling your attention to the phenomena produced in your séances for some days now. Assessing them on the basis of the instructions of certain sectarian spirits, ignorant where they rule, that these things are supernatural. Don’t believe that my children. Nothing that has happened is supernatural. If it were, your common sense would tell you that it would only happen outside of nature and then it could not be seen. In order that your eyes or the other senses may be able to perceive something, it is totally necessary that such a thing be natural. Once you give some thought to that, you will see that there is not a single serious spirit who may lead you to believe in supernatural things. Having stated that, I don’t mean that there are not things which may appear as such to your intelligence but the only reason for that is that you don’t understand them yet. When a given fact seems to escape what you consider natural be aware of that laziness of spirit which would lead you to believe that it is supernatural. Make the effort to understand it. That is why intelligence was given to you. What good would it do to you if you were to be satisfied by the teachings and beliefs of your predecessors only? It is necessary that each one puts their intelligence at the service of progress which is the collective work of everybody. Since you are gifted with intelligence, think; since you have discernment – and you have it for a reason – analyze and judge. Do not accept pre-judgment but make sure that the subject has passed through the crucible of reason. Be skeptical while you are not sure but never deny something that you do not understand. Give serious examination. Only the lazy, the indifferent one accepts as true or false everything they see as accepted or denied. Finally, my children do your outmost to become serious and useful so as to accomplish the mission assigned to you. It is never too early to get involved with the good and to do good deeds. Thus, start early to get involved with serious things. Time of futility is always too long and useless to your progress that you must always keep in mind. The earthly things are nothing; they only serve to help your transition to another state, which shall be more perfect the better you have prepared it.
Your grandmother
(By Mr. Rabache, from Bordeaux)
My children, your father did well in calling your attention to the phenomena produced in your séances for some days now. Assessing them on the basis of the instructions of certain sectarian spirits, ignorant where they rule, that these things are supernatural. Don’t believe that my children. Nothing that has happened is supernatural. If it were, your common sense would tell you that it would only happen outside of nature and then it could not be seen. In order that your eyes or the other senses may be able to perceive something, it is totally necessary that such a thing be natural. Once you give some thought to that, you will see that there is not a single serious spirit who may lead you to believe in supernatural things. Having stated that, I don’t mean that there are not things which may appear as such to your intelligence but the only reason for that is that you don’t understand them yet. When a given fact seems to escape what you consider natural be aware of that laziness of spirit which would lead you to believe that it is supernatural. Make the effort to understand it. That is why intelligence was given to you. What good would it do to you if you were to be satisfied by the teachings and beliefs of your predecessors only? It is necessary that each one puts their intelligence at the service of progress which is the collective work of everybody. Since you are gifted with intelligence, think; since you have discernment – and you have it for a reason – analyze and judge. Do not accept pre-judgment but make sure that the subject has passed through the crucible of reason. Be skeptical while you are not sure but never deny something that you do not understand. Give serious examination. Only the lazy, the indifferent one accepts as true or false everything they see as accepted or denied. Finally, my children do your outmost to become serious and useful so as to accomplish the mission assigned to you. It is never too early to get involved with the good and to do good deeds. Thus, start early to get involved with serious things. Time of futility is always too long and useless to your progress that you must always keep in mind. The earthly things are nothing; they only serve to help your transition to another state, which shall be more perfect the better you have prepared it.
Your grandmother