Spiritist Review - Journal of Psychological Studies - 1868

Is Spiritism a Religion?

“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Matthews 18, 20



Dear Spiritist Brothers and Sisters,

We are gathered on this day consecrated by tradition to the commemoration of the dead, to give to those of our brothers who have left Earth, a particular testimony of sympathy; to continue the relationships of affection and brotherhood that existed between them and us during their life, and to call upon them the bounties of the Almighty. But why meet? Cannot we do in private what we propose to do together? What use can there be in meeting like this, on a specific day?

Jesus indicates that to us by the words we have reported above. This utility is in the result produced by the communion of thoughts that is established among people united for the same purpose.

But do we understand the full significance of this expression: Communion of thoughts? Undoubtedly, until this day, few people had a complete idea of that. Spiritism, that explains so many things by the laws it reveals to us, comes again to explain the cause, the effects, and the power of this situation of Spirit.

Communion of thought means common thought, unity of intention, of will, of desire, of aspiration. No one can fail to recognize that thought is a force; but is it a purely psychological and abstract force? No; otherwise, we would not be able to explain certain effects of thought, and even less of the communion of thought. To understand it, it is necessary to know the properties and the action of the elements that constitute our spiritual essence, and it is Spiritism that teaches us that.



Thought is the characteristic attribute of the spiritual being; it is what distinguishes Spirit from matter; without thought, the Spirit would not be Spirit. The will is not a special attribute of the Spirit, it is the thought that got to a certain degree of energy; it is thought that has become a driving force. It is by the will that the spirit impresses movements in a determined direction on the limbs and on the body. But if it has the power to act on the material organs, how much greater this power must not be on the fluidic elements that surround us! Thought acts on ambient fluids, as sound acts on air; those fluids bring us thought, as air brings us sound. We can therefore say with certainty that there are, in these fluids, waves and rays of thoughts that cross without being confused, as there are waves and sound rays in the air.

An assembly is a focus where diverse thoughts radiate; it's like an orchestra, a choir of thoughts where everyone produces their own note. The result is a multitude of currents and fluidic emissions, each one receiving the impression through the spiritual sense, as in a choir of music, each receives the impression of sounds through the sense of hearing.

But just as there are harmonic or dissonant sound waves, there are also harmonic or dissonant thoughts. If the whole is harmonic, the impression is pleasant; if it is discordant, the impression is painful. Now, for this, it is not necessary that the thought be expressed in words; the fluidic radiation does not exist less, whether it is expressed or not; if they are all benevolent, all the assistants experience a real well-being, they feel at ease; but if a few bad thoughts are mixed with them, they produce the effect of a current of icy air in a lukewarm environment.

Such is the cause of the feeling of satisfaction that one experiences in a sympathetic meeting; there it reigns like a healthy psychological atmosphere, where one can breathe at ease; we come out of that comforted, because we are pervaded with beneficial fluidic emissions. This also explains the anxiety, the indefinable uneasiness that one feels in an unsympathetic environment, where malicious thoughts provoke, so to speak, unhealthy fluidic currents.

The communion of thoughts, therefore, produces a kind of physical effect that reacts on the psychological; that is what only Spiritism could make us understand. Man feels it instinctively, for he seeks meetings in which he knows he will find such communion; in these homogeneous and sympathetic meetings, he draws new psychological forces; one could say that he recovers there the fluidic losses that take place every day by the radiation of thought, as he recovers by food the losses of the material body.

To these effects of communion of thoughts is added another that is their natural consequence, and that is important not to lose sight of: it is the power that the thought or the will acquires through the ensemble of thoughts or wills united. The will being an active force, this force is multiplied by the number of identical wills, just as the muscular force is multiplied by the number of arms.

Having this point established, we can see that in the relations established between men and Spirits, in a meeting where a perfect communion of thoughts holds, there is an attractive or repulsive power that an isolated individual does not always possess. If, until now, large meetings are less favorable, it is due to the difficulty of obtaining a perfect homogeneity of thoughts, that is dependent on the imperfection of human nature on Earth. The larger the gatherings, the more heterogeneous elements are mixed, paralyzing the action of the good elements, acting like grains of sand in a gear. This does not happen in more advanced worlds, and this situation will change as men become better on Earth.

To the Spiritists, the communion of thoughts has an even more special result. We have seen the effect of this man-to-man communion; Spiritism proves to us that it is not less important from men to Spirits, and vice versa. Indeed, if the collective thought acquires force by the number, a set of identical thoughts, having the goal of doing good, will have more power to neutralize the action of the bad Spirits; thus, we see that their tactics is to drive towards division and isolation. A man alone can succumb, while if his will is supported by other wills, he will be able to resist, according to the axiom: unity makes strength, an axiom that is true both from a moral as well as a physical point of view.

On the other hand, if the action of malevolent Spirits can be paralyzed by a common thought, it is evident that that of the good Spirits will be seconded; their beneficial influence will encounter no obstacles; their fluidic emanation, not being stopped by contrary currents, will spread over all the assistants, precisely because everyone will have attracted them by their thought, not each one for their personal benefit, but for the benefit of all, according to the law of charity. Those emanations will descend upon them in tongues of fire, using an admirable image of the Gospel.

Thus, by the communion of thoughts, men assist one another, and at the same time they assist the Spirits and are assisted by them. The relations between the visible world and the invisible world are no longer individual, they are collective, and therefore more powerful for the benefit of the masses, as for that of individuals; in short, it establishes solidarity, that is the basis of fraternity. Nobody works for oneself, but for all, and by working for all each one is accounted for; this is what selfishness does not understand.

Thanks to Spiritism, we therefore understand the power and the effects of collective thought; we can better understand the feeling of well-being that we experience in a homogeneous and friendly environment; but we also know that it is the same with the Spirits, because they too receive the emanations of all the benevolent thoughts that rise towards them, like a cloud of perfume. Those who are happy experience an even greater joy in this harmonious concert; those who suffer feel a greater relief.

All religious meetings, whatever cult they belong to, are founded on the communion of thoughts; it is there, in fact, that it must and can exercise all its power, because the goal must be the freedom of thought from the clutches of matter. Unfortunately, most have deviated from this principle, as they turn religion into a matter of form. It follows from this that the duty of each one consists of the fulfillment of the form, believing to be good with God and with men, when the formula was practiced. It also results from this that each one goes to places of religious meetings with a personal thought, for his own account, and most often without any feeling of brotherhood towards the other members; he is isolated in the midst of the crowd, and thinks of heaven only for himself.

This is certainly not how Jesus understood it when he said: "for where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." Gathered in my name, that is, with a common thought; but one cannot be united in the name of Jesus without assimilating his principles, his doctrine; now, what is the fundamental principle of the doctrine of Jesus? Charity in thought, word, and deed. The selfish and the proud lie when they say they are gathered in the name of Jesus, because Jesus disavows them for his disciples.

Struck by these abuses and deviations, there are people who deny the usefulness of religious assemblies, and consequently of buildings dedicated to these assemblies. In their radicalism, they think that it would be better to build hospices than temples, since the temple of God is everywhere, that God can be worshiped everywhere, that everyone can pray at home and at any time, while the poor, the sick and the frail need places of refuge.

But from the fact that abuses are committed, from the fact that one has deviated from the right path, does it follow that the right path does not exist, and that everything that is abused is bad? To speak like that is to misunderstand the source and the benefits of the communion of thoughts that must be the essence of religious assemblies; it is to ignore the causes that provoke it. It is understandable that materialists profess such ideas, for they disregard the spiritual life in all things; but on the part of the spiritualists, and even more so of the Spiritists, that would be nonsense. Religious isolation, like social isolation, leads to selfishness. It is possible that a few men are strong enough in themselves, largely endowed with heart, so that their faith and their charity do not need to be warmed in a common focus; it is possible, but this is not the case with the masses, that need a stimulus, without which they could be dominated by indifference.

Moreover, who is the man that can claim to be sufficiently enlightened to have nothing to learn concerning his future interests, and perfect enough to do without advice in this life? Is he always able to learn by himself? No; most need direct teachings in matters of religion and morality, as in matters of science. Without a doubt, this teaching can be given everywhere, under the dome of heaven as under that of a temple; but why shouldn’t men have special places for the affairs of heaven, as they have for the earthly affairs? Why shouldn't they have religious assemblies, as they have political, scientific, and industrial assemblies?

This is a stock exchange where one always wins, without making anyone lose anything. This does not prevent foundations for the benefit of the unfortunate; but we add that when men understand better their interests in heaven, there will be less people in the hospices.

If the religious assemblies - we speak in general, without referring to any worship - have too often deviated from the main primitive goal, that is the fraternal communion of thought; if the teaching given there has not always followed the progressive movement of humanity, it is because men do not progress all the same, at the same time; what they don't do in one period, they do in another; as they become clearer, they see the gaps that exist in their institutions, and they fill them out; they understand that what was good at one time, regarding the degree of civilization, becomes insufficient in a more advanced state, and they restore the standard. We know that Spiritism is the great lever of progress in all things; that it marks an era of renovation. So let us know how to wait and let us not ask from an era more than it can give. Like with the plants, the ideas need to mature to harvest the benefits. Furthermore, let us know how to make the necessary concessions at times of transition, because nothing in nature takes place in a sudden and instantaneous way.

We have said that the real goal of religious assemblies must be the communion of thoughts; it is because in fact the word religion means link; a religion, in its broad and true sense, is a bond that unites men in a community of feelings, principles and beliefs; this name was consecutively given to these same principles codified and formulated in dogmas or articles of faith. It is in this sense that we say: political religion; however, even in this sense, the word religion is not synonymous with opinion; it implies a particular idea: that of conscientious faith; that is why we also say: political faith.

However, men can enlist, by interest, in a party, without having faith in that party, and the proof is that they leave it, without scruple, when they find their interest elsewhere, while the one that embraces it with conviction is unshakeable; he persists at the cost of the greatest sacrifices, and it is the abnegation of personal interests that is the real touchstone of sincere faith. However, if the renunciation of an opinion, motivated by interest, is an act of contemptible cowardice, it is on the contrary respectable, when it is the fruit of acknowledgement of an earlier mistake; it is then an act of self-sacrifice and common sense. There is more courage and greatness in openly admitting that we have made a mistake, than in persisting, out of self-esteem, in what we know to be false, and in order not to belie ourselves, showing more stubbornness than firmness, more pride than good judgment, and more weakness than strength. It is even more: it is hypocrisy because we want to appear to be what we are not; it is also a bad deed, because it is an encouragement to error by our own example.

The link established by a religion, whatever the object, is then an essentially moral bond, that links hearts, identifies thoughts, aspirations, and is not only the result of material commitments that one breaks at will, or the realization of formulas that speak more to the eyes than to the Spirit. The effect of this moral bond is to establish mutual indulgence and benevolence, fraternity, and solidarity among those united by it, because of the communion of views and feelings. It is also in this sense that it is said: the religion of friendship, the religion of family.

If that is so, it will be said, is Spiritism a religion? Well yes! no doubt, gentlemen; in the philosophical sense, Spiritism is a religion, and we pride ourselves on that, because it is the doctrine that founds the bonds of fraternity and the communion of thoughts, not on a simple convention, but on the most solid foundations: the very laws of nature.

Why then have we declared that Spiritism is not a religion? Because there is only one word to express two different ideas, and that, in the general opinion, the word religion is inseparable from that of worship; that it brings up exclusively an idea of form, and that Spiritism does not have one. If Spiritism were to call itself religion, the public would only see a new edition, a variant, if you will, of the absolute principles in matters of faith; a priestly caste with its entourage of hierarchies, ceremonies, and privileges; they would not separate it from the ideas of mysticism, and from the abuses against which public opinion has often been raised.

Since Spiritism does not have any of the characteristics of a religion, in the usual meaning of the word, it could not, and it should not be adorned with a title whose value one would inevitably have been mistaken about; that is why it simply says: philosophical and moral doctrine.

Spiritist meetings can therefore be held religiously, that is with the reverence and respect that the serious nature of the matters that are dealt with entails; on the occasion one can even say prayers that instead of being said in private, are said in common, without being taken by religious assemblies for that matter. Make no mistake this is not playing with words; the nuance is perfectly clear, and the apparent confusion only comes from the lack of one word for each idea.

What is therefore the link that must exist between the Spiritists? They are not united by any material contract, by any binding practice; what is the feeling in which all thoughts must merge? It is an entirely moral, entirely spiritual, completely humanitarian feeling: that of charity for all, in other words: love thy neighbor that includes the living and the dead, since we know that the dead are always part of humanity.

Charity is the soul of Spiritism: it sums up all the duties of man towards himself and towards his fellows; that is why we can say that there is no true Spiritist without charity.

But charity is still one of those words with multiple meanings, the full significance of which must be well understood; and if the Spirits keep preaching and defining it, it is probably because they recognize that it is still necessary.

The field of charity is very broad; it comprises two great divisions that, for lack of special terms, we can designate by the expressions: beneficent charity and benevolent charity. The first is easily understood, naturally proportionate to the material resources available; but the second is within the reach of everyone, the poorest as well as the richest. If beneficence is necessarily limited, nothing other than the wish could place limits on benevolence. So, what does it take to practice benevolent charity? To love your neighbor as yourself: if you love your neighbor as much as yourself, you will love him very much; we will act towards others as we would like others to act towards us; we won't wish to or hurt anybody, because we wouldn't want to be harmed.

To love one's neighbor is therefore to abjure any feeling of hatred, animosity, resentment, envy, jealousy, revenge, in a word, any desire and any thought of harming; it is to forgive one's enemies and to return good for evil; it is to be indulgent for the imperfections of his fellows and not to look for the speck in the eye of his neighbor, whereas one does not see the beam in his own; it is to veil or excuse the faults of others, instead of taking pleasure in highlighting them out of a spirit of slander; again, it is not to show off at the expense of others; not to seek to crush anyone under the weight of our superiority; not to despise anyone out of pride. This is true benevolent charity, practical charity, without which charity is an empty word; it is the charity of the true Spiritist, as well as of the true Christian; it is the one without which, the one who says: there is no salvation but through charity, pronounces his own condemnation, in this world as well as in the next.

How many things still to be said on this subject! What beautiful instructions the Spirits constantly give us! Without the fear of taking too long and of abusing your patience, ladies and gentlemen, it would be easy to demonstrate that, from the point of view of personal interest, selfish if you will, for all men are not ripe yet for a complete abnegation, to do good only for the sake of good, it would be, I say, easy to demonstrate that they have everything to gain by doing so and everything to lose by doing otherwise, even in their social relations; also, good attracts good and the protection of good Spirits; evil attracts evil and opens the door to the malice of the evil ones. Sooner or later the proud is punished by humiliation, the ambitious by disappointments, the selfish by the ruin of his hopes, the hypocrite by the shame of being exposed; he who abandons the good Spirits is abandoned by them, and from fall to fall, finally sees himself at the bottom of the abyss, while the good Spirits encourage and support him who, in the greatest trials, never ceases to trust the Providence and never deviates from the right path; the one, finally, whose secret feelings conceal no hidden motives of vanity or personal interest. Thus, on the one hand, guaranteed gain; on the other, certain loss; each, by virtue of his free will, can choose the risk he wants to take, but can only blame himself for the consequences of his choice.

To believe in an almighty God, supremely just and good; to believe in the soul and its immortality; in the preexistence of the soul as the only justification for the present; in the plurality of existences as a means of atonement, reparation and intellectual and moral advancement; in the perfectibility of the most imperfect beings; in the increasing bliss with perfection; in the equitable compensation for good and evil, according to the principle: to each one according to his own works; in the equality of justice for all, without exceptions, favors or privileges for any creature; in the duration of the atonement limited to that of the imperfection; in man's free will, that always leaves him the choice between good and evil; believe in the continuity of relations between the visible and the invisible world; in the solidarity that links all past, present and future, incarnate and discarnate beings; to consider earthly life as transitory and one of the phases of the life of the Spirit, that is eternal; courageously accept trials with a view to a future more desirable than the present; to practice charity in thought, word and deed, in the broadest sense of the word; to strive every day to be better than the day before, eradicating some imperfection from his soul; to submit all beliefs to the control of free examination and reason, and accept nothing by blind faith; to respect all sincere beliefs, however irrational they may appear to us, and do not violate anyone's conscience; finally see in the discoveries of science the revelation of the laws of nature, that are the laws of God: this is the Creed, the religion of Spiritism, a religion that can be reconciled with all cults, that is to say with every way of worshiping God. It is the bond that must unite all Spiritists in a holy communion of thoughts, while waiting for it to rally all men under the flag of universal fraternity.

With fraternity, daughter of charity, men will live in peace, and will spare themselves the innumerable evils that arise from discord, in turn the daughter of pride, selfishness, ambition, jealousy and all the imperfections of mankind.

Spiritism gives men everything they need for their happiness down here, because it teaches them to be content with what they have; may the Spiritists, therefore, be the first ones to take advantage of the benefits that it brings, inaugurating among themselves the kingdom of harmony that will cast light onto future generations.

The Spirits that surround us here are innumerable, attracted by the goal that we set out for ourselves in meeting, to give to our thoughts the force that is born from the union. Let us give those who are dear to us fond memories and a token of our love, encouragement, and consolation to those in need. Let us ensure that each one receives his share of the feelings of benevolent charity that drives us, and that this meeting bears the fruits that all are entitled to expect from it.

Allan Kardec

After this speech, a spontaneous communication was read, dictated by the Spirit of Mr. H. Dozon on the solemnity of All Saints' Day, November 1^st, 1865, read each year at the commemorative meeting.





All Saints' Day.

The celebration of All Saints, my good friends, is a memorial that, for most of those who do not have true faith, saddens them, and makes them shed tears instead of cheering up. Notice that from the humble cottage to the palace, when the funeral knell recalls the name of a husband or a wife, of a father, of a mother, of a son, of a daughter, they cry; it seems that everything is over, that they have nothing more to hope for down here, and yet they pray! What is that prayer then? It is a thought given to the loved one, but without hope; tears that suffocate the prayer; Why? Ah! For they doubt; they do not have that lively faith that brings hope, that sustains you in the greatest struggles. This is because they did not understand that the earthly life is only a momentary separation; in short, those who taught them to pray did not have the true faith themselves, the faith that is based on reason.

But the time has come when these beautiful words of Christ will be finally understood: “My father must be worshiped, not only in the temples, but everywhere, in Spirit and in truth.” The time will come when they come true. Beautiful and sublime words! Yes, my God, you are not worshiped only in the temples, but you are worshiped on the mountain and everywhere. Yes, he who dipped his lips in the blessed cup of Spiritism, prays not only on this day, but every day; the traveler prays on his way, the worker during his work; he who can dispose of his time uses it to the relief of his brothers who are suffering.

My brothers, rejoice, for in a very short time you will see great things! When I was on Earth, I saw the doctrine, great and beautiful, but I was far from being able to understand it in all its greatness and in its true purpose. Therefore, I will say to you: Redouble your zeal; console those who are suffering, for there are creatures that have suffered so much in life that they need to be supported and helped in the struggle. You know how pleasing to God charity is: practice it, therefore, in all forms; practice it in the name of the Spirits whose memory you celebrate on this day, and they will bless you!

H. Dozon.”



After the usual prayers (see the Spiritist Review, November 1865), thirty-two communications were obtained by the eighteen mediums present. Given the impossibility of publishing them all, the Society has chosen the following three, to be attached to the above speech that it has requested to print. The others will find a place in the special collections to be published later.



I

“A great Spirit, La Rochefoucauld^[2], said in one of his works, that one should tremble before life and before death! Certainly, if one must tremble, it is for seeing their existence uncertain, troubled, completely missed; it is for having accomplished a sterile work, useless to oneself and to others; it is for having been a false friend, a bad brother, a wicked council; it is for having been a bad son, a thoughtless father, an unjust citizen, ignoring one’s duties, one’s country, the laws that govern you, society and solidarity.

How many of my friends have I seen, beautiful minds, ingenious, educated, often missing the deep purpose of life! They constructed somewhat absurd hypotheses: here, the denial, there, the ardent faith; elsewhere, they became neophytes of this or that system of government, of philosophy, and much too often, unfortunately, they threw away their fine intelligences in a ditch, from where they could no longer emerge, except bruised and wrinkled forever.

Life with its toughness, setbacks, and uncertainties, is nevertheless a beautiful thing! How? You emerge from an embryo, from nothing, and you draw around you the kisses, the care, the love, the dedication, the work, and that is nothing but life! How is it then that for you, feeble beings, without strength, without language, entire generations have created the unceasingly explored fields of human acquisitions? Acquisitions of knowledge, philosophy, mechanics, various sciences; thousands of courageous citizens have used their bodies and disposed of their vigils to create thousands of different elements of your civilization, for you. From the first letters to a scholarly description, you find everything that can guide and shape the mind; today we can see, for everything is light. The shadow of the dark ages is gone forever, and a sixteen-year-old can gaze and admire a sunrise and analyze it, weigh the air, and create a thousand divine pleasures using chemistry, physics, mechanics, and astronomy. With painting, he reproduces a landscape; with music, he inscribes some of those harmonies that God profusely spreads in the infinite harmonies!

With life, one can love, give, spread a lot; one can sun oneself, sometimes, and enlighten one’s interior, one’s family, one’s entourage, be useful, fulfill one’s mission. Oh! yes, life is a beautiful thing, quivering, full of fire and expansion, full of fraternity and those dazzling things that throw our little miseries to the last spot.

O all of you, my dear co-disciples of the rue de Richelieu; you, my faithful of the 14; all of you who, so many times, have questioned the existence by asking yourselves the last word; you who bowed your heads, uncertain before the last hour, before the word death, that to you means emptiness, separation, disintegration, to you I come to say: raise your head and hope; no more weakness, no more fear; for if your conscientious studies and the religions of your parents have left you with nothing but disgust for life, only uncertainty and disbelief, it is because badly guided human science, sterile in everything, has only reached nothingness. All of you, who love humanity and summarize future hope by studying social sciences, by their serious application, I say to you: hope, believe and seek. Like me, you let the truth pass; we let it go, while it knocked on our stubbornly shut door. From now on, you will love life, you will love death, this great consoler, because you will want to avoid starting over, by an exemplary life; you will want to wait on the threshold of erraticity for all those you love, not just your family, but the entire generation that you have guided, to welcome them and migrate to superior worlds.

You see that I live, and we all live. Reincarnation, that made us laugh so much, is the solved problem that we have been eagerly looking for. There it is, this problem in your hand, full of attractions of ardent promises; your parents, your spouses, your children, the crowd of friends, want to answer you; they are all gathered, the dear ones disappeared from your eyes; they will speak to your Spirit, to your reason; they will reveal truths to you, and faith is a beloved law; but question them with perseverance.

Ah! death frightened us, and we trembled! Yet here I am, Guillaumin, a skeptical, an uncertain, brought back to the truth. Thousands of Spirits are in a hurry, awaiting your decision; they love remembrance and pilgrimage to cemeteries! This respect for the dead is a milestone; but these dead are all alive; instead of funeral urns, and more or less true speeches, they ask you for an exchange of thoughts, advice, a sweet trade of Spirit, this community of ideas that drives courage, perseverance, will, acts of devotion, and this strengthening and consoling thought that life is steeped in death, and that we can henceforth, despite La Rochefoucauld and other great geniuses, tremble neither before life, nor before death.

God is exuberance, it is life in everything and always. It is up to us to understand his wisdom in the various phases through which he purifies humanity.

Guillaumin (medium, Mr. Leymarie).”



II

“Choosing the wrong moment has always been one of my continual blunders, and to come on this day, in the midst of this large gathering of Spirits and incarnates, is truly a daring act that my shyness alone can be capable; but I see in you so much goodness, gentleness, amenity; I feel so well that in each of you I can find a loving, compassionate heart, and since indulgence is the least of the qualities that animate your hearts, despite my audacity, I am not troubled and I keep all the presence of spirit that sometimes fails me, in less imposing circumstances.

But you will ask, what is this stranger up to, with his insinuating verbiage, who instead of an instructor, comes to monopolize a useful medium? As for now you are right; I then hasten to make my plan known, so as not to appropriate any longer a place that I steal.

In a passage of the speech delivered by your President today, a reflection vibrated in my ear, as only a truth can do, and mingled with the crowd of attentive Spirits, I suddenly brought myself to the open. I was again severely judged by a crowd of Spirits who, basing themselves on their memories and the reputation of an appreciation carried over from other times, they suddenly recognized in me the savage misanthropist, the bear of civilization, the stern critic of institutions at odds with his own judgment. Alas! how much suffering caused by an error, and how long does the harm done to the masses last, by the stupid pretension of a proud of humility, a madman of feeling!

Yes, you are right: isolation in religious and social matters can only engender egoism, and without realizing it very often, man becomes misanthropic by letting his egoism dominate him. Meditation, produced by the effect of the grandiose silence of nature, speaking to the soul, is useful, but its usefulness can only produce its fruits as much as the being, who hears nature speaking to his soul, reports to men the truth of his morality; but if he who feels, in the face of creation, his soul soaring into regions of a pure and virtuous era, if he uses his sensations, when awaken in the midst of the institutions of his time, only to blame the abuses that his sensitive nature exaggerates before him, because he suffers from it, if he only finds gall and resentment to right the wrongs of mankind, without kindly showing them the true path, as he discovered it in nature herself, oh! then, woe to him, if he only uses his intelligence to whip, instead of healing the wounds of society!

Yes, you are right: to live alone amid nature is to be selfish and a thief, for man was created for sociability; and this is so true that I, the savage, the misanthropist, the fierce hermit, come to applaud this passage of the speech given here: Social and religious isolation leads to selfishness.

Unite therefore, in your efforts and ideas, especially love. Be good, gentle, human; give friendship the feeling of fraternity; preach by the example of your actions, the beneficial effects of your philosophical beliefs; be Spiritists in fact and not only by name; and soon the madmen of my sort, the utopians of good, will no longer need to moan about the defects of a legislation under which they must live, for understood and especially practiced Spiritism will reform everything to the benefit of men.

J.J. Rosseau (medium Mr. Morin)”



III



The fragrance that exudes from all good feelings is a constant prayer that rises to God, and all good deeds are thanksgiving to the Lord.

Mrs. Victor Hugo

Devotion by gratitude is an impulse of the heart; devotion for love is an impulse of the soul.

Mrs. Dauban

Recognition is a blessing that rewards those who deserve it. Gratitude is an act of the heart that gives, at the same time, the pleasure of good to the one to whom one should be grateful, and to the one who is so.

Vézy

Ingratitude is punished as a bad deed by the neglect of which it is the object, as gratitude is rewarded by the joy it delivers.

Leclerc

Woman’s duty is to bring to man all consolations and encouragements necessary to his life of vicissitudes and painful works. The woman must be his support, his guide, the torch that illuminates his path and must prevent him from failing; if she fails in her mission, she will be punished; but, if despite her devotion, the man rejects the impulses of her heart, she is doubly rewarded for having persisted in the accomplishment of her duties.

Delphine de Girardin

Doubt is the slow poison that the soul causes matter to absorb and for which it receives the first punishment. Doubt is the suicide of the soul, that inevitably leads to the death of the body. - A soul committing suicide is difficult to understand; but isn't that dying to live in the shadows when you feel the light around you? Therefore, take away from your Spirit the veil that hides from you the splendors of life, and see those radiant suns that give you the light of day: that is the true light; that is the goal you must reach by faith.

Jobard

Selfishness is the paralysis of all good feelings. Selfishness is the deformity of the soul, that trespasses matter by making you love everything that is addressed to her, rejecting everything that is addressed to others. Selfishness is the denial of the sublime sentence of Christ, a sentence disgracefully overturned: "Do to others what you would like others do to you."

Placid

Susceptibility, here is a fault for everyone's use, and everyone, don't you say the opposite, is somewhat loaded with that. Phew! If you knew how ridiculous it is to be susceptible, and how awkward this defect is, I assure you that no one would want to be affected by it any longer, because people like to be beautiful.

Gay

Pride is everyone's social umbrella, and that everyone casts onto the gracious self-love; one must certainly have self-esteem and pride, that's what gives the ambition for good (no pun intended), but when it is too much, it spoils the Spirit and corrupts the heart.

Mangin

Ambition, he has just said, but do you know what is the ambition that does not prevent the soul from rising towards the splendors of infinity? Well! It is the one that leads you to do good. All other ambitions lead you to pride and selfishness, the scourges of humanity.

Bonnefon

My dear friends, the Spirits who have just spoken to you, not only were happy to make their presence known, but they have the joy to think that each of you will strive to correct yourselves and to put into practice the wise lessons that they have given you, and those that are brought to you at each of your sessions. Believe it, the Spirits are what your parents were or should have been to you. They scold you while advising you, while helping you; and when you do not listen to them, they tell you that they are abandoning you; they revolt against you; then, just after having harshly spoken to you, they come back, encouraging you and constantly striving to push your thoughts toward good. Yes, the Spirits love you as the good father loves his children; they take pity on you, look after your life, keeping away from you all the evil things that can happen to you, just as the mother surrounds her child with all the most delicate care, with all the attentions required by his fragility. God gave them such a mission; he gave them the courage to fulfill it and none of these good Spirits, whatever their degree in the spiritual hierarchy, will fail in their task; they understand, they feel, they see these divine splendors that must be their reward; they move forward, and would like to take you with them, to push you past them if they could. That's why they scold you, that's why they advise you. On your side, pray for them, so that your rebellion does not prevent them from bringing their support to you, and that God continues to give them the strength to help you out.

St. Louis (medium Mr. Bertrand)

---

[1] The first part of this speech is taken from an earlier publication on the Communion of Thoughts, but that was necessary to recall, given its connection with the main idea.




[2] The French original says “Larochefoucauld” that seems a typo or perhaps the name was simplified in those days. The French moralist of the 17^thCentury was Francois de La Rochefoucauld 1613-1680 (Wikipedia) T.N.

I

Preliminary Considerations

Spiritism, like everything else, had its period of birth, and until all the questions, principal and ancillary related to the matter, had been resolved, it could only give incomplete results; we were able to glimpse at its aim, have a presentiment of its consequences, but only vaguely. The uncertainty on points not yet determined were bound to give rise to divergences on how to consider them; unification could only be the work of time; it was done gradually, as the principles were clarified. It is only when the Doctrine will have embraced all the parts that it comprises, that it will form a harmonious whole, and only then one will be able to judge what Spiritism really is.

While Spiritism was only a philosophical opinion, there could be between the followers only the natural sympathy produced by the communion of thoughts, but no serious bond could exist for the lack of a clearly defined program. That is, of course, the main cause of the lack of cohesion and stability of the groups and societies that were formed. Thus, we have constantly and with all our strength, diverted the Spiritists from prematurely founding any special institution based on the Doctrine, before it was established on solid foundations; this would have been exposing oneself to inevitable failures, the effect of which would have been disastrous by the impression it would have produced on the public, and the discouragement that would have resulted among the followers. Such failures would perhaps have delayed the definitive progress of the doctrine by a century, whose unsuccess would have been imputed to its impotence, which in fact it would have been only the result of improvidence. Impatient and hurriedly people have always compromised the best causes, in all epochs, for not knowing to wait for the right time.^[1]

We must ask of things only what they can give, in proportion to what they are in a condition to produce; one cannot demand from a child what one can expect from an adult, nor from a newly planted tree what it will produce when it is fully blossomed. Spiritism, as a work in progress, could only give individual results; the collective and general results will be the fruits of the complete Spiritism that will develop successively.

Although Spiritism has not yet said its last word on all points, it is approaching its complement, and the moment is not far off when it will be necessary to give it a strong and lasting basis, although susceptible of receiving all developments that will come with subsequent circumstances, giving full confidence to those that wonder who will take the reins after us.

The doctrine is undoubtedly imperishable, because it rests on the laws of nature, and because, better than any other, it responds to the legitimate aspirations of men; however its diffusion and its final installation can be advanced or delayed by circumstances, some of which are subordinate to the general progress of things, but others are inherent to the doctrine itself, to its constitution and to its organization; these are the ones that we have to deal with especially for the moment.

Although the question of substance is preponderant and always ends up prevailing in everything, the question of form is of fundamental importance here; it could even prevail momentarily and create obstacles and delays, depending on how it is resolved.

We would, therefore, have done an incomplete thing and left great difficulties to the future, if we had not foreseen the difficulties that may arise. It was to counter all this, that with the help of the good Spirits, who assist us in our work, we have drawn up an organizational plan for which we used the experience of the past, to avoid the stumbling blocks that most of the doctrines that have appeared in the world have come up against. Since this plan can lend itself to all the developments that the future holds, we have given this constitution the qualification of transitory.

The plan below has been conceived for a long time because we have always been concerned with the future of Spiritism; we have had a presentiment of it in various circumstances, vaguely, it is true, but enough to show that it is not a new conception today, and that while working on the theoretical part of the endeavor, we do not neglect the practical side.

Before tackling the substance of the issue, it seems useful to us to recall a few passages from the report that we presented to the Parisian Society, on May 5^th, 1865, about the budget of Spiritism, published in the Spiritist Review, June 1865. The considerations it contains are directly related to our subject, of which they are the indispensable preliminaries.



II

Excerpt from the report of the Spiritism budget presented to the Parisian Society, May 5th, 1865.

Much has been said about the products I get from my books; no one seriously believes in my millions, despite the affirmation of those who claimed to have a good source that I had a princely lifestyle, four-horse crews, and that in my house they only walked on Aubusson rugs (Spiritist Review, June 1862). Despite what has been said, the author of a pamphlet that you know, and who proves by hyperbolic calculations, that my revenues exceeds the civil list of the most powerful sovereign of Europe, because in France alone, twenty millions Spiritists are my tributaries (Spiritist Review, June 1863); there is a fact more authentic than his calculations, that I have never asked for anything from anyone, that no one has ever given me anything for me personally; in a word, that I do not live at the expense of anyone, since out of the sums that have been voluntarily entrusted to me in the interest of Spiritism, no part has been diverted to my own benefit.^[2]

My immense wealth would therefore come from my Spiritist books. Although these books have had an unexpected success, one only needs to be initiated in the business of book selling to know that it is not with philosophical books that one amasses millions in five or six years, when one only has a copyright of a few cents per copy on the sale. But whether it is much or little, this product is the fruit of my labor, and nobody has the right to interfere in the use that I make of it; even if it amounted to millions, since the purchase of books, as well as subscription to the Review, is optional and is not imposed under any circumstances, not even to attend meetings at the Society, then it is not anyone’s business. Commercially speaking, I am in the position of any man who reaps the fruits of his labor; I take the risk of any writer who can succeed, as he can fail.^[3]

Although, in this respect, I have no account to render, I believe it useful, for the very cause to which I have dedicated myself, to give some explanations.

I will first say that since my works are not my exclusive property, I am obliged to buy them from my publisher, and pay for them like a bookseller, except for the Spiritist Review; that the profit is singularly diminished by the giveaways and the free distributions made in the interest of the Doctrine, to people who, otherwise, would be obliged to do without them. A very easy calculation proves that the price of ten lost or donated volumes, for which I must nevertheless pay, suffices to absorb the profit of a hundred volumes. This is said for information and as a parenthesis. All in all, and balance done, there is still something left. Assume the number you want; what do I do with it? That is what worries some people the most.


Anyone who saw our private life in the past and sees it today, can attest that nothing has changed in our way of living, since I have been dealing with Spiritism; it's just as simple now as it once was. It is therefore certain that my profits, however enormous they are, do not serve to give us the pleasures of luxury. Or would I have the habit of hoarding to have the pleasure of contemplating my money? I don't believe my character and my habits could ever suggest that. So, where does it lead to? Since it doesn't benefit me, the more fabulous the sum, the more embarrassing the answer. One day, they will know the exact figure, as well as the detailed use, and the story-makers will be able to spare their imagination; today I limit myself to a few general data to stop ridiculous assumptions. For that, I excuse myself to go into a few private details but that are necessary.

We have always had enough to live on, very modestly, it is true, but what would have been little for certain people was enough for us, thanks to our tastes and our habits of order and economy. Our small income was added by the product of the books that I published before Spiritism, and that of a modest job that I had to leave when the work of the Doctrine absorbed all my time.

Spiritism, by pulling me out of obscurity, threw me on a new path; I soon found myself drawn into a movement that I was far from foreseeing. When I conceived the idea of The Spirits' Book, my intention was not to highlight myself and to remain unknown; but I was quickly overwhelmed, and that was impossible to me; I had to renounce to my privacy or pay the price of giving up the work undertaken, and that grew every day; I had to follow the impulse and take the reins. If my name has any popularity now, it wasn’t certainly me who sought it, for it is well known that I owe it neither to publicity nor to the solidarity of the press, and that I have never taken advantage of my position and my connections to launch myself into the world, when it would have been so easy for me. But, as the work grew, a vaster horizon unfolded before me, pushing back its boundaries; I then understood the immensity of my task, and the importance of the work that remained to be done to complete it; difficulties and obstacles, far from frightening me, redoubled my energy; I saw the goal, and I resolved to achieve it with the assistance of the good Spirits. I felt that I had no time to waste, and I wasted it neither in useless visits, nor in idle ceremonies; it was my life's work; I gave it all my time, I sacrificed my rest, my health, because the future was written before me in irrefutable characters.

Without moving away from our way of life, this exceptional position did not create any less necessities for us that my resources alone did not allow me to provide. It would be difficult to imagine the multiplicity of expenses that it entails, without which I would have avoided.

Well! Ladies and gentlemen, what gave me this extra resource was the product of my books. I say it with pleasure that was the product of my own work, with the fruit of my vigils that I provided, for the most part at least, for the material necessities of the installation of the Doctrine. I thus contributed a large share to the budget of Spiritism; those who help to propagate the works will therefore not be able to say that they are working to enrich me, since the product of any book purchased, from any subscription to the Review, benefits the Doctrine and not an individual.


Providing for the present was not all; it was also necessary to think of the future, and to prepare a foundation that, after me, could help the one who will replace me in the great task that he will have to undertake; this foundation, on which I must still keep silent, is attached to the property that I own, and it is with that in mind that I apply part of my resources to improve it. As I am far from the millions with which I have been painted, I very much doubt that, despite my savings, my personal resources will ever allow me to give this foundation the complement that I would like to give it in life; but since its realization is in the plans of my spiritual guides, if I do not do it myself, it is likely that one day or another it will be done. In the meantime, I am outlining the plans.

Far from me, ladies and gentlemen, the slightest thought of vanity in what I have just explained to you; it took the perseverance of certain diatribes to engage me, albeit with regret, in breaking the silence on some of the facts that concern me. Later, all those documents that malice took pleasure in distorting will be brought to light with authentic ones, but the time for these explanations has not come yet; the only thing that did matter to me for the moment was that you should be enlightened about the destination of the funds that the Providence passes through my hands, whatever their origin. I only consider myself as a custodian, even of those I earn, and even more so of those entrusted to me.

One day someone asked me, without curiosity of course, and out of pure interest in the thing, what I would do with a million if I had it. I replied that today its use would be quite different from what it would have been in the beginning. Formerly I would have made propaganda through broad publicity; now I admit that it would have been useless, since our adversaries took care of it, at their own expenses. By not putting then large resources at my disposal for this object, the Spirits wanted to prove that Spiritism owed its success to its own strength.

Today that the horizon has widened, that above all the future has unfolded, needs of a completely different order are being felt. A sum like the one you suppose would have a more useful application. Without going into details that would be premature, I would simply say that part of it would serve to convert my property into a special spiritualist retreat home, whose inhabitants would reap the benefits of our moral Doctrine; the other part to constitute an inalienable income intended to: 1^st - for the maintenance of the establishment; 2^nd - to ensure an independent existence for the one who will succeed me and for those who will help him in his mission; 3^rd - to provide for the current needs of Spiritism without taking the chance with eventual products, like I am obliged to do, since most of its resources is based on my own work that will have an end.

That is what I would do; but if that satisfaction is not given to me, I know that, one way or another, the Spirits that direct the movement will provide for all the necessities in due time; this is why I do not worry about it at all, and occupy myself with what is the essential thing to me: the completion of the work that remains for me to be completed. When that is done, I will depart when God pleases to call me back.




III

Schisms

A question that first presents itself to thought, is that of the schisms that may arise in the bosom of the Doctrine; Will Spiritism be preserved?

Certainly not, because it will have, in the beginning especially, to fight against personal ideas, always absolute, tenacious, slow to rally to the ideas of others, and against the ambition of those that, despite everything, want to attach their name to any innovation; who create novelties only to be able to say that they do not think and do not like the others; or because their self-esteem suffers from only occupying a secondary position; or finally who see with spite someone else do what they have not done, and moreover, succeed. But as we have said to them a hundred times: “Who is standing on your way? Who is preventing you from working on your side? Who forbids you from bringing your work to light? Advertising is open to you as to everyone else; give something better than what is around, no one opposes it; be better appreciated by the public, and the public will give you preference."

If Spiritism cannot escape human weaknesses, that must always be accounted for, it can paralyze its consequences, and that is the main thing.

It should be noted that the many divergent systems, hatched at the origin of Spiritism, about the way of explaining facts, disappeared as the doctrine was completed by observation and by a rational theory; it is difficult that such first systems still find some rare partisans today. This is a notorious fact from which one can conclude that the last divergences will fade away with the complete elucidation of all the parts of the Doctrine; but there will always be biased dissidents, interested in one cause or another, to stand apart; it is against their pretension that we must guard ourselves.

To ensure unity in the future, a prerequisite is that all parts of the whole doctrine be determined with precision and clarity, without leaving anything vague; for that we have made sure that our writings cannot give rise to any contradictory interpretation, and we will strive for that to be always the case. When it has been said squarely and unambiguously that two and two make four, no one can claim that it was meant that two and two make five. Sects, therefore, can be formed on the side of the Doctrine, that will not adopt its principles, or all the principles, but not in the doctrine by the interpretation of the text, as so many have been formed on the meaning of the very words of the Gospel. This is a first point of fundamental importance.

The second point is not to leave the circle of practical ideas. If it is true that the utopia of the day before is often the truth of the next day, let us leave to the next day the task of realizing the utopia of the day before, but let us not embarrass the doctrine with principles that would be considered as chimeras and that would be rejected by positive men.


Finally, the third point is inherent to the essentially progressive character of the doctrine. From the fact that it does not lull itself with unachievable dreams for the present, it does not follow that it becomes immobilized in the present. Exclusively based on the laws of nature, it cannot vary more than these laws, but if a new law is discovered, it must join it; it must not close the door to any progress, under the penalty of committing suicide; by assimilating all ideas recognized as correct, of whatever order, physical or metaphysical, it will never be overwhelmed, and this is one of the main guarantees of its perpetuity.

If therefore a sect is formed by its side, founded or not on the principles of Spiritism, one of two things will happen: either this sect will be with the truth, or it will not be; if it is not with the truth, it will fall by itself, under the ascendancy of reason and common sense, as so many others have already fallen along the centuries; if its ideas are correct, even if only on one point, the Doctrine that seeks the good and the true wherever they are found, assimilates it, so that instead of being absorbed, it is the doctrine that will absorb.

If some of its members come to depart from it, it is because they will believe they can do better; if they really do better, the doctrine will imitate them; if they do more good, it will strive to do the same, and more if possible; if they harm more, it will let them do it, certain that, sooner or later, the good outweighs the bad, and the true over the false. This is the only struggle it will engage.

Let us add that tolerance, the consequence of charity and the basis of the Spiritist morality, makes it a duty to respect all beliefs. Wanting to be accepted freely, by conviction and not by constraint, proclaiming freedom of conscience as an imprescriptible natural right, it says: If I am right, others will end up thinking like me; if I'm wrong, I'll end up thinking like everyone else. By virtue of these principles, not throwing stones at anyone, it will not give any pretext for retaliation, and will leave to the dissidents the full responsibility for their words and actions.

The program of the doctrine will therefore be invariable only on the principles that have passed to the state of established truths; for the others, it will admit them, as it always has done, only as hypotheses until confirmation. If it is demonstrated to the doctrine that it is wrong on one point, it will change on that point.

Absolute truth is eternal, and therefore invariable; but who can flatter himself that he owns it entirely? In the state of imperfection of our knowledge, what seems to us false today, can be recognized true tomorrow, following the discovery of new laws; it is so in the moral order as in the physical order. It is against such possibility that the doctrine must never be unprepared. The progressive principle, that it inscribes in its code, will be, as we have said, the safeguard of its perpetuity, and its unity will be maintained precisely because it is not based on the principle of immobility. Immobility, instead of being a force, becomes a cause of weakness and ruin to those that do not follow the general movement; it breaks the unity, because those who want to go forward separate from those who persist in falling behind. But, while following the progressive movement, it must be done with caution and be careful not to lower the guard before the dreams of utopias and systems. It must be done on time, neither too early nor too late, and with full knowledge of the facts.


It is understandable that a doctrine based on such bases must be really strong; it defies any competition and neutralizes the claims of its competitors. It is to this point that our efforts tend to lead the Spiritist doctrine.

Besides, experience has already justified this forecast. Having the doctrine walked in this way from its origin, it has constantly advanced, but without haste, always looking to see if the ground on which it sets foot is solid and measuring its steps on the state of public opinion. It acted like the navigator who only walks with the probe in his hand and consulting the winds.



IV

Chief of Spiritism

But who will be responsible for keeping Spiritism on this path? Who will even have the strength? Who will have the available time and perseverance to devote himself to the incessant work that such a task demands? If Spiritism is left to itself, without a guide, is it not to be feared that it will deviate from its path? That malevolence, to which it will still be exposed for a long time, does not strive to distort its spirit? This is, in fact, a vital question, whose resolution is of major interest for the future of doctrine.

The need for a higher central leadership, the vigilant guardian of the progressive unity and of the general interests of doctrine, is so obvious that people are already worried for not seeing a leader in the horizon yet. It is understandable that, without a moral authority, capable of centralizing the work, the studies, and observations, of providing motivation, of stimulating the zeal, of defending the weak, of supporting the faltering courage, of helping with the advice of experience, to direct the opinion on certain points, Spiritism would run the risk of going adrift. Not only such direction is necessary, but it must also have sufficient strength and stability to face the storms.

Those who do not want any authority do not understand the true interests of the doctrine; if a few think they can do without any direction, the majority, those who do not believe in their infallibility and do not have absolute confidence in their own enlightenment, feel the need for a fulcrum, a guide, if only to help them walk more confidently and more safely. (See the Spiritist Review, April 1866, Independent Spiritism).

Having the need for leadership established, from whom will the leader get his powers? Will he be acclaimed by the universality of followers scattered around the world? It is an impractical thing. If he imposes himself by his private authority, he will be accepted by some, rejected by others, and twenty suitors may arise who will raise flag against flag; it would be both despotism and anarchy. Such an act would be the work of an ambitious man, and nobody would be less suitable than an ambitious man, proud by that very fact, to direct a doctrine based on abnegation, devotion, selflessness, and humility; placed outside the fundamental principle of doctrine, he could only distort its spirit. This is what would inevitably take place if effective measures were not taken in advance to deal with this inconvenience.

Let us admit, however, that a man meets all the qualities required for the accomplishment of his mandate, and that he arrives at the superior direction by some way: men succeed one another, but they are not alike; after a good man there could come a bad one; with the individual, changes may take place in the leadership; without bad intentions, he may have more or less correct views; if he wants to make his personal ideas prevail, he can sidetrack the doctrine, create divisions, and the same difficulties will be repeated with each change. We must not lose sight of the fact that Spiritism is not yet in the fullness of its force; from the point of view of organization, it is a child that is just beginning to walk; it is therefore important, especially at the beginning, to protect it against the difficulties of the road.

But one will say, one of the announced messiahs, who must take part in the regeneration, won’t he be at the head of Spiritism? It's possible; but as they will not have a mark on their forehead to be recognized, that they will only assert themselves by their acts, and for the most part will not be recognized as such until after their death, according to what they will have done in life; that, moreover, there will not be messiahs forever, so we must provide for all eventualities. We know that their mission will be multiple; that they will be in all levels of the scale, and in the various branches of the social fabric, where each will exercise their influence for the benefit of the new ideas, according to the specialty of their position; therefore, they will all work to establish the doctrine, either in one part or in another, some as heads of state, others as justices, others as magistrates, scholars, literati, speakers, industrialists, etc.; each proving themselves in their field, from the worker to the sovereign, with nothing distinguishing them from the common people other than their own work. If one of them is to take part in the administrative direction of Spiritism, it is likely that he will be providentially placed in a position to do so, by the legal means that will be adopted; apparently fortuitous circumstances will bring him there, without premeditated design on his part, and he will not even be aware of his mission. (Spiritist Review: The Messiahs of Spiritism, February, and March 1868).

In such a case, the worst of all leaders would be the one who would claim to be the chosen of God. Since it is not rational to admit that God entrusts such missions to ambitious or proud persons, the characteristic virtues of a true messiah must be, above all, simplicity, humility, modesty, in a word the most complete material and moral selflessness; however, the claim alone of being a messiah would be the denial of those essential qualities, for it would prove, in case one would avail oneself with such a title, either a foolish presumption if he is in good faith, or a notable imposture. There will be no shortage of intriguing, so-called Spiritists, wanting to rise out of pride, ambition, and greed; others that will boast about pretense revelations, using them to gain relevance, fascinating overly credulous imaginations. It must also be foreseen that, under false appearances, individuals could attempt to seize the rudder with the ulterior motive of sinking the ship by causing it to deviate from its course. It will not shipwreck, but it could experience unpleasant delays that must be avoided. These are, without a doubt, the greatest pitfalls that Spiritism must guard against; the more consistency it takes, the more traps its adversaries will set up.

It is therefore the duty of all sincere Spiritist to thwart the maneuvers of intrigue that may be plotted in the smallest as in the largest centers. Firs, they must first repudiate, in the most absolute manner, anyone who would pose himself as a messiah, either as head of Spiritism, or as a simple apostle of the doctrine. The tree is known by its fruit; thus, wait until the tree has given fruit before judging whether it is good, and see again whether the fruits are crooked. (Gospel According to Spiritism, chap. XXI, number 9, Characters of the true prophet).

Someone with whom we discussed this subject, proposed the following procedure: have the candidates nominated by the Spirits themselves in each group or Spiritist society. Besides the fact that this method would not preclude all the inconveniences, there would be other special ones with such a procedure, already demonstrated by experience and that would be superfluous to recall here. We must not lose sight of the fact that the mission of the Spirits is to educate us, to improve ourselves, but not to replace the initiative of our free will; they suggest thoughts to us, help us with their advice, especially regarding moral issues, but they leave to our judgment the care of execution of material things that they do not have the mission to spare us from. They have, in their world, attributions that are not those down here; to ask them for what is outside these attributions is to expose oneself to the deceptions of frivolous Spirits. Let men be content to be assisted and protected by good Spirits, but do not unload on them the responsibility of what is assigned to the incarnate.

Additionally, this method would cause more embarrassment than one thinks, by the difficulty in making all groups participate in this election; it would be a complication in the gears, and the more simplified the gears, the less likely they are to be disorganized.

The problem is consequently to constitute a central direction, in conditions of strength and stability that shelter it from fluctuations, that meet all the needs of the cause and oppose an absolute barrier to the maneuvers of intrigue and ambition. That is the aim of the plan, of which we are going to provide a quick outline.



V

Central Committee

During the period of elaboration, the direction of Spiritism had to be individual; It was necessary that all the constitutive elements of the doctrine, that emerged in the state of embryos from a multitude of centers, were led to a common center to be checked and collated there, and that a single thought presided over their coordination to establish unity in the whole and harmony in all parts. If it were different, the doctrine would have looked like those hybrid edifices designed by several architects, or even an engine whose gears do not match precisely with one another.

We said that because it is an incontestable truth, clearly demonstrated today, that the doctrine could not have all its pieces coming out from a single center, any more than all the astronomical science from a single observatory; and any center that tried to constitute it, from its own observations alone, would have done something incomplete and would have found itself, on an infinite number of points, in contradiction with the others. If a thousand centers had wanted to make their doctrine, there wouldn’t be two that would be the same in all points. If they had agreed in substance, they would inevitably have differed in form; now, as there are many people who favor form before substance, there would have been as many sects as there were different forms. Unity could only come from the whole and the comparison of all partial results; that is why the concentration of work was necessary. (Genesis, chap. 1, Characters of the Spiritist revelation, number 51 and following).

But what was an advantage for a time would later become a disadvantage. Today that the work of elaboration is finished, with regard to the fundamental questions; that the general principles of the science are established, the direction, from individual that it had to be in the beginning, must become collective; firstly because there comes a time when its weight exceeds the strength of a man, and secondly because there is more guarantee for the maintenance of unity in a group of individuals, each with only his voice in the matter, and who can do nothing without the help of the others, for one can abuse his own authority and want to make his personal ideas predominate.

Instead of a single head, the direction will be given to a central committee or permanent superior council - whatever the name - whose organization and attributions will be defined in such a way as to leave nothing to the judgement of only one. This committee will be composed of a maximum of twelve full members, who must meet certain conditions for this purpose, and an equal number of advisers. Depending on the needs, it may be assisted by active auxiliary members. It will complete itself, according to equally determined rules, such as to avoid any favoritism, as vacancies occur due to death or other causes. A special provision will determine the procedure for the appointment of the first twelve.

Each member will take turns to preside for one year, and whoever fulfills this function will be designated by a draw.

The authority of the president is purely administrative; he directs the deliberations of the committee, supervises the execution of the work and the management of the business; but apart from the attributions conferred by the constituent rules, he cannot take any decision without the support of the committee. Therefore, abuses are impossible, no incentive to ambition, no pretexts for intrigue or jealousy, no damaging supremacy.

The committee, or higher council, will therefore be the head, the true leader of Spiritism, a collective leader who cannot do anything without the consent of the majority, and in certain cases, without the approval of a congress or general assembly. Sufficiently numerous to be enlightened by the discussion, it will not be large enough to allow for confusion there.

The congresses will be made up of delegates from the particular societies, regularly constituted, and placed under the patronage of the committee, by their adhesion and in conformity with its principles.

Regarding the followers, the approval or disapproval, the consent or refusal, the decisions, in a word, of a constituted body, representing a collective opinion, will necessarily have an authority that it would never have emanated from an individual, that would only represent a personal opinion. We often reject the opinion of one, believing to be a humiliation to submit to that, whereas we accept the opinion of many, without difficulty.

Let us make it clear that here it is a question of moral authority, regarding the interpretation and application of the principles of the doctrine, and not of any disciplinary power whatsoever. This authority will be, in matters of Spiritism, what that of an academy is in matters of science.

For the foreign public, a corporate body has more ascendancy and preponderance; particularly against adversaries, it presents a force of resistance and possesses means of action that an individual could not have; it fights with infinitely more advantage. An individuality can be attacked and broken; it is not the same with a collective being.

There is also, in a collective being, a guarantee of stability that does not exist when everything rests on one head alone; if the individual is hindered by any cause, everything can be hindered. A collective being, on the contrary, perpetuates itself ceaselessly; whether it loses one or more of its limbs, nothing goes downhill.

The difficulty, it will be said, will be to bring together, on a permanent basis, twelve people who are always in agreement.

The main thing is that they agree on the fundamental principles; now, this will be an absolute condition for their admission, as of all participants in the direction. On the outstanding questions of detail, it does not matter how much they differ, since it is the opinion of the majority that prevails. He whose view is correct will not lack good reasons to justify it. Annoyed for not being able to get his ideas accepted, if one of them withdrew, things would nonetheless follow their course, and there would be nothing to be sorry about, since he would give proof of a proud susceptibility that is little Spiritist, and that could become a cause of trouble.

The most common cause of division between co-interested parties is the conflict of interests, and the possibility of one to supplant the other on their own benefit. This does not make sense when the loss of one cannot benefit the others, who are united and can only lose instead of gaining with such discord. This is a matter of detail, provided for in the organization.

Let us admit that there is false brother among them, a traitor, seduced by the enemies of the cause; what could he do, since he has only his voice in decisions? Let us suppose, although almost impossible, that the whole committee goes down the wrong path: the assemblies will be there to put it in order.

The control of the acts of the administration will be in the assemblies, that will be able to file a reprimand or an accusation against the central committee, for violation of its mandate, for deviation of the recognized principles, or for measures harmful to the Doctrine. That is why it (central committee) will refer to the assemblies in the circumstances in which it considers that its responsibility could be seriously compromised.

If the assemblies are a brake to the committee, the latter draws new strength from their approval. That is how this collective leader ultimately depends on the general opinion, and cannot, without peril for itself, deviate from the right path.



When the committee is organized, we will be part of it as a simple member, having our share of collaboration, without claiming for ourselves any supremacy, title, or privilege whatsoever.

The following local dependencies will be added to the general attributions of the committee:

1^st: A library where all the works of interest to Spiritism can be found, and that can be consulted on site or borrowed for reading.

2^nd: A museum, where the first works of Spiritist art will be gathered, the most remarkable mediumistic works, the portraits of the followers who have deserved such an honor for their devotion to the cause, men honored by Spiritism, although foreign to doctrine, as benefactors of humanity, great geniuses, and missionaries of progress, etc.^[4]

3^rd: A dispensary destined to free medical consultations, and the treatment of certain diseases, under the direction of a licensed doctor.

4^th: A relief and provident fund, with practical conditions.

5^th: A retirement home.

6^th: A society of followers having regular sessions.



VI

Fundamental Books of the Doctrine

Many people regret that the fundamental books of the doctrine are too expensive for many readers, and believe, with reason, that if they were popular editions at low cost, they would be much more widespread, and the doctrine would gain.

We totally agree; but the conditions in which they are published do not allow it to be otherwise in the current situation. We hope to one day achieve that result with a new arrangement linked to the general plan of organization; but such operation can only be carried out when undertaken on large scale; from our side, it would require either resources that we do not have, or material care that our labors, that require all our meditations, do not allow us to give. So, the commercial part properly speaking was neglected, or to put it better, sacrificed for the establishment of the doctrinal part. What was important, above all, was that the books were done, and the foundations of the doctrine laid.

When the doctrine is organized by the constitution of the central committee, our works will become the property of Spiritism in the name of this very committee, that will manage and take the necessary care for their publication by the means most suitable to popularize them. It will also have to take care of their translation into the main foreign languages.

The Spiritist Review has been, until this day, and could only be a personal work, since it is part of our doctrinal works, while serving the archives of Spiritism. It is there that all the new principles are developed and studied. It was therefore necessary that it retained its individual character for the establishment of the unity.

We have been repeatedly asked to publish it at shorter intervals; however flattering that desire may be to us, we have not been able to attend it; first, because the material time does not allow us this additional work, and second because it should not lose its essential character, that is not properly of a newspaper.

Today that our personal work is ending, the needs are no longer the same; the Spiritist Review will become, like our other finished and to be finished books, the collective property of the committee, which will take its direction for the greatest utility of Spiritism, and still counting on our collaboration.

To complete the doctrinal work, we must still publish several books, that are not the least difficult nor the least painful part. Although we have all the elements, and the program is oultlined to the last chapter, we could give more assiduous attention and activate them if, by the institution of the central committee, we were freed from details that absorb much of our time.



VII

Attribution of the Committee

The main attributions of the committee are:

1 - The care of the interests of the doctrine and its propagation; maintaining its unity by preserving the integrity of the recognized principles; the development of its consequences.

2 - The study of new principles capable of entering the body of the doctrine.

3 - The concentration of all documents and information that may be of interest to Spiritism.

4 - The correspondence.

5 - The maintenance, consolidation, and expansion of the bonds of fraternity between the followers and the particular societies of the different countries.

6 - The direction of the Spiritist Review that will be the official journal of Spiritism, and to which another periodical publication may be attached.

7 - Examination and assessment of books, newspaper articles, and all writings of interest to the doctrine. Rebuttal of the attacks, if any.

8 - The publication of the fundamental books of the doctrine, in the most suitable conditions for their popularization. The preparation and publication of those of which we will give the plan, and that we would not have time to do in our lifetime. Encouragement given to publications that may be useful to the cause.

9 - The foundation and conservation of the library, archives, and museum.

10 - The administration of the relief fund, the dispensary, and the retirement home.

11 - The administration of material businesses.

12 - The direction of the sessions of the society.

13 - Oral teaching.

14 - Visits and instructions to meetings and particular societies that will be placed under its sponsorship.

15 - The call for congresses and general assemblies.

These attributions will be distributed among the various members of the committee, according to the specialty of each one, who will be assisted, if necessary, by sufficient auxiliary members or simple employees.

Accordingly, there will be among the members of the committee:

A secretary general for correspondence and the minutes of committee meetings.

An editor-in-chief for the Review and other publications.

An archival librarian, also responsible for the analysis and the reviews of books and journal articles.

A director of the relief fund, also responsible for the management of the dispensary, visits to the sick and the needy, and all that relates to charity. He will be assisted by a committee of charity, taken from within the society, and formed of charitable people of good will.

An accountant, in charge of affairs and material interests.

A special director for matters related to publications.

Speakers for teaching, also responsible for visiting the societies of the departments (states) and giving instructions. They can be chosen from among the auxiliary members and the followers of good will, who will receive, for this purpose, a special mandate.

Whatever the subsequent expansion of business and administrative staff, the committee will always be limited to the same number of full members.

Until now we have had to somehow suffice on our own for this program; thus, some of its parts have been neglected or could only be sketched out, and those which are more especially our responsibility, had to suffer inevitable delays, given the need to take care of so many things, while time and energy have limits, and one (activity) alone would absorb a man's time.



VIII

Ways and means

It is undoubtedly unfortunate to be obliged to enter into material considerations in order to attain an entirely spiritual goal; but it must be observed that the very spirituality of the work is linked to the question of earthly humanity and its well-being; that it is no longer only a question of the diffusion of some philosophical ideas, but of founding something positive and lasting, for the extension and the consolidation of the doctrine that must produce the fruits that it is likely to give.

To imagine that we are still in the days when a few apostles could set out a trip with their traveling staff, without worrying about lodging and their daily bread, would be an illusion soon destroyed by bitter disappointment. To do something serious, we must submit to the needs imposed by the customs of the time in which we live; these necessities are quite different from those of patriarchal times; the very interest of Spiritism therefore requires that we calculate the means of action so as not to be stopped on the way. So, let's calculate, since we are in a century where it is necessary to count.

The attributions of the central committee will be numerous enough, as we can see, to require a real administration. Having each member active and assiduous functions, if one took only volunteers of good will, the work could suffer, because no one would have the right to reproach the negligent. For the regularity of the work and to expedite the business, it is necessary to have persons on whose assiduity one can count, and whose functions are not simple acts of complacency. The more independence they had through their personal resources, the less they would be bound to assiduous occupations; if they don't have one, they can't give their time. They must therefore be paid, as well as the administrative staff; the doctrine will gain in strength, stability, punctuality, at the same time as it will be a means of being of service to people who might need it.


An essential point in the economy of any far-sighted administration, is that its existence is not based on possible products that may be lacking, but on fixed, regular resources, so that its progress cannot be hindered, whatever happens. It is therefore necessary that the people who will be called upon to provide their assistance should not need to worry about their future. However, experience shows that resources that are based only on donations, always optional, whatever the commitments made, and often difficult to cover for, must be considered as essentially random. To base permanent and regular expenses on eventual resources, would be a lack of foresight that one could one day regret. The consequences are less serious, no doubt, when it involves temporary foundations that last while they can; but here it is a question of the future. The fate of an administration like this cannot be subordinated to the risks of a commercial enterprise; it must be, from the onset, if not as flourishing, at least as stable as it will be a century from now. The more solid its base, the less exposed it will be to the blows of intrigue.

In such a case, the most common prudence requires that one capitalizes the resources as come in, in an inalienable way, to constitute a perpetual income, sheltered from all eventualities.

When the administration regulates its expenses from its income, its existence cannot, in any case, be compromised, since it will always have the means to operate. It can initially be organized on a smaller scale; the members of the committee may be provisionally limited to five or six, the staff and administrative costs reduced to their simplest expression, with a minimum condition, regulating its development on the increase in resources to cover for the expenses considered indispensable.

Personally, and although an active part of the committee, we will not be any load to the budget, neither for compensations, nor for traveling expenses, nor for any reason whatsoever; if we have never asked anything from anyone to ourselves, we would do even less in such circumstance; our time, our life, all our physical and intellectual strength belong to the Doctrine. We therefore expressly declare that no part of the resources available to the committee will be diverted to our benefit.

On the contrary, we contribute our share by:

1 – by assigning the rights of our published books and to be published.

2 – By the contribution of securities and real estate.

We therefore wish for our plan to be fulfilled, for the sake of the doctrine, and not to take a position there that we do not need. It is to pave the way for this installation that we have devoted the product of our work to this day, as we said above. If our personal means do not allow us to do more, we will at least have the satisfaction of having laid the first stone.

Let us then suppose that, by some means and at a given time, the central committee is put in a position to operate, implying a fixed income of 25 to 30,000 francs, while restricting in the beginning the resources of all kinds, including what it will have available in capital and possible products that will constitute the General Fund of Spiritism, that will be the subject of a rigorous accounting. Having paid for the fixed expenses, the excess income will increase the common fund; it is in proportion to the resources of this fund that the committee will provide for the various expenses useful for the development of the doctrine, without ever being able to make personal use of that or use for the speculation of any of its members. The use of the funds and the accounts will, moreover, be subjected to verification by special commissioners delegated for this purpose by congresses or general assemblies.

One of the first activities of the committee will be to take care of the publications as soon as possible, not waiting to be able to do so with the help of income; the funds allocated to this will in fact be an advance, since they will come in through the sale of the books, and the proceeds will return to the fund. It is a matter of administration.

To give this institution a legal existence, free from any dispute, and also give it the right to acquire, receive and possess, it will be constituted, if deemed necessary, by a legal instrument, in the form of a public limited society, for ninety-nine years, extendable indefinitely, with all the necessary stipulations so that it can never deviate from its purpose, and that the funds cannot be diverted from their destination.

Without going into details here that would be superfluous and premature, we must however say a few words about two accessory institutions to the committee, so that there is no misunderstanding about the meaning we attach to them; we are talking about the relief fund and the retirement home.

The establishment of a general relief fund is impracticable and would present serious drawbacks, as we have demonstrated in a special article (Spiritist Review, July 1866). Hence the committee could not embark on a path that would soon be forced to abandon, nor undertake anything that it was not certain of being able to achieve. It must be positive, and not be lulled into chimerical illusions; it is the way to operate for a long time and with safety; for that it must remain within the limits of the possible, in all things.

This relief fund must and should only be used locally, with a circumscribed action, whose prudent organization may serve as a model to others of the same kind, that private societies could create. It is by their multiplicity that they will be able to render efficient services, and not by centralizing the means of action.

It will be supplied: 1 - by the portion allocated to this destination from the income of the general fund of Spiritism; 2 - by special donations addressed there. It will capitalize the received sums to build up an income; it is with this income that it will give temporary or life assistance, and will fulfill the obligations of its mandate, stipulated in its founding regulations.

The project of a retirement home, in the full sense of the word, cannot be realized at the beginning, because of the capital that such a foundation would require, and considering that the administration requires time to have it stabilized and operating regularly, before thinking about further and more complex undertakings in which it could fail. Embracing too many things before being assured of the means of its implementation would be imprudence. This is easily understood if we think about all the details involved in establishments of such a kind. It is undoubtedly good to have good intentions, but above all one must be able to achieve them.



IX

Conclusion

These are the main bases of the organization that we propose to give to Spiritism, if the circumstances allow it; we had to develop the reasons for that at some length, to make the idea understood. The details will be the subject of careful regulation in which all cases will be provided for, so that all difficulties of implementation are considered.

Consistent with the principles of tolerance and respect for all opinions, professed by Spiritism, we do not claim to impose this organization on anyone, nor to force anyone to accept it. Our goal is to establish a first link between the Spiritists, who have wanted it for a long time and complain about their isolation. Now, this link, without which Spiritism, remaining in the state of individual opinion, without cohesion, can only exist on the condition of being attached to a center by a communion of views and principles. This center is not an individuality, but a center of collective activity, acting in the general interest, and where personal authority fades away.

If it had not existed, what would have been the point of connection of the Spiritists scattered in different countries? Unable to communicate their ideas, their impressions, their observations to all private centers, themselves scattered, and often inconsistent, they would have remained isolated, and the dissemination of the doctrine would have suffered. There was therefore a need for a focal point, from where everything could radiate. The development of the Spiritist ideas, far from rendering this center useless, will make its necessity felt even more clearly, because the need to come together and to form a cluster will be even greater as the number of followers increases.

But what will be the extent of the circle of activity of this center? Is it destined to rule the world, and become the universal arbiter of truth? If it had such a claim, it would be misunderstanding the spirit of Spiritism that, by the very fact that it proclaims the principles of free examination and freedom of conscience, repudiates the thought of setting itself up as an autocracy; it would enter a fatal path from the onset.

Spiritism has principles that for being founded on the laws of nature, and not on metaphysical abstractions, tend to become, and will certainly one day be, those of the universality of men; everybody will accept them, because they will be palpable and demonstrated truths, as they accepted the theory of the movement of Earth; but to claim that Spiritism will be organized everywhere in the same way; that the Spiritists of the whole world will be subjected to a uniform regime, to the same way of proceeding; that they will have to wait for the light to come from a fixed point at which they will have stare, would be as absurd a utopia as to claim that all the peoples of Earth will one day form a single nation, ruled by a single leader , governed by the same code of laws, and subject to the same customs. If there are general laws that may be common to all peoples, these laws will always be, in the details of application and form, appropriate to the customs, characters, and climates of each one.

That is how it is going to be with organized Spiritism. The Spiritists of the whole world will have common principles that will link them to the great family by the sacred bond of fraternity, but the application of which may vary according to the country, without breaking the fundamental unity for that, without forming dissident sects throwing stone at each other and anathema, which would be primarily anti-Spiritist. It will therefore be possible to form, and it will inevitably be formed, general centers in different countries, with no other link than the communion of belief and moral solidarity, without subordination to one another, without that of France, for example, having the pretension of imposing itself on the American Spiritists and vice versa.

The comparison with observatories, that we mentioned above, is perfectly correct. There are observatories in different parts of the globe; all of them, to whatever nation they belong, are founded on the general and recognized principles of astronomy, that does not make them dependent on each other, for that matter; each one regulates its work as it sees fit; they communicate their observations to each other, and each makes use of the discoveries of their colleagues for the benefit science. It will be the same with the general centers of Spiritism; these will be the observatories of the invisible world, that will borrow from each other what they will have of good and applicable to the customs of the countries where they will be established: their goal being the good of humanity, and not the satisfaction of personal ambitions. Spiritism is a matter of substance; to attach it to the form would be a foolishness, unworthy of the greatness of the subject; that is why the various centers, that are imbued in the true soul of Spiritism, will have to extend a fraternal hand, and unite to fight their common enemies: skepticism and fanaticism.

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[1] For further developments, we refer to the article of the Spiritist Review, July 1866 in which we dealt with the question of Spiritist Institutions.


[2] At that time these sums amounted to a total of 14,100 francs, the use of which, for the exclusive benefit of the doctrine, was justified by the expense report.


[3] To those who asked why we were selling our books, instead of giving them away, we replied that we would if we had found a printer who printed to us for nothing, a merchant who provided paper for free, booksellers who did not charge commission for their distribution, a postal service that transported them out of philanthropy, etc. In the meantime, since we do not have millions to meet these charges, we are forced to put a price on them.




[4] The future museum already has eight large-scale paintings, that only await a suitable location, true masterpieces, specially and generously made for Spiritism by a renowned artist. It is the inauguration of Spiritist art by a man who unites sincere faith with the talent of the great masters. We will give a detailed report in due course.

The Spiritist Review will begin its twelfth year on January 1^st. The dear subscribers who do not want to experience any delay are asked to renew their subscription before December 31^st.

The January issue, as usual, will be sent to all former subscribers; the following issues will only be sent after the renewals have been completed.

In the last number of this year we proposed to publish a general alphabetical table of conents, of all the subjects treated either in the Spiritist Revue, or in our other books, so as to facilitate research; but such a task, much more considerable than we had previously thought to have it completed, could not be finished in good time; we will publish it in one of our next issues, and it will be sent to all subscribers.

We will also soon publish a catalog with all the works that may be of interest to the Doctrine, either those that have been published with a view to Spiritism, or those that were published outside and at different times, having affinity of principles with the new beliefs. It will be a guide for the formation of Spiritist libraries. When published, the indication of the works will be followed by a short assessment to disclose its spirit, and a reminder will be given relatively to the number of the Spiritist Review where it was reported.