18. A very natural and praiseworthy desire of all spiritists, a desire which cannot
be too much encouraged, is to make proselytes. It is with a view to facilitate their task,
that we propose here to suggest to them the surest method, in our opinion, of attaining
this end, and of sparing themselves the labour of making efforts that may prove of no
avail.
We have already said that spiritism is a new science, a new philosophy; he who
wishes to understand it should therefore, as the first condition of doing so, lay himself
out for serious work, with the full persuasion that this science, like every other, is not to
be attained by making a play of it. Spiritism, as we have said, touches on every question
that interests humanity; its field is immense, and it is especially in the vastness and
importance of its consequences that the experimenter will find this to be true. A belief
in spirits is undoubtedly its basis; but this belief no more suffices to make an
enlightened spiritist, than the belief in God suffices to make a theologian. Thus, let us see what might be the most suitable way to proceed in its teaching in order to most effectively bring about conviction.
Adherents need not be frightened by the word "teaching"; it is not solely the product of the lecture stand or podium, but it also occurs in simple conversation. Every person who tries to persuade another by means of explanations or experiences teaches. What we want is for the teaching effort to produce results, and that is why we believe our task should be that of providing a few words of advice that may be equally beneficial to those who want to learn by themselves. They will find the means herein to most surely and quickly reach their goal.
