"My friends, you desire to form a Spiritist Society, and I approve of your doing so, for mediums should not remain isolated. This sublime faculty has been given to them, not for themselves alone, but for the general good. By their intercourse with others, they are enabled to form a truer judgement in regard to the value of the communications they themselves receive; whereas, if they remain alone, they are more easily brought under the power of deceptive spirits, who are delighted at having no one to judge their statements. This is my advice to you in reference to mediums, who, unless they are swayed by pride, will understand and profit by it. And, now, in reference to other points.
"Do you really understand what a spiritist meeting should be? No; for, in your zeal, you think the best thing to be done is to bring together as many persons as possible, in order to convince them. Undeceive yourselves; the fewer you are, the more valuable will be the results you will obtain. It is by your moral ascendency that you will bring the incredulous to your side, much more surely than by the exhibition of physical phenomena which people come to see from curiosity, and not only do not always believe, but often laugh at. On the other hand, if they find among you only persons worthy of esteem, though they may perhaps not at once accept your belief, they will, at any rate, respect you; and respect always predisposes to confidence. You know that the mission of spiritism is to bring about a moral reform of the human race; let all spiritist societies, then, set an example of Christian virtue; and, in these days of selfishness, let such gatherings always offer the spectacle of friends united by a true and noble kindness.[1] Such must be, my friends, a group of true spiritists. Otherwise, I will give you new advice."
"FÉNÉLON."
[1]
We met a gentleman who was accepted for a job of trust, in an important
house, because he was a sincere spiritist. They understood that their
beliefs were a guarantee of their morality.
