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The Spiritist Review - JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDIES - 1861 > November
November
The Remains of the Middle Ages
Act of Faith of BarcelonaWe are not telling our readers anything that they have not already seen through the press. What is remarkable is that newspapers that are apparently well informed have doubted it. The doubt does not surprise us as the fact itself seems so much strange in the contemporary world; it is so distant from our time that however much blindness we admit in fanaticism, it boggles our minds hearing that the burning fires of the Inquisition are still lighting up in 1861, just at the door of France. Under these circumstances, the doubt is a tribute to the European civilization, to the Catholic clergy itself. Today, in the presence of an incontestable reality, what is truly remarkable is the fact that a serious newspaper, one that daily bashes the abuse and invasion of the sacerdotal power, has found for reporting this fact, a few mocking words, adding: ‘In any case, it would not be us at this moment who would be amusing ourselves t by making tables turn in Spain (Le Siècle, October 14th 1861).’ Is it that the Siècle still sees Spiritism as only turning tables? Also, it is therefore quite blinded by skepticism to ignore that a whole philosophical doctrine, eminently progressive, has come out of those tables that they have so ridiculed? They still don’t know that this idea is fermenting everywhere; that everywhere, in the large cities as well as in small towns, in high or low social echelons, in France and abroad, this idea spreads with an extraordinary speed; that everywhere it shakes the crowds that greet it in the dawn of a social reform? Isn’t the blow against it, that some judged to have hurt it, isn’t that an indication of its importance? Nobody throws such a blow against something infantile and without consequences and Don Quixote has not gone back to Spain to fight the windmills.
What is not less exorbitant, and we are surprised that there has been no strong protest against it, is the strange pretension that the Bishop of Barcelona self-embodies to police France. The request for returning the books was answered with a denial justified as follows: ‘The Catholic Church is universal and as these books are against the Catholic faith, the government must not allow them to be perverted by the moral and religions of other countries’. So, this is a foreign Bishop that entitled himself judge of what is convenient or not convenient to France! Then the sentence was maintained and executed, without even exempting the addressee of customs taxes that were duly charged. Here is the report that was addressed to us personally:
“Today, October ninth of eighteen sixty one, at 10 am, in the esplanade of Barcelona, in the place where criminals condemned to capital punishment are executed, and by the order of the Bishop of this city, three hundred books and brochures about Spiritism were burned, as follows:
The Spiritist Review, Editor Allan Kardec;
The Spiritualist Magazine, Editor Piérard;
The Spirits’ Book, by Allan Kardec;
The Mediums’ Book, by the same;
What is Spiritism, by the same;
Fragments of the sonata dictated by the spirit of Mozart;
Letter of a Catholic about Spiritism, by Dr. Grand;
The story of Joana of Arc, dictated by herself to Ms. Ermance Dufaux;
The reality of the spirits, demonstrated by direct writing, by Baron of Goldenstubbe.
Witnesses at the burning:
A clergy man wearing religious garments, with a cross in one hand and a torch in the other;
A notary in charge of writing the minutes of the event;
The assistant to the notary;
A high ranking official of the Customs administration;
Three agents of Customs, in charge of tending the fire;
A Customs’ agent, in charge of representing the owner of the books condemned by the bishop;
A huge crowd on the sidewalks and covering the immense esplanade where the bonfire was lit.
When the fire destroyed the three hundred spiritist books or brochures, the priest and his helpers left, followed by the booing and cursing of numerous persons present, who shouted: Down with the Inquisition!
Then, several people approached the fire and collected the ashes”.
Part of those ashes were sent to us where there is a fragment of a half burned The Spirits’ Book that we preciously keep as a witness to this authentic act of senselessness. Despite any opinion, this fact raises grave concern regarding international law. We acknowledge that the Spanish government has the right to refuse entry into its territory of books that are not convenient, as it does with any prohibited merchandise. Were the books clandestine or had they entered fraudulently, there would be nothing to say, but they were clearly expedited and presented to Customs Officials. There was permission, legally requested. Customs felt obliged to report to the Episcopal authority that, without any form of legal process, condemn the books to the fire, by the hands of an executioner. Then the addressee requests that the books be returned to the place of origin and finally he hears that his request was denied. We ask if the destruction of this property, under such circumstances, isn’t an arbitrary act and outside the law?
Having the case examined from the point of view of its consequences, we shall first say that there is no doubt that nothing could be more favorable to Spiritism. The persecution has always been useful to the idea that one is willing to banish. Its importance is exalted by persecution, it attracts the attention of those who ignored it and made known by those who did not. Thanks to this imprudent fervor everybody in Spain will hear about Spiritism and will wish to know what it is. This is all we want. One can burn books but one cannot burn ideas. The flames of the fire excite them rather than muffle them. When an idea is great and generous it finds thousands of hearts ready to aspire for it. Despite what has been done, Spiritism already has profound and numerous roots in Spain. The ashes of that bonfire will produce fruits. But it is not only in Spain that such results will take place. The whole world will feel its consequences. Several newspapers in Spain stigmatized the retrograde act, as it deserves to be. The periodical Las Novedades de Madrid, from October 19th, carries a remarkable article about it, which shall be reproduced in our next issue of The Review.
Spiritists of all countries! Don’t forget the date October 9th, 1861. It shall be marked in the calendar of Spiritism. May it be a day of festivity and not sorrow to all of you, since it is the guarantor of your forthcoming triumph! Among the multiple communications regarding the subject, dictated by the spirits, we shall cite the two following ones that were spontaneously given in the Parisian Society. They summarize the causes and consequences of this act.
What is not less exorbitant, and we are surprised that there has been no strong protest against it, is the strange pretension that the Bishop of Barcelona self-embodies to police France. The request for returning the books was answered with a denial justified as follows: ‘The Catholic Church is universal and as these books are against the Catholic faith, the government must not allow them to be perverted by the moral and religions of other countries’. So, this is a foreign Bishop that entitled himself judge of what is convenient or not convenient to France! Then the sentence was maintained and executed, without even exempting the addressee of customs taxes that were duly charged. Here is the report that was addressed to us personally:
“Today, October ninth of eighteen sixty one, at 10 am, in the esplanade of Barcelona, in the place where criminals condemned to capital punishment are executed, and by the order of the Bishop of this city, three hundred books and brochures about Spiritism were burned, as follows:
The Spiritist Review, Editor Allan Kardec;
The Spiritualist Magazine, Editor Piérard;
The Spirits’ Book, by Allan Kardec;
The Mediums’ Book, by the same;
What is Spiritism, by the same;
Fragments of the sonata dictated by the spirit of Mozart;
Letter of a Catholic about Spiritism, by Dr. Grand;
The story of Joana of Arc, dictated by herself to Ms. Ermance Dufaux;
The reality of the spirits, demonstrated by direct writing, by Baron of Goldenstubbe.
Witnesses at the burning:
A clergy man wearing religious garments, with a cross in one hand and a torch in the other;
A notary in charge of writing the minutes of the event;
The assistant to the notary;
A high ranking official of the Customs administration;
Three agents of Customs, in charge of tending the fire;
A Customs’ agent, in charge of representing the owner of the books condemned by the bishop;
A huge crowd on the sidewalks and covering the immense esplanade where the bonfire was lit.
When the fire destroyed the three hundred spiritist books or brochures, the priest and his helpers left, followed by the booing and cursing of numerous persons present, who shouted: Down with the Inquisition!
Then, several people approached the fire and collected the ashes”.
Part of those ashes were sent to us where there is a fragment of a half burned The Spirits’ Book that we preciously keep as a witness to this authentic act of senselessness. Despite any opinion, this fact raises grave concern regarding international law. We acknowledge that the Spanish government has the right to refuse entry into its territory of books that are not convenient, as it does with any prohibited merchandise. Were the books clandestine or had they entered fraudulently, there would be nothing to say, but they were clearly expedited and presented to Customs Officials. There was permission, legally requested. Customs felt obliged to report to the Episcopal authority that, without any form of legal process, condemn the books to the fire, by the hands of an executioner. Then the addressee requests that the books be returned to the place of origin and finally he hears that his request was denied. We ask if the destruction of this property, under such circumstances, isn’t an arbitrary act and outside the law?
Having the case examined from the point of view of its consequences, we shall first say that there is no doubt that nothing could be more favorable to Spiritism. The persecution has always been useful to the idea that one is willing to banish. Its importance is exalted by persecution, it attracts the attention of those who ignored it and made known by those who did not. Thanks to this imprudent fervor everybody in Spain will hear about Spiritism and will wish to know what it is. This is all we want. One can burn books but one cannot burn ideas. The flames of the fire excite them rather than muffle them. When an idea is great and generous it finds thousands of hearts ready to aspire for it. Despite what has been done, Spiritism already has profound and numerous roots in Spain. The ashes of that bonfire will produce fruits. But it is not only in Spain that such results will take place. The whole world will feel its consequences. Several newspapers in Spain stigmatized the retrograde act, as it deserves to be. The periodical Las Novedades de Madrid, from October 19th, carries a remarkable article about it, which shall be reproduced in our next issue of The Review.
Spiritists of all countries! Don’t forget the date October 9th, 1861. It shall be marked in the calendar of Spiritism. May it be a day of festivity and not sorrow to all of you, since it is the guarantor of your forthcoming triumph! Among the multiple communications regarding the subject, dictated by the spirits, we shall cite the two following ones that were spontaneously given in the Parisian Society. They summarize the causes and consequences of this act.
About the Act of Faith in Barcelona
“The love of the truth must always be heard. It pierces the clouds and simultaneously bursts through everywhere. Spiritism has become known by everybody. It will soon be taken into account and practiced. The more persecution there is, the faster this sublime Doctrine will arrive at its peak. Its harshest enemies, the enemies of Christ and progress, behave in such a way that nobody can ignore the fact that God allows the return of those who have left this Earth of exile to be close to their loved ones. Be assured that the bonfires will extinguish themselves, and even if books are cast into the fire their immortal thoughts will survive”.
Dollet
NOTE: This spirit who manifested spontaneously said that he was a former bookshop owner of the XVI century.
Dollet
NOTE: This spirit who manifested spontaneously said that he was a former bookshop owner of the XVI century.
Another
“Something was needed to strike a violent blow against certain incarnate spirits to help them decide to engage with this great Doctrine that shall regenerate the world. Nothing is done uselessly on Earth and we who inspired the Act of Faith of Barcelona, we knew well that by so doing we contributed with a huge step forward. This brutal act, unheard of in today’s times, was accomplished in order to attract the attention of journalists who remained indifferent before the profound agitation taking place in cities and spiritist centers.
They were left with nothing more to say, nothing more to do, but they persisted in turning a deaf ear and responded with silence to the desire of propaganda from the followers of Spiritism. Willingly or not they need to speak up now. Some by attesting the historic case of Barcelona, and others by denying them, giving rise to a controversy that shall travel around the world and from which only Spiritism will take advantage. That is why today the past tradition of the Inquisition has practiced its last ‘Auto de Fé’, because we wanted it to be.”
Saint Dominic
They were left with nothing more to say, nothing more to do, but they persisted in turning a deaf ear and responded with silence to the desire of propaganda from the followers of Spiritism. Willingly or not they need to speak up now. Some by attesting the historic case of Barcelona, and others by denying them, giving rise to a controversy that shall travel around the world and from which only Spiritism will take advantage. That is why today the past tradition of the Inquisition has practiced its last ‘Auto de Fé’, because we wanted it to be.”
Saint Dominic
A Journalist’s Opinion about The Spirits’ Book
It is a well-known that we don’t get much attention from the press but that
does not preclude Spiritism from advancing fast, a clear demonstration
that it is strong enough to march alone. If the press is mute or hostile there
is no reason to believe that all of its representatives are against Spiritism.
Many, on the contrary, are sympathetic but hold back their positions out
of personal considerations since nobody wants to take the initiative. The
general public is voicing their opinion on a growing scale these days. The
idea is generalizing and when it has reached the masses the progressive
press will be forced to follow suit or pay the price for staying behind with
those who never advance. They will do it particularly when they understand
that Spiritism is the most powerful instrument of propagation of
a grandiose, humanitarian and generous idea that it preaches endlessly.
There is no doubt that its teachings are not lost but how many strikes are
necessary to hit the rock of prejudices before breaking it down? Spiritism
offers a fertile ground and flattens out the last barriers that prevent its
movement. That is what will be learned by those who take the burden of
studying it in-depth, assessing its reach and observing the consequences
that already show their positive results. However, in order to achieve that
there is the need for serious observers rather than superficial ones; people
who don’t write just for the sake of it but who turn their principles into a religion. Have no doubt that such people will be found and sooner than
expected we will see some of those names heading the propagation of the
spiritist ideas, people whose names bear authority and whose memories
will remain in the future as having contributed to the true emancipation
of humanity. The article below, published by the Akhbar journal from
Algeria, on October 15th, 1861 is already a first step in that direction and
it will have followers. Our readers may perhaps recognize the talent of one
of our most eminent journalists under the modest pseudo name Ariel.
“The European press has given a lot of attention to this work. After reading
it one can understand why, regardless of the opinion that one may have
about the collaboration that the author admits to have had from extraterrestrial
intelligences. In fact, suppressing some pages of the introduction
that exposes the modes and means of such collaboration – the contestable
part by the profanes – the remaining is a book of the highest philosophy,
of an eminently pure moral, particularly having a very reassuring effect on
a human soul, dazed between the sufferings of the present and the fears of
the future. In addition, many readers may have exclaimed on reaching the
last page: I don’t know if all this is true but I really wish it were!”
“Who has not heard about the strange communications from a few
years ago, that certain privileged persons were interpreters between the
material and the invisible world? Everyone took sides on that issue and
as is typical, the majority of those who sustained the banner of belief or
the others who retreated to the field of unbelievers who did not bother to
investigate the facts, whose reality some believed and others denied.”
“These are not matters for discussion in a newspaper like ours,
though. Thus, neither contesting nor attesting the post-mortem signatures
of Plato, Socrates, Saint Augustine, Julio Caesar, Charlemagne,
Saint Louis, Napoleon, etc. found at the end of several paragraphs of Mr.
Allan Kardec’s book, we must say that if these great men were returning
to the world to give us explanations about problems of the highest interest
to humanity they would not express themselves with more lucidity, with
a more profound moral sense, in a kinder way, with a greater elevation
in the views and language than they do in the eccentric work which we
are trying to give an idea. These are things that one cannot read without
emotion and that cannot be forgotten immediately after they were read.
In that sense The Spirits’ Book will not suffer, like many others have, the
indifference of the century. It will have eager adversaries, ruthless jesters,
but we would not be surprised if it also found, on the other hand, very
enthusiastic and sincere followers.”
“Since we cannot consciously take sides – given the lack of previous
verification – we remain with our humble task of reporter by saying this:
read that book which totally departs from more of the same contemporary
banalities. If you are not going to be seduced, captivated, you will perhaps
be irritated but, there is no doubt, you will not remain cold or indifferent.”
“We recommend in particular the passage about death. This is a
subject that nobody likes to discuss, even those who consider themselves
strong and courageous. Well then! After having read and given some
thought to that we found ourselves surprised for no longer finding something
horrifying in that supreme crisis. It leads us to a point where death
is no longer feared or desired. Other not less important problems find
equally unexpected and consoling solutions. In short, the time spent reading
this book will be a time well spent for the satisfaction of intellectual
curiosity and will not be lost in terms of moral betterment.”
Ariel
Spiritism in Bordeaux
If Lyon has made what could be called their announcement in terms
of Spiritism, Bordeaux was not left behind for she also wants to take
one of the first rows in the great family. This can be evaluated based on
the report that we have just published about our visit with the spiritists
of that city, following their invitation. It was not in a few years but in a
few months that the Doctrine assumed impressive proportions there in all
social classes. A fact of capital importance has been observed since the beginning.
There, as in Lyon and in many other towns that we have visited,
we saw the Doctrine looked at from a very serious point of view and from
the moral consequences of its application. There, like elsewhere, we saw
innumerous transformations, true metamorphoses; characters that are no
longer recognizable; people who believed nothing and were brought to the
religious ideas by the certainty in the future that they can now feel. This
gives a measure of the seriousness of the spiritist gatherings, already multiplied;
in every session that we attended showing the most constructive
reverence in an environment of mutual benevolence among the attendees.
People feel that they are in in sympathetic environment that inspires trust.
The workers of Bordeaux owe nothing to those of Lyon. We find
large numbers of eager followers there, whose number increases every day.
We are happy to say that we left their meetings comforted by a pious
sentiment that governs them, as well as for their skills in guarding them
against the intrusion of deceiving spirits. Something that we noticed with satisfaction is that people, sometimes enjoying eminent social positions,
mix with groups of common workers in the most fraternal cordiality, leaving
their titles at the door, as groups of simple workers are welcomed with
equal benevolence among groups of another social class. The rich and the
worker shake hands with cordiality leaving their titles at the door. We
were told that such approximation of the two extremes of the social scale
has become habit in the region and we were congratulated for that. We
acknowledge that Spiritism came to give this kind of thing a reason and a
moral sanction, showing the meaning of true fraternity.
We found a large number of good mediums in Bordeaux in all social
classes, from both sexes and all ages. Many write with great ease and receive
communications of elevated reach, a fact that had been revealed to
us by the spirits before we left. One can only praise them for the devotion
that they show in the sessions. However, what is even more important is
the abnegation that they show in every communication. Nobody believes
to be a privileged and exclusive interpreter of the truth. Nobody tries to
impose themselves or the spirits that assist them. Everyone submits with
simplicity to the messages received for the assessment of the assembly and
nobody feels offended or hurt by the criticism. The one who receives false
communications finds consolation by taking advantage of the good ones
received by others, showing no envy. Does it happen everywhere? We
don’t know. We state what we have seen; they are also convinced that every
proud, jealous and susceptible medium cannot count on the assistance
of the good spirits and that such caprice is reason for suspicion of that
medium. Far from seeking such mediums and despite the high quality of
their faculties, such mediums would be repelled by all serious groups that
wish to obtain serious communications, before anything else and are not
concerned about physical effects.
Among the mediums that we met there is one that deserves a special
remark. It is a nineteen-year-old young lady who adds painting and
musical abilities to her writing mediumship. She composes mechanically
under the control of a spirit that she says is Mozart, pieces of music
that he would not deny. The spirit signed the music score and several
persons who had seen his autograph attested the perfect identity of the
signature. But her most beautiful work is, no doubt, the drawing. It is a
4m2
(13.1 ft2
) planetary image of a very original and singular effect that
would be impossible for us to give an idea by its description. The work
is in black crayon, pastels of various colors and shades. The painting was
started months ago and is not finished yet. The spirit is dedicating it to
the Spiritist Society of Paris.
We saw the medium at work and were amazed by both the speed and
accuracy.. At first, and as a warm-up, the spirit made her draw free-hand
and in one single movement circles and spirals of one meter in diameter
and of such regularity that it met the geometric center. We cannot say
anything yet about the scientific value of the painting; but admitting that
it is a creative impulse, it is still nonetheless a remarkable mediumistic
work. Since the original was supposed to be sent to Paris, the spirit advised
to have it photographed in order to have several copies.
A fact that must be mentioned is that the medium’s father is a painter.
As an artist he thinks that the spirit disobeys the rules of Art and wanted
to give advice. The spirit prohibited him from watching the work so that
the medium would not be influenced. Up until recently the medium had
not read our books yet. The spirit dictated to her a small draft of Spiritism
to be delivered to us upon our arrival, with all points agreeing with The
Spirits’ Book.
It would be presumptuous to enumerate every testimony of sympathy
that we received and the kind reception and attention addressed to us. It
would certainly be enough to excite our pride if we were not certain that
the tribute was paid to the Doctrine rather than to us personally. For the
same reason we hesitated in publishing some speeches that were given
and really confused us. When exposing our scruples to some friends and
to several members of the Society, we were told that such speeches were
an indication of the status of the Doctrine and from that point of view
it would be instructive to all spiritists to get to know them; that, on the
other hand, considering these words were the expression of a sincere feeling,
those who uttered them could feel hurt if out of excessive modesty we refused to publish them. They could see indifference from our side. This
last consideration was essential in our decision. We hope that the readers
will judge us sufficiently good spiritist and as not betraying the very principles
that we profess and making this report a matter of egotism.
Since we are reporting on the multiple speeches we don’t want to
omit, a special little speech was given with a charming grace and naive enthusiasm
by a five year old boy, son of Mr. Sabò, at our arrival to the heart
of this kind family upon which Spiritism has poured handfuls of nurturing
consolations. If every starting generation were taken by such feelings
we would then be able to foresee how close we are from the changes in
social customs announced by the spirits. You must not think that the little
boy delivered his little speech like a parrot! No, he understood its meaning
very well. He was, so to say, cradled in Spiritism and for his young mind,
which has not been an obstacle, as he already understands it very well and
for that reason even more, will not be rejected as he develops. Here is the
speech of our little friend, Joseph Sabò who would be very sad if he did
not see it published:
“Mr. Allan Kardec, allow the youngest of your spiritist children to
express our happiness with your presence among us, on this day that
shall be forever recorded in our hearts. I am still a young child but my
father taught me that the spirits communicate with us; that we must
kindly follow their advice; about the penalties and rewards that they
find; and a few years from now, God willing, I also want to become
an honorable and eager apostle of Spiritism, with your sponsorship
and always submitted to your knowledge and your experience. In
exchange for these few words said from the bottom of my little heart,
would you give me a kiss that I dare not ask?”
General Meeting of the Spiritists of Bordeaux - October 14th, 1861
Speech Given by Mr. Sabò“Ladies and gentlemen,
Let us pay tribute to God with our sincere acknowledgement for having cast upon us a paternal and benevolent glance, giving us the precious favor of receiving the teachings of the good spirits who, in turn, come every day to help us to distinguish between the truth and the mistake; to give us assurance of future happiness; show us that the punishment is proportional to the offense, but not eternal, helping us to understand this fair and equitable law of reincarnation, the key to the vault of the spiritist building, serving our purification and helping our progress towards good.
I said reincarnation! But to make it more understandable, let us give in a moment to speak with one of our spiritual guides who out of pure kindness will give us instructions about this serious matter and interesting subject for our poor humanity. He says: ‘Reincarnation is hell; reincarnation is purgatory; reincarnation is atonement; reincarnation is progress. Finally, it is the sacred ladder that every man must climb. The steps are the phases of the several existences to cover to get to the top, for God has said that to get there one needs to be born, die and born again until the limits of perfection are reached and that nobody will reach it if not purified by reincarnation.’
Spiritism, being still new to science, we had only good will and enthusiasm to propagate it. A pleased God blessed our efforts by germinating in the hearts of some of our brothers from Bordeaux the seed of the divine word. In fact we have been involved with the practical science since January and we have seen a number of brothers establishing a link with us, brothers who were doing it in isolation; others who heard about it through the voice of the press, or the fame, this far-reaching trumpet, which is responsible for knowing the arrival at all points of our city of this consoling faith, indisputable testimony of God’s benevolence towards His children.
Despite the difficulties we encountered on the way, strong of purity and righteousness of our convictions, supported by the advices of our beloved and venerable leader, Mr. Allan Kardec, we have the rewarding satisfaction after nine months of apostolate and with the help of some of our brothers to meet today in your presence to inaugurate this Society that, I hope, will continue to bear fruits abundantly and spread like a benevolent dew onto the hearts dried by materialism, hardened by selfishness, full of pride, and will take the balm of resignation to those in suffering and affliction, to the poor and disinherited of earthly goods, saying: ‘Have trust and courage! Earthly trials are a short duration compared to the eternity of happiness that God reserves for you.’
Yes, I confess out loud that I am happy for being the interpreter of a large number of members of the Spiritist Society of Bordeaux, reaffirming our fidelity in following the road that is drawn to us by our dear missionary present here, since we understand that to be consistent, progress must take place gradually and that fighting certain ideas that come from centuries ago we would only send away our spiritual emancipation. It is possible that we may find divergent opinions about it among us. We respect them. In our opinion we must advance step by step following the wisdom of the nations: chi va piano va sano. It is possible, we will arrive later but we will have more certainty because we will not have broken from the faith of our ancestors, always sacred to us, whatever it may be. Let us use the light of Spiritism not to abate but for our own betterment, for our progress. Withstanding with courage and resignation the vicissitudes of this life in which we are only passing through and will merit the favor at the end of our trials, of being led by the Spirits of the Lord to enjoy immortality for which we were created.
Allow me, dear master, in the name of the members of this Society who surround you, to thank you for the honor of having come in person to inaugurate this family reunion, that is a party to all of us and that will make history, no doubt, in the archives of Spiritism. Also, may you equally receive that this day remains stored in our hearts and in a very special way the most sincere expression of our recognition for the paternal kindness with which you have encouraged our feeble work. You were the one who drawn the path which we gladly followed, convinced beforehand that your mission is to make our beautiful France advance spiritually which at the same time will incite other nations of on the earth, helping them to reach happiness, little by little, through moral and intellectual progress.”
Let us pay tribute to God with our sincere acknowledgement for having cast upon us a paternal and benevolent glance, giving us the precious favor of receiving the teachings of the good spirits who, in turn, come every day to help us to distinguish between the truth and the mistake; to give us assurance of future happiness; show us that the punishment is proportional to the offense, but not eternal, helping us to understand this fair and equitable law of reincarnation, the key to the vault of the spiritist building, serving our purification and helping our progress towards good.
I said reincarnation! But to make it more understandable, let us give in a moment to speak with one of our spiritual guides who out of pure kindness will give us instructions about this serious matter and interesting subject for our poor humanity. He says: ‘Reincarnation is hell; reincarnation is purgatory; reincarnation is atonement; reincarnation is progress. Finally, it is the sacred ladder that every man must climb. The steps are the phases of the several existences to cover to get to the top, for God has said that to get there one needs to be born, die and born again until the limits of perfection are reached and that nobody will reach it if not purified by reincarnation.’
Spiritism, being still new to science, we had only good will and enthusiasm to propagate it. A pleased God blessed our efforts by germinating in the hearts of some of our brothers from Bordeaux the seed of the divine word. In fact we have been involved with the practical science since January and we have seen a number of brothers establishing a link with us, brothers who were doing it in isolation; others who heard about it through the voice of the press, or the fame, this far-reaching trumpet, which is responsible for knowing the arrival at all points of our city of this consoling faith, indisputable testimony of God’s benevolence towards His children.
Despite the difficulties we encountered on the way, strong of purity and righteousness of our convictions, supported by the advices of our beloved and venerable leader, Mr. Allan Kardec, we have the rewarding satisfaction after nine months of apostolate and with the help of some of our brothers to meet today in your presence to inaugurate this Society that, I hope, will continue to bear fruits abundantly and spread like a benevolent dew onto the hearts dried by materialism, hardened by selfishness, full of pride, and will take the balm of resignation to those in suffering and affliction, to the poor and disinherited of earthly goods, saying: ‘Have trust and courage! Earthly trials are a short duration compared to the eternity of happiness that God reserves for you.’
Yes, I confess out loud that I am happy for being the interpreter of a large number of members of the Spiritist Society of Bordeaux, reaffirming our fidelity in following the road that is drawn to us by our dear missionary present here, since we understand that to be consistent, progress must take place gradually and that fighting certain ideas that come from centuries ago we would only send away our spiritual emancipation. It is possible that we may find divergent opinions about it among us. We respect them. In our opinion we must advance step by step following the wisdom of the nations: chi va piano va sano. It is possible, we will arrive later but we will have more certainty because we will not have broken from the faith of our ancestors, always sacred to us, whatever it may be. Let us use the light of Spiritism not to abate but for our own betterment, for our progress. Withstanding with courage and resignation the vicissitudes of this life in which we are only passing through and will merit the favor at the end of our trials, of being led by the Spirits of the Lord to enjoy immortality for which we were created.
Allow me, dear master, in the name of the members of this Society who surround you, to thank you for the honor of having come in person to inaugurate this family reunion, that is a party to all of us and that will make history, no doubt, in the archives of Spiritism. Also, may you equally receive that this day remains stored in our hearts and in a very special way the most sincere expression of our recognition for the paternal kindness with which you have encouraged our feeble work. You were the one who drawn the path which we gladly followed, convinced beforehand that your mission is to make our beautiful France advance spiritually which at the same time will incite other nations of on the earth, helping them to reach happiness, little by little, through moral and intellectual progress.”
Some Considerations about Spiritism Read at the general session on the occasion of the visit of Allan Kardec to Bordeaux
by Dr. Bouché de Vitray
There are certain times when an idea leads the world, preceding those cataclysms that transform people and nations. Even more than an idea that presides over the material interests, the religious idea also takes part in the big picture of the social movement. Frequently absorbed by material concerns, it happens suddenly or unnoticeably. Sometimes it is the lightning that escapes from the clouds, sometimes, the volcano that silently mines the mountain before crossing the crater. It affects another type of manifestation these days. After having shown up as an almost imperceptible point in the horizon of ideas, it ended up by invading the atmosphere. The air is impregnated by it. It crosses the spaces, fertilizes intelligences and touches the whole world. No, I am not using metaphors as an expression of reality. No. It is a phenomenon that one is aware of but that is difficult to translate into words. It is like a fluid that compresses us from all sides, something vague and fuzzy whose influence is felt by everyone, and that impregnates the brain and frequently comes out of the mind as if intuition, rarely formulated as a thought. The religious idea, I mean the spiritist idea, finds its place at the office of the businessman, of the doctor, of the lawyer, the general attorney, in the workshop of the worker, in the fields as in the barracks. The name of our great, our dear spiritist missionary is on everyone’s lips, as his image is in every heart and all eyes are now staring at this pinnacle, honorable interpreter of our Lord’s ministers. Wouldn’t this idea that spreads all over the place, that excites all human brains, that exists even instinctively in the most obstinate incarnate spirits, wouldn’t that be the work of this crowd of intelligences that surrounds us, preceding and facilitating our apostolic works?
We know that the testimony of legitimacy of our Doctrine goes back to the dawn of time; that the sacred books, fundamental basis of Christianity, report them and that several fathers of the Church like Tertullian and Saint Augustine, among others, attest its reality. The contemporary books themselves mention that and I cannot resist the temptation of citing a passage from a book published in 1843 that seems to publically expose the whole quintessence of Spiritism: ‘Some people doubt the existence of superior intelligences, incorporeal, the otherwise geniuses who preside over the administration of the world, and that entertain a private exchange with some privileged beings. The lines below are addressed to them. I hope it helps to convince them. In all kingdoms of nature there is a law that scales the species, from the infinitely small to the infinitely large. It is through imperceptible levels that one transitions from the insect to the elephant; from the grain of sand to the largest cosmic body. Such regular gradation is evident in every sensible work of the Creator; thus it must also be present in his masterpiece so that the scale is continual and leads to him! The prodigious distance between inert matter and rationality seems to be occupied by the organic world but deprived from the noble prerogative. In the infinite distance between people and the Creator there is the dwelling of the pure spirits. Their existence is indispensable for the accomplishment of creation in all senses. Thus, there is also the world of the spirits whose variety is as wide as the shining stars in the skies; there is also the universe of intelligences that through their subtleness, service and broadness, get gradually closer to the sovereign intelligence. His design, already manifested in the organization of the visible world, continues up until the final completion in the invisible world. Every religion proclaims the existence of these immaterial beings. They all represent them involved with human matters, as their secondary agents. Denying their intervention in the human’s incidents is evidently denying the facts upon which the beliefs of all peoples rest, all philosophers and all wise people since ancient times.’
There is no doubt that the person who painted this image was a spiritist from the bottom of his soul. This incomplete drawing lacks the dogma of reincarnation as well as the moral consequences that the teaching of the spirits has brought to the followers of Spiritism. The Doctrine existed as intuition in the minds and hearts. You came, Sir, as the elected of God. The Almighty added righteousness and a privileged mediumship to a vast erudition, to an elevated spirit. All elements of the eternal truths were disseminated in space. It was necessary to establish the Science; take conviction to the still undecided minds; compile the inspirations coming from the Almighty into a substantial body of doctrine. The work progressed and the pollen escaping from that intellectual stem produced the fertilization. Your name is the flag under which we position ourselves. Today you come in support of the children of Spiritism who are only beginning to pronounce the principles of this Science but to whom a large number of benevolent spirits do not deny their favors with their celestial inspirations. Amidst the congress of intelligences from the two worlds – and we congratulate ourselves for that – the bad passions rebel before the works of regeneration. The false knowledge, pride, egotism and human interests stand up against Spiritism, in a demonstration of power, while God, the great engine of this ascending progress towards heavenly regions, hidden behind the clouds of hateful and chimeric theories, remains calm and continues his work.
The work is in progress and spiritist centers are formed in all corners of the planet. Young people abandon the illusions of infancy that entails so much deception at a later stage; more mature people learn to take life seriously; older people who spend their emotions in the frictions of life fulfill their immense emptiness with more realistic pleasures than those left behind; and from all these heterogeneous elements the groups are formed, radiating to infinity. Our beautiful city was not the last one to take part in this intellectual movement. One of those righteous and sensible men took the initiative. His appeal was heard by other intelligences in harmony with his; around this luminous center the many other Spiritist circles gravitated.
Multiple communications appear from everywhere with the seal of the author: it is the mother that communicates with her beloved son from glorious spheres and with a myriad of details out of her infinite kindness; it is the father, or the grandfather, that adds the severity of the form to the paternal love; it is Fénelon speaking about charity and showing the beautiful hallmark of former times in the melody and prose of his language; it is the touching spectacle of a son that becomes a happy spirit revealing the echo of his elevated teachings to the very one who brought him to life; it is the mother who reveals herself to her son with her head crowned by stars, leading him from trial to trial to the place that he must occupy by her side in God, through the eternities (sic); it is the Archbishop of Utrecht whispering his eloquent inspirations to his protégé, submitting them to the impediments of orthodoxy; it is a certain angel Gabriel, homonymous of the great archangel, spontaneously taken upon him and with God’s permission the mission of guiding his brother, following him step by step and adding to his fraternal love the divine love of a superior spirit; it is the pure spirits, the saints, the archangels covering their sublime instructions with the seal of divinity; and finally the physical manifestations after which anyone’s doubt is just absurd if not profanation. After having raised our eyes to the superior levels of the scale of creatures, allow me dear colleagues, to look down to the infinitely small who will still give you lessons.
About ten years ago the clarity of Spiritism reached my eyes but it was Spiritism in its rudimentary state, stripped from the main documentation and without the characteristic know-how. It was a reflection, a few rays of fine radiation. It was not light yet. Instead of using the pencil to obtain quick communications through a simplified method, one was still resorting to rapping’s at the table and indirect writing. The table was not but an appendix of the hand and such means of communication were generally rejected by superior spirits, keeping them away. Thus I only found mystification, trivial or obscene answers, and I therefore stayed away from those mysteries from beyond the grave, converted into things that were much below my expectations, or even better, into something that terrified me. Several trials were carried out leading to similar results. However, those apparent deceptions were not but temporary tests that had the definitive consequence of rooting my convictions. Despite all that, the positivism of my studies had affected my philosophical beliefs. I was skeptical but not ‘pyrrhonic’ since I doubted with great sorrow, uselessly making efforts to repel the materialism that had unexpectedly taken over my soul and my heart. How impenetrable are God’s designs! It was precisely that moral setting that served my transformation. I had the immortality of the soul before my eyes presenting itself like a material fact and to establish this new faith why bother if the manifestations would come from a superior or an inferior spirit, as long as coming from a spirit! Didn’t I know already that an inert body like a table can be the instrument and not the cause of an intelligent manifestation? That it was not absolutely in the sphere of my own ideas and that no fluid theory was good enough to explain?
Hence, I had shaken off those materialistic tendencies against which I fought unsuccessfully with a desperate energy and would have frankly explored those intellectual regions that were just envisaged had it not been for the devil phobia of Mr. de Mirville and the profound impression it had left in my soul. To counter that it was necessary to have this unbelieving luminous, substantial work, full of reassuring truths, dictated by celestial intelligences to an incarnated spirit, but an outstanding spirit to whom his mission on Earth has since been revealed.
Today my recognition obliges me to write on this page the name of one of my good friends who opened my eyes to the light, Mr. Roustaing, a distinct and particularly conscientious attorney, destined to an important role in the history of Spiritism. I owe him this short tribute of acknowledgment and friendship. If I were not afraid of abusing the time in this ceremony I would certainly cite numerous communications of unquestionable interest. However, in this purely intellectual activity and above our unstoppable communications with the world of the spirits there are two facts that exceptionally protest against an absolute silence. The first one is about intimate and touching details that led us to tears; the second, given the strange nature of the phenomenon, belongs to the clairvoyant mediumship, constituting such a tangible proof that we would have to deny the good faith of the mediums if we wanted to deny the reality of that fact.
I and some eager spiritists get together weekly to study and take broader advantage of the teachings given by the Doctrine of the spirits. Plentiful of faith and the similarity of studies and education of the majority of the group gave rise to a reciprocal sympathy and a communion of thoughts, therefore leading to the most favorable moral and intellectual dispositions to receive serious communications.
In one of those sessions someone endowed by a remarkable level of mediumship wanted to evoke the spirit of a little girl that had died of croup, I believe, when she was six years old. He served as the medium and I as the evoker. The evocation had just finished when we heard some percussion in a piece of furniture in an adjacent room; it excited our attention leading us to question if the uncommon noise was provoked by natural causes or if it was originated by a spiritist cause. The guides responded that it was caused by Estelle’s (the girl’s name) companions that came to introduce themselves to her friend. In our minds we followed that graceful entourage floating in space. We were given the name Antonia, a young lady among them who had just passed through Earth and whose life had been taken by a wrongly committed murder when she had just turned four. Predicting that they would complete their trials in a new existence, I prayed to my guardian angel, that good mother whose kindness never failed me, to take them under her care and to clearly show them their heavenly protection. It did not take long for the help to arrive but God allowed her to show up to one of them only and she chose Antonia:
• What do you see my little friend – I asked evoking the latter.
• Oh! What a beautiful lady! She is resplendent of lights!
• And what is the beautiful lady telling you?
• She says: ‘Come to me, my dear, I love you!”
That is why I represented this kind mother with a head crowned by stars. If this touching story that belongs to the world of the spirits seems to be a chapter of a novel to you, then one must deny every communication.
The other fact may be summarized in two words: I was with one of my spiritist colleagues. It was eleven thirty at night and we were praying to God for the suffering spirits when I vaguely saw a shadow moving away from a corner of my office, following a diagonal line extending up to my bed in the adjacent room. When the path was covered we heard a very distinct crack and the shadow moved on to the library, forming an acute angle with the initial direction. I was taken by emotion but given that I was involved by emotions and mystery, I initially thought that it was hallucination or optical illusion and said to myself that I should keep quiet about the fantastic apparition when my companion of continuous studies looked at me and asked if I had not seen anything. I was confused but decided to wait for a better opportunity thus limiting myself to question him the reason for his question. He then described the strange phenomenon that he had also witnessed and with such accuracy that it was impossible for me to doubt it and to let go the confirmation of the reality of that apparition. Two days after that we had the presence of a great medium with us. Consulting with the guides they confirmed the fact adding that the spontaneous apparition was that of a spirit that when on Earth had the name Maria de los Angeles. We were allowed to evoke her and responding to our questions she said that she had been born in Spain where she was a nun; her life had been censored for a long time, but a serious mistake, that death had not given her a chance to atone was the cause of her suffering in the world of the spirits. A few days later by chance, or even rather, God’s will, gave us a second observation of that strange event. A spiritist, a young mechanic of remarkable intelligence, had spent the latter part of the afternoon with me. While I was speaking with him I noticed that his eyes were remarkably fixated. He did not wait for the question to explain the situation: ‘While you were looking at me I clearly saw the silhouette of a woman moving from the window to the couch nearby, then kneeling. She had the appearance of twenty five years of age; she was dressed in black; her torso was covered by a cape; her head was covered by some sort of handkerchief or bonnet’
The description matched perfectly well with the idea I had of the Spanish nun and the place where she kneeled was more or less the place where I usually pray to God for the dead. To me it was Maria des los Angeles. I have no doubt that the unbelievers and the false spiritists will laugh at my certainty and will identify three visionaries in the event, instead of one. As for the sincere spiritist those will believe me particularly when I give my word for that. I give nobody the right to doubt similar testimony.
The work of Spiritism in Bordeaux, regardless of how modest and reserved they may be, are not less subjected to public curiosity and not a single day goes by that I am not questioned about it. Every profane person impressed by the spiritist phenomena insistently demands the favor of a trial; his soul floats between his own doubts and the conviction of followers.
I introduced one person into a serious meeting of spiritists who showed profound worship and reverence, showing the seriousness of the circumstance. What would be the reaction? Will an experienced medium be able to make that person accept the message inspired by a superior spirit? I had one of those embarrassing experiences. If the message has the seal of a divine inspiration the person will attribute it to the merit of the medium. If the message of God’s ministers takes the nuances of that of the medium to whom it is revealed, it will certainly look like something purely human.
In such a case here is my rule of conduct. It was previously outlined by this providential man, by this missionary of ideas that we momentarily have among us and who will from his habitual center of activities irradiate upon us the celestial treasures that a special grace has made him the source. To the curious one who comes to inquiry about the reality of the facts or request an audience as a distraction or an emotion that passes through the heart but does not stay, I limit myself to expose the seriousness of the subject. To the pseudo-wise spirit that in my opinion represents well those of the 8th class, 3rd order of the spiritist scale, I answer with no intention of allowing that person in, but the one who may still be obsessed by doubts but who foresees the truth in its germinal state, showing a goodwill to have faith, I then advise the theoretical studies which will soon lead to the practical studies or experimentation. Hence, as soon as a new fact stems out of a new idea that person keeps that side by side with the fact; then the spiritist science gradually penetrates his mind and his heart; these are works and trials that alternate in the two existences in a shiny eternity that takes place before the eyes of God, the source of life and happiness!
Bouché de Vitray,
doctor in Medicine
There are certain times when an idea leads the world, preceding those cataclysms that transform people and nations. Even more than an idea that presides over the material interests, the religious idea also takes part in the big picture of the social movement. Frequently absorbed by material concerns, it happens suddenly or unnoticeably. Sometimes it is the lightning that escapes from the clouds, sometimes, the volcano that silently mines the mountain before crossing the crater. It affects another type of manifestation these days. After having shown up as an almost imperceptible point in the horizon of ideas, it ended up by invading the atmosphere. The air is impregnated by it. It crosses the spaces, fertilizes intelligences and touches the whole world. No, I am not using metaphors as an expression of reality. No. It is a phenomenon that one is aware of but that is difficult to translate into words. It is like a fluid that compresses us from all sides, something vague and fuzzy whose influence is felt by everyone, and that impregnates the brain and frequently comes out of the mind as if intuition, rarely formulated as a thought. The religious idea, I mean the spiritist idea, finds its place at the office of the businessman, of the doctor, of the lawyer, the general attorney, in the workshop of the worker, in the fields as in the barracks. The name of our great, our dear spiritist missionary is on everyone’s lips, as his image is in every heart and all eyes are now staring at this pinnacle, honorable interpreter of our Lord’s ministers. Wouldn’t this idea that spreads all over the place, that excites all human brains, that exists even instinctively in the most obstinate incarnate spirits, wouldn’t that be the work of this crowd of intelligences that surrounds us, preceding and facilitating our apostolic works?
We know that the testimony of legitimacy of our Doctrine goes back to the dawn of time; that the sacred books, fundamental basis of Christianity, report them and that several fathers of the Church like Tertullian and Saint Augustine, among others, attest its reality. The contemporary books themselves mention that and I cannot resist the temptation of citing a passage from a book published in 1843 that seems to publically expose the whole quintessence of Spiritism: ‘Some people doubt the existence of superior intelligences, incorporeal, the otherwise geniuses who preside over the administration of the world, and that entertain a private exchange with some privileged beings. The lines below are addressed to them. I hope it helps to convince them. In all kingdoms of nature there is a law that scales the species, from the infinitely small to the infinitely large. It is through imperceptible levels that one transitions from the insect to the elephant; from the grain of sand to the largest cosmic body. Such regular gradation is evident in every sensible work of the Creator; thus it must also be present in his masterpiece so that the scale is continual and leads to him! The prodigious distance between inert matter and rationality seems to be occupied by the organic world but deprived from the noble prerogative. In the infinite distance between people and the Creator there is the dwelling of the pure spirits. Their existence is indispensable for the accomplishment of creation in all senses. Thus, there is also the world of the spirits whose variety is as wide as the shining stars in the skies; there is also the universe of intelligences that through their subtleness, service and broadness, get gradually closer to the sovereign intelligence. His design, already manifested in the organization of the visible world, continues up until the final completion in the invisible world. Every religion proclaims the existence of these immaterial beings. They all represent them involved with human matters, as their secondary agents. Denying their intervention in the human’s incidents is evidently denying the facts upon which the beliefs of all peoples rest, all philosophers and all wise people since ancient times.’
There is no doubt that the person who painted this image was a spiritist from the bottom of his soul. This incomplete drawing lacks the dogma of reincarnation as well as the moral consequences that the teaching of the spirits has brought to the followers of Spiritism. The Doctrine existed as intuition in the minds and hearts. You came, Sir, as the elected of God. The Almighty added righteousness and a privileged mediumship to a vast erudition, to an elevated spirit. All elements of the eternal truths were disseminated in space. It was necessary to establish the Science; take conviction to the still undecided minds; compile the inspirations coming from the Almighty into a substantial body of doctrine. The work progressed and the pollen escaping from that intellectual stem produced the fertilization. Your name is the flag under which we position ourselves. Today you come in support of the children of Spiritism who are only beginning to pronounce the principles of this Science but to whom a large number of benevolent spirits do not deny their favors with their celestial inspirations. Amidst the congress of intelligences from the two worlds – and we congratulate ourselves for that – the bad passions rebel before the works of regeneration. The false knowledge, pride, egotism and human interests stand up against Spiritism, in a demonstration of power, while God, the great engine of this ascending progress towards heavenly regions, hidden behind the clouds of hateful and chimeric theories, remains calm and continues his work.
The work is in progress and spiritist centers are formed in all corners of the planet. Young people abandon the illusions of infancy that entails so much deception at a later stage; more mature people learn to take life seriously; older people who spend their emotions in the frictions of life fulfill their immense emptiness with more realistic pleasures than those left behind; and from all these heterogeneous elements the groups are formed, radiating to infinity. Our beautiful city was not the last one to take part in this intellectual movement. One of those righteous and sensible men took the initiative. His appeal was heard by other intelligences in harmony with his; around this luminous center the many other Spiritist circles gravitated.
Multiple communications appear from everywhere with the seal of the author: it is the mother that communicates with her beloved son from glorious spheres and with a myriad of details out of her infinite kindness; it is the father, or the grandfather, that adds the severity of the form to the paternal love; it is Fénelon speaking about charity and showing the beautiful hallmark of former times in the melody and prose of his language; it is the touching spectacle of a son that becomes a happy spirit revealing the echo of his elevated teachings to the very one who brought him to life; it is the mother who reveals herself to her son with her head crowned by stars, leading him from trial to trial to the place that he must occupy by her side in God, through the eternities (sic); it is the Archbishop of Utrecht whispering his eloquent inspirations to his protégé, submitting them to the impediments of orthodoxy; it is a certain angel Gabriel, homonymous of the great archangel, spontaneously taken upon him and with God’s permission the mission of guiding his brother, following him step by step and adding to his fraternal love the divine love of a superior spirit; it is the pure spirits, the saints, the archangels covering their sublime instructions with the seal of divinity; and finally the physical manifestations after which anyone’s doubt is just absurd if not profanation. After having raised our eyes to the superior levels of the scale of creatures, allow me dear colleagues, to look down to the infinitely small who will still give you lessons.
About ten years ago the clarity of Spiritism reached my eyes but it was Spiritism in its rudimentary state, stripped from the main documentation and without the characteristic know-how. It was a reflection, a few rays of fine radiation. It was not light yet. Instead of using the pencil to obtain quick communications through a simplified method, one was still resorting to rapping’s at the table and indirect writing. The table was not but an appendix of the hand and such means of communication were generally rejected by superior spirits, keeping them away. Thus I only found mystification, trivial or obscene answers, and I therefore stayed away from those mysteries from beyond the grave, converted into things that were much below my expectations, or even better, into something that terrified me. Several trials were carried out leading to similar results. However, those apparent deceptions were not but temporary tests that had the definitive consequence of rooting my convictions. Despite all that, the positivism of my studies had affected my philosophical beliefs. I was skeptical but not ‘pyrrhonic’ since I doubted with great sorrow, uselessly making efforts to repel the materialism that had unexpectedly taken over my soul and my heart. How impenetrable are God’s designs! It was precisely that moral setting that served my transformation. I had the immortality of the soul before my eyes presenting itself like a material fact and to establish this new faith why bother if the manifestations would come from a superior or an inferior spirit, as long as coming from a spirit! Didn’t I know already that an inert body like a table can be the instrument and not the cause of an intelligent manifestation? That it was not absolutely in the sphere of my own ideas and that no fluid theory was good enough to explain?
Hence, I had shaken off those materialistic tendencies against which I fought unsuccessfully with a desperate energy and would have frankly explored those intellectual regions that were just envisaged had it not been for the devil phobia of Mr. de Mirville and the profound impression it had left in my soul. To counter that it was necessary to have this unbelieving luminous, substantial work, full of reassuring truths, dictated by celestial intelligences to an incarnated spirit, but an outstanding spirit to whom his mission on Earth has since been revealed.
Today my recognition obliges me to write on this page the name of one of my good friends who opened my eyes to the light, Mr. Roustaing, a distinct and particularly conscientious attorney, destined to an important role in the history of Spiritism. I owe him this short tribute of acknowledgment and friendship. If I were not afraid of abusing the time in this ceremony I would certainly cite numerous communications of unquestionable interest. However, in this purely intellectual activity and above our unstoppable communications with the world of the spirits there are two facts that exceptionally protest against an absolute silence. The first one is about intimate and touching details that led us to tears; the second, given the strange nature of the phenomenon, belongs to the clairvoyant mediumship, constituting such a tangible proof that we would have to deny the good faith of the mediums if we wanted to deny the reality of that fact.
I and some eager spiritists get together weekly to study and take broader advantage of the teachings given by the Doctrine of the spirits. Plentiful of faith and the similarity of studies and education of the majority of the group gave rise to a reciprocal sympathy and a communion of thoughts, therefore leading to the most favorable moral and intellectual dispositions to receive serious communications.
In one of those sessions someone endowed by a remarkable level of mediumship wanted to evoke the spirit of a little girl that had died of croup, I believe, when she was six years old. He served as the medium and I as the evoker. The evocation had just finished when we heard some percussion in a piece of furniture in an adjacent room; it excited our attention leading us to question if the uncommon noise was provoked by natural causes or if it was originated by a spiritist cause. The guides responded that it was caused by Estelle’s (the girl’s name) companions that came to introduce themselves to her friend. In our minds we followed that graceful entourage floating in space. We were given the name Antonia, a young lady among them who had just passed through Earth and whose life had been taken by a wrongly committed murder when she had just turned four. Predicting that they would complete their trials in a new existence, I prayed to my guardian angel, that good mother whose kindness never failed me, to take them under her care and to clearly show them their heavenly protection. It did not take long for the help to arrive but God allowed her to show up to one of them only and she chose Antonia:
• What do you see my little friend – I asked evoking the latter.
• Oh! What a beautiful lady! She is resplendent of lights!
• And what is the beautiful lady telling you?
• She says: ‘Come to me, my dear, I love you!”
That is why I represented this kind mother with a head crowned by stars. If this touching story that belongs to the world of the spirits seems to be a chapter of a novel to you, then one must deny every communication.
The other fact may be summarized in two words: I was with one of my spiritist colleagues. It was eleven thirty at night and we were praying to God for the suffering spirits when I vaguely saw a shadow moving away from a corner of my office, following a diagonal line extending up to my bed in the adjacent room. When the path was covered we heard a very distinct crack and the shadow moved on to the library, forming an acute angle with the initial direction. I was taken by emotion but given that I was involved by emotions and mystery, I initially thought that it was hallucination or optical illusion and said to myself that I should keep quiet about the fantastic apparition when my companion of continuous studies looked at me and asked if I had not seen anything. I was confused but decided to wait for a better opportunity thus limiting myself to question him the reason for his question. He then described the strange phenomenon that he had also witnessed and with such accuracy that it was impossible for me to doubt it and to let go the confirmation of the reality of that apparition. Two days after that we had the presence of a great medium with us. Consulting with the guides they confirmed the fact adding that the spontaneous apparition was that of a spirit that when on Earth had the name Maria de los Angeles. We were allowed to evoke her and responding to our questions she said that she had been born in Spain where she was a nun; her life had been censored for a long time, but a serious mistake, that death had not given her a chance to atone was the cause of her suffering in the world of the spirits. A few days later by chance, or even rather, God’s will, gave us a second observation of that strange event. A spiritist, a young mechanic of remarkable intelligence, had spent the latter part of the afternoon with me. While I was speaking with him I noticed that his eyes were remarkably fixated. He did not wait for the question to explain the situation: ‘While you were looking at me I clearly saw the silhouette of a woman moving from the window to the couch nearby, then kneeling. She had the appearance of twenty five years of age; she was dressed in black; her torso was covered by a cape; her head was covered by some sort of handkerchief or bonnet’
The description matched perfectly well with the idea I had of the Spanish nun and the place where she kneeled was more or less the place where I usually pray to God for the dead. To me it was Maria des los Angeles. I have no doubt that the unbelievers and the false spiritists will laugh at my certainty and will identify three visionaries in the event, instead of one. As for the sincere spiritist those will believe me particularly when I give my word for that. I give nobody the right to doubt similar testimony.
The work of Spiritism in Bordeaux, regardless of how modest and reserved they may be, are not less subjected to public curiosity and not a single day goes by that I am not questioned about it. Every profane person impressed by the spiritist phenomena insistently demands the favor of a trial; his soul floats between his own doubts and the conviction of followers.
I introduced one person into a serious meeting of spiritists who showed profound worship and reverence, showing the seriousness of the circumstance. What would be the reaction? Will an experienced medium be able to make that person accept the message inspired by a superior spirit? I had one of those embarrassing experiences. If the message has the seal of a divine inspiration the person will attribute it to the merit of the medium. If the message of God’s ministers takes the nuances of that of the medium to whom it is revealed, it will certainly look like something purely human.
In such a case here is my rule of conduct. It was previously outlined by this providential man, by this missionary of ideas that we momentarily have among us and who will from his habitual center of activities irradiate upon us the celestial treasures that a special grace has made him the source. To the curious one who comes to inquiry about the reality of the facts or request an audience as a distraction or an emotion that passes through the heart but does not stay, I limit myself to expose the seriousness of the subject. To the pseudo-wise spirit that in my opinion represents well those of the 8th class, 3rd order of the spiritist scale, I answer with no intention of allowing that person in, but the one who may still be obsessed by doubts but who foresees the truth in its germinal state, showing a goodwill to have faith, I then advise the theoretical studies which will soon lead to the practical studies or experimentation. Hence, as soon as a new fact stems out of a new idea that person keeps that side by side with the fact; then the spiritist science gradually penetrates his mind and his heart; these are works and trials that alternate in the two existences in a shiny eternity that takes place before the eyes of God, the source of life and happiness!
Bouché de Vitray,
doctor in Medicine
Speech by Mr. Allan Kardec
October 14th, 1861
“Ladies and gentlemen,
It is with pleasure that I have accepted your invitation and the warm welcome that I have received from you is one of those moral satisfactions that leave a deep and unforgettable impression in the heart. If I feel happy with this cordial reception it is because I see in it a tribute to the Doctrine that we profess and to the good spirits that teach it to us much more than to me personally who is only a mere, simple instrument in the hands of Providence. Convinced about the truth of this Doctrine and the good that it is destined to do, I worked towards the coordination of its components; striving to make it clear and understandable to all. That is all I am supposed to do and I have never considered myself its author. The honor is entirely due to the spirits. You must then address your testimonies of gratitude to them. I don’t accept the praises that you in good faith address to me but only as encouragement to continue my task with perseverance.
I was certainly helped by the spirits to do the work I had to do to achieve the previously established objective, as they had told me themselves several times, but without any signs outside of mediumship. Thus, I am not a medium in the vulgar sense of the word and today I see that as reason for celebration that it is so. With an effective mediumship, I would have written under the same influence; I would have been led to accept as true only what had been given to me and perhaps mistakenly, whereas in my position it was convenient that I had absolute freedom to learn what was good wherever it came from and regardless of its source. Therefore I was able to make a selection among the many teachings without prevention and with complete impartiality. I saw a lot, I studied a lot, I observed many things but always with impassible eyes and my desire was nothing more than to see the experience that I was able to acquire working to the benefit of others to whom I am happy to help in avoiding the hurdles that are inseparable of any initiation.
If I worked a lot and if I still work daily I am rewarded by the fast advancement of the Doctrine whose progresses far beyond any expectation, by the moral results that it produces, and I feel happy for seeing the city of Bordeaux is not behind in this movement but prepares to progress at the head, given the number and the quality of its followers. If we consider the fact that Spiritism advances on its own strength without the support of any means that normally gives good results, and despite the struggles of a systematic opposition, or even better, due in reality to such efforts, I cannot help it but to see the finger of God in all that. If its enemies are dangerous but were not capable of paralyzing its development, one must realize that Spiritism is more powerful than those and like the serpent in the fable it is useless to apply their teeth against a steel plate.
If we say that the secret of its power rests on God’s will those who don’t believe in God will laugh. There are also many people who don’t deny God but consider themselves more powerful than God. Those don’t laugh but oppose barriers that they consider impassable; nonetheless Spiritism defeats them every day and before their eyes. Fact is that Spiritism takes an irresistible force from its very nature, its true essence. What is then the secret of such a force? Do we have to hide it for being afraid that once it is revealed its enemies can defeat Spiritism like what happened to Samson? Absolutely not. There are no mysteries in Spiritism. Everything is done outside in day light and can be fearlessly and openly revealed. Although I have already said that, it might not be inconvenient to repeat here so that everyone will know that if we reveal the secret of our strength to our adversaries it is because we also know their weak spot.
The strength of Spiritism has two fundamental causes: the first one is that it makes people happy, those who get to know it, whom understand and practice it; now, since there are lots of people unhappy it recruits a true army among those in suffering. Do they want to subtract Spiritism from such a means of propagation? They must then make people as much happy materially and morally and they will no longer wish anything else both in this world as well as in the next one. We don’t ask for more since the objective would have been achieved.
The second reason is the fact that Spiritism is not founded on the head of any person that may be knocked to the ground; that there isn’t a single focal point to be extinguished; that its focus is everywhere for there are mediums all over the place that can communicate with the spirits; that there isn’t a single family that could not have them in their heart and that may these words from Jesus become reality: ‘Your sons and your daughters will prophesize and they will bear visions’; finally because Spiritism is an idea and there is no impassible barrier to ideas and not even high enough so that they cannot be transposed. Christ was killed; his apostles and disciples were killed but Christ had issued the Christian idea to the world and such idea triumphed over the persecution of the omnipotent Caesars. Why then Spiritism that is no more than the development and application of the Christian idea would not triumph over some mockers and antagonists who, up until now and despite their efforts, were only able to oppose a sterile reaction? Is there a chimeric pretension on that? The dream of a reformer? There you have the facts to respond: despite everything and against everything Spiritism spreads everywhere. Like the fecund pollen of the flowers it is taken by the winds and set root in all corners of the world, because it finds fecund soil everywhere in the suffering and upon which it spreads its consoling balm.
Suppose, therefore, the most absolute imaginable state that recruits every possible means of stopping the spread of an idea; Does it prevent the spirits from entering the premises of a home and there manifesting spontaneously? Does it prevent the formation of mediums in the intimacy of the families? Suppose it to be strong enough to prevent any writing, to prohibit the reading of books; can it stop people from hearing, since there are hearing mediums? Does it prevent the father from receiving the consolations of his lost son? You then see that this is impossible and that I was right by saying that Spiritism can fearlessly reveal the secret of its strength to its enemies.
Be it, they will say. When something is unavoidable one must accept it. However, if it is a false and bad idea, isn’t there reason to block it? To begin with one would need to prove that it is false. Well, up until now what do the adversaries oppose? Mockery and denial that, in good logic, have never been taken as arguments. But a serious and solid refutation; a categorical and evident demonstration, where can you find it? Nowhere. Not even in the criticism of Science or elsewhere.
On another hand when an idea propagates with the speed of light; when it finds a large number of echoes in the most educated classes of society; when it has roots in all peoples and since there is people on Earth; when the greatest philosophers, sacred and profane proclaim it then it is logical to suppose that it is not only founded on lies and illusions. Every sensible person or that is not blindfolded by passions or personal interests will say that there must be something true about it and that it is sensible to at least suspend one’s judgment before the denial.
Is the idea bad? If it is true, or just the application of the laws of nature then it seems difficult that it is something bad unless one admits that God makes bad things in creation. How can it be a bad doctrine when it makes people who profess it better; that it consoles the afflicted, that it appeases the effervescence of passions and precludes suicide? Some say that it is contrary to religion. That is the big word they use to try to scare away the timid and those who don’t know it. How can a doctrine that makes people better; that teaches the Christian moral; that only preaches charity, forgetfulness of offenses and submission to God’s will, how can that be contrary to religion? It would be nonsense. Affirming such a thing would be the same as condemning religion itself. That is why I say that those who say such things don’t know the Doctrine. If that were the outcome why then it would lead those who believe in nothing to religious ideas? Why would it lead to prayer someone who had forgot it since their infancy?
In fact there is another peremptory answer: Spiritism opposes every dogmatic issue. To the materialistic it demonstrates the existence of the soul; to those who believe in nothing it demonstrates the eternal life; to those who believe that God does not get involved with people’s businesses it demonstrates the future penalties and rewards. By destroying materialism Spiritism destroys the most important social ulcer. That is its very objective. With respect to particular beliefs Spiritism does not deal with that and gives total freedom for their individual choice. Materialism is the greatest enemy of religion. By leading people to spiritualism, Spiritism covers three quarter parts of the way to get to the heart of the Church. It is up to the Church to do the rest. But if people are rejected by their religion of choice then it is not strange that another one is sought. By saying these things, ladies and gentlemen, I am preaching to the choir and you know that, as well as I do. But there is another point about which is useful to say a few words.
If the external enemies cannot do anything against Spiritism, that is not the case with those inside. I refer to those who are more spiritist by name than in fact, not to mention those who just use the mask of spiritists. The most beautiful side of Spiritism is the moral side. It is through its moral consequences that it will triumph since that is the realm of its strength and invulnerability. Its banner reads: Love and Charity and before such palladium even more powerful than that of Minerva since it comes from Jesus, even incredulity bends over. What can be opposed to a Doctrine that leads people to love one another like brothers? If the cause is not admitted one must at least respect the effect. Well, the best way to test the reality of the effect is by applying that to oneself; it is demonstrating to the enemies of the Doctrine, by example, that it has really made you better. But how can one convince that an instrument may produce harmonious sounds if its sounds are dissonant? Thus, how can one persuade others that Spiritism must lead to concord if those who profess it or supposedly profess it which to the adversaries is the same thing throw stones on one another? If a simple susceptibility of self-love, of hierarchy is enough to divide them? Isn’t that a way of destroying ones’ argument? The worst enemies of Spiritism are then those who lie to themselves, not practicing the law that they announce. It would be puerile to create dissidence based on nuances of opinion. Dissidence for personal reasons reveals evident malevolence by forgetting the first duty of a true spiritist, knowing that the exaltation of personality is the fruit of pride and selfishness.
We must not forget, ladies and gentlemen, that the enemies of Spiritism belong to two orders. From one side you have the jokers and the incredulous. These are contradicted daily by the facts. You must not be afraid of them. They unwillingly serve our cause and we must thank them for that. At the other end are those who have interest in combating the Doctrine. Don’t expect to persuade them since they don’t seek enlightenment. It is useless to unfold the evidence of the Sun before their eyes. They are blind because they don’t want to see. They don’t attack you because you are mistaken but because you are with the truth and right or wrong they believe that Spiritism is harmful to their material interests. If they were persuaded that it is a chimera they would leave it alone. Hence, their bloodthirsty behavior worsens in proportion to the progress of the Doctrine so that one can measure its importance by the violence of their attacks. While people only saw Spiritism as pass time of turning tables they said nothing and counted on the shortness of fashionable things. Now that they see the insufficiency of their mockery, despite their bad will, the try other means. Those means, whatever they are, have demonstrated their impotence. Nonetheless one cannot muffle the voice that becomes loud in all parts of the world and if they cannot stop this torrent that invades them from all sides they will do everything they can to create hurdles and if they are able to force progress to move backwards for a single day they will still say that the game is over in their favor.
You should then expect that the terrain would be disputed inch by inch since the material interest is the most tenacious. For that interest the most sacred rights of humankind are nothing. You have a proof of that in the American struggle. The union that was our glory may fall but not our interests! That is what the proslavery say. That is what the enemies of Spiritism say since the humanitarian question is the last of their concerns. What can we oppose them with? A flag that makes them pale once they know it comes from Jesus: Love and Charity, and these words are his ruling. May all spiritists unite around this flag and they will be strong for union is power. You will then recognize the true defenders of your cause not by words that cost nothing but by the practice of the law of love and charity; by the abnegation of personality. The best soldier is not the one who raises the sword higher but the one who has the courage to sacrifice his own life. Everyone who tries to spread among you the poison of discord is joining the ranks of the enemy and voluntarily or involuntarily is supplying them with weapons against you. In any case don’t count on them more than on those bad soldiers who run away at the first shot.
However, you will say, if the opinions about some points of the Doctrine are divided how can we know on which side is the truth? This is the most difficult thing. To begin with have your judgment by weight and a healthy and inflexible logic by measure. Then you will have the support of the majority. Rest assured that the growing or decreasing number of followers of a given idea gives a measure of its value. If it were false it would not conquer more followers than the truth since God would not allow it to be. He may allow the mistake here or there in order to observe our attitudes and to teach us to recognize them. Without that where would our merit be if there were no choices to be made? Would you like another criterion of truth? Here you have an infallible one. Considering that the flag of Spiritism is love and charity, you will recognize the truth by the practice of that maxim, and be sure that the one who throws stones on someone else cannot be with the absolute truth. If there would be divergences among you – God forbid – I tell you with sadness that I would openly distance myself from those who had left behind the flag of fraternity because to my eyes they could not be seen as true spiritists.
In any case don’t be concerned with some transient dissidence. You will soon have the proof that they don’t have serious consequences. These a trials to your faith and to your judgment; they are often means allowed by God and the good spirits to check the right measure of sincerity and to get to know those that they can really count on if necessary, thus avoiding having them in the vanguard. These are little stones spread on our way so that you can create the habit of verifying your supports.
Now, ladies and gentlemen, I still have to talk about the Society. Since you would like to take my advices I will tell you what I said in Lyon last year. The same reasons lead me to discourage you with all my strength from the project of forming a single society, comprising all spiritists in town, something that would not be practicable given the growing number of followers. It won’t be long until you to feel the limitations of the material obstacles and also the moral difficulties which are even greater, and all that would show you the actual impossibility. It is better not to initiate something that you would be forced to renounce. Every consideration that support this opinion are thoroughly developed in the new edition of The Mediums’ Book that I invite you to verify. I will only add a few words about that.
Something that is difficult to obtain in a session with a large number of members is much less difficult in private groups. These are formed by affinity of tastes, feelings and habits. Two separate groups may have different ways of seeing some details but that is not a reason to have disagreements whereas if they were all together the divergence of opinions would bring unavoidable disturbances.
The system of multiplication of groups still has the advantage of stopping the disputes for supremacy and presidency. Each group is naturally presided by the owner of the house or by designation and everything takes place in a family-like environment. If the high direction of Spiritism in a given city needs someone then that person will be called by the force of things and a tacit agreement will designate her very naturally as a consequence of personal merit; of her conciliatory qualities; of her enthusiasm and devotion that she must have given proof of; of the real services done in favor of the cause. That person even not seeking it will then acquire a moral strength that nobody will contest because it will be recognized by everyone, whereas someone that tried to impose herself based on a private authority or who were dragged by a lobby would find strong opposition from all of those who did not acknowledge such moral qualities in that person. There you have an avoidable cause of divisions. It is something really serious to trust someone with the direction of the Doctrine. Before doing that one must be really sure about that person from every point of view; with wrong ideas the Society could be dragged down onto a slippery ramp and even perhaps its ruin. In the private groups each one can demonstrate their skills and be designated later by peers’ vote, if needed. But nobody can become a general without the experience of the soldier. Like the good general that is known for his courage and talents the true spiritist is recognized by his or her qualities. Well, the first quality that must be proven is the abnegation of personality. Hence it is more by acts than words that such a person will be recognized. What one needs for such direction is a true spiritist and the true spiritist is not moved by ambition or self-love. With that respect, ladies and gentlemen, I call your attention to the several categories of spirits whose distinctive characters are clearly defined in The Mediums’ Book (#28).
In fact whatever the nature of the meeting, large or small, the conditions that must be fulfilled to reach the objective are the same. There is where we have to concentrate our attention and those who fulfill that will be strong because they will necessarily have the support of the good spirits. Such conditions are in The Mediums’ Book (#341). A very frequent mistake made by the new followers is that of judging themselves masters after a few months of study. Spiritism is a great science, you know well, and experience in its practice cannot be acquired in a short time as with everything else. Such pretension of not needing advice and considering themselves above everybody else is a proof of insufficiency as it runs away from one of the first precepts of the Doctrine: modesty and humility.
When the bad spirits find similar dispositions in an individual they always stimulate and super-excite them, persuading that person that she is the only one with the truth. It is one of the hurdles that may be met and against which I thought convenient to forearm you, adding that it is not enough to be spiritist as it is not enough to call oneself Christian. It is necessary to prove that in practice.
If by the formation of groups individual rivalries are avoided couldn’t such rivalry exist between the groups that walking a little bit divergent paths could produce dissent whereas in a unique society we would have the unity of principles? I respond that such inconvenient would not be avoided for those who did not adopt the principles of the society would stay away from that and there would not be anything that would preclude them from spinning off, forming another group. The groups are other small societies that will certainly march on the same avenue if all adopt the same flag and the foundations of the Science, consolidated by experience. I also call your attention to item 348 of The Mediums’ Book. As a matter of fact there is nothing precluding delegates from the several private groups to form a central group and a direct correspondent with the Parisian Society. Then, every year a general assembly could gather all followers and then rendering a true party of Spiritism. I have prepared a detailed instruction about those several points that I will have the honor of sending you later both about the organization and the order of the works. Those who follow it will naturally remain in the unity of principles.
Ladies and gentlemen, these are my advices to you since you were kind enough to request them from me. I am happy to add that I found here in Bordeaux excellent elements and a much greater progress than I expected. I found here a large number of true and sincere spiritists and I take away from my visit the founded hope that our Doctrine will develop on the most ample bases and in excellent conditions. I promise you that my support will never fail you in anything that I can do to help the efforts of those who are sincere and consciously devoted in their hearts to this noble cause that is the cause of humanity.
The spirit of Erastus that you already know, ladies and gentlemen, for his remarkable dissertations that you have already read, he also wants to give you the tribute of his advices. Before I left Paris he dictated through his habitual medium the following communication that I have the honor of reading to you.”
“Ladies and gentlemen,
It is with pleasure that I have accepted your invitation and the warm welcome that I have received from you is one of those moral satisfactions that leave a deep and unforgettable impression in the heart. If I feel happy with this cordial reception it is because I see in it a tribute to the Doctrine that we profess and to the good spirits that teach it to us much more than to me personally who is only a mere, simple instrument in the hands of Providence. Convinced about the truth of this Doctrine and the good that it is destined to do, I worked towards the coordination of its components; striving to make it clear and understandable to all. That is all I am supposed to do and I have never considered myself its author. The honor is entirely due to the spirits. You must then address your testimonies of gratitude to them. I don’t accept the praises that you in good faith address to me but only as encouragement to continue my task with perseverance.
I was certainly helped by the spirits to do the work I had to do to achieve the previously established objective, as they had told me themselves several times, but without any signs outside of mediumship. Thus, I am not a medium in the vulgar sense of the word and today I see that as reason for celebration that it is so. With an effective mediumship, I would have written under the same influence; I would have been led to accept as true only what had been given to me and perhaps mistakenly, whereas in my position it was convenient that I had absolute freedom to learn what was good wherever it came from and regardless of its source. Therefore I was able to make a selection among the many teachings without prevention and with complete impartiality. I saw a lot, I studied a lot, I observed many things but always with impassible eyes and my desire was nothing more than to see the experience that I was able to acquire working to the benefit of others to whom I am happy to help in avoiding the hurdles that are inseparable of any initiation.
If I worked a lot and if I still work daily I am rewarded by the fast advancement of the Doctrine whose progresses far beyond any expectation, by the moral results that it produces, and I feel happy for seeing the city of Bordeaux is not behind in this movement but prepares to progress at the head, given the number and the quality of its followers. If we consider the fact that Spiritism advances on its own strength without the support of any means that normally gives good results, and despite the struggles of a systematic opposition, or even better, due in reality to such efforts, I cannot help it but to see the finger of God in all that. If its enemies are dangerous but were not capable of paralyzing its development, one must realize that Spiritism is more powerful than those and like the serpent in the fable it is useless to apply their teeth against a steel plate.
If we say that the secret of its power rests on God’s will those who don’t believe in God will laugh. There are also many people who don’t deny God but consider themselves more powerful than God. Those don’t laugh but oppose barriers that they consider impassable; nonetheless Spiritism defeats them every day and before their eyes. Fact is that Spiritism takes an irresistible force from its very nature, its true essence. What is then the secret of such a force? Do we have to hide it for being afraid that once it is revealed its enemies can defeat Spiritism like what happened to Samson? Absolutely not. There are no mysteries in Spiritism. Everything is done outside in day light and can be fearlessly and openly revealed. Although I have already said that, it might not be inconvenient to repeat here so that everyone will know that if we reveal the secret of our strength to our adversaries it is because we also know their weak spot.
The strength of Spiritism has two fundamental causes: the first one is that it makes people happy, those who get to know it, whom understand and practice it; now, since there are lots of people unhappy it recruits a true army among those in suffering. Do they want to subtract Spiritism from such a means of propagation? They must then make people as much happy materially and morally and they will no longer wish anything else both in this world as well as in the next one. We don’t ask for more since the objective would have been achieved.
The second reason is the fact that Spiritism is not founded on the head of any person that may be knocked to the ground; that there isn’t a single focal point to be extinguished; that its focus is everywhere for there are mediums all over the place that can communicate with the spirits; that there isn’t a single family that could not have them in their heart and that may these words from Jesus become reality: ‘Your sons and your daughters will prophesize and they will bear visions’; finally because Spiritism is an idea and there is no impassible barrier to ideas and not even high enough so that they cannot be transposed. Christ was killed; his apostles and disciples were killed but Christ had issued the Christian idea to the world and such idea triumphed over the persecution of the omnipotent Caesars. Why then Spiritism that is no more than the development and application of the Christian idea would not triumph over some mockers and antagonists who, up until now and despite their efforts, were only able to oppose a sterile reaction? Is there a chimeric pretension on that? The dream of a reformer? There you have the facts to respond: despite everything and against everything Spiritism spreads everywhere. Like the fecund pollen of the flowers it is taken by the winds and set root in all corners of the world, because it finds fecund soil everywhere in the suffering and upon which it spreads its consoling balm.
Suppose, therefore, the most absolute imaginable state that recruits every possible means of stopping the spread of an idea; Does it prevent the spirits from entering the premises of a home and there manifesting spontaneously? Does it prevent the formation of mediums in the intimacy of the families? Suppose it to be strong enough to prevent any writing, to prohibit the reading of books; can it stop people from hearing, since there are hearing mediums? Does it prevent the father from receiving the consolations of his lost son? You then see that this is impossible and that I was right by saying that Spiritism can fearlessly reveal the secret of its strength to its enemies.
Be it, they will say. When something is unavoidable one must accept it. However, if it is a false and bad idea, isn’t there reason to block it? To begin with one would need to prove that it is false. Well, up until now what do the adversaries oppose? Mockery and denial that, in good logic, have never been taken as arguments. But a serious and solid refutation; a categorical and evident demonstration, where can you find it? Nowhere. Not even in the criticism of Science or elsewhere.
On another hand when an idea propagates with the speed of light; when it finds a large number of echoes in the most educated classes of society; when it has roots in all peoples and since there is people on Earth; when the greatest philosophers, sacred and profane proclaim it then it is logical to suppose that it is not only founded on lies and illusions. Every sensible person or that is not blindfolded by passions or personal interests will say that there must be something true about it and that it is sensible to at least suspend one’s judgment before the denial.
Is the idea bad? If it is true, or just the application of the laws of nature then it seems difficult that it is something bad unless one admits that God makes bad things in creation. How can it be a bad doctrine when it makes people who profess it better; that it consoles the afflicted, that it appeases the effervescence of passions and precludes suicide? Some say that it is contrary to religion. That is the big word they use to try to scare away the timid and those who don’t know it. How can a doctrine that makes people better; that teaches the Christian moral; that only preaches charity, forgetfulness of offenses and submission to God’s will, how can that be contrary to religion? It would be nonsense. Affirming such a thing would be the same as condemning religion itself. That is why I say that those who say such things don’t know the Doctrine. If that were the outcome why then it would lead those who believe in nothing to religious ideas? Why would it lead to prayer someone who had forgot it since their infancy?
In fact there is another peremptory answer: Spiritism opposes every dogmatic issue. To the materialistic it demonstrates the existence of the soul; to those who believe in nothing it demonstrates the eternal life; to those who believe that God does not get involved with people’s businesses it demonstrates the future penalties and rewards. By destroying materialism Spiritism destroys the most important social ulcer. That is its very objective. With respect to particular beliefs Spiritism does not deal with that and gives total freedom for their individual choice. Materialism is the greatest enemy of religion. By leading people to spiritualism, Spiritism covers three quarter parts of the way to get to the heart of the Church. It is up to the Church to do the rest. But if people are rejected by their religion of choice then it is not strange that another one is sought. By saying these things, ladies and gentlemen, I am preaching to the choir and you know that, as well as I do. But there is another point about which is useful to say a few words.
If the external enemies cannot do anything against Spiritism, that is not the case with those inside. I refer to those who are more spiritist by name than in fact, not to mention those who just use the mask of spiritists. The most beautiful side of Spiritism is the moral side. It is through its moral consequences that it will triumph since that is the realm of its strength and invulnerability. Its banner reads: Love and Charity and before such palladium even more powerful than that of Minerva since it comes from Jesus, even incredulity bends over. What can be opposed to a Doctrine that leads people to love one another like brothers? If the cause is not admitted one must at least respect the effect. Well, the best way to test the reality of the effect is by applying that to oneself; it is demonstrating to the enemies of the Doctrine, by example, that it has really made you better. But how can one convince that an instrument may produce harmonious sounds if its sounds are dissonant? Thus, how can one persuade others that Spiritism must lead to concord if those who profess it or supposedly profess it which to the adversaries is the same thing throw stones on one another? If a simple susceptibility of self-love, of hierarchy is enough to divide them? Isn’t that a way of destroying ones’ argument? The worst enemies of Spiritism are then those who lie to themselves, not practicing the law that they announce. It would be puerile to create dissidence based on nuances of opinion. Dissidence for personal reasons reveals evident malevolence by forgetting the first duty of a true spiritist, knowing that the exaltation of personality is the fruit of pride and selfishness.
We must not forget, ladies and gentlemen, that the enemies of Spiritism belong to two orders. From one side you have the jokers and the incredulous. These are contradicted daily by the facts. You must not be afraid of them. They unwillingly serve our cause and we must thank them for that. At the other end are those who have interest in combating the Doctrine. Don’t expect to persuade them since they don’t seek enlightenment. It is useless to unfold the evidence of the Sun before their eyes. They are blind because they don’t want to see. They don’t attack you because you are mistaken but because you are with the truth and right or wrong they believe that Spiritism is harmful to their material interests. If they were persuaded that it is a chimera they would leave it alone. Hence, their bloodthirsty behavior worsens in proportion to the progress of the Doctrine so that one can measure its importance by the violence of their attacks. While people only saw Spiritism as pass time of turning tables they said nothing and counted on the shortness of fashionable things. Now that they see the insufficiency of their mockery, despite their bad will, the try other means. Those means, whatever they are, have demonstrated their impotence. Nonetheless one cannot muffle the voice that becomes loud in all parts of the world and if they cannot stop this torrent that invades them from all sides they will do everything they can to create hurdles and if they are able to force progress to move backwards for a single day they will still say that the game is over in their favor.
You should then expect that the terrain would be disputed inch by inch since the material interest is the most tenacious. For that interest the most sacred rights of humankind are nothing. You have a proof of that in the American struggle. The union that was our glory may fall but not our interests! That is what the proslavery say. That is what the enemies of Spiritism say since the humanitarian question is the last of their concerns. What can we oppose them with? A flag that makes them pale once they know it comes from Jesus: Love and Charity, and these words are his ruling. May all spiritists unite around this flag and they will be strong for union is power. You will then recognize the true defenders of your cause not by words that cost nothing but by the practice of the law of love and charity; by the abnegation of personality. The best soldier is not the one who raises the sword higher but the one who has the courage to sacrifice his own life. Everyone who tries to spread among you the poison of discord is joining the ranks of the enemy and voluntarily or involuntarily is supplying them with weapons against you. In any case don’t count on them more than on those bad soldiers who run away at the first shot.
However, you will say, if the opinions about some points of the Doctrine are divided how can we know on which side is the truth? This is the most difficult thing. To begin with have your judgment by weight and a healthy and inflexible logic by measure. Then you will have the support of the majority. Rest assured that the growing or decreasing number of followers of a given idea gives a measure of its value. If it were false it would not conquer more followers than the truth since God would not allow it to be. He may allow the mistake here or there in order to observe our attitudes and to teach us to recognize them. Without that where would our merit be if there were no choices to be made? Would you like another criterion of truth? Here you have an infallible one. Considering that the flag of Spiritism is love and charity, you will recognize the truth by the practice of that maxim, and be sure that the one who throws stones on someone else cannot be with the absolute truth. If there would be divergences among you – God forbid – I tell you with sadness that I would openly distance myself from those who had left behind the flag of fraternity because to my eyes they could not be seen as true spiritists.
In any case don’t be concerned with some transient dissidence. You will soon have the proof that they don’t have serious consequences. These a trials to your faith and to your judgment; they are often means allowed by God and the good spirits to check the right measure of sincerity and to get to know those that they can really count on if necessary, thus avoiding having them in the vanguard. These are little stones spread on our way so that you can create the habit of verifying your supports.
Now, ladies and gentlemen, I still have to talk about the Society. Since you would like to take my advices I will tell you what I said in Lyon last year. The same reasons lead me to discourage you with all my strength from the project of forming a single society, comprising all spiritists in town, something that would not be practicable given the growing number of followers. It won’t be long until you to feel the limitations of the material obstacles and also the moral difficulties which are even greater, and all that would show you the actual impossibility. It is better not to initiate something that you would be forced to renounce. Every consideration that support this opinion are thoroughly developed in the new edition of The Mediums’ Book that I invite you to verify. I will only add a few words about that.
Something that is difficult to obtain in a session with a large number of members is much less difficult in private groups. These are formed by affinity of tastes, feelings and habits. Two separate groups may have different ways of seeing some details but that is not a reason to have disagreements whereas if they were all together the divergence of opinions would bring unavoidable disturbances.
The system of multiplication of groups still has the advantage of stopping the disputes for supremacy and presidency. Each group is naturally presided by the owner of the house or by designation and everything takes place in a family-like environment. If the high direction of Spiritism in a given city needs someone then that person will be called by the force of things and a tacit agreement will designate her very naturally as a consequence of personal merit; of her conciliatory qualities; of her enthusiasm and devotion that she must have given proof of; of the real services done in favor of the cause. That person even not seeking it will then acquire a moral strength that nobody will contest because it will be recognized by everyone, whereas someone that tried to impose herself based on a private authority or who were dragged by a lobby would find strong opposition from all of those who did not acknowledge such moral qualities in that person. There you have an avoidable cause of divisions. It is something really serious to trust someone with the direction of the Doctrine. Before doing that one must be really sure about that person from every point of view; with wrong ideas the Society could be dragged down onto a slippery ramp and even perhaps its ruin. In the private groups each one can demonstrate their skills and be designated later by peers’ vote, if needed. But nobody can become a general without the experience of the soldier. Like the good general that is known for his courage and talents the true spiritist is recognized by his or her qualities. Well, the first quality that must be proven is the abnegation of personality. Hence it is more by acts than words that such a person will be recognized. What one needs for such direction is a true spiritist and the true spiritist is not moved by ambition or self-love. With that respect, ladies and gentlemen, I call your attention to the several categories of spirits whose distinctive characters are clearly defined in The Mediums’ Book (#28).
In fact whatever the nature of the meeting, large or small, the conditions that must be fulfilled to reach the objective are the same. There is where we have to concentrate our attention and those who fulfill that will be strong because they will necessarily have the support of the good spirits. Such conditions are in The Mediums’ Book (#341). A very frequent mistake made by the new followers is that of judging themselves masters after a few months of study. Spiritism is a great science, you know well, and experience in its practice cannot be acquired in a short time as with everything else. Such pretension of not needing advice and considering themselves above everybody else is a proof of insufficiency as it runs away from one of the first precepts of the Doctrine: modesty and humility.
When the bad spirits find similar dispositions in an individual they always stimulate and super-excite them, persuading that person that she is the only one with the truth. It is one of the hurdles that may be met and against which I thought convenient to forearm you, adding that it is not enough to be spiritist as it is not enough to call oneself Christian. It is necessary to prove that in practice.
If by the formation of groups individual rivalries are avoided couldn’t such rivalry exist between the groups that walking a little bit divergent paths could produce dissent whereas in a unique society we would have the unity of principles? I respond that such inconvenient would not be avoided for those who did not adopt the principles of the society would stay away from that and there would not be anything that would preclude them from spinning off, forming another group. The groups are other small societies that will certainly march on the same avenue if all adopt the same flag and the foundations of the Science, consolidated by experience. I also call your attention to item 348 of The Mediums’ Book. As a matter of fact there is nothing precluding delegates from the several private groups to form a central group and a direct correspondent with the Parisian Society. Then, every year a general assembly could gather all followers and then rendering a true party of Spiritism. I have prepared a detailed instruction about those several points that I will have the honor of sending you later both about the organization and the order of the works. Those who follow it will naturally remain in the unity of principles.
Ladies and gentlemen, these are my advices to you since you were kind enough to request them from me. I am happy to add that I found here in Bordeaux excellent elements and a much greater progress than I expected. I found here a large number of true and sincere spiritists and I take away from my visit the founded hope that our Doctrine will develop on the most ample bases and in excellent conditions. I promise you that my support will never fail you in anything that I can do to help the efforts of those who are sincere and consciously devoted in their hearts to this noble cause that is the cause of humanity.
The spirit of Erastus that you already know, ladies and gentlemen, for his remarkable dissertations that you have already read, he also wants to give you the tribute of his advices. Before I left Paris he dictated through his habitual medium the following communication that I have the honor of reading to you.”
First Epistle of Erastus, Humble Servant of God, to the Spiritists of Bordeaux
October 14th, 1861
“May the Lord’s peace be with you my dear friends, so that nothing may ever disturb the harmony that must rule in a center of sincere spiritists!
I know how profound is your faith in God and how eager followers you are of the new revelation. That is why I tell you with my warmest affection towards you that I would be devastated, we would all be devastated if under the auspices of the Spirit of Truth and as initiators of Spiritism in France we saw harmony disappearing from your environment, a harmony that you have so far demonstrated so brilliantly. Had you not given examples of a solid fraternity and if you were not a serious and important center of the great spiritist communion in France I would have left this issue in the shadow of forgetfulness. However, if I have brought that issue up is for having plausible reasons to invite you to the maintenance of union, peace and unity of the Doctrine among your several groups.
Yes, my dear disciples, I enthusiastically take this opportunity that we ourselves prepared to show you how dismal the news of a fissure would be for the development of Spiritism and the scandal that it would generate among your brothers of other regions, such news about a center that up until now has delightfully been used as an example of the spirit of fraternity to all other already formed centers or in formation. I don’t ignore the fact as you should not ignore either that everything will be done to spread division among you; that traps will be prepared; that you will find ambushes of all sorts along the way; that you will be incited one against the other to feed division thus entailing an always regrettable rupture. However, you can avoid all that by practicing the sublime precepts of the law of love and charity, first to yourselves and then to everybody else. I am convinced that you will not give the enemies of our sacred cause the satisfaction of saying: ‘Look at those spiritists from Bordeaux, who were presented to us as the vanguard of the march of the new believers! They cannot even agree with themselves!’ There you have it my friends; that is what is waiting for you and for all of us. Your excellent guides have already told you: ‘You will have to fight not only against the proud, selfish, materialistic and all of those unfortunate ones representing the spirit of the century, but also and more importantly against the flock of deceiving spirits that will find a group of mediums among you, since you have plenty of those, and soon will come to assault you, some with wisely prepared dissertations in which they will insinuate heresy or some acidic principle; other communications openly hostile to the teachings given by the true messengers of the Spirit of Truth. Ah! Believe me, don’t be afraid of unmasking the impostor that, like new Tartuffe, mingle with you covered by the mask of religion.
Be also ruthless with the devouring wolves hidden under the skin of sheep. With the help of God, who you must never invoke in vain and with the assistance of the good spirits for their protection you will be unbreakable in your faith. The bad spirits will find you invulnerable and when they see their darts torn apart by the love and charity, the drivers of your hearts, they will leave in astonishment after a campaign that only unveiled their impotence and shame. You will be invariably united by looking at any doctrine contrary to the moral of the Gospels and the general principles of the Ten Commandments as subversive, all summarized by this concise law: ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind and you must love your neighbor as yourself’. In fact one must comply with the common law in everything: nobody is supposed to subtract or impose their opinion and feelings when they are not accepted by other members of the same spiritist family. For that reason I strongly recommend that you mirror the practice and regulations of the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies where nobody, whatever his or her position, age, service rendered or acquired authority may utilize their own initiative in place of that of the Society to which they belong and with a greater reason engage the Society into something through maneuvers that were not approved. Having said that it is incontestable that the followers of the same group must show great respect towards the acquired wisdom and experience. Experience is not an exclusive attribute of the oldest or the wiser but of the one who has given more time and energy to our reassuring philosophy and with more benefit to all. As for the wisdom it is up to us to identify those among you that follow and practice the precepts and the laws in the best way.
However, my friends, before you follow your own inspirations don’t forget your advices and do consult with your ethereal guardians who will never fail you whenever you invoke them with your heart and with an objective that is of general interest. For that you need good mediums and the ones I see here are excellent; it is just a matter of choice. I know well that Mrs. and Ms. Cazemajoux and some others have mediumistic faculties of the highest degree and I repeat that there isn’t any other region better equipped than Bordeaux in that regard. I had to make some tough comments given the great expectation that the Spirit of Truth, the master of all of us, has on you. Remember that you are part of the spiritist vanguard and that the vanguard, like the Joint Chiefs of Staff, owes everybody an absolute submission to the established discipline.
Ah! Your work is not easy considering that you are assigned with the task of holding the axe with a strong hand and take it to the somber forests of materialism and move on to the last shelters of material interests. New Jasons march on to conquer the real brook of gold, the new and fecund ideas that must regenerate the world, but in that case you no longer march with the private interest and not even with that of the current generation but more importantly in the interest of future generations to whom you pave the way. There is a level of abnegation and greatness in this work that will be acknowledged by the centuries to come and believe me God will take that into account. I had to speak as I did because I talk to people who listen to reason; to persons who pursue an eminently useful objective: the betterment and emancipation of humankind; to spiritists that at the end of the day teach and preach through example and the best way to do that is by practicing the truly Christian virtues.
I had to tell you these things because it was necessary to show and forewarn you against a danger. I am doing my duty. I can now look at the future with confidence because I am convinced that my words will have an effect on everyone and each one of you and that selfishness, pride or vanity from now on will have no power upon your hearts where there will only be true fraternity.
You will remember spiritists of Bordeaux that your union is the true path to a universal union and fraternity. I feel really happy to clearly see that Spiritism has pushed you a step forward on its own. Our congratulations to you and I speak here in the name of all spirits that preside over the great work of human regeneration since your initiative has opened up a new field of exploration and a new safe mode in the studies of the phenomena from beyond the grave, based on your request for membership, not as isolated individuals but as a group, to the pioneering Society of Paris. Given the importance of this step I acknowledge the great wisdom of your main guides and I thank our kind Fenelon and his loyal supporters Georges and Marius that together preside over your devoted 40 Greek mythology (NT) study groups. I also take this opportunity to pay a sound tribute to the spirits Ferdinand and Felicia that you all know. Although these honorable co-workers have only done well for the good, you should know that it is due to these humble pioneers, seconded by the humble Marcelin that our sacred Doctrine has prospered so much in Bordeaux and in the South West of France. Yes, my loyal believers, your remarkable initiative will be followed; I know that well, by every seriously established spiritist group. Hence, it is a huge step forward. You understood, and others will do too, the advantages, the advancement and the propaganda that will result from the adoption of a uniform program for the works and studies of the Doctrine that we have revealed to you. Yet, it must be well understood that each group will preserve their originality and particular initiative, but outside their private works they will have to get involved with matters of general interest, submitting themselves to the exam of the central Society, thus resolving several difficulties whose solution have not yet been given by the spirits for reasons that would be useless to elaborate here.
I believe I would offend you by pointing out the consequences resulting from simultaneous work. Then, who would dare contest one truth when it is confirmed by unanimity or by the majority of the mediumistic responses obtained simultaneously in Lyon, Bordeaux, Constantinople, Metz, Brussels, Sens, Mexico City, Marseille, Toulouse, Mâcon, Sétif, Alger, Oran, Cracow, Moscow, St. Petersburg and Paris?
I spoke to you with the same unpolished sincerity with which I do to your brothers from Paris. Yet, I will not leave you before attesting my sympathies legitimately conquered by this kind family where excellent spirits in charge of your spiritual direction have had their eloquent words heard. I mentioned the Sabò family which endured the painful trial that God brought upon them with stability and unchangeable benevolence to elevate them higher and bring them up to the level of their present mission. I must also mention the dedicated support of all those who have contributed to the propagation of our reassuring Doctrine, in their respective spheres of action. My friends, keep up with your resolute march on the open path. It will certainly lead you to the ethereal spheres of perfect happiness where I will certainly meet you. In the name of the Spirit of Truth that loves you I bless you all, spiritists of Bordeaux.
Erastus
“May the Lord’s peace be with you my dear friends, so that nothing may ever disturb the harmony that must rule in a center of sincere spiritists!
I know how profound is your faith in God and how eager followers you are of the new revelation. That is why I tell you with my warmest affection towards you that I would be devastated, we would all be devastated if under the auspices of the Spirit of Truth and as initiators of Spiritism in France we saw harmony disappearing from your environment, a harmony that you have so far demonstrated so brilliantly. Had you not given examples of a solid fraternity and if you were not a serious and important center of the great spiritist communion in France I would have left this issue in the shadow of forgetfulness. However, if I have brought that issue up is for having plausible reasons to invite you to the maintenance of union, peace and unity of the Doctrine among your several groups.
Yes, my dear disciples, I enthusiastically take this opportunity that we ourselves prepared to show you how dismal the news of a fissure would be for the development of Spiritism and the scandal that it would generate among your brothers of other regions, such news about a center that up until now has delightfully been used as an example of the spirit of fraternity to all other already formed centers or in formation. I don’t ignore the fact as you should not ignore either that everything will be done to spread division among you; that traps will be prepared; that you will find ambushes of all sorts along the way; that you will be incited one against the other to feed division thus entailing an always regrettable rupture. However, you can avoid all that by practicing the sublime precepts of the law of love and charity, first to yourselves and then to everybody else. I am convinced that you will not give the enemies of our sacred cause the satisfaction of saying: ‘Look at those spiritists from Bordeaux, who were presented to us as the vanguard of the march of the new believers! They cannot even agree with themselves!’ There you have it my friends; that is what is waiting for you and for all of us. Your excellent guides have already told you: ‘You will have to fight not only against the proud, selfish, materialistic and all of those unfortunate ones representing the spirit of the century, but also and more importantly against the flock of deceiving spirits that will find a group of mediums among you, since you have plenty of those, and soon will come to assault you, some with wisely prepared dissertations in which they will insinuate heresy or some acidic principle; other communications openly hostile to the teachings given by the true messengers of the Spirit of Truth. Ah! Believe me, don’t be afraid of unmasking the impostor that, like new Tartuffe, mingle with you covered by the mask of religion.
Be also ruthless with the devouring wolves hidden under the skin of sheep. With the help of God, who you must never invoke in vain and with the assistance of the good spirits for their protection you will be unbreakable in your faith. The bad spirits will find you invulnerable and when they see their darts torn apart by the love and charity, the drivers of your hearts, they will leave in astonishment after a campaign that only unveiled their impotence and shame. You will be invariably united by looking at any doctrine contrary to the moral of the Gospels and the general principles of the Ten Commandments as subversive, all summarized by this concise law: ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind and you must love your neighbor as yourself’. In fact one must comply with the common law in everything: nobody is supposed to subtract or impose their opinion and feelings when they are not accepted by other members of the same spiritist family. For that reason I strongly recommend that you mirror the practice and regulations of the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies where nobody, whatever his or her position, age, service rendered or acquired authority may utilize their own initiative in place of that of the Society to which they belong and with a greater reason engage the Society into something through maneuvers that were not approved. Having said that it is incontestable that the followers of the same group must show great respect towards the acquired wisdom and experience. Experience is not an exclusive attribute of the oldest or the wiser but of the one who has given more time and energy to our reassuring philosophy and with more benefit to all. As for the wisdom it is up to us to identify those among you that follow and practice the precepts and the laws in the best way.
However, my friends, before you follow your own inspirations don’t forget your advices and do consult with your ethereal guardians who will never fail you whenever you invoke them with your heart and with an objective that is of general interest. For that you need good mediums and the ones I see here are excellent; it is just a matter of choice. I know well that Mrs. and Ms. Cazemajoux and some others have mediumistic faculties of the highest degree and I repeat that there isn’t any other region better equipped than Bordeaux in that regard. I had to make some tough comments given the great expectation that the Spirit of Truth, the master of all of us, has on you. Remember that you are part of the spiritist vanguard and that the vanguard, like the Joint Chiefs of Staff, owes everybody an absolute submission to the established discipline.
Ah! Your work is not easy considering that you are assigned with the task of holding the axe with a strong hand and take it to the somber forests of materialism and move on to the last shelters of material interests. New Jasons march on to conquer the real brook of gold, the new and fecund ideas that must regenerate the world, but in that case you no longer march with the private interest and not even with that of the current generation but more importantly in the interest of future generations to whom you pave the way. There is a level of abnegation and greatness in this work that will be acknowledged by the centuries to come and believe me God will take that into account. I had to speak as I did because I talk to people who listen to reason; to persons who pursue an eminently useful objective: the betterment and emancipation of humankind; to spiritists that at the end of the day teach and preach through example and the best way to do that is by practicing the truly Christian virtues.
I had to tell you these things because it was necessary to show and forewarn you against a danger. I am doing my duty. I can now look at the future with confidence because I am convinced that my words will have an effect on everyone and each one of you and that selfishness, pride or vanity from now on will have no power upon your hearts where there will only be true fraternity.
You will remember spiritists of Bordeaux that your union is the true path to a universal union and fraternity. I feel really happy to clearly see that Spiritism has pushed you a step forward on its own. Our congratulations to you and I speak here in the name of all spirits that preside over the great work of human regeneration since your initiative has opened up a new field of exploration and a new safe mode in the studies of the phenomena from beyond the grave, based on your request for membership, not as isolated individuals but as a group, to the pioneering Society of Paris. Given the importance of this step I acknowledge the great wisdom of your main guides and I thank our kind Fenelon and his loyal supporters Georges and Marius that together preside over your devoted 40 Greek mythology (NT) study groups. I also take this opportunity to pay a sound tribute to the spirits Ferdinand and Felicia that you all know. Although these honorable co-workers have only done well for the good, you should know that it is due to these humble pioneers, seconded by the humble Marcelin that our sacred Doctrine has prospered so much in Bordeaux and in the South West of France. Yes, my loyal believers, your remarkable initiative will be followed; I know that well, by every seriously established spiritist group. Hence, it is a huge step forward. You understood, and others will do too, the advantages, the advancement and the propaganda that will result from the adoption of a uniform program for the works and studies of the Doctrine that we have revealed to you. Yet, it must be well understood that each group will preserve their originality and particular initiative, but outside their private works they will have to get involved with matters of general interest, submitting themselves to the exam of the central Society, thus resolving several difficulties whose solution have not yet been given by the spirits for reasons that would be useless to elaborate here.
I believe I would offend you by pointing out the consequences resulting from simultaneous work. Then, who would dare contest one truth when it is confirmed by unanimity or by the majority of the mediumistic responses obtained simultaneously in Lyon, Bordeaux, Constantinople, Metz, Brussels, Sens, Mexico City, Marseille, Toulouse, Mâcon, Sétif, Alger, Oran, Cracow, Moscow, St. Petersburg and Paris?
I spoke to you with the same unpolished sincerity with which I do to your brothers from Paris. Yet, I will not leave you before attesting my sympathies legitimately conquered by this kind family where excellent spirits in charge of your spiritual direction have had their eloquent words heard. I mentioned the Sabò family which endured the painful trial that God brought upon them with stability and unchangeable benevolence to elevate them higher and bring them up to the level of their present mission. I must also mention the dedicated support of all those who have contributed to the propagation of our reassuring Doctrine, in their respective spheres of action. My friends, keep up with your resolute march on the open path. It will certainly lead you to the ethereal spheres of perfect happiness where I will certainly meet you. In the name of the Spirit of Truth that loves you I bless you all, spiritists of Bordeaux.
Erastus
Banquet offered to Mr. Allan Kardec by the Spiritists of Bordeaux
Speech and Toast Proposed by Mr. Lacoste, Businessman“Ladies and gentlemen,
I beg the youngsters in particular who hear me now to pay much attention to the few words of fraternal affection that I wrote specially to them. The lack of experience, the conformity of our ages and the communion of our ideas give me assurances of your indulgence.
Friends, none of us has received the revelation of this sacred Doctrine with indifference, Doctrine whose new elements were compiled by our venerable Master in a wise book. Never has such a vast field been open to our imaginations. Never has such grandiose horizon been unveiled to our intelligences. It is with the enthusiasm of youth and never looking backwards that we become followers of the faith in the future and the pioneers of future civilizations. God forbid that I may say any word of discouragement! I know your beliefs very well, ladies and gentlemen, and I know them to be very solid to be shaken by mockery or the reasoning of some adversaries. Youth is full of privileges; an easy access to noble emotions; eagerness in their undertakings. Youth also counts on the enthusiasm of faith, that moral lever that lifts worlds. But if imagination drags it beyond the obstacles it will sometimes take it beyond the objective as well. It is against such deviations that I exhort you to be forearmed. Attracted by the excitement of the novelty, lifting the veil that hid the unknown from you, almost touching the solution of the problem of the primary causes, be careful not to be overwhelmed by the joys of triumph. Few paths are free from cliffs. Greater confidence always follows easy paths, and there is nothing more difficult to have out of young soldiers and young intelligences than moderation in victory. That is what I am afraid in you as in myself also.
Fortunately the remedy stands side by side with the illness. There are some here among us that unite the maturity of age with talent, the fortunate advantage of having been the enlightened propagators of the spiritist teachings in our town. It is to those more settled and thoughtful spiritists that you must submit the direction of your studies and thanks to that continual reverence and moral subordination you will be given the opportunity of bringing an unshakable stone to the common edifice. Let us learn, ladies and gentlemen, to defeat the puerile issues of self-love. Isn’t that nice the part that touches our youth? The future effectively belongs to us. When our parents in Spiritism are reborn in another world we will be able to watch the splendid irradiation of this truth, full of life and faith, a truth that they would have only foreseen in its mysterious dawn on Earth. Hence, ladies and gentlemen give me assurances that you can say with me from the bottom of your heart: To all our elders; to every known or unknown person; wealthy or simple worker from Bordeaux that became followers of the Spiritist Doctrine! To the prosperity of the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies and of this Society here that strongly holds the flag before which we all aspire to align! May Mr. Allan Kardec, master of all of us, receive the assurance of a profound sympathy towards our Parisian brothers! May he tell them that our young hearts beat in unison with theirs and although we walk with a not so firm a stride we don’t concur less to the universal regeneration, here encouraged by your examples and your accomplishments!
I beg the youngsters in particular who hear me now to pay much attention to the few words of fraternal affection that I wrote specially to them. The lack of experience, the conformity of our ages and the communion of our ideas give me assurances of your indulgence.
Friends, none of us has received the revelation of this sacred Doctrine with indifference, Doctrine whose new elements were compiled by our venerable Master in a wise book. Never has such a vast field been open to our imaginations. Never has such grandiose horizon been unveiled to our intelligences. It is with the enthusiasm of youth and never looking backwards that we become followers of the faith in the future and the pioneers of future civilizations. God forbid that I may say any word of discouragement! I know your beliefs very well, ladies and gentlemen, and I know them to be very solid to be shaken by mockery or the reasoning of some adversaries. Youth is full of privileges; an easy access to noble emotions; eagerness in their undertakings. Youth also counts on the enthusiasm of faith, that moral lever that lifts worlds. But if imagination drags it beyond the obstacles it will sometimes take it beyond the objective as well. It is against such deviations that I exhort you to be forearmed. Attracted by the excitement of the novelty, lifting the veil that hid the unknown from you, almost touching the solution of the problem of the primary causes, be careful not to be overwhelmed by the joys of triumph. Few paths are free from cliffs. Greater confidence always follows easy paths, and there is nothing more difficult to have out of young soldiers and young intelligences than moderation in victory. That is what I am afraid in you as in myself also.
Fortunately the remedy stands side by side with the illness. There are some here among us that unite the maturity of age with talent, the fortunate advantage of having been the enlightened propagators of the spiritist teachings in our town. It is to those more settled and thoughtful spiritists that you must submit the direction of your studies and thanks to that continual reverence and moral subordination you will be given the opportunity of bringing an unshakable stone to the common edifice. Let us learn, ladies and gentlemen, to defeat the puerile issues of self-love. Isn’t that nice the part that touches our youth? The future effectively belongs to us. When our parents in Spiritism are reborn in another world we will be able to watch the splendid irradiation of this truth, full of life and faith, a truth that they would have only foreseen in its mysterious dawn on Earth. Hence, ladies and gentlemen give me assurances that you can say with me from the bottom of your heart: To all our elders; to every known or unknown person; wealthy or simple worker from Bordeaux that became followers of the Spiritist Doctrine! To the prosperity of the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies and of this Society here that strongly holds the flag before which we all aspire to align! May Mr. Allan Kardec, master of all of us, receive the assurance of a profound sympathy towards our Parisian brothers! May he tell them that our young hearts beat in unison with theirs and although we walk with a not so firm a stride we don’t concur less to the universal regeneration, here encouraged by your examples and your accomplishments!
Toast Proposed by Mr. Sabò
“Dear Sir,
The spiritists also wanted to assure us once more that your sympathy has been conquered by us when we joined our wishes to yours regarding the prosperity of this sacred Doctrine, the result of your work. The spirit Ferdinand, one of our guardian spirits, spontaneously dictated the following teaching that I gladly transmit to you: ‘The great spiritist family to which you belong daily sees the number of its children grow and soon there will no longer be in your beautiful homeland cities or neighborhoods where there will not be a tent that has not been set up by the members of this God blessed tribe. It would be already impossible to determine the numerous centers gravitating around the luminous focus located in Paris since we know only the centers of the large cities. Among those the Spiritist Society of Metz deserves distinction for their knowledge, intelligence and fraternal union. That Society is destined to provide abundant fruits and seeking a friendly relationship with them based on a reciprocal respect you will fill with joy the paternal heart of their chief, present here today. The eminent spirit Erastus told you yesterday: - Be united, for union is power. You then must endeavor, all of you, to do it so that all French centers, united by the links of fraternity, stride at gigantic steps on the designed avenue.
Ferdinand,
spiritual guide of the medium.’
In conclusion and as a loyal interpreter of the feelings expressed by this good spirit, I propose a toast to our spiritist brothers of Metz in particular and to all French spiritists in general.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Persuaded that the kind words pronounced yesterday by our right honorable spiritist chief here have not fallen onto rocks and thorn bushes, but on your hearts now prepared to strengthen the links of fraternity, I would like to propose a toast to our spiritist brothers of Lyon. They started their tasks before we did and in order to organize themselves they also suffered the same attacks that made us suffer so much. However, thanks to the impulse that our beloved master gave them last year they moved a huge step forward on the blessed path delineated by the good spirits to humanity. Let us imitate them ladies and gentlemen. May a praiseworthy emulation unite the spiritists of Bordeaux and Lyon so that their communion of thoughts and feelings allow everyone to say that the spiritists of Bordeaux and Lyon are brothers! I propose a toast to the union of our brothers from Bordeaux and Lyon.
The spiritists also wanted to assure us once more that your sympathy has been conquered by us when we joined our wishes to yours regarding the prosperity of this sacred Doctrine, the result of your work. The spirit Ferdinand, one of our guardian spirits, spontaneously dictated the following teaching that I gladly transmit to you: ‘The great spiritist family to which you belong daily sees the number of its children grow and soon there will no longer be in your beautiful homeland cities or neighborhoods where there will not be a tent that has not been set up by the members of this God blessed tribe. It would be already impossible to determine the numerous centers gravitating around the luminous focus located in Paris since we know only the centers of the large cities. Among those the Spiritist Society of Metz deserves distinction for their knowledge, intelligence and fraternal union. That Society is destined to provide abundant fruits and seeking a friendly relationship with them based on a reciprocal respect you will fill with joy the paternal heart of their chief, present here today. The eminent spirit Erastus told you yesterday: - Be united, for union is power. You then must endeavor, all of you, to do it so that all French centers, united by the links of fraternity, stride at gigantic steps on the designed avenue.
Ferdinand,
spiritual guide of the medium.’
In conclusion and as a loyal interpreter of the feelings expressed by this good spirit, I propose a toast to our spiritist brothers of Metz in particular and to all French spiritists in general.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Persuaded that the kind words pronounced yesterday by our right honorable spiritist chief here have not fallen onto rocks and thorn bushes, but on your hearts now prepared to strengthen the links of fraternity, I would like to propose a toast to our spiritist brothers of Lyon. They started their tasks before we did and in order to organize themselves they also suffered the same attacks that made us suffer so much. However, thanks to the impulse that our beloved master gave them last year they moved a huge step forward on the blessed path delineated by the good spirits to humanity. Let us imitate them ladies and gentlemen. May a praiseworthy emulation unite the spiritists of Bordeaux and Lyon so that their communion of thoughts and feelings allow everyone to say that the spiritists of Bordeaux and Lyon are brothers! I propose a toast to the union of our brothers from Bordeaux and Lyon.
Speech by Mr. Desqueyroux, Mechanic, representing a group of workers
“Mr. Allan Kardec, our dear Master:
In the name of every spiritist worker of Bordeaux, my friends, my brothers, I allow myself to propose a toast to your prosperity. Although you have already an elevated perfection, may God help you to grow even more in the good feelings that have animated you so far and in particular help you grow to the eyes of the universe and in the hearts of those who follow your Doctrine thus getting closer to God! We who take part in the group that professes it we praise you from the bottom of our hearts and pray to our divine Creator to allow you to stay much longer among us so that once your mission is over we are strong enough in our faith to stand up on our own feet and not to veer off from the good path. For us it is a reason for ineffable happiness the fact that we are able to be enlightened by Spiritism. However, our knowledge and satisfaction are not enough. With the Doctrine we take on four different duties, as follows: submission that makes us hear with meekness; affection that makes us love with tenderness; enthusiasm to eagerly defend its interests and practice that allows us to honor it with our work.
We are in the heart of Spiritism and Spiritism is for us a solid consolation in our penalties. Because – we need to confess – there are moments in life when reason might be able to sustain us but there are others when we have the need of all the faith that we can get from Spiritism, to avoid failure. It is useless that the Philosophers come to us preaching a stoic resilience, repeating their pompous maxims; it is useless to tell us that nothing can disturb the wise person and that people were built to own themselves and dominate the events of life. Sad consolation! Far from mitigating my pain you make it worse; we only find emptiness and dryness in your words. But Spiritism comes to rescue us demonstrating that our pain may contribute to our happiness. Yes, master. You must continue you august mission, showing us this Science that is brought to you by the will of God, our consolation during this life and that will sustain our thoughts at the time of death. Receive, dear Master, these few words from the bottom of the heart of your children, since you are this paternal figure to all of us, the father of the working class and the afflicted ones. You know that progress and pain walk side by side, but when our hearts were invaded by despair you brought us strength and courage. Yes, by bringing us Spiritism you said: Courage, brothers and sisters! Bear the trials that are sent to you with no complaints and God will bless you. You must then know that we are devoted apostles and that in this century as in future centuries your name will be praised by our children and by our workers friends.”
In the name of every spiritist worker of Bordeaux, my friends, my brothers, I allow myself to propose a toast to your prosperity. Although you have already an elevated perfection, may God help you to grow even more in the good feelings that have animated you so far and in particular help you grow to the eyes of the universe and in the hearts of those who follow your Doctrine thus getting closer to God! We who take part in the group that professes it we praise you from the bottom of our hearts and pray to our divine Creator to allow you to stay much longer among us so that once your mission is over we are strong enough in our faith to stand up on our own feet and not to veer off from the good path. For us it is a reason for ineffable happiness the fact that we are able to be enlightened by Spiritism. However, our knowledge and satisfaction are not enough. With the Doctrine we take on four different duties, as follows: submission that makes us hear with meekness; affection that makes us love with tenderness; enthusiasm to eagerly defend its interests and practice that allows us to honor it with our work.
We are in the heart of Spiritism and Spiritism is for us a solid consolation in our penalties. Because – we need to confess – there are moments in life when reason might be able to sustain us but there are others when we have the need of all the faith that we can get from Spiritism, to avoid failure. It is useless that the Philosophers come to us preaching a stoic resilience, repeating their pompous maxims; it is useless to tell us that nothing can disturb the wise person and that people were built to own themselves and dominate the events of life. Sad consolation! Far from mitigating my pain you make it worse; we only find emptiness and dryness in your words. But Spiritism comes to rescue us demonstrating that our pain may contribute to our happiness. Yes, master. You must continue you august mission, showing us this Science that is brought to you by the will of God, our consolation during this life and that will sustain our thoughts at the time of death. Receive, dear Master, these few words from the bottom of the heart of your children, since you are this paternal figure to all of us, the father of the working class and the afflicted ones. You know that progress and pain walk side by side, but when our hearts were invaded by despair you brought us strength and courage. Yes, by bringing us Spiritism you said: Courage, brothers and sisters! Bear the trials that are sent to you with no complaints and God will bless you. You must then know that we are devoted apostles and that in this century as in future centuries your name will be praised by our children and by our workers friends.”
Speech and Toast by Mr. Allan Kardec
“My dear brothers and sisters in Spiritism,
I have no words to express my emotions after your warm and benevolent reception. Allow me to say a few words and not long sentences which would not say more that I will place my first visit to Bordeaux among the happiest in my life and from which I will keep eternal memory. Nevertheless I will not forget either, ladies and gentlemen, that this reception imposes a great task on my shoulders that is to justify it, something that I intend to do with the help of God and the good spirits. It also imposes, in addition, important obligations not only towards you but also with the spiritists of all regions, represented by you, as members of the large family, as also with Spiritism in general, that you have just acclaimed in these two solemn meetings that, have no doubt, will recruit in your town a new force to fight against the obstacles that may stand on your way.
In my message yesterday I spoke about your irresistible force. Aren’t you the evident proof of that? Isn’t that something remarkable that the inauguration of a Spiritist Society like yours starting with the spontaneous gathering of three hundred persons, attracted not by a vain curiosity but by conviction and a unique desire to gather around a single focus? Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the fact is not only remarkable but providential. Here is what my spiritual guide, the Spirit of Truth, said yesterday about the subject and before the session:
‘God has stamped with the immutable seal of His resolve the time for the regeneration of the children of this great city. Hence, hands on with confidence and courage! Tonight the destinies of its inhabitants begin to leave behind the routine of passions that used to germinate from its wealth and luxury like the weed growing together with the good grain, then reaching the heights of its eternal destiny through the moral progress entailed by Spiritism. You can see that Bordeaux is a city loved by the spirits as you encounter the most sublime devotions of charity of all kinds multiplying within its walls. Hence they were afflicted for seeing this city falling behind in the progressive movement that Spiritism has just imposed onto humanity. However, the progress will be so fast that the spirits will praise the Lord for having inspired in you the wishes to come and help them in this sacred route.’
As you see, ladies and gentlemen, the impulse that pushes you comes from above and it would be a real temerity to try to stop it since it would be knocked down like the rebellious angels that wanted to fight against God’s power.
Thus you must have no fear for the opposition brought up by some self-serving adversaries or the strutting materialistic incredulity. Materialism gets to its final hour and it is Spiritism that rings the bell since Spiritism is the dawn that dissipates the darkness of night. And here is something Providential! It is materialism itself that unwillingly serves as support to the propagation of Spiritism. Materialism calls the attention of the indifferent through its attacks. People want to know what it is about and since they find it interesting they adopt it. You have the proof of that before your eyes; without the articles of a given newspaper of your town perhaps the number of spiritists in Bordeaux would be half of what they are. That article has certainly excited curiosity because people generally say: this is been attacked then there must be something. They assessed the importance of the subject by the extension of the article. Then they asked: Is it good? Is it bad? Is it true? Is it false? In any case, let us see. They saw it and you know the result.
Then, far from having any hard feeling towards the author of the article we must be grateful for the free propaganda. And if there is any friend of his here we ask you to please stimulate him to restart so that instead of the 300 of today we will be 600 next year. I could mention to you other curious cases of propaganda carried out in certain cities by choleric sermons against Spiritism. Like Lyon, Bordeaux has just proudly planted the flag of Spiritism and what I see here gives me guarantees that it will not be removed. Bordeaux and Lyon! Two of the greatest cities in France! Focal points of light! And some say that the spiritists are mad! Praise the mad of such a kind! Let us not forget Metz that has just founded its Society where one finds officers of all ranks, claiming entry into the great family. I hope that Toulouse, Marseille and other cities where the new seed is already germinating will soon join their elder sisters, providing the signs of regeneration in their respective regions.
Ladies and gentlemen, in the name of the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies I propose a toast to the spiritists of Bordeaux; to their fraternal union to resist the enemy that may want to divide it, thus facilitating their influence. I add to this toast and from the bottom of my heart with the liveliest sympathy the Spiritist Group of the Workers of Bordeaux that, like those of Lyon, give us a remarkable example of enthusiasm, devotion, abnegation and moral transformation.
I assure you that I am happy, very happy for seeing your delegates fraternally united around this table with the highest social ranks, demonstrating the influence of Spiritism upon social prejudices. It could not be different when we learn that the one who has the best social position in this world may have perhaps been a modest worker and that shaking hands with the last worker one may perhaps shake hands with a brother, a father or friend. In the name of the spiritists of Metz and Lyon, of whom I make myself the interpreter, I thank you for having included them in your expression of fraternal feelings.
To the spiritists of Bordeaux!
Ladies and gentlemen, the spiritist must not be ungrateful. I believe it to be our duty to acknowledge those who serve our cause even unwillingly. Thus, I propose a toast to the author of the article in the Courrier de la Gironde for his services, wishing that from time to time he may renovate his witty articles. And God willing very soon he will be the only sensible person in Bordeaux.
I have no words to express my emotions after your warm and benevolent reception. Allow me to say a few words and not long sentences which would not say more that I will place my first visit to Bordeaux among the happiest in my life and from which I will keep eternal memory. Nevertheless I will not forget either, ladies and gentlemen, that this reception imposes a great task on my shoulders that is to justify it, something that I intend to do with the help of God and the good spirits. It also imposes, in addition, important obligations not only towards you but also with the spiritists of all regions, represented by you, as members of the large family, as also with Spiritism in general, that you have just acclaimed in these two solemn meetings that, have no doubt, will recruit in your town a new force to fight against the obstacles that may stand on your way.
In my message yesterday I spoke about your irresistible force. Aren’t you the evident proof of that? Isn’t that something remarkable that the inauguration of a Spiritist Society like yours starting with the spontaneous gathering of three hundred persons, attracted not by a vain curiosity but by conviction and a unique desire to gather around a single focus? Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the fact is not only remarkable but providential. Here is what my spiritual guide, the Spirit of Truth, said yesterday about the subject and before the session:
‘God has stamped with the immutable seal of His resolve the time for the regeneration of the children of this great city. Hence, hands on with confidence and courage! Tonight the destinies of its inhabitants begin to leave behind the routine of passions that used to germinate from its wealth and luxury like the weed growing together with the good grain, then reaching the heights of its eternal destiny through the moral progress entailed by Spiritism. You can see that Bordeaux is a city loved by the spirits as you encounter the most sublime devotions of charity of all kinds multiplying within its walls. Hence they were afflicted for seeing this city falling behind in the progressive movement that Spiritism has just imposed onto humanity. However, the progress will be so fast that the spirits will praise the Lord for having inspired in you the wishes to come and help them in this sacred route.’
As you see, ladies and gentlemen, the impulse that pushes you comes from above and it would be a real temerity to try to stop it since it would be knocked down like the rebellious angels that wanted to fight against God’s power.
Thus you must have no fear for the opposition brought up by some self-serving adversaries or the strutting materialistic incredulity. Materialism gets to its final hour and it is Spiritism that rings the bell since Spiritism is the dawn that dissipates the darkness of night. And here is something Providential! It is materialism itself that unwillingly serves as support to the propagation of Spiritism. Materialism calls the attention of the indifferent through its attacks. People want to know what it is about and since they find it interesting they adopt it. You have the proof of that before your eyes; without the articles of a given newspaper of your town perhaps the number of spiritists in Bordeaux would be half of what they are. That article has certainly excited curiosity because people generally say: this is been attacked then there must be something. They assessed the importance of the subject by the extension of the article. Then they asked: Is it good? Is it bad? Is it true? Is it false? In any case, let us see. They saw it and you know the result.
Then, far from having any hard feeling towards the author of the article we must be grateful for the free propaganda. And if there is any friend of his here we ask you to please stimulate him to restart so that instead of the 300 of today we will be 600 next year. I could mention to you other curious cases of propaganda carried out in certain cities by choleric sermons against Spiritism. Like Lyon, Bordeaux has just proudly planted the flag of Spiritism and what I see here gives me guarantees that it will not be removed. Bordeaux and Lyon! Two of the greatest cities in France! Focal points of light! And some say that the spiritists are mad! Praise the mad of such a kind! Let us not forget Metz that has just founded its Society where one finds officers of all ranks, claiming entry into the great family. I hope that Toulouse, Marseille and other cities where the new seed is already germinating will soon join their elder sisters, providing the signs of regeneration in their respective regions.
Ladies and gentlemen, in the name of the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies I propose a toast to the spiritists of Bordeaux; to their fraternal union to resist the enemy that may want to divide it, thus facilitating their influence. I add to this toast and from the bottom of my heart with the liveliest sympathy the Spiritist Group of the Workers of Bordeaux that, like those of Lyon, give us a remarkable example of enthusiasm, devotion, abnegation and moral transformation.
I assure you that I am happy, very happy for seeing your delegates fraternally united around this table with the highest social ranks, demonstrating the influence of Spiritism upon social prejudices. It could not be different when we learn that the one who has the best social position in this world may have perhaps been a modest worker and that shaking hands with the last worker one may perhaps shake hands with a brother, a father or friend. In the name of the spiritists of Metz and Lyon, of whom I make myself the interpreter, I thank you for having included them in your expression of fraternal feelings.
To the spiritists of Bordeaux!
Ladies and gentlemen, the spiritist must not be ungrateful. I believe it to be our duty to acknowledge those who serve our cause even unwillingly. Thus, I propose a toast to the author of the article in the Courrier de la Gironde for his services, wishing that from time to time he may renovate his witty articles. And God willing very soon he will be the only sensible person in Bordeaux.
Current Poetry Given by Mr. Dombre
The Peasants and the Oak - (Fable) To Mr. Allan Kardec(From Marmande who came to Bordeaux for the ceremony)
“The abuse has occult champions, more dangerous than the openly declared ones and the proof of that is the difficulty to uproot them.” Allan Kardec (What is Spiritism)
One day some honest peasants
Proudly standing before a huge oak tree
Measured it with their eyes, large front
- In vain we provide, said one, our seed;
Along those harrowed and well smoked furrows
Fertilizers and sap are consumed; nothing grows
On the many branches and the thick foliage;
All this is such waste
Allowing this tree to impoverish the terrain;
Absorbing our sweat, sterilizing the grain.
Brothers, if you believe me,
Our field will be free
From the unwanted host… and that… on the spot!
Hands on, they shouted in excitement.
They were all strong, ardent.
A rope is tied to the tree, from the top
And there we have a chain;
The forming rings set the strain;
The trembling foliage rustles,
But that is all… they agitate and struggle,
Pulling the robust and tortuous dome,
But the trunk remains strong.
A wise man of the region,
A good old man tells them in-passing: - My children,
Your harvest is gone,
Destroy it… it is okay…
You are on!
But knock it down easily you can’t;
The big oak tree will not faint
Before your arms’ little strength;
Age stiffens the body, inflexible at length.
Deliver the terrible assault more quietly
To the vigorous giant, respectfully.
Centuries have passed by this gnarled bark
Days are needed to undermine its park.
Shine Sunlight onto the root, unveiled
And death will come to the massive frail
When abuse cannot be suppressed in one blow
It is in the foundations that ruin will grow!
C. Dombre
The Hedgehog, the Rabbit and the Magpie (Fable) - To the members of the Spiritist Society of Bordeaux
Charity, my friends, can be done in many ways. You can do it through your thoughts and your works… Guardian spirit of the Spiritist Society of Lyon The Spiritist Review, October 1861
A poor hedgehog driven from his shelter
Wondered in the fields through and deadly thorns,
Under the blows from a child brandishing his clogs
Abandoned it bleeding, bruised and shaken.
He folds his trembling thorny armor.
He extends his eyes around
And since the danger has past, he whispers
A weak and mournful tone:
Where can I hide?
Where shall I flee? ..back to my home Is beyond my will
A thousand dangers that
I cannot predict
Threaten me here…
Will I then die?
I need shelter and some rest
To heal my abrasions.
But, where can I find such nest?
Who will take pity on my pain?
A rabbit living among the debris of a rock,
For whom charity is not just
A vain word, sees the friend’s pain in shock
And approaching says:
My friend, accept you must
Share with me my asylum.
I am well protected in this shelter;
You will be safe.
They can hardly track You down here.
Rest assured that together
Any care you need you shall not lack.
Before such graceful offer
The hedgehog started his slow movement
When an unrecognized magpie, waving
To the rabbit said: - wait a moment,
I beg you… a word… a quick warning;
And turning to the hedgehog: - it is a little private!
Forgive my delay!
Then the good rabbit asks his mate
To keep her voice down, when saying:
How can you bring such people within your fence?
You went too far helping those under!
I would never do such nonsense.
But aren’t you afraid to regret later?
When he is healed and has recovered his strength
You will be the first, perhaps, to suffer the nightmare
Of his bad heart and his thorny health.
How then will you get him out of there?
The rabbit answer: - No worries
Should make us turn away from our generous impulses;
We’d rather be exposed to ingratitude
Than stay away from misfortune!
C. Dombre
A poor hedgehog driven from his shelter
Wondered in the fields through and deadly thorns,
Under the blows from a child brandishing his clogs
Abandoned it bleeding, bruised and shaken.
He folds his trembling thorny armor.
He extends his eyes around
And since the danger has past, he whispers
A weak and mournful tone:
Where can I hide?
Where shall I flee? ..back to my home Is beyond my will
A thousand dangers that
I cannot predict
Threaten me here…
Will I then die?
I need shelter and some rest
To heal my abrasions.
But, where can I find such nest?
Who will take pity on my pain?
A rabbit living among the debris of a rock,
For whom charity is not just
A vain word, sees the friend’s pain in shock
And approaching says:
My friend, accept you must
Share with me my asylum.
I am well protected in this shelter;
You will be safe.
They can hardly track You down here.
Rest assured that together
Any care you need you shall not lack.
Before such graceful offer
The hedgehog started his slow movement
When an unrecognized magpie, waving
To the rabbit said: - wait a moment,
I beg you… a word… a quick warning;
And turning to the hedgehog: - it is a little private!
Forgive my delay!
Then the good rabbit asks his mate
To keep her voice down, when saying:
How can you bring such people within your fence?
You went too far helping those under!
I would never do such nonsense.
But aren’t you afraid to regret later?
When he is healed and has recovered his strength
You will be the first, perhaps, to suffer the nightmare
Of his bad heart and his thorny health.
How then will you get him out of there?
The rabbit answer: - No worries
Should make us turn away from our generous impulses;
We’d rather be exposed to ingratitude
Than stay away from misfortune!
C. Dombre
Bibliography
The Mediums’ BookSecond Edition
The first edition of The Mediums’ Book published in the beginning of this year was sold out in a few months and this is not one of the least indicators of the progress of the spiritist ideas. We attested ourselves, in our journeys, the healthy influence that this book has exerted on the direction of the practical studies of Spiritism. Thus, deceptions and mystifications are much less significant than in the past because this book teaches the means of uncovering the tricks of deceiving spirits. This second edition is much more complete than the previous one. It contains a large number of very important new instructions and several new chapters. The whole part specially dedicated to the mediums, to the identity of the spirits, to the obsession, to the question that may be addressed to the spirits, to the contradictions, to the means of distinguishing between the good and bad spirits, to the formation of spiritist groups, and the matters of fraud in Spiritism received remarkable developments, as a result of experience. In the chapter about the spiritist dissertations we added several apocryphal communications followed by adequate observations aiming at providing the means of finding the fraud of deceiving spirits who use false names. We must add, that the book was entirely revised by the spirits who brought numerous observations of the highest importance to the point that we can say that the book is as much theirs as ours.
We highly recommend this new edition as the most complete guide both to the mediums and to the simple observers. We can affirm that by strictly following it, one can avoid the so common hurdles against which so many inexperienced novices will face. After having read and given serious thought to that work, those who will still be mystified will only be able to blame but themselves since they were given all means of clarification.
The first edition of The Mediums’ Book published in the beginning of this year was sold out in a few months and this is not one of the least indicators of the progress of the spiritist ideas. We attested ourselves, in our journeys, the healthy influence that this book has exerted on the direction of the practical studies of Spiritism. Thus, deceptions and mystifications are much less significant than in the past because this book teaches the means of uncovering the tricks of deceiving spirits. This second edition is much more complete than the previous one. It contains a large number of very important new instructions and several new chapters. The whole part specially dedicated to the mediums, to the identity of the spirits, to the obsession, to the question that may be addressed to the spirits, to the contradictions, to the means of distinguishing between the good and bad spirits, to the formation of spiritist groups, and the matters of fraud in Spiritism received remarkable developments, as a result of experience. In the chapter about the spiritist dissertations we added several apocryphal communications followed by adequate observations aiming at providing the means of finding the fraud of deceiving spirits who use false names. We must add, that the book was entirely revised by the spirits who brought numerous observations of the highest importance to the point that we can say that the book is as much theirs as ours.
We highly recommend this new edition as the most complete guide both to the mediums and to the simple observers. We can affirm that by strictly following it, one can avoid the so common hurdles against which so many inexperienced novices will face. After having read and given serious thought to that work, those who will still be mystified will only be able to blame but themselves since they were given all means of clarification.
Spiritism or Spiritualism in Metz
First series of publications by the Spiritist Society of Metz *
In the last issue of our Review, we mentioned this publication just as a reminder, then proposing to return to the subject. We read it attentively and can only congratulate the Spiritist Society of Metz for its results. She has in her heart, a large number of enlightened people, who we hope will learn to stay on guard against the traps of bad spirits who will continuously try to veer them from the good path they have put in place.
The publication is not a periodical. Metz’ Society proposes to do the same from time to time but on unspecified dates, thus inserting the best communications that they might have up until then. Such procedure has the advantage of not having a commitment with subscribers to whom one must nonetheless serve and also for the reason that the costs are always proportionate.
All communications contained in this first brochure have an eminently serious character and an irreproachable moral. We found nothing that could be classified as non-orthodox, from the point of view of Science and that of The Spirits’ Book. If our friends, the spiritists of Metz, allow us to give them a piece of advice, we would stimulate them to continue to bring in future publications in the same circumspection that we found on this one; that they must be convinced that inopportune publications may be more damaging than useful to the propagation of Spiritism. We count on the wisdom and sagacity of those who are behind it so that they may not yield to the enthusiasm of more eager than thoughtful followers. May they always remember this maxim: Nothing is gained by running, if you do not start on time!
The two communications below extracted from this first volume will give you an idea of the spirit in which they were produced.
In the last issue of our Review, we mentioned this publication just as a reminder, then proposing to return to the subject. We read it attentively and can only congratulate the Spiritist Society of Metz for its results. She has in her heart, a large number of enlightened people, who we hope will learn to stay on guard against the traps of bad spirits who will continuously try to veer them from the good path they have put in place.
The publication is not a periodical. Metz’ Society proposes to do the same from time to time but on unspecified dates, thus inserting the best communications that they might have up until then. Such procedure has the advantage of not having a commitment with subscribers to whom one must nonetheless serve and also for the reason that the costs are always proportionate.
All communications contained in this first brochure have an eminently serious character and an irreproachable moral. We found nothing that could be classified as non-orthodox, from the point of view of Science and that of The Spirits’ Book. If our friends, the spiritists of Metz, allow us to give them a piece of advice, we would stimulate them to continue to bring in future publications in the same circumspection that we found on this one; that they must be convinced that inopportune publications may be more damaging than useful to the propagation of Spiritism. We count on the wisdom and sagacity of those who are behind it so that they may not yield to the enthusiasm of more eager than thoughtful followers. May they always remember this maxim: Nothing is gained by running, if you do not start on time!
The two communications below extracted from this first volume will give you an idea of the spirit in which they were produced.
_____________________________________
* Brochure 8-in, price 1 franc, in Paris Didier and Co. Edition, Quais des Augustin, 35; Ledoyen, Gallerie Palais Royal, 31; in Metz with Veronnais, Rue de Jardin 14 and with Warrion, Rue de Palais, 8
The Universal Fluid
(September 29th, 1860)
The universal fluid interconnects all worlds; and according to the impulses given by our Creator’s will, it entails every phenomenon of Creation. It is life itself and bonds the different matters in our world. It is this fluid that through properties that are subordinated to laws regulates the different nuances of physical and material affinities that are so mysterious to you. That is how you can see the past, the present and the future, particularly when the matter that obstructs your soul is nulled or weakened by any given cause. Then, through this second-sight (although less developed until after death), sees, touches and feels everything in this fluid-like medium, its element and the exact mirror of what has been and will be, for it is only the more coarse parts of that fluid that suffer sensitive changes in composition.
Henry, former magnetizer
The universal fluid interconnects all worlds; and according to the impulses given by our Creator’s will, it entails every phenomenon of Creation. It is life itself and bonds the different matters in our world. It is this fluid that through properties that are subordinated to laws regulates the different nuances of physical and material affinities that are so mysterious to you. That is how you can see the past, the present and the future, particularly when the matter that obstructs your soul is nulled or weakened by any given cause. Then, through this second-sight (although less developed until after death), sees, touches and feels everything in this fluid-like medium, its element and the exact mirror of what has been and will be, for it is only the more coarse parts of that fluid that suffer sensitive changes in composition.
Henry, former magnetizer
Effects of Prayer
(October 15th, 1860)
Prayer is a sublime aspiration to which God has given a magnificent power constantly claimed by the spirits. Like gentle dew that brings refreshment to the poor exile on Earth and acts as a proven fruitful process for the soul. The prayer operates directly upon the spirit to whom it is addressed. It does not transform thorns into roses but modifies the life of suffering (nothing can be done against the immutable will of God), exciting impulse of the will that raises courage, giving strength to fight against adversities and dominate them. By this means, the path that leads to God is shortened and nothing can be compared to prayer in its wonderful effect. Only an inferior spirit would speak in vain against prayer and would be bound to the earth and behind in evolution not understanding the need to reach out to this anchor of salvation.
Pray, it is a word that descends from heaven; it is the drop of dew on the edges of a flower; it is the support of the reed during the thunderstorm; it is the wooden board to the poor shipwrecked during the storm; it is the shelter to the orphan and the beggar; it is the cradle for the infant to sleep. Prayer, a divine emanation, is what connects us to God through language, calling God’s attention to us. Praying for us is to love God. Begging for a brother or sister is one of the most meritorious acts of love. Prayer that comes from the heart is the key to the treasures of grace; it is the steward that provides benefits in the name of the infinite mercy. A soul that elevates to God through such sublime impulse of prayer, detached from its material envelope, seems to be plentiful of confidence before God; certain that what has been asked with humility will be granted.
Pray! Oh pray, make a reservoir of your holy aspirations to be discharged on the day of justice. Prepare the granary of abundance, so valuable during the famine. Bury the treasure of your prayers until the God chosen day for the distribution of your rich deposit. Accumulate it for you and your fellow beings and that will reduce your anguishes and will help you to transpose more rapidly the distance that separates you from God. Give thought to your miserable nature, counting the deceptions, the risks; probe the deep abyss to where passions can drag you to; look at those who fall around you and you will feel the inexorable need to resource to prayer. It is the anchor of salvation that will prevent the destruction of your ship, when it becomes stricken by worldly storms.
Prayer is a sublime aspiration to which God has given a magnificent power constantly claimed by the spirits. Like gentle dew that brings refreshment to the poor exile on Earth and acts as a proven fruitful process for the soul. The prayer operates directly upon the spirit to whom it is addressed. It does not transform thorns into roses but modifies the life of suffering (nothing can be done against the immutable will of God), exciting impulse of the will that raises courage, giving strength to fight against adversities and dominate them. By this means, the path that leads to God is shortened and nothing can be compared to prayer in its wonderful effect. Only an inferior spirit would speak in vain against prayer and would be bound to the earth and behind in evolution not understanding the need to reach out to this anchor of salvation.
Pray, it is a word that descends from heaven; it is the drop of dew on the edges of a flower; it is the support of the reed during the thunderstorm; it is the wooden board to the poor shipwrecked during the storm; it is the shelter to the orphan and the beggar; it is the cradle for the infant to sleep. Prayer, a divine emanation, is what connects us to God through language, calling God’s attention to us. Praying for us is to love God. Begging for a brother or sister is one of the most meritorious acts of love. Prayer that comes from the heart is the key to the treasures of grace; it is the steward that provides benefits in the name of the infinite mercy. A soul that elevates to God through such sublime impulse of prayer, detached from its material envelope, seems to be plentiful of confidence before God; certain that what has been asked with humility will be granted.
Pray! Oh pray, make a reservoir of your holy aspirations to be discharged on the day of justice. Prepare the granary of abundance, so valuable during the famine. Bury the treasure of your prayers until the God chosen day for the distribution of your rich deposit. Accumulate it for you and your fellow beings and that will reduce your anguishes and will help you to transpose more rapidly the distance that separates you from God. Give thought to your miserable nature, counting the deceptions, the risks; probe the deep abyss to where passions can drag you to; look at those who fall around you and you will feel the inexorable need to resource to prayer. It is the anchor of salvation that will prevent the destruction of your ship, when it becomes stricken by worldly storms.
Spiritism in America
Fragments translated from the English by Ms. Clémence Guérin *
Spiritism in America accounts for a number of very renowned individuals who have assessed its scope from the beginning and have seen in it something more than merely manifestations. Among them we find Judge Edmonds, from New York, whose writings on these important subjects are much appreciated and still not known enough in Europe due to lack of translation. We are grateful to Ms. Guérin for giving us an idea about these writings based on some fragments that were published in her brochure, and at the same time we regret the fact that she had not finished the work in a more comprehensive translation. She also adds some not less remarkable extracts from Dr. Hare, of Philadelphia; who was also one of the first to make a statement of faith regarding the new revelations. Ms. Guérin lived in America for a long time where she saw the production and development of the first manifestations, and she is one of those sincere and conscientious spiritists, judging everything with calmness, coolly and without enthusiasm. We have the honor of having met her in person and we gladly give her here the much deserved testimony of our profound admiration. By the fragment of her preface transcribed below one can see that our opinion is thoroughly justified.
“Like the Americans, we have a deep faith and radiant hope that this Doctrine, so eminently based on charity (not alms, but love), is the one that will regenerate and pacify the world. Never before has fraternal solidarity been so clearly demonstrated and more seductively. The spirits come to reassure us, help us, teach us and indicate to us the best use of our faculties, in seeing to the future; the spirits are evidently so much altruistic that one cannot hear them without feeling the need to imitate them; without reaching out to others, willing to share the benefits that we have so generously been given. The human being does so with much more good will when he finally understands that it is the price to pay for his own advancement and that he only enjoys the merit of his own actions in the great book of God, aiming at the moral or material well-being of his brothers and sisters. What the spirits are successfully at doing right now has already been attempted several times on Earth by noble hearts and courageous souls but who were and still are unknown or ridiculed. People now have an idea about their devotion but this only happens when they disappear and then have a chance of being assessed with impartiality. That is why God allows them to continue their work after what we call death. It is an opportunity to repeat from Andrew Jackson Davis: ‘Brethren, fear Not: for Error is mortal and cannot live; Truth is immortal and cannot die!’
Clémence Guérin”
The passage below from Judge Edmonds will show how accurately he had foreseen the consequences of Spiritism. One must not forget that he wrote it in 1854, a time when Spiritism was new in America as it was in Europe.
“Others will evaluate if my deductions are true or false. My objective will be achieved if by speaking about the effects produced in my spirit by these revelations I give rise to the desire in some people to also investigate them, and thus bring new light into the study of these phenomena since up until now the most vehement adversaries, who hout against the imposture, these are also the most obstinate in their resolution to not hear or read anything about this subject; the most adamant to remain in complete ignorance about the nature of the facts. People that uphold the reputation of knowledge, if not Science, are not ashamed for providing explanations that satisfy no one, based on superficial observations carried out with such a light-heartedness that would make a young student blush. However, this new power connected to the human being is not something indifferent and it will undoubtedly have a considerable influence on good or evil.”
“And we can already see that since its origin just five years ago the spiritualist idea propagated with a speed that the Christian religion did not equal in a hundred years. It does not seek deserted places, is not surrounded by mysteries, but comes openly to people inviting a detailed examination, not demanding a blind faith but recommending the exercise of reason and free judgment at all times.”
“We saw that the attack of the philosophers could not shake a single believer; that the sarcasm of the press and the anathemas of the Academy are equally powerless to stop its progress and, most importantly, we can already attest its moralizing influence. The true believer always becomes a wise and better person because it was demonstrated to him or her that the existence after death has been positively proven. All of those, who have carried out serious and sincere investigations on the subject, have found irrefutable proof. How could it be otherwise? Here you have an intelligence that speaks to us every day. It is a friend (In general, Americans begin by talking to relatives or friends.) He proves his identity by a thousand circumstances, leaving no room for doubts and through recollections that only he may have. He speaks about the consequences of the Earthly life and paints the future life with such rational colors giving an assurance that he is telling the truth since it agrees with our innermost ideas of divinity and the duties imposed on us.”
“Our loved ones are not separated from us after death and they are often close to us, we are helped and consoled through the hope of a certain reunion. How many times have I heard them, through me or through others! How many desolated people I have seen calmed by the gentle certainty that the beloved relative ‘brought back by the bonds of love is around them, whispering in their ear, gazing upon their soul, conversing with their spirit?’
“Consequently, death is stripped from the entourage of mysterious and undefined terrors with which it was surrounded by those who expect more from the degrading passion of fear than from the noble feeling of love. Note that in passing, regardless of the variations in the teachings of the new philosophy, every disciple agrees that death is not a threatening specter but a natural phenomenon; a transition to an existence that is free from a thousand ailments of the material life and from the barriers that confine them to a single planet, the spirit may travel the infinity of the worlds and set flight to the regions where the Glory of God is actually visible.”
“It is equally demonstrated that our most secret thoughts are known by those who were our loved ones and that continue to watch over us. It is in vain to try to escape this terrible inquisition by its benevolence. One cannot doubt it even if they wanted too. Often I was stunned and shuddered at the unforeseen but irrefutable revelation that our most intimate thoughts and conscience may be examined by the very ones from whom we wanted to hide our weaknesses.”
“Isn’t that a healthy obstacle against having bad thoughts, criminal acts that in their majority are carried out because the guilty mind was assured by these words: ‘Nobody will know...’? If anything can confirm this truth so terrifying to some, it is the memory that all of us experience after a good deed, even when it was a secret: an inner satisfaction that cannot be compared to anything else. They know well because the left hand ignores what the right hand did. It is then rational to assume that if our friends may congratulate us, they can also reproach us; if they see our meritorious actions they also see our mistakes.”
“By this we do not hesitate in attributing the incontestable and uncontested fact that there is not a single believer that has not become a better person. Our future destiny depends on our conduct. Not on our adhesion to this doctrine or other particular religious sect, but on our submission to this great precept: LOVE GOD AND THY NEIGHBOR… We must not postpone our conversion. We have to work towards our own salvation, not later but now; not tomorrow but today.”
“There is nothing more reassuring, more strengthening to a virtuous soul in the trials and vicissitudes of this life than the thorough assurance that one’s future happiness depends on one’s actions, actions that can be guided. On the other hand, the wicked, the vicious, the cruel, the selfish and especially the selfish will endure self and mutual torments, torments that are worse than a material hell, something that even the most deranged imagination could ever imagine.”
Spiritism in America accounts for a number of very renowned individuals who have assessed its scope from the beginning and have seen in it something more than merely manifestations. Among them we find Judge Edmonds, from New York, whose writings on these important subjects are much appreciated and still not known enough in Europe due to lack of translation. We are grateful to Ms. Guérin for giving us an idea about these writings based on some fragments that were published in her brochure, and at the same time we regret the fact that she had not finished the work in a more comprehensive translation. She also adds some not less remarkable extracts from Dr. Hare, of Philadelphia; who was also one of the first to make a statement of faith regarding the new revelations. Ms. Guérin lived in America for a long time where she saw the production and development of the first manifestations, and she is one of those sincere and conscientious spiritists, judging everything with calmness, coolly and without enthusiasm. We have the honor of having met her in person and we gladly give her here the much deserved testimony of our profound admiration. By the fragment of her preface transcribed below one can see that our opinion is thoroughly justified.
“Like the Americans, we have a deep faith and radiant hope that this Doctrine, so eminently based on charity (not alms, but love), is the one that will regenerate and pacify the world. Never before has fraternal solidarity been so clearly demonstrated and more seductively. The spirits come to reassure us, help us, teach us and indicate to us the best use of our faculties, in seeing to the future; the spirits are evidently so much altruistic that one cannot hear them without feeling the need to imitate them; without reaching out to others, willing to share the benefits that we have so generously been given. The human being does so with much more good will when he finally understands that it is the price to pay for his own advancement and that he only enjoys the merit of his own actions in the great book of God, aiming at the moral or material well-being of his brothers and sisters. What the spirits are successfully at doing right now has already been attempted several times on Earth by noble hearts and courageous souls but who were and still are unknown or ridiculed. People now have an idea about their devotion but this only happens when they disappear and then have a chance of being assessed with impartiality. That is why God allows them to continue their work after what we call death. It is an opportunity to repeat from Andrew Jackson Davis: ‘Brethren, fear Not: for Error is mortal and cannot live; Truth is immortal and cannot die!’
Clémence Guérin”
The passage below from Judge Edmonds will show how accurately he had foreseen the consequences of Spiritism. One must not forget that he wrote it in 1854, a time when Spiritism was new in America as it was in Europe.
“Others will evaluate if my deductions are true or false. My objective will be achieved if by speaking about the effects produced in my spirit by these revelations I give rise to the desire in some people to also investigate them, and thus bring new light into the study of these phenomena since up until now the most vehement adversaries, who hout against the imposture, these are also the most obstinate in their resolution to not hear or read anything about this subject; the most adamant to remain in complete ignorance about the nature of the facts. People that uphold the reputation of knowledge, if not Science, are not ashamed for providing explanations that satisfy no one, based on superficial observations carried out with such a light-heartedness that would make a young student blush. However, this new power connected to the human being is not something indifferent and it will undoubtedly have a considerable influence on good or evil.”
“And we can already see that since its origin just five years ago the spiritualist idea propagated with a speed that the Christian religion did not equal in a hundred years. It does not seek deserted places, is not surrounded by mysteries, but comes openly to people inviting a detailed examination, not demanding a blind faith but recommending the exercise of reason and free judgment at all times.”
“We saw that the attack of the philosophers could not shake a single believer; that the sarcasm of the press and the anathemas of the Academy are equally powerless to stop its progress and, most importantly, we can already attest its moralizing influence. The true believer always becomes a wise and better person because it was demonstrated to him or her that the existence after death has been positively proven. All of those, who have carried out serious and sincere investigations on the subject, have found irrefutable proof. How could it be otherwise? Here you have an intelligence that speaks to us every day. It is a friend (In general, Americans begin by talking to relatives or friends.) He proves his identity by a thousand circumstances, leaving no room for doubts and through recollections that only he may have. He speaks about the consequences of the Earthly life and paints the future life with such rational colors giving an assurance that he is telling the truth since it agrees with our innermost ideas of divinity and the duties imposed on us.”
“Our loved ones are not separated from us after death and they are often close to us, we are helped and consoled through the hope of a certain reunion. How many times have I heard them, through me or through others! How many desolated people I have seen calmed by the gentle certainty that the beloved relative ‘brought back by the bonds of love is around them, whispering in their ear, gazing upon their soul, conversing with their spirit?’
“Consequently, death is stripped from the entourage of mysterious and undefined terrors with which it was surrounded by those who expect more from the degrading passion of fear than from the noble feeling of love. Note that in passing, regardless of the variations in the teachings of the new philosophy, every disciple agrees that death is not a threatening specter but a natural phenomenon; a transition to an existence that is free from a thousand ailments of the material life and from the barriers that confine them to a single planet, the spirit may travel the infinity of the worlds and set flight to the regions where the Glory of God is actually visible.”
“It is equally demonstrated that our most secret thoughts are known by those who were our loved ones and that continue to watch over us. It is in vain to try to escape this terrible inquisition by its benevolence. One cannot doubt it even if they wanted too. Often I was stunned and shuddered at the unforeseen but irrefutable revelation that our most intimate thoughts and conscience may be examined by the very ones from whom we wanted to hide our weaknesses.”
“Isn’t that a healthy obstacle against having bad thoughts, criminal acts that in their majority are carried out because the guilty mind was assured by these words: ‘Nobody will know...’? If anything can confirm this truth so terrifying to some, it is the memory that all of us experience after a good deed, even when it was a secret: an inner satisfaction that cannot be compared to anything else. They know well because the left hand ignores what the right hand did. It is then rational to assume that if our friends may congratulate us, they can also reproach us; if they see our meritorious actions they also see our mistakes.”
“By this we do not hesitate in attributing the incontestable and uncontested fact that there is not a single believer that has not become a better person. Our future destiny depends on our conduct. Not on our adhesion to this doctrine or other particular religious sect, but on our submission to this great precept: LOVE GOD AND THY NEIGHBOR… We must not postpone our conversion. We have to work towards our own salvation, not later but now; not tomorrow but today.”
“There is nothing more reassuring, more strengthening to a virtuous soul in the trials and vicissitudes of this life than the thorough assurance that one’s future happiness depends on one’s actions, actions that can be guided. On the other hand, the wicked, the vicious, the cruel, the selfish and especially the selfish will endure self and mutual torments, torments that are worse than a material hell, something that even the most deranged imagination could ever imagine.”
Allan Kardec
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* Large brochure, 18-in, price 1 franc. Dentu Edition, Palais Royal, Galerie D’Orléans