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The Spiritist Review - Journal of Psychological Studies - 1862 > August
August
Conference by Mr. Trousseau, professor at the faculty of medicineGiven at the Polytechnic Association for the Free Teaching of Workers
May 18th, 1862 (Brochure In-8th)
If the devil’s horns were hopelessly used to disrupt Spiritism, here is reinforcement to the adversaries: Dr. Trousseau comes to give the final blow on the Spirits. Mr. Trousseau unfortunately does not believe in the Spirits but he does not believe in the devil either. You should disregard the partner if he can defeat the enemy. There is no doubt that this new champion will say the last word of science about Spiritism. That is the least expected from someone so highly placed for his knowledge. By attacking the new ideas he would not like to leave a single argument without replica. He would not like to be accused of talking about something that he doesn’t know. He will undoubtedly take on every phenomenon and research them, analyze, comment, explain and destroy them, demonstrating in detail why they are all illusions.
Ah! Spiritists! We must brace ourselves! If Mr. Trousseau were not a wise man and if he were just a quasi-wise man he could well forget something. But a true wise man would not like to leave the work incomplete. He would like to see full victory. Let us listen and tremble!
After a comment about people who are led by banners, here is what he says:
“In reality people who are capable of assessing things in general are not the majority. Mr. Sartines wanted to have a charlatan arrested for selling his drugs at the New Bridge and selling them well. He had him brought over for questioning and asked him:
- Smart guy, what is it that you do to attract so many people and make so much money?
- Sir, the man responded, how many people do you think walk by the New Bridge every day?
- I do not know.
- I will tell you, about ten thousand. How many do you think are smart among them?
- Well, maybe a hundred, said Mr. Sartines.
- That is too many but I do not mind them and deal with the remaining nine thousand and nine hundred.”
“The charlatan was very modest and Mr. Sartines too harsh with the population of Paris. There is no doubt that more than a hundred smart people crossed the New Bridge of Paris and the most intelligent might have stopped by the charlatan’s stand with the same confidence as the crowd because, ladies and gentlemen, I would say that the higher classes suffer more from the influence of charlatanism.”
“I would mention the Institute among our scientific societies. Take the Academy of Sciences that certainly counts on the elite of our country’s scientists. Among those there are about twenty who look for charlatans.”
This indicates the depth of trust that they have on their comrades as they would rather seek the charlatans.
“These are people of great merit. It is true that they are good mathematicians, chemists or renowned naturalists but they conclude that they are also good doctors and believe to be perfectly capable of judging things that they know nothing about.”
This is a proof of his knowledge and not of his modesty and opinion. Many jokes have been produced about the wise men of the Institute. I do not know a single one more sarcastic than this. It is then likely that the Professor is only talking about of what he knows.
“We, who are just doctors, sometimes remain modest so that, if we were to present on the great theorems of Math and Physics, we expose our ignorance and incompetence. But true wise men never deny their competence about anything, particularly with respect to medicine.”
“I would mention the Institute among our scientific societies. Take the Academy of Sciences that certainly counts on the elite of our country’s scientists. Among those there are about twenty who look for charlatans.”
This indicates the depth of trust that they have on their comrades as they would rather seek the charlatans.
“These are people of great merit. It is true that they are good mathematicians, chemists or renowned naturalists but they conclude that they are also good doctors and believe to be perfectly capable of judging things that they know nothing about.”
This is a proof of his knowledge and not of his modesty and opinion. Many jokes have been produced about the wise men of the Institute. I do not know a single one more sarcastic than this. It is then likely that the Professor is only talking about of what he knows.
“We, who are just doctors, sometimes remain modest so that, if we were to present on the great theorems of Math and Physics, we expose our ignorance and incompetence. But true wise men never deny their competence about anything, particularly with respect to medicine.”
Since the doctors declare ignorance about things that they do not know, we have here a guarantee that Mr. Trousseau will not discuss matters of Psychology, particularly in a public lecture as that he is not exactly an expert in those matters. Such knowledge will certainly give him irrefutable elements to support his arguments.
“It is sad to say that pretenders always have access to intelligent people. I had the honor of being a close friend of the illustrious Béranger. In 1948 he had a small eye ailment to which Mr. Bretonneau had advised the use of a certain eye drop. Although the disease was initially cured, it returned. Mr. Béranger was found to have a disposition for viral infections. As a result, Mr. Béranger then sought a Polish priest who healed eyes issues with a secret medication. In those days at the faculty, I was the president of the committee who did the assessment of health agents. Since the priest had matters to handle with the police for having damaged a few eyes, the priest wanted to get certified. He then looked for support from. Mr. Béranger to become officially recognized as a health agent. This would allow the priest to freely treat his customers’ eyes.”
Since Mr. Béranger had been cured by Mr. Bretonneau, why would he look for someone else? It is natural to have more confidence in someone that has cured us and that has experience in leading with us than in a stranger. In reality the diploma is a safe-conduct that not only allows the health agents to remove the eyes of their customers but also the doctors to kill them without remorse or responsibility. That is certainly the cause that leads the wise comrades, as confessed by Mr. Trousseau, to seek pretenders and charlatans.
“Béranger came to me and said:
Since Mr. Béranger had been cured by Mr. Bretonneau, why would he look for someone else? It is natural to have more confidence in someone that has cured us and that has experience in leading with us than in a stranger. In reality the diploma is a safe-conduct that not only allows the health agents to remove the eyes of their customers but also the doctors to kill them without remorse or responsibility. That is certainly the cause that leads the wise comrades, as confessed by Mr. Trousseau, to seek pretenders and charlatans.
“Béranger came to me and said:
- My friend, I need a great favor. You need to help me to have this poor devil approved. His only subject is eyes and despite the fact that the examination of the health agents covers all healing fields please be indulgent and kind. He is a refugee and he cured me after all and that is a stronger reason.
- Send me your man, I said.
The Polish priest came to my house.
- A man to whom I owe a lot recommended you to me, I said. He is my dearest friend. Besides, he is Béranger and that is more important. Two of my colleagues and I are decided to help in any way we can; it is only the exam that is public but it will be okay to cover our ears a little but that is the least important. Let us see. I will be generous. I will ask about anatomy and you will know as much as I do about anatomy. My questions will be about the eye.
- - Do you know the eye?
- - Very well.
- - Do you know what the eye lid is?
- - Yes.
- - Do you know the meaning of cornea?
- - How about pupil?
- - Ah! Sir, the pupil that one I know well.
- - Do you know the crystalline, the vitreous humor, and the retina?
- - No Sir. Why would I need that? My only concern is eye disease.
I will tell you:
- - This is good for something and I guarantee that one would even almost suspect the existence of a crystalline particularly if one wants to operate on cataracts, as it seems to be the case.
- - I do not operate.
- - But if you ever considered operating one…
There was no way out. The poor devil wanted to practice the art of ophthalmology without any notion of the anatomy of the eye.”
It is really difficult to be less demanding to give this poor man the right of legally perforating someone’s eyes. However, it seems that he did not operate – although he could be led to that – and who only had a medication to cure ophthalmic diseases whose absolutely empirical application does not require special know-how. For that reason, it is not exactly the art of the ophthalmologist. In our opinion the most important thing was to make sure that the medication was harmless. He had cured Mr. Béranger and that was a positive indication. It could be useful to allow its use for the general interest. The man could have the knowledge of anatomy good enough to obtain the diploma but that alone would not make the medication good, in case it were bad. However, thanks to the diploma he could prescribe it freely regardless of how dangerous it was.
Jesus Christ, who cured the blind, the deaf and handicapped probably did not know more anatomy than that man and Mr. Trousseau would undoubtedly have denied his right of making miracles. How many fines he would have to pay today if he did not have the right to cure without a diploma! None of that has any relationship to the Spirits but these are the premises of the argumentation that he is going to use against his adversaries.
Jesus Christ, who cured the blind, the deaf and handicapped probably did not know more anatomy than that man and Mr. Trousseau would undoubtedly have denied his right of making miracles. How many fines he would have to pay today if he did not have the right to cure without a diploma! None of that has any relationship to the Spirits but these are the premises of the argumentation that he is going to use against his adversaries.
“I told Mr. Béranger the story and he said: - poor man!”
It is likely that he would have said to himself: He cured me though!
Far from excusing charlatans and sellers of panaceas all we want to say is that it is possible that efficient formulas may exist outside the existing structure; that the uneducated who has infallible secrets to treat snake bites know nothing about the circulation of the blood or the difference between venous and arterial blood. We would like to see Mr. Trousseau refusing their help after being bitten by a serpent or a coral snake just because they do not hold a diploma. In a next article we will talk about healing mediums that seems to multiple for some time now.
“I said: - My dear Béranger, I have been your doctor for eight years. Today I will charge you my fees.
- - And how much is that?
- - I want you to compose a song for me but I will give you the refrain.
- - Ah! Fine. But what is that?
- - It goes like this: Ah! Wise people are so silly!
- - We agreed that he would no longer speak to me about his Polish priest. Isn’t that said to see someone like Béranger to whom I said these things, not understanding that his protégé could have done a lot of harm and that he was absolutely incapable of doing anything useful to the simplest disease of the eyes?”
It seems that Béranger was not convinced about the infallibility of the certified doctors and he could repeat the refrain: Ah! Wise people are so silly!
“As you see ladies and gentlemen, intelligent people are the ones who fall first. Remember what happened towards the end of last century. A German experimentalist used electricity, still not very well known in those days. He subjects some women to the action of that fluid and some nervous accidents are observed. He attributed to the propagation of a fluid from his own body. He then establishes a bizarre theory then called Mesmerism. He then moves to the center of the great Paris, at Vendôme Square. It is the place where the wealthy and the aristocracy of the capital gather around the little wand of Mesmer who in fact is the inventor and the importer of that wonder called somnambulism that is one of the greatest shames of empiricism.”
“In fact what can one say about somnambulism? Hysterical generally lost young ladies join forces with any charlatan on duty and simulate ecstasy, catalepsy, sleep and there you are with a show of well-paid and well accepted tricks, believed with such a faith that is more robust than the advices of the most enlightened doctor.”
What is the point in being smart if they are the first ones to be tricked? What is it that one needs to avoid to be tricked? To be a wise man?
“As you see ladies and gentlemen, intelligent people are the ones who fall first. Remember what happened towards the end of last century. A German experimentalist used electricity, still not very well known in those days. He subjects some women to the action of that fluid and some nervous accidents are observed. He attributed to the propagation of a fluid from his own body. He then establishes a bizarre theory then called Mesmerism. He then moves to the center of the great Paris, at Vendôme Square. It is the place where the wealthy and the aristocracy of the capital gather around the little wand of Mesmer who in fact is the inventor and the importer of that wonder called somnambulism that is one of the greatest shames of empiricism.”
“In fact what can one say about somnambulism? Hysterical generally lost young ladies join forces with any charlatan on duty and simulate ecstasy, catalepsy, sleep and there you are with a show of well-paid and well accepted tricks, believed with such a faith that is more robust than the advices of the most enlightened doctor.”
What is the point in being smart if they are the first ones to be tricked? What is it that one needs to avoid to be tricked? To be a wise man?
- - No.
- - To be a member of the Institute?
- - No, since a good number of those show the weaknesses of preferring the charlatans to their own comrades. It is Mr. Trousseau who says that.
- - To be a doctor?
- - No, since a good number of them are involved with the absurdity of animal magnetism.
- - What is it then that is necessary to share common sense?
- - One needs to be Mr. Trousseau.
There is no doubt that Mr. Trousseau has the right to his opinion; he can believe or not believe in somnambulism but isn’t he crossing the line when he says that every somnambulist is a lost young lady associated to a charlatan?
It is inevitable that there will be abuse in this as with everything else from which even the official medicine does not escape. There is no doubt that there might be simulation of somnambulism but for the fact that there are false believers should we conclude that true belief does not exist?
Mr. Trousseau ignores the fact that there are respectable and married ladies among professional somnambulists; that the number of the low profile ones is much larger; that they may be found in the heart of the most respectable and wealthy families; that many duly certified and renowned doctors are now true champions of magnetism applied to a number of cases that do not respond to common medicine.
It is not our intention to make Mr. Trousseau change his opinion by proving the existence of magnetism and somnambulism since it could well be a waste of time. As a matter of fact, this would veer us off from our objective. We only say that if attacks and sarcasm are shameful weapons of science it is even more disgraceful to stain the name of a science that is now accepted all over the world, recognized and practiced by the most renowned persons, throwing the lowest insults at those who profess it. All we can do is to feel sorry for such banal and harmful expressions thrown at the cathedrals of knowledge.
You are surprised by the fact that such tricks, as you call them, are more believed with more faith than that on the advices of the most enlightened doctor. The reason for that is given the large amount of mistakes made by those very doctors, from which we will mention two examples.
It is inevitable that there will be abuse in this as with everything else from which even the official medicine does not escape. There is no doubt that there might be simulation of somnambulism but for the fact that there are false believers should we conclude that true belief does not exist?
Mr. Trousseau ignores the fact that there are respectable and married ladies among professional somnambulists; that the number of the low profile ones is much larger; that they may be found in the heart of the most respectable and wealthy families; that many duly certified and renowned doctors are now true champions of magnetism applied to a number of cases that do not respond to common medicine.
It is not our intention to make Mr. Trousseau change his opinion by proving the existence of magnetism and somnambulism since it could well be a waste of time. As a matter of fact, this would veer us off from our objective. We only say that if attacks and sarcasm are shameful weapons of science it is even more disgraceful to stain the name of a science that is now accepted all over the world, recognized and practiced by the most renowned persons, throwing the lowest insults at those who profess it. All we can do is to feel sorry for such banal and harmful expressions thrown at the cathedrals of knowledge.
You are surprised by the fact that such tricks, as you call them, are more believed with more faith than that on the advices of the most enlightened doctor. The reason for that is given the large amount of mistakes made by those very doctors, from which we will mention two examples.
A lady of our acquaintance had a four to five year old son with a tumor of the knee as a result of a fall. The situation became so serious that she thought appropriate to consult with a renowned medical doctor who then declared that an amputation was not only necessary but also urgent in order to save the child’s life. The mother was somnambulist. Finding herself unable to make any decision about the case whose success was doubtful she decided to treat the boy herself. After one month the cure was complete. A year later the child was healthy and strong. She went back to the doctor and said: “Here is the boy you said was going to die if his leg was not amputated. “What is it that you want? Nature has unforeseeable resources.”
The other case is personal. Twelve years ago I was almost blind to the point that I could not read or write and even recognize the persons with whom I shook hands. I consulted with the top notch doctors among which Dr. L…, professor of clinic of eyes diseases. After a very careful and attentive examination he declared that I suffered of an amaurosis and that I should resign to the fact. I then saw a somnambulist who said that it was not an amaurosis but an apoplexy of the eyes that could degenerate into an amaurosis if not taken care properly. She said she would take care of that. You shall feel slightly better in fifteen days, she said; in about a month you will begin the see again and in two or three months there will be nothing left. It all happened as she said and today my vision is completely reestablished.
The other case is personal. Twelve years ago I was almost blind to the point that I could not read or write and even recognize the persons with whom I shook hands. I consulted with the top notch doctors among which Dr. L…, professor of clinic of eyes diseases. After a very careful and attentive examination he declared that I suffered of an amaurosis and that I should resign to the fact. I then saw a somnambulist who said that it was not an amaurosis but an apoplexy of the eyes that could degenerate into an amaurosis if not taken care properly. She said she would take care of that. You shall feel slightly better in fifteen days, she said; in about a month you will begin the see again and in two or three months there will be nothing left. It all happened as she said and today my vision is completely reestablished.
Mr. Trousseau continues:
“- Still in our days there is an American person that evokes the Spirits giving voice to Socrates, Voltaire, Rousseau, Jesus Christ, you name it! And where does it take place? At the shanty houses of a few drunks?”
The professor is really remarkable in his choices of expressions.
“No, he makes them speak in palaces, at the senate, in the most aristocratic theaters of Paris. And there are decent people who say: “Yes, I saw it and I felt an invisible hand touching me; the table moved up to the ceiling!” They say and repeat themselves. During seven or eight months the knocking Spirits amazed men and women who threw nervous fit. Such a nameless stupidity; such stupidity that even the most uncivilized person would be ashamed of acknowledging was accepted by enlightened people, even more so, by people from the highest social echelons of Paris.”
Mr. Trousseau could have added: and all over the world. It seems that he ignores the fact that such a nameless stupidity did not last only seven or eight months but persists still and propagates everywhere; that the evocation of the Spirits is not a privilege of an American but of thousands of people of both sexes, of all ages and in all countries.
Up until now and following a good logic the adherence of the masses and particularly of educated people had been considered as having some value. It seems, however, that it does not hold any value and that the only sensible opinion is that of Mr. Trousseau and of those who share his ideas.
With respect to the others, regardless of their social position and education, regardless if they live in palaces or occupy the highest positions of state, they are below the most uncivilized man because such a man would be ashamed of accepting those ideas.
Whenever an idea is so much spread as Spiritism is; when instead of fading away it progresses rapid and prodigiously, when it is accepted by the elite of society, if such idea is false and dangerous it is necessary to combat it with a full reservoir; it is necessary to fight it with contrary arguments.
Up until now and following a good logic the adherence of the masses and particularly of educated people had been considered as having some value. It seems, however, that it does not hold any value and that the only sensible opinion is that of Mr. Trousseau and of those who share his ideas.
With respect to the others, regardless of their social position and education, regardless if they live in palaces or occupy the highest positions of state, they are below the most uncivilized man because such a man would be ashamed of accepting those ideas.
Whenever an idea is so much spread as Spiritism is; when instead of fading away it progresses rapid and prodigiously, when it is accepted by the elite of society, if such idea is false and dangerous it is necessary to combat it with a full reservoir; it is necessary to fight it with contrary arguments.
- Alas, as it seems Mr. Trousseau has one argument only: Ah! Wise people are so silly!
Necrology
Death of the Bishop of BarcelonaWe got a letter from Spain about the death of the Bishop of Barcelona the very one who had three hundred Spiritist books burned by the hands of the executioner on October 9th, 1861; he died on the 9th of the current month followed by the habitual pageantry of the chiefs of the Church. It is just nine months after the event and the act of faith already produces results presented by everyone; the acceleration of the propagation of Spiritism in that country. In fact the repercussion of that act, unthinkable in this century, brought the attention of a multitude of people to Spiritism, people who had never heard about it and the press, regardless of their position, could not remain quite about it.
The exhibition of such apparatus was important enough to excite the curiosity of the masses attracting them to the forbidden fruit. This happened given that nobody does something like this if it has no importance or something that is just a hopeless dream.
It is also natural that their thoughts travelled back in history a few centuries ago remembering that in the same country they used to burn not only books but people. What could then be contained in such books to have deserved the solemnity of being burnt at the stake? That is what they wanted to find out.
The result in Spain was the same as everywhere else where Spiritism was attacked. Without the mockery or the serious attacks that Spiritism suffered it would count on ten times less followers than it actually does. The more insistent and violent the criticism the more it becomes relevant and developed. Senseless attacks go blank whereas the shinning beam awakes even the most dormant soul who wants to see what is going on. That is all that we ask, assured in anticipation about the results of a serious examination. That is a positive fact for every time that in a given location the anathema falls upon them from the top of the cathedra we are sure that this will enlarge the ranks of our followers and see them surging if they were not there before.
Spain could not have escaped such a fate. Hence, there isn’t a single Spiritist who was not happy for having learned about the act of faith of Barcelona, soon followed by the Alicante where more than one adversary deplored an act from which religion had nothing to gain.
We daily see the irrefutable proof of the progress of Spiritism amidst the most educated classes of that country where it already counts on numerous and eager followers.
One of our corresponding members from Spain suggested to us that we evoke the Bishop of Barcelona. We were prepared to do that and even had prepared some questions when he manifested spontaneously to one of our mediums, responding in anticipation to all questions that we intended to address to him even before they were asked. His communication of an absolutely unforeseeable character, contains the following passage among others:
“Helped by your spiritual leader I could come to teach you with my example and say: do not reject any of the announced ideas because one day, a day that shall last and weigh like a century, such compiled ideas will scream like the voice of the angel: Cain, what have you done to your brother? What have you done out of the power that should elevate and console humanity? Someone that voluntarily lives blind and deaf in spirit, as others live in their bodies, will suffer, atone, and be reborn to begin again the intellectual work avoided by laziness and pride. That terrible voice said to me: You burnt the ideas and the ideas will burn you!
Pray for me. Pray for God is pleased by the prayers addressed to him by the persecuted in favor of the persecutor.
The one who was a bishop and is no more than a penitent.”
That contrast between the words of the spirit and those of the man is not surprising. Every day we see people who think differently after their death from what they thought when alive, once the blindfold drops from the eyes and that is a proof of superiority. The only ones to persist on the error and on the prejudices of the earthly life are the inferior and vulgar Spirits.
When alive the Bishop of Barcelona saw Spiritism through a particular prism that altered its colors or better saying that he did not know. He now sees it in its true light and he probes its depth. Since the veil has fallen it is no longer a matter of opinion to him or an ephemeral theory and can be buried in the ashes. It is a fact. It is the revelation of a natural law, an irresistible law like gravity, a law that through the force of things must be accepted by all as everything else that is natural. That is what he understands now and that embarrassed him to say that “that ideas that he wanted to burn will now burn him” or in other words they shall prevail upon the prejudices that led him to condemn them.
We cannot wish it to be so for the threefold reason that a true Spiritist does not desire it to anyone, does not keep hard feelings, forgetting the offenses and, following the example of Jesus, forgive the enemies. Second because far from harming us he served us. Finally because he claims from us the prayer of the persecuted for the persecutor as being the most pleasing to God, a thoroughly charitable thought, worthy of the Christian humility revealed in his final words: “The one who was bishop and who is no more than a penitent”. Beautiful image of the earthly treasures left at the border of the grave by the soul who must present itself to God undressed from earthly imposed harnesses.
Spiritist, let us forgive him for the harm he intended to cause us as we would like to have our offenses forgiven and let us pray for him on the anniversary of the act of faith in Barcelona that took place on October 9th, 1861.
The exhibition of such apparatus was important enough to excite the curiosity of the masses attracting them to the forbidden fruit. This happened given that nobody does something like this if it has no importance or something that is just a hopeless dream.
It is also natural that their thoughts travelled back in history a few centuries ago remembering that in the same country they used to burn not only books but people. What could then be contained in such books to have deserved the solemnity of being burnt at the stake? That is what they wanted to find out.
The result in Spain was the same as everywhere else where Spiritism was attacked. Without the mockery or the serious attacks that Spiritism suffered it would count on ten times less followers than it actually does. The more insistent and violent the criticism the more it becomes relevant and developed. Senseless attacks go blank whereas the shinning beam awakes even the most dormant soul who wants to see what is going on. That is all that we ask, assured in anticipation about the results of a serious examination. That is a positive fact for every time that in a given location the anathema falls upon them from the top of the cathedra we are sure that this will enlarge the ranks of our followers and see them surging if they were not there before.
Spain could not have escaped such a fate. Hence, there isn’t a single Spiritist who was not happy for having learned about the act of faith of Barcelona, soon followed by the Alicante where more than one adversary deplored an act from which religion had nothing to gain.
We daily see the irrefutable proof of the progress of Spiritism amidst the most educated classes of that country where it already counts on numerous and eager followers.
One of our corresponding members from Spain suggested to us that we evoke the Bishop of Barcelona. We were prepared to do that and even had prepared some questions when he manifested spontaneously to one of our mediums, responding in anticipation to all questions that we intended to address to him even before they were asked. His communication of an absolutely unforeseeable character, contains the following passage among others:
“Helped by your spiritual leader I could come to teach you with my example and say: do not reject any of the announced ideas because one day, a day that shall last and weigh like a century, such compiled ideas will scream like the voice of the angel: Cain, what have you done to your brother? What have you done out of the power that should elevate and console humanity? Someone that voluntarily lives blind and deaf in spirit, as others live in their bodies, will suffer, atone, and be reborn to begin again the intellectual work avoided by laziness and pride. That terrible voice said to me: You burnt the ideas and the ideas will burn you!
Pray for me. Pray for God is pleased by the prayers addressed to him by the persecuted in favor of the persecutor.
The one who was a bishop and is no more than a penitent.”
That contrast between the words of the spirit and those of the man is not surprising. Every day we see people who think differently after their death from what they thought when alive, once the blindfold drops from the eyes and that is a proof of superiority. The only ones to persist on the error and on the prejudices of the earthly life are the inferior and vulgar Spirits.
When alive the Bishop of Barcelona saw Spiritism through a particular prism that altered its colors or better saying that he did not know. He now sees it in its true light and he probes its depth. Since the veil has fallen it is no longer a matter of opinion to him or an ephemeral theory and can be buried in the ashes. It is a fact. It is the revelation of a natural law, an irresistible law like gravity, a law that through the force of things must be accepted by all as everything else that is natural. That is what he understands now and that embarrassed him to say that “that ideas that he wanted to burn will now burn him” or in other words they shall prevail upon the prejudices that led him to condemn them.
We cannot wish it to be so for the threefold reason that a true Spiritist does not desire it to anyone, does not keep hard feelings, forgetting the offenses and, following the example of Jesus, forgive the enemies. Second because far from harming us he served us. Finally because he claims from us the prayer of the persecuted for the persecutor as being the most pleasing to God, a thoroughly charitable thought, worthy of the Christian humility revealed in his final words: “The one who was bishop and who is no more than a penitent”. Beautiful image of the earthly treasures left at the border of the grave by the soul who must present itself to God undressed from earthly imposed harnesses.
Spiritist, let us forgive him for the harm he intended to cause us as we would like to have our offenses forgiven and let us pray for him on the anniversary of the act of faith in Barcelona that took place on October 9th, 1861.
Death of Mrs. Home
We read in the Nord, on July 15th, 1862:
“The famous Mr. Dunglas Home was in Paris these days. Not many people saw him. He had just lost his wife and sister of Countess Kouchelew-Bezborodko. However painful such a loss has been to him he said that it is less painful than to another man not because he loved her less but because death does not keep him away from the one who used to bear his name on Earth. They see one another and talk as lively as they used to do when together they inhabited the same planet. Mr. Home is Catholic and his wife, before exhaling her last breath, abjured her Greek religion in the presence of the Bishop of Périgueux. It took place at the Castle of Laroche, residence of Count Kouchelew.”
The tabloid – since it is just a tabloid like the Pre-Catalan where the note above is found – is signed by Nemo, one of the critics who did not spare the Spiritists from his mockery regarding the pretension of talking to the dead. Isn’t that funny, Sir, to believe that our loved ones are not lost forever and that we will see them again? Isn’t that ridicule and even silly and superstitious to believe that they are right beside us, that they can see us and listen to us, even if we do not see them, and that they can communicate with us? Mr. Home and his wife see one another and talk as vividly as if they were together. How absurd! And to think that right here in the XIX century, the century of lights, there would be people believing in such stupidities, much like in the novels of Perrault!
Have Mr. Trousseau answer that. The nothingness, talk to us about that! What is logical! We are free to do whatever we want in this life. At least we have no fear for the feature. Yes, but where is the reward to the miserable ones? Nemo22, a singular pseudo name for the occasion!
“The famous Mr. Dunglas Home was in Paris these days. Not many people saw him. He had just lost his wife and sister of Countess Kouchelew-Bezborodko. However painful such a loss has been to him he said that it is less painful than to another man not because he loved her less but because death does not keep him away from the one who used to bear his name on Earth. They see one another and talk as lively as they used to do when together they inhabited the same planet. Mr. Home is Catholic and his wife, before exhaling her last breath, abjured her Greek religion in the presence of the Bishop of Périgueux. It took place at the Castle of Laroche, residence of Count Kouchelew.”
The tabloid – since it is just a tabloid like the Pre-Catalan where the note above is found – is signed by Nemo, one of the critics who did not spare the Spiritists from his mockery regarding the pretension of talking to the dead. Isn’t that funny, Sir, to believe that our loved ones are not lost forever and that we will see them again? Isn’t that ridicule and even silly and superstitious to believe that they are right beside us, that they can see us and listen to us, even if we do not see them, and that they can communicate with us? Mr. Home and his wife see one another and talk as vividly as if they were together. How absurd! And to think that right here in the XIX century, the century of lights, there would be people believing in such stupidities, much like in the novels of Perrault!
Have Mr. Trousseau answer that. The nothingness, talk to us about that! What is logical! We are free to do whatever we want in this life. At least we have no fear for the feature. Yes, but where is the reward to the miserable ones? Nemo22, a singular pseudo name for the occasion!
Spiritist Society of Constantine
Notice: We speak of the society that was formed in Constantine with the title African Society of Spiritist Studies under the auspices of the Parisian Society. We transcribe below a communication that was received at that Society when it was established:
“Although the works carried out by you up until now are not exempt of criticism, we do not wish to go over that given your heartfelt good will. We take intention into account before facts. Before anything else you must be aware of the greatness of the task here initiated and do your utmost to successfully achieve the results. That is the condition to have you assisted by superior Spirits.”
“Let us look into some points of the matter and see if you have not done any wrong. To begin with you made the great mistake of utilizing all of your mediums in the private communications. What is the general evocation if not an appeal to the good Spirits to communicate with you? Then, what you do? Instead of waiting after the general evocation, giving the good Spirits time to communicate through this or that medium according to the sympathies that might exist, you immediately move on to the private evocations. You must realize that this is not a good way of receiving spontaneous evocations as it is done in other societies. Thus, wait for some time and collect the general communications that will always teach you some needed truths. You can then pass on to the private evocations. In that case you must employ one medium only. Do not you know that only the superior Spirits may communicate through multiple mediums? You must not allow more than one medium for each private communication and if in doubt with respect to the truthfulness of the given answers then on another day you may employ another medium. You are just at the beginning of the Spiritist Science and you cannot harvest all the fruits given to the experimented followers. You should not, however, feel discouraged for your efforts to improve and propagate the immutable truth of God will be taken into account.”
“Hence, my friends, go on and may the ridicule that you will face more than once in your path not veer you off from the straight-line of the Spiritist belief.”
Jacques
The Spiritists of Constantine requested our intervention to ask Saint Augustine for his sponsorship of their Society. He gave us the following communication about it:
Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies, June 27th, 1862 – medium Mr. E. Vézy First addressing the members of the Parisian Society he said:
“Our children from the New France did well in associating with you. They did well by not separating from the trunk. Be always united and the good Spirits will be with you.”
He then continues, now addressing those of Constantine:
“Friends, I feel happy for having been chosen to be your spiritual guide. Since I am connected to Earth through the great mission of its regeneration, I am pleased to be able to give you encouragement and even more so to a group of thinkers who are involved with the great idea and for being able to preside over your works. Thus, have my name in front of yours and the Spirits of my order will come to keep away those other Spirits who always surround assemblies that discuss moral laws and laws of progress.”
“May fraternity and concord be with you! Remember that all men are brothers and that the great objective of Spiritism is to have them one day united at the same home and have them seating at the table with the same father: God.”
“That is such a beautiful mission! It is a great joy to come to you to let you know about the divine designs! To reveal to you the wonders from beyond the grave! But you that are already initiated in these sublime truths spread the seed around you and your reward will be great. You shall enjoy its premises on Earth. What a joy! March on, always on the path of enlightenment, love and charity.”
“Pronounce my name with confidence at times of fear or doubt. Your hearts will soon be relieved from the pain and bitterness that it might contain. Do not forget that I will be with you anywhere you go on Earth to spread the evangelical apostolate. I will keep you all in my soul so that one day I can transfer you to a greater and stronger one. I will always be with you as I am here now. My voice will carry the sweetness that you will recognize for I do not like the screams or the acute sounds. You will always hear me saying: Love one another! Spare me the need for the whip that must hit the evil one. Although this may sometimes be needed may you never count among those! There will be a time when humanity will kindly march under the command of the good shepherd. It you, children, the ones who must help us in that regeneration and who must listen to the first call for here is the gathering herd and here is the shepherd.”
OBSERVATION: The spirit refers to a revelation of great importance made for the first time in a Spiritist group of a small African town in the middle of the desert, through a completely illiterate medium. The revelation that was transmitted to us immediately came from multiple places in France and abroad. Since then numerous very characteristic and detailed documents came to give it a kind of consecration. We will make it public in due course.
“Hence you must work and have courage. Discuss the matters in your meetings without emotions. Ask for our advice, our opinion, so that you do not make mistakes, or conclude heretic things. Above all do not make it an article of faith or a dogma. Keep in mind that God’s religion is the religion of the heart; that it is founded on one principle only that is charity and its development is based on the love of humanity. Never cut a single branch of the tree. It is stronger with all its branches and these branches perish when separated from the original trunk.”
“Keep in mind that Jesus wanted his church to be based on a stone in order to be solid in the same way that he commands that Spiritism must have one root only so that it may be stronger spread on the whole surface of the soil however arid and dry it may be.”
“An incarnate spirit was chosen to drive you, to guide you. Obey him with respect; not for his laws as they do not command you, but his wishes. Through your submission you will demonstrate to your enemies that you are disciplined enough to take part in the new crusade against the error and superstition, the necessary spirit of love and obedience to march against barbarism.”
“Be then surrounded by this modern flag: Spiritism under one chief only and you will destroy these ideas of horny heads and long tails that must disappear. I will not tell you the name of that chief. He moves on and shows no fear before the bites of the serpents and the reptiles of envy and jealousy around him. He shall stand up for we have blessed him so that he will be always strong and robust. Follow him then. Storms shall fall upon your heads and some of you will not find refuge or shelter. These must show resignation like the Christian martyrs and understand that life and the awakening of dormant nations is the great work that claims their suffering, and that one day they shall be rewarded in the kingdom of our Father.”
Saint Augustine
The following passage was extracted from a recent letter sent to us by the President of the Constantine Society:
“We are all concerned, Europeans and Indigenous peoples alike. Several groups are formed around us and people get involved with Spiritism everywhere. The creation of our Society will at least have the merit of having drawn the attention to this new science. We still face some embarrassment but we are sustained by the Spirits to urge us to be patient, telling us that these are atonements that will result in victory of the society at up to a certain extent it will come out strengthened. We also face external opposition. The Church on one side and the Mosque on the other, claiming that we are under the influence of Satan and that our communications come from hell. We also have the mockers against us, given to sensuality and careless about their own fate, materialists or skeptical who reject everything related to this new life whose existence they deny. They keep their eyes and ears shut, calling us charlatans, trying to silence us by force or ridicule. We, nevertheless, proceed through the thorns. We do not lack very interesting mediums that daily come to us. We receive communications of multiple kinds and unforeseen incidents capable of convincing the fiercest unbeliever like an answer given in Italian by a person who ignores that language; answers to questions about the formation of Earth by a lady medium who did not study geology. Another group received messages with charming poetry.”
OBSERVATION: As seen the Muslim priests also brought the devil to the picture. It is remarkable that the priests of all denominations give him such a power that we can hardly know which part they attribute to God or how they understand God’s omnipotence. If it is absolute than the devil could not act without God’s permission; if it is partial then God is not God. Fortunately we have more faith in the infinite benevolence of God than His infinite vengeance and the devil became much discredited after having being taken to all theaters to play a role from comedy to opera. Thus the word devil today does not have more effect upon people than the images that the Chinese used to hand on the walls so as to send away the European barbarians. The unstoppable progress of Spiritism demonstrates the inefficacy of such means. One needs to find another one.
“Although the works carried out by you up until now are not exempt of criticism, we do not wish to go over that given your heartfelt good will. We take intention into account before facts. Before anything else you must be aware of the greatness of the task here initiated and do your utmost to successfully achieve the results. That is the condition to have you assisted by superior Spirits.”
“Let us look into some points of the matter and see if you have not done any wrong. To begin with you made the great mistake of utilizing all of your mediums in the private communications. What is the general evocation if not an appeal to the good Spirits to communicate with you? Then, what you do? Instead of waiting after the general evocation, giving the good Spirits time to communicate through this or that medium according to the sympathies that might exist, you immediately move on to the private evocations. You must realize that this is not a good way of receiving spontaneous evocations as it is done in other societies. Thus, wait for some time and collect the general communications that will always teach you some needed truths. You can then pass on to the private evocations. In that case you must employ one medium only. Do not you know that only the superior Spirits may communicate through multiple mediums? You must not allow more than one medium for each private communication and if in doubt with respect to the truthfulness of the given answers then on another day you may employ another medium. You are just at the beginning of the Spiritist Science and you cannot harvest all the fruits given to the experimented followers. You should not, however, feel discouraged for your efforts to improve and propagate the immutable truth of God will be taken into account.”
“Hence, my friends, go on and may the ridicule that you will face more than once in your path not veer you off from the straight-line of the Spiritist belief.”
Jacques
The Spiritists of Constantine requested our intervention to ask Saint Augustine for his sponsorship of their Society. He gave us the following communication about it:
Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies, June 27th, 1862 – medium Mr. E. Vézy First addressing the members of the Parisian Society he said:
“Our children from the New France did well in associating with you. They did well by not separating from the trunk. Be always united and the good Spirits will be with you.”
He then continues, now addressing those of Constantine:
“Friends, I feel happy for having been chosen to be your spiritual guide. Since I am connected to Earth through the great mission of its regeneration, I am pleased to be able to give you encouragement and even more so to a group of thinkers who are involved with the great idea and for being able to preside over your works. Thus, have my name in front of yours and the Spirits of my order will come to keep away those other Spirits who always surround assemblies that discuss moral laws and laws of progress.”
“May fraternity and concord be with you! Remember that all men are brothers and that the great objective of Spiritism is to have them one day united at the same home and have them seating at the table with the same father: God.”
“That is such a beautiful mission! It is a great joy to come to you to let you know about the divine designs! To reveal to you the wonders from beyond the grave! But you that are already initiated in these sublime truths spread the seed around you and your reward will be great. You shall enjoy its premises on Earth. What a joy! March on, always on the path of enlightenment, love and charity.”
“Pronounce my name with confidence at times of fear or doubt. Your hearts will soon be relieved from the pain and bitterness that it might contain. Do not forget that I will be with you anywhere you go on Earth to spread the evangelical apostolate. I will keep you all in my soul so that one day I can transfer you to a greater and stronger one. I will always be with you as I am here now. My voice will carry the sweetness that you will recognize for I do not like the screams or the acute sounds. You will always hear me saying: Love one another! Spare me the need for the whip that must hit the evil one. Although this may sometimes be needed may you never count among those! There will be a time when humanity will kindly march under the command of the good shepherd. It you, children, the ones who must help us in that regeneration and who must listen to the first call for here is the gathering herd and here is the shepherd.”
OBSERVATION: The spirit refers to a revelation of great importance made for the first time in a Spiritist group of a small African town in the middle of the desert, through a completely illiterate medium. The revelation that was transmitted to us immediately came from multiple places in France and abroad. Since then numerous very characteristic and detailed documents came to give it a kind of consecration. We will make it public in due course.
“Hence you must work and have courage. Discuss the matters in your meetings without emotions. Ask for our advice, our opinion, so that you do not make mistakes, or conclude heretic things. Above all do not make it an article of faith or a dogma. Keep in mind that God’s religion is the religion of the heart; that it is founded on one principle only that is charity and its development is based on the love of humanity. Never cut a single branch of the tree. It is stronger with all its branches and these branches perish when separated from the original trunk.”
“Keep in mind that Jesus wanted his church to be based on a stone in order to be solid in the same way that he commands that Spiritism must have one root only so that it may be stronger spread on the whole surface of the soil however arid and dry it may be.”
“An incarnate spirit was chosen to drive you, to guide you. Obey him with respect; not for his laws as they do not command you, but his wishes. Through your submission you will demonstrate to your enemies that you are disciplined enough to take part in the new crusade against the error and superstition, the necessary spirit of love and obedience to march against barbarism.”
“Be then surrounded by this modern flag: Spiritism under one chief only and you will destroy these ideas of horny heads and long tails that must disappear. I will not tell you the name of that chief. He moves on and shows no fear before the bites of the serpents and the reptiles of envy and jealousy around him. He shall stand up for we have blessed him so that he will be always strong and robust. Follow him then. Storms shall fall upon your heads and some of you will not find refuge or shelter. These must show resignation like the Christian martyrs and understand that life and the awakening of dormant nations is the great work that claims their suffering, and that one day they shall be rewarded in the kingdom of our Father.”
Saint Augustine
The following passage was extracted from a recent letter sent to us by the President of the Constantine Society:
“We are all concerned, Europeans and Indigenous peoples alike. Several groups are formed around us and people get involved with Spiritism everywhere. The creation of our Society will at least have the merit of having drawn the attention to this new science. We still face some embarrassment but we are sustained by the Spirits to urge us to be patient, telling us that these are atonements that will result in victory of the society at up to a certain extent it will come out strengthened. We also face external opposition. The Church on one side and the Mosque on the other, claiming that we are under the influence of Satan and that our communications come from hell. We also have the mockers against us, given to sensuality and careless about their own fate, materialists or skeptical who reject everything related to this new life whose existence they deny. They keep their eyes and ears shut, calling us charlatans, trying to silence us by force or ridicule. We, nevertheless, proceed through the thorns. We do not lack very interesting mediums that daily come to us. We receive communications of multiple kinds and unforeseen incidents capable of convincing the fiercest unbeliever like an answer given in Italian by a person who ignores that language; answers to questions about the formation of Earth by a lady medium who did not study geology. Another group received messages with charming poetry.”
OBSERVATION: As seen the Muslim priests also brought the devil to the picture. It is remarkable that the priests of all denominations give him such a power that we can hardly know which part they attribute to God or how they understand God’s omnipotence. If it is absolute than the devil could not act without God’s permission; if it is partial then God is not God. Fortunately we have more faith in the infinite benevolence of God than His infinite vengeance and the devil became much discredited after having being taken to all theaters to play a role from comedy to opera. Thus the word devil today does not have more effect upon people than the images that the Chinese used to hand on the walls so as to send away the European barbarians. The unstoppable progress of Spiritism demonstrates the inefficacy of such means. One needs to find another one.
Letter from Mr. Reynaud to the Journal of Debates
The following letter was published in the Debates on July 06th, 1862:
“To the chief-editor,
Neuilly, July 2nd 1862
Dear Sir,
Allow me to respond to two accusations made by Mr. Franck in today’s paper, accusing me of being a follower of pantheism and metempsychosis. I not only deny such accusations wholeheartedly but those who have honored me by reading my book entitled Earth and Heavens could see that my ideas are totally in opposition to the ideas found in my accusations. With respect to pantheism I will only say that the principle of God’s personality is the starting point of my ideas and that not giving importance to what the Jews may think I believe like the Christians that creations proceeds from the whole trinity as I indicated on page 226 of the mentioned book; even better, I cite the actual text of St. Augustine whose authority I respect and I add: - If by staying away from the Middle Ages, with respect to the age of the world I had the minor chance of falling into the abyss of those who confuse God and the universe in some sort of unity with respect to eternity, I would stop. However, can I have the slightest doubt about it? Regarding the second accusation and with no concern if I think differently or share the ideas of Mr. Salvador, I will simply say that metempsychosis in how it is understood, in its vulgar sense, is the doctrine that exposes humanity to inhabit the body of animals after death. I deny it as the daughter of pantheism as I deny pantheism itself. I do believe that our future destiny is essentially based on the permanence of our personality. The feeling of such permanence may be temporarily eclipsed but never lost and the plentiful enjoyment is the first character of that blessed life to which all of us are continuously invited to in the more or lengthy course of our trials. Human’s personality stems out very naturally from that of God.”
“On page 258 of that book one is asked: - How come God would not have created to his own image what he wanted to create at the plenitude of his love? And still in this point I refer to St. Augustine whose beautiful words I cite textually: - Considering then that we were created to the image of our Creator and like the prodigious son of the Gospels let us return to him after having stayed away from him through our sins.”
If the book Earth and Heavens distances itself from the ideas accepted by the Church it is not by the thesis of substance as intended by Mr. Franck, but only and if one can say so in a matter of time. It is taught that the duration of creation is proportional to its extension so that infinity reigns equally in both directions. It is also taught that our present life instead of representing the summation of the trials through which we are empowered to participate plentifully of the blessed life, being just one of the terms of a more or less lengthy series of analogous existences.”
“There you have, Sir, what can lead Mr. Franck to mistakes and whose criticism seemed to me the more fearful the more his character of loyalty is known by everyone.”
“Yours sincerely, etc…
Jean Reynaud”
We can see that we were neither the only ones nor the first ones to promote the doctrine of plurality of the existences or the reincarnation. The book Earth and Heavens was published before The Spirits’ Book.
The same principle may be explicitly found in a brilliant brochure written by Mr. Louis Jourdan entitled Les Prières de Ludovic, whose first edition was published in 1849 by the Livrarie-Nouvelle, Boulevard des Italiens.
Fact is that the idea of reincarnation is not new. It is as old as the world and it is found in old as well as modern authors. To those who say that it is contrary to the dogmas of the Church we respond that it must be either one: reincarnation does exist or does not. There is no alternative. If it does exist it is a law of nature. Now if a dogma is contrary to one natural law we need to know which one is right, the dogma or the law. When the Church said anathema and expelled the ones guilty for the heresy of believing in the movement of Earth, it did not preclude Earth from moving and that everybody believe in that today. The same will happen to reincarnation. Then it is not a question of opinion but a question of fact. If the fact is a reality whatever people may do or say about it will not impede its existence and sooner or later the most skeptical will accept it. God does not ask about inconveniences to regulate the order of things and the future will prove who is right and who is wrong.
“To the chief-editor,
Neuilly, July 2nd 1862
Dear Sir,
Allow me to respond to two accusations made by Mr. Franck in today’s paper, accusing me of being a follower of pantheism and metempsychosis. I not only deny such accusations wholeheartedly but those who have honored me by reading my book entitled Earth and Heavens could see that my ideas are totally in opposition to the ideas found in my accusations. With respect to pantheism I will only say that the principle of God’s personality is the starting point of my ideas and that not giving importance to what the Jews may think I believe like the Christians that creations proceeds from the whole trinity as I indicated on page 226 of the mentioned book; even better, I cite the actual text of St. Augustine whose authority I respect and I add: - If by staying away from the Middle Ages, with respect to the age of the world I had the minor chance of falling into the abyss of those who confuse God and the universe in some sort of unity with respect to eternity, I would stop. However, can I have the slightest doubt about it? Regarding the second accusation and with no concern if I think differently or share the ideas of Mr. Salvador, I will simply say that metempsychosis in how it is understood, in its vulgar sense, is the doctrine that exposes humanity to inhabit the body of animals after death. I deny it as the daughter of pantheism as I deny pantheism itself. I do believe that our future destiny is essentially based on the permanence of our personality. The feeling of such permanence may be temporarily eclipsed but never lost and the plentiful enjoyment is the first character of that blessed life to which all of us are continuously invited to in the more or lengthy course of our trials. Human’s personality stems out very naturally from that of God.”
“On page 258 of that book one is asked: - How come God would not have created to his own image what he wanted to create at the plenitude of his love? And still in this point I refer to St. Augustine whose beautiful words I cite textually: - Considering then that we were created to the image of our Creator and like the prodigious son of the Gospels let us return to him after having stayed away from him through our sins.”
If the book Earth and Heavens distances itself from the ideas accepted by the Church it is not by the thesis of substance as intended by Mr. Franck, but only and if one can say so in a matter of time. It is taught that the duration of creation is proportional to its extension so that infinity reigns equally in both directions. It is also taught that our present life instead of representing the summation of the trials through which we are empowered to participate plentifully of the blessed life, being just one of the terms of a more or less lengthy series of analogous existences.”
“There you have, Sir, what can lead Mr. Franck to mistakes and whose criticism seemed to me the more fearful the more his character of loyalty is known by everyone.”
“Yours sincerely, etc…
Jean Reynaud”
We can see that we were neither the only ones nor the first ones to promote the doctrine of plurality of the existences or the reincarnation. The book Earth and Heavens was published before The Spirits’ Book.
The same principle may be explicitly found in a brilliant brochure written by Mr. Louis Jourdan entitled Les Prières de Ludovic, whose first edition was published in 1849 by the Livrarie-Nouvelle, Boulevard des Italiens.
Fact is that the idea of reincarnation is not new. It is as old as the world and it is found in old as well as modern authors. To those who say that it is contrary to the dogmas of the Church we respond that it must be either one: reincarnation does exist or does not. There is no alternative. If it does exist it is a law of nature. Now if a dogma is contrary to one natural law we need to know which one is right, the dogma or the law. When the Church said anathema and expelled the ones guilty for the heresy of believing in the movement of Earth, it did not preclude Earth from moving and that everybody believe in that today. The same will happen to reincarnation. Then it is not a question of opinion but a question of fact. If the fact is a reality whatever people may do or say about it will not impede its existence and sooner or later the most skeptical will accept it. God does not ask about inconveniences to regulate the order of things and the future will prove who is right and who is wrong.
Pandus and Kurus
Reincarnation in ancient times
One of our subscribers writes the following from Nantes:
“I found a passage of the Mahabharata in a book that discusses works written in Sanskrit. The text is about people’s beliefs in those remote days. I was greatly surprised in finding reincarnation there, a doctrine that seemed to be well understood at that time. This is the fact that allows the god Krishna to explain the theory of the Brahmans to the chief of the Pandus:
“I found a passage of the Mahabharata in a book that discusses works written in Sanskrit. The text is about people’s beliefs in those remote days. I was greatly surprised in finding reincarnation there, a doctrine that seemed to be well understood at that time. This is the fact that allows the god Krishna to explain the theory of the Brahmans to the chief of the Pandus:
“Since the war had broken between the descendants of the Pandu, legitimate heirs to the throne, and the descendants of Kuru, the takers, the Pandus commanded by the hero Arjuna charged against the takers. It was a long and still uncertain battle. A truce allowed both armies to recover their strengths. Suddenly the trumpets sounded and both groups prepare for battle. White horses pulled the car of Arjuna, having the god Krishna by his side. The hero suddenly stopped between the two fields and extends his eyes to the enemy. Brothers against brothers, he says to himself; relatives against relatives to the point of slaying one another over the cadavers of their brothers! He then says, taken by a profound melancholy and a deep pain:
- - Krishna! These are our beloved relatives, standing and ready to destroy one another. Look! My body trembles, my face is pale, my blood is cold; a deadly cold runs in my veins giving me the goose flesh before the gruesome image. My hand cannot hold the bow; I hesitate; I cannot move forward or backward and my soul, taken by horror, seems to abandon me. Oh god of golden hair, tell me! Shall I be happy after I killed all my relatives? What shall be of the victory, the power and life when the very ones that I want to preserve have died in combat? Oh celestial conqueror, even if the price of their deaths were a triple world I would not like to have them dead for this miserable globe. No, I do not want that even if they are prepared to kill me ruthlessly.
- - Those whose death you cry – responded the god – those do not deserve your pain; may they live, may they die, the wise man has no tears for life or death. There was no time when I did not exist, when you did not exist or when these warriors did not exist, and there will never be a time of death. The soul dressed in our bodies goes through youth, maturity and decrepitude and moving on to new bodies it restarts its journey. An eternal and indestructible god spreads out with his hands the universe where we are. Who would destroy a soul that he created? Who could destroy the works of the indestructible? The body is a fragile envelope that changes, is worn out and dies, but the soul, the eternal soul that we cannot conceive, that one never dies. To the fight, Arjuna! Charge your horses to the fight. The soul does not die. You do not destroy souls; the soul will not die; it cannot die or be born. It knows nothing about the present, the past or the future. It is old, eternal, always virgin, always young, immutable, and unchangeable. What is the meaning of a combat, of killing the enemies if not just to remove someone’s outfit? Go! Have no fear!
Have no scruples to undress a worn piece of outfit; do not feel bad when you see your enemies and your brothers leaving behind their perishable outfits and their souls repainted with new forms. The soul is something that cannot be penetrated by the spear, that is not destroyed by the fire or deteriorated by the waters and it cannot be dried by the southern winds. Stop trembling.”
OBSERVATION: The idea of reincarnation is very well defined in this passage as, in fact, all Spiritist beliefs were in former times. There was only one missing principle: Charity. It was up to Jesus Christ to proclaim this supreme law, source of all earthly and celestial happiness.
OBSERVATION: The idea of reincarnation is very well defined in this passage as, in fact, all Spiritist beliefs were in former times. There was only one missing principle: Charity. It was up to Jesus Christ to proclaim this supreme law, source of all earthly and celestial happiness.
Planet Venus
An intermediary point
Spontaneous essay – medium Mr. Costel
Planet Venus is an intermediary point between Mercury and Jupiter. Its inhabitants have the same physical structure as you do. The only difference is in the beauty and perfection of the form. In Venus the subtleness of the air comparable to the high mountains is not adequate to your lungs. There is no disease there. Its inhabitants eat only fruit and dairy; they ignore the barbaric custom to feast on dead animals, ferocity that only exists in inferior planets; as a result, coarse needs of the body are eliminated, and love entails all passions and all perfections only dreamed on Earth.
Much like at dawn when the forms are indecisively dressed and covered by the morning mist, the almost perfection of the soul lives the ignorance and the desires of a happy infancy. A veiled happiness is surrounded by nature itself. The soft and round shapes do not show the stiffness and aggression of the earthly fields; the profound and still oceans ignore storms; the trees do not yield to the pressure of the winds and the winter does not subtract their greenness; nothing is noisy; everything smiles, everything is smooth. The quiet and kind customs do not require repression to remain pure and strong. Family expression takes a political form. Each tribe or group of individuals has a leader who is elected out of the elderly. The old age is the apogee of human dignity there since it approaches the desired objective. Exempt of diseases and ugliness it is calm and radiant like a beautiful afternoon in the autumn. Earthly industry that responds to the restless search for the well being disappears in the superior regions where they hold no meaning. They are replaced by a sublime art that cannot be imagined by your gross feelings. Outfits are uniform. Long white and harmoniously pleated tunics cover the bodies. Everything is easy to those who only wish to reach God, undressed from material interests, living with simplicity and almost luminous.
Georges
Much like at dawn when the forms are indecisively dressed and covered by the morning mist, the almost perfection of the soul lives the ignorance and the desires of a happy infancy. A veiled happiness is surrounded by nature itself. The soft and round shapes do not show the stiffness and aggression of the earthly fields; the profound and still oceans ignore storms; the trees do not yield to the pressure of the winds and the winter does not subtract their greenness; nothing is noisy; everything smiles, everything is smooth. The quiet and kind customs do not require repression to remain pure and strong. Family expression takes a political form. Each tribe or group of individuals has a leader who is elected out of the elderly. The old age is the apogee of human dignity there since it approaches the desired objective. Exempt of diseases and ugliness it is calm and radiant like a beautiful afternoon in the autumn. Earthly industry that responds to the restless search for the well being disappears in the superior regions where they hold no meaning. They are replaced by a sublime art that cannot be imagined by your gross feelings. Outfits are uniform. Long white and harmoniously pleated tunics cover the bodies. Everything is easy to those who only wish to reach God, undressed from material interests, living with simplicity and almost luminous.
Georges
Questions about the preceding essay
Parisian Society, June 27th, 1862 – Medium Mr. Costel
1. You described Venus through your favorite medium. We are delighted with its agreement with respect to what has been said although with less accuracy. We beg you to complement it by responding to a few questions. To begin with tell us how you know about that world.
– A. I am in errant but inspired by superior Spirits. I was sent to Venus on a mission.
2. Can Earth inhabitants incarnate there directly after having left our planet? – A. After leaving Earth the more advanced experience a more or less lengthy erraticism that frees them from the imperfectly broken carnal links by death.
OBSERVATION: The question was not about the possibility of incarnating there to the inhabitants of Earth but if they could do so directly, that is to say, without going through intermediary worlds. The answer indicates that it is possible to the more advanced ones.
3. Does the state of advancement of Venus’ inhabitants allow them to remember their passage through inferior worlds and by that the establishment of a comparison between the two situations? – A. Humans look to the past with the eyes of the mind glancing at something that is extinct. Thus, an advanced spirit sees with the same speed of the movement, faster than electricity, a beautiful discovery closely related to the Spiritist revelation. Both contain the material and intellectual progress.
OBSERVATION: In order to establish a comparison it is not absolutely necessary to know the position that someone has occupied. It is sufficient to know the material and moral condition of inferior worlds where one might have inhabited to identify the difference. Thus, taking into account what we are told about Mars we should be glad for no longer being there and, without leaving Earth, we can just look at the barbarians and ferocious peoples to know that we must have gone passed through that state and feel much happier. We only have hypothetical information about other worlds but it is possible that in those more advanced worlds one may have a greater degree of certainty than we have here.
– A. I am in errant but inspired by superior Spirits. I was sent to Venus on a mission.
2. Can Earth inhabitants incarnate there directly after having left our planet? – A. After leaving Earth the more advanced experience a more or less lengthy erraticism that frees them from the imperfectly broken carnal links by death.
OBSERVATION: The question was not about the possibility of incarnating there to the inhabitants of Earth but if they could do so directly, that is to say, without going through intermediary worlds. The answer indicates that it is possible to the more advanced ones.
3. Does the state of advancement of Venus’ inhabitants allow them to remember their passage through inferior worlds and by that the establishment of a comparison between the two situations? – A. Humans look to the past with the eyes of the mind glancing at something that is extinct. Thus, an advanced spirit sees with the same speed of the movement, faster than electricity, a beautiful discovery closely related to the Spiritist revelation. Both contain the material and intellectual progress.
OBSERVATION: In order to establish a comparison it is not absolutely necessary to know the position that someone has occupied. It is sufficient to know the material and moral condition of inferior worlds where one might have inhabited to identify the difference. Thus, taking into account what we are told about Mars we should be glad for no longer being there and, without leaving Earth, we can just look at the barbarians and ferocious peoples to know that we must have gone passed through that state and feel much happier. We only have hypothetical information about other worlds but it is possible that in those more advanced worlds one may have a greater degree of certainty than we have here.
4. Is life duration there proportionally longer or shorter than that of Earth? – A. In Venus reincarnation lasts much longer than on Earth. Without human violence, embedded in a vivifying influence the soul experiences wings that takes it to glorious planets like Jupiter and other similar ones.
OBSERVATION: As we have already noticed the duration of corporeal life seems to be proportional to the progress of the worlds. In his goodness God wanted to abbreviate the trials in inferior worlds. There is a physical reason to be added to that: the more advanced the world the less devastated the bodies by passions and diseases that are their consequence.
5. According to your description we are led to believe that given the character of Venus’ inhabitants there are no wars, disputes, hatred and envy there. – A. The human being only becomes what is expressed in words and their limited minds cannot reach infinity. Hence you even attribute your passions and inferior motives to the superior planets; these are viruses placed in your own beings for the harshness of the starting point, from which you only heal slowly. Divisions, disagreements and wars are unknown in Venus as much as anthropophagy is unknown among you.
OBSERVATION: As we have already noticed the duration of corporeal life seems to be proportional to the progress of the worlds. In his goodness God wanted to abbreviate the trials in inferior worlds. There is a physical reason to be added to that: the more advanced the world the less devastated the bodies by passions and diseases that are their consequence.
5. According to your description we are led to believe that given the character of Venus’ inhabitants there are no wars, disputes, hatred and envy there. – A. The human being only becomes what is expressed in words and their limited minds cannot reach infinity. Hence you even attribute your passions and inferior motives to the superior planets; these are viruses placed in your own beings for the harshness of the starting point, from which you only heal slowly. Divisions, disagreements and wars are unknown in Venus as much as anthropophagy is unknown among you.
OBSERVATION: Given the multiple social echelons Earth, in fact, shows a large number of types that can give us an idea about the worlds where each of those types constitute the normal state.
6. What is the status of religion in that planet? – A. Religion is the constant and active adoration of the Supreme Being. Adoration, however, exempt of any mistake, of any cult of idolatry.
7. Are all the inhabitants at the same levels or, like on Earth, some are more advanced than others? In such a case that inhabitants of Earth correspond to the least advanced there? –
A. Proportionally there is the same inequality among the inhabitants of Venus and Earth. The least advanced are the stars of planet Earth that is your geniuses and virtuous people.
8. Are there masters and servants? – A. Servility is the first degree of initiation. The slaves of antiquity, like those of modern America, are creatures destined to advance in an environment superior to their previous incarnation. Inferior creatures are subordinated to superior ones everywhere but in Venus such subordination cannot be compared to the physical subordination that exists on Earth for the superior ones are not lords but fathers of the inferior ones. Instead of exploiting they help them to advance.
9. Has Venus arrived gradually to the present position? Has it gone through the current levels of Earth and Venus? – A. There is remarkable unit in the whole divine work. Like the creatures, like everything that is created, animal or vegetable, the planets inevitably advance. Life in its multiple expressions is a perpetual ascension to the Creator. It develops the levels of its eternity in a huge spiral.
10. We received agreeing communications about Jupiter, Mars and Venus. Why have we only got contradictory messages about the Moon that does not allow a unique opinion? – A. This void will be filled out soon and you will have revelations about the Moon that are so clear and accurate as you have about the planets. Later you will understand the reasons why they have not been given yet.
OBSERVATION: This communication about Venus does not certainly have the absolute characters of authenticity and that is the reason why we publish it with a conditional title. What has already been said about that planet, however, gives this message a certain degree of possibility but regardless it contains the picture of a world that must necessarily exist to any person who does not hold the proud and pretentious belief that Earth is the apogee of human perfection; it is rather a link in the chain of planets and an accessible level to those who are not strong enough to promptly inhabit Jupiter.
7. Are all the inhabitants at the same levels or, like on Earth, some are more advanced than others? In such a case that inhabitants of Earth correspond to the least advanced there? –
A. Proportionally there is the same inequality among the inhabitants of Venus and Earth. The least advanced are the stars of planet Earth that is your geniuses and virtuous people.
8. Are there masters and servants? – A. Servility is the first degree of initiation. The slaves of antiquity, like those of modern America, are creatures destined to advance in an environment superior to their previous incarnation. Inferior creatures are subordinated to superior ones everywhere but in Venus such subordination cannot be compared to the physical subordination that exists on Earth for the superior ones are not lords but fathers of the inferior ones. Instead of exploiting they help them to advance.
9. Has Venus arrived gradually to the present position? Has it gone through the current levels of Earth and Venus? – A. There is remarkable unit in the whole divine work. Like the creatures, like everything that is created, animal or vegetable, the planets inevitably advance. Life in its multiple expressions is a perpetual ascension to the Creator. It develops the levels of its eternity in a huge spiral.
10. We received agreeing communications about Jupiter, Mars and Venus. Why have we only got contradictory messages about the Moon that does not allow a unique opinion? – A. This void will be filled out soon and you will have revelations about the Moon that are so clear and accurate as you have about the planets. Later you will understand the reasons why they have not been given yet.
OBSERVATION: This communication about Venus does not certainly have the absolute characters of authenticity and that is the reason why we publish it with a conditional title. What has already been said about that planet, however, gives this message a certain degree of possibility but regardless it contains the picture of a world that must necessarily exist to any person who does not hold the proud and pretentious belief that Earth is the apogee of human perfection; it is rather a link in the chain of planets and an accessible level to those who are not strong enough to promptly inhabit Jupiter.
Letter to the journal of Saint-Jean-d’Angély
We found the letter below in the journal of Saint-Jean-d’Angély on June 15th, 1862:
“To Mr. Pierre de L… editor of the journal Le Mellois.
In a letter addressed to the Le Mellois from June 8th last you issued a challenge to what you call the little church of Saint-Jean-d’ Angély. Shocked by the fact that you were rejected by Mr. Borreau who did not want to receive you, you turned against your comrade in Spiritism to question him. Although I am not the remarkable medium that you mentioned I take the liberty of sending you a few observations.
What could have been your objectives on challenging first Mr. Borreau and later the Spiritists of Saint-Jean-d’ Angély to have the spirit of Jacques Bujault evoked? A joke to terminate the civil and organic war that seems to stain the fertile fields of Poitou with blood? If that is so I do believe that you must understand that the honor of serious and rightful people who firmly believe in the principles established about the phenomena, whose certainty they acknowledge, force them not to get into your game. Like the skeptical, you certainly have the right to laugh at those theories. You know well Sir that people laugh at everything in France. Nonetheless, and however good your joke, it is not new and among others a certain journalist of the paper to whom I address this letter had already used it.
If the issue was raised in all seriousness, allow me to say that you have not taken a good route to achieving your objective. The mockery contained in your first article would not have Mr. Borreau convinced of your sincerity. He was in his own right to doubt and not give you the opportunity for a discussion about the evocation of the prior whom you know. Your satire about the uselessness of Spiritism and the dissidence that divides the followers will not convince Mr. C… about your good faith with which you claim its lights. If you truly wish to solve such a problem then the best, simplest and most convenient way in my opinion is to come to the Upper Room, and there, stripping from any preconceived ideas, making a clean sweep of any previous prevention, coldly examine the phenomena that will take place before you, and submit them to the criterion of certainty. If once or twice you believe to have being exposed to hallucinations then repeat the experiences. Spiritualism will tell you like Christ did to Thomas:
Empty pedes, empty manus, Noli esse incredulus.
And if such experiments always lead to the same result, you must trust the testimony of your senses, according to every rule of logic, unless you are reduced to a Pyrrhonian skepticism something that I am far from believing. If, on the contrary, your articles were nothing more than a game to entertain local disputes fed by the clumsy vote of the Agricultural Society of Niort, you may than continue your funny jokes, brilliant attacks admired by us, the uninterested spectators. Then allow the Spiritist to keep their faith. In fact, mockery is not always right. The aphorism: ‘ridicule kills’ is not perfectly accurate and one could say about such cruel weapon, particularly among ourselves, what was said to a character of a comedy: ‘all those that you killed are doing fine’.
People have laughed at all great things and have treated them as madness but that did not preclude them from taking place. The existence of another continent was laughed at but America was still discovered; the steam engine was disdained and here we are in the century of the railroads; people laughed at the Pyroscaphe and at Fulton the inventor and now they navigate oceans and rivers; they laughed at – show reverence Sir – Jesus Christ and his sublime madness, the madness of the cross, conquered the whole world. Thus, if Spiritism is momentarily exposed to the epigrams of the descendent of Voltaire, it nonetheless follows its path. Future will tell. If this system is founded on truth, neither passions nor jokes will prevail against it; if it is nothing more than a mistake – a generous mistake, one must confess – it will meet obliviousness like the many thousands aberrations of the spirit in this century of materialism, aberrations that have veered off the human spirit under multiple and strange names.
Please receive, Sir, the expression of my sincere courtesy.
A follower.”
OBSERVATION: This is not the first time that a follower accepts the challenge issued by a derider against Spiritism and more than one among them realized that they were facing adversaries that were stronger and in larger number than they thought. Many now understand that the best thing to do is to be quiet. One must then say that the Spiritist ideas have crossed the fence achieving the opponent’s field where they begin to feel outdated and then wait. Spiritism these days is no longer professed in secrecy. We now openly say that we are Spiritists as we would say that we are French, English, Catholic, Jewish or Protestant, partisan of this or that other Philosophy. Any puerile fear has vanished. Then, may all Spiritists have the courage of sustaining their opinion because that is how the detractors will shut up and have food for thought. Spiritism grows incessantly like a rising wave that surrounds a formerly great island and that soon will be reduced to a point. What will the detractors do when they find themselves standing on that little island continuously reduced by the new ideas? We see the dragging wave growing. That is why we are no worried. One day, though, those standing terrified on the little island will reach out to us and seek help.
“To Mr. Pierre de L… editor of the journal Le Mellois.
In a letter addressed to the Le Mellois from June 8th last you issued a challenge to what you call the little church of Saint-Jean-d’ Angély. Shocked by the fact that you were rejected by Mr. Borreau who did not want to receive you, you turned against your comrade in Spiritism to question him. Although I am not the remarkable medium that you mentioned I take the liberty of sending you a few observations.
What could have been your objectives on challenging first Mr. Borreau and later the Spiritists of Saint-Jean-d’ Angély to have the spirit of Jacques Bujault evoked? A joke to terminate the civil and organic war that seems to stain the fertile fields of Poitou with blood? If that is so I do believe that you must understand that the honor of serious and rightful people who firmly believe in the principles established about the phenomena, whose certainty they acknowledge, force them not to get into your game. Like the skeptical, you certainly have the right to laugh at those theories. You know well Sir that people laugh at everything in France. Nonetheless, and however good your joke, it is not new and among others a certain journalist of the paper to whom I address this letter had already used it.
If the issue was raised in all seriousness, allow me to say that you have not taken a good route to achieving your objective. The mockery contained in your first article would not have Mr. Borreau convinced of your sincerity. He was in his own right to doubt and not give you the opportunity for a discussion about the evocation of the prior whom you know. Your satire about the uselessness of Spiritism and the dissidence that divides the followers will not convince Mr. C… about your good faith with which you claim its lights. If you truly wish to solve such a problem then the best, simplest and most convenient way in my opinion is to come to the Upper Room, and there, stripping from any preconceived ideas, making a clean sweep of any previous prevention, coldly examine the phenomena that will take place before you, and submit them to the criterion of certainty. If once or twice you believe to have being exposed to hallucinations then repeat the experiences. Spiritualism will tell you like Christ did to Thomas:
Empty pedes, empty manus, Noli esse incredulus.
And if such experiments always lead to the same result, you must trust the testimony of your senses, according to every rule of logic, unless you are reduced to a Pyrrhonian skepticism something that I am far from believing. If, on the contrary, your articles were nothing more than a game to entertain local disputes fed by the clumsy vote of the Agricultural Society of Niort, you may than continue your funny jokes, brilliant attacks admired by us, the uninterested spectators. Then allow the Spiritist to keep their faith. In fact, mockery is not always right. The aphorism: ‘ridicule kills’ is not perfectly accurate and one could say about such cruel weapon, particularly among ourselves, what was said to a character of a comedy: ‘all those that you killed are doing fine’.
People have laughed at all great things and have treated them as madness but that did not preclude them from taking place. The existence of another continent was laughed at but America was still discovered; the steam engine was disdained and here we are in the century of the railroads; people laughed at the Pyroscaphe and at Fulton the inventor and now they navigate oceans and rivers; they laughed at – show reverence Sir – Jesus Christ and his sublime madness, the madness of the cross, conquered the whole world. Thus, if Spiritism is momentarily exposed to the epigrams of the descendent of Voltaire, it nonetheless follows its path. Future will tell. If this system is founded on truth, neither passions nor jokes will prevail against it; if it is nothing more than a mistake – a generous mistake, one must confess – it will meet obliviousness like the many thousands aberrations of the spirit in this century of materialism, aberrations that have veered off the human spirit under multiple and strange names.
Please receive, Sir, the expression of my sincere courtesy.
A follower.”
OBSERVATION: This is not the first time that a follower accepts the challenge issued by a derider against Spiritism and more than one among them realized that they were facing adversaries that were stronger and in larger number than they thought. Many now understand that the best thing to do is to be quiet. One must then say that the Spiritist ideas have crossed the fence achieving the opponent’s field where they begin to feel outdated and then wait. Spiritism these days is no longer professed in secrecy. We now openly say that we are Spiritists as we would say that we are French, English, Catholic, Jewish or Protestant, partisan of this or that other Philosophy. Any puerile fear has vanished. Then, may all Spiritists have the courage of sustaining their opinion because that is how the detractors will shut up and have food for thought. Spiritism grows incessantly like a rising wave that surrounds a formerly great island and that soon will be reduced to a point. What will the detractors do when they find themselves standing on that little island continuously reduced by the new ideas? We see the dragging wave growing. That is why we are no worried. One day, though, those standing terrified on the little island will reach out to us and seek help.
Punishment of a greedy man
François Riquier was a very simple, old bachelor who died in C… about four or five years ago, leaving a considerable fortune to relatives. He was formerly a property owner for a place inhabited by one of our colleagues, Mrs. F… The lady had completely forgotten him. Lately her daughter who is subjected to crises of catalepsy followed by spontaneous magnetic sleep saw Mr. Riquier in that sleeping state when he then said that he wanted to approach her mother. A few days later the young lady who also was a good writing medium wrote the message below in which Mr. Riquier accurately provided his name and address. Since the young lady did not know such address she was surprised by the accuracy after verification. Here is the communication that is an example of the penalties reserved to guilty Spirits. Since the communication was spontaneous and he indicated his interest in speaking to Mrs. F… he was then asked this:
- - Q. What is it that you want from us?
- - A. I want my money that was taken by those miserable ones who split it among themselves. The dismantling of my estate as if it were not mine. They sold my farms, my houses and divided everything. Do me justice since they cannot hear me and I cannot witness such outrage. They say I was greedy and yet they keep my money! Why do not they want to give it back to me since they believe it is bad money?
- - Q. But you are dead, poor man. You no longer need money. Ask God for a new life as a poor person in order to atone the greed of this last one.
- - A. No. I cannot live in poverty. I need my money to live. As a matter of fact I do not need a new life for I am alive now.
The question below was asked with the intent of bringing him back to reality.
- - Q. Are you suffering?
- - A. Oh! Yes. I suffer horrendous tortures, worse than the cruelest disease, because it is my soul that endures such tortures. The iniquity of my life is always present in my mind, iniquity that was reason for scandals to others. I know well that I am a miserable person, unworthy of anybody’s pity so much so that I need your help to leave such a miserable state.
- - Q. We will pray for you.
- - Thank you. Ask God that I may forget my earthly wealth without which I could never repent. Good-bye and thank you.
Rue de la Charité, 114
OBSERVATION: This example and many other analogous demonstrate that the spirit may keep the idea of still being in the corporeal world for many years. Such an illusion is not a privilege of cases of violent death. It seems to be a consequence of the level of materialism of the earthly life and the persistence of such a materialistic feeling that cannot be defeated is a torment to the spirit. Besides, we find here a proof that the spirit is a being similar to the corporeal one with the difference that it is fluid because in order to keep the idea that he is still in this world and that he is still or believe to be in business it is necessary that there is a form, a body like when alive. If there were only a breath left, a smoke, a spark, the spirit would not be fooled by the situation. That is how the study of the even vulgar Spirits enlightens us with respect to the real condition in the invisible world and confirms the most important truths.
The merit of prayer
The same person mentioned in the preceding fact one day spontaneously received the following communication but in principle not understanding its origin.
“You have not forgotten me and I had never had your forgiveness. It is true that I caused a lot of harm but I have been punished for a long time. My suffering has not ended. I see you going about doing your duties with so much courage to provide for the needs of your family and envy ceaselessly devours my heart. Your…”
We stopped here to ask who that person was. The spirit added:
“Do not interrupt me. I will give you a name when I finish. I followed your resignation and that was one of my greatest sufferings. Have some compassion on my soul if you are really a disciple of Jesus. I was too much alone on Earth although surrounded by relatives and envy was my greatest fault. It was envy that made me dominate your husband. It seemed that you regained control over him when I met you and that was when I put myself between the two of you. Forgive me and have courage. God will have mercy on you. My sister the one that I oppressed my whole life was the only one to pray for me but yours are the prayers that I miss the most. The others do not bring me the seal of forgiveness. Good-bye. Forgive!
Angele Rouget”
The lady then adds: “I then remembered perfectly well that person deceased some twenty five years ago and to whom I have given no thoughts for a long time. I ask myself how much wouldn’t her sister’s prayers, a virtuous, kind, resigned and dedicated person, be more fruitful than mine. You must certainly realize that I have forgiven and prayed.
Answer: The spirit explains that when says “prayers form others do not bring me the seal of forgiveness”. In fact since that lady was the one particularly offended by the deceased, her prayers were dressed in forgiveness and that would certainly touch even more the guilty spirit! Her sister was in a way doing her duty; on the other side there is an act of charity. The offended had more rights and merit to request grace; her forgiveness must then alleviate the spirit. Now, we know that the main effect of prayer is to act upon the moral side of the spirit as much to calm down as to lead the spirit to good. By doing so the prayer expedites the clemency of the Supreme Judge who always forgives the repentant sinner.
Imperfect as it is before the divine justice, human justice frequently offers some similar examples. If a person is taken to the court by the offenses addressed to someone, there is nobody more capable of granting acquittal to that person than the offended who may generously withdraw the complaint.
Having the message above been read at the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies, the following question was framed by one of the members:
“Q. The Spirits constantly ask for prayers from the mortals. Would that be the case that the good Spirits do not pray in favor of those in suffering? And, in that case, why would our prayers be more efficient?”
The following answer was given by St. Augustine in the same session, through the medium Mr. E. Vézy:
“Pray always, my children; I have told you already: the prayer is like a beneficent drizzle than can turn the over dried earth less arid. I come still to repeat and add a few words as an answer to the question. You ask why the suffering Spirits prefer to ask for your prayers rather than ours. Are the prayers of the mortals more efficient that those of the good Spirits?
Who told you that your prayers were capable of spreading consolation and giving strength to weak Spirits who cannot go to God but with effort and many times without courage? If they beg for your prayers it is because they have the merit of the earthly emanations that voluntarily rise up to God. They always appreciate it since they come from your charity and love. The prayer is an act of abnegation to you; to us it is a duty. The incarnate who prays for the neighbor accomplish the noble task of pure Spirits; without having their courage and strength, realize their wonders!
It is an attribute of our life to console the spirit that suffers but one of your prayers is a collar that you take from your neck to give to the beggar; it is the bread that you take from your table to give to the hungry and that is why your prayers are pleasing to the one who receives them. Doesn’t the father always yield to the prayer of the prodigal son? Doesn’t he call all servants to kill the beautiful veal to celebrate the return of the guilty son? How would he not do even more for the one who would kneel and say: Oh Father! I am wicked but I am not asking for myself; forgive my repentant brother, who is weaker and less culpable than me!”
Oh! That is when the father acknowledges; that is when every gift of love is taken from the heart to the son. He says: “You were full of iniquities; you said yourself that you were a criminal; but, understanding the greatness of your faults you have not asked for grace towards you; you accept the suffering of my punishment and despite the tortures you find enough strength to ask in favor of your brother!” Well, then! The father doesn’t want to be more charitable than the son: he forgives both; he will hold their hands so that they can move on and follow the straight line that leads to his glory.
Now you know, my children, why the suffering Spirits that wander around you beg for your prayers; we must pray; you can pray. Prayer from the heart is the soul of the souls if I can say so; it is the sublime quintessence that rises virgin, beautiful and radiant to the vastest soul of God.”
Saint Augustine
“You have not forgotten me and I had never had your forgiveness. It is true that I caused a lot of harm but I have been punished for a long time. My suffering has not ended. I see you going about doing your duties with so much courage to provide for the needs of your family and envy ceaselessly devours my heart. Your…”
We stopped here to ask who that person was. The spirit added:
“Do not interrupt me. I will give you a name when I finish. I followed your resignation and that was one of my greatest sufferings. Have some compassion on my soul if you are really a disciple of Jesus. I was too much alone on Earth although surrounded by relatives and envy was my greatest fault. It was envy that made me dominate your husband. It seemed that you regained control over him when I met you and that was when I put myself between the two of you. Forgive me and have courage. God will have mercy on you. My sister the one that I oppressed my whole life was the only one to pray for me but yours are the prayers that I miss the most. The others do not bring me the seal of forgiveness. Good-bye. Forgive!
Angele Rouget”
The lady then adds: “I then remembered perfectly well that person deceased some twenty five years ago and to whom I have given no thoughts for a long time. I ask myself how much wouldn’t her sister’s prayers, a virtuous, kind, resigned and dedicated person, be more fruitful than mine. You must certainly realize that I have forgiven and prayed.
Answer: The spirit explains that when says “prayers form others do not bring me the seal of forgiveness”. In fact since that lady was the one particularly offended by the deceased, her prayers were dressed in forgiveness and that would certainly touch even more the guilty spirit! Her sister was in a way doing her duty; on the other side there is an act of charity. The offended had more rights and merit to request grace; her forgiveness must then alleviate the spirit. Now, we know that the main effect of prayer is to act upon the moral side of the spirit as much to calm down as to lead the spirit to good. By doing so the prayer expedites the clemency of the Supreme Judge who always forgives the repentant sinner.
Imperfect as it is before the divine justice, human justice frequently offers some similar examples. If a person is taken to the court by the offenses addressed to someone, there is nobody more capable of granting acquittal to that person than the offended who may generously withdraw the complaint.
Having the message above been read at the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies, the following question was framed by one of the members:
“Q. The Spirits constantly ask for prayers from the mortals. Would that be the case that the good Spirits do not pray in favor of those in suffering? And, in that case, why would our prayers be more efficient?”
The following answer was given by St. Augustine in the same session, through the medium Mr. E. Vézy:
“Pray always, my children; I have told you already: the prayer is like a beneficent drizzle than can turn the over dried earth less arid. I come still to repeat and add a few words as an answer to the question. You ask why the suffering Spirits prefer to ask for your prayers rather than ours. Are the prayers of the mortals more efficient that those of the good Spirits?
Who told you that your prayers were capable of spreading consolation and giving strength to weak Spirits who cannot go to God but with effort and many times without courage? If they beg for your prayers it is because they have the merit of the earthly emanations that voluntarily rise up to God. They always appreciate it since they come from your charity and love. The prayer is an act of abnegation to you; to us it is a duty. The incarnate who prays for the neighbor accomplish the noble task of pure Spirits; without having their courage and strength, realize their wonders!
It is an attribute of our life to console the spirit that suffers but one of your prayers is a collar that you take from your neck to give to the beggar; it is the bread that you take from your table to give to the hungry and that is why your prayers are pleasing to the one who receives them. Doesn’t the father always yield to the prayer of the prodigal son? Doesn’t he call all servants to kill the beautiful veal to celebrate the return of the guilty son? How would he not do even more for the one who would kneel and say: Oh Father! I am wicked but I am not asking for myself; forgive my repentant brother, who is weaker and less culpable than me!”
Oh! That is when the father acknowledges; that is when every gift of love is taken from the heart to the son. He says: “You were full of iniquities; you said yourself that you were a criminal; but, understanding the greatness of your faults you have not asked for grace towards you; you accept the suffering of my punishment and despite the tortures you find enough strength to ask in favor of your brother!” Well, then! The father doesn’t want to be more charitable than the son: he forgives both; he will hold their hands so that they can move on and follow the straight line that leads to his glory.
Now you know, my children, why the suffering Spirits that wander around you beg for your prayers; we must pray; you can pray. Prayer from the heart is the soul of the souls if I can say so; it is the sublime quintessence that rises virgin, beautiful and radiant to the vastest soul of God.”
Saint Augustine
Spiritist dissertations
The conquest of the futureGroup from Sainte-Gemme-Tarn, medium Mr. C…
The Spiritist idea is growing. It will soon cover the French soil from North to South, from East to West. The milestones are set apart accordingly. You are the landmarks. You shall have the honor of delineating the route to be followed by your neighbors with our advices. Be united not only through a common thought but also with a common action. The phase of experimentation and observation is over. Now is time for application. You must act and act fearlessly. Do not look backwards. On the contrary, stare at the future and contemplate the objective and the obstacles in your way. If you waste time counting your steps instead of advancing rapidly you will fail your mission. Take the traveler’s cane and move on! But do not travel alone. May the whole Spiritist army, this vanguard of the evangelical doctrine, travel together.
Unite, consult one another and fly towards the conquest of the future.
Hippolyte Fortoul
The Spiritist idea is growing. It will soon cover the French soil from North to South, from East to West. The milestones are set apart accordingly. You are the landmarks. You shall have the honor of delineating the route to be followed by your neighbors with our advices. Be united not only through a common thought but also with a common action. The phase of experimentation and observation is over. Now is time for application. You must act and act fearlessly. Do not look backwards. On the contrary, stare at the future and contemplate the objective and the obstacles in your way. If you waste time counting your steps instead of advancing rapidly you will fail your mission. Take the traveler’s cane and move on! But do not travel alone. May the whole Spiritist army, this vanguard of the evangelical doctrine, travel together.
Unite, consult one another and fly towards the conquest of the future.
Hippolyte Fortoul
The Pentecost Group from Sainte-Gemme-Tarn, medium Mr. C…
The Spirit of God breathes upon the world so as to regenerate His children. If God does not show up any more like tongs of fire as in the time of the apostles He is not less present among you. Pray with all your heart to the Almighty so that you are worthy and take advantage of the moral benefits and every imperishable gift that God found adequate to spread over the heads of the apostles of Christ. Ask and you shall be given, and nothing that you may ask to the benefit of your moral progress will be denied. Once more, pray with all your heart but allow your heart to speak and not your lips; or even if your lips move may they only repeat what your heart is saying. Once animated by the Spirit of God your happiness will be so great that you cannot imagine. It depends on you to achieve that. From that moment your days will be just considered as a stretch of the path to achieve the destiny and where, at the end of the day, are going to receive your meal and a shelter for the night. The small amount of relative importance that you must associate to the earthly things must not distract you from your very serious material duties. In the eyes of God it is a serious mistake if you do not consciously perform your everyday duties. Nothing that has come out of God’s hands must be neglected. Within limits you must enjoy the material assets that you were given. You duty is to share them with your brothers and sisters who were precluded from them and do not keep them exclusively to you. A pure conscience, a boundless charity and a limitless humility, that is the best prayer to attract the Saint Spirit. It is the true Veni Creator but that does not mean that the one sung at the church is not a prayer that will be blessed whenever it comes from the heart; as it has been said many times the intention is everything, the form is nothing. Pray through your actions so that the Saint Spirit comes to visit you and spill upon your soul the strength that gives you the faith necessary to overcome the miseries of human existence on Earth and to reach out to those brothers and sisters whose weaknesses of spirit preclude them from seeing the light, without which you can only grope around, risking to shock against every obstacle spread on your way. The true happiness sought by everyone is there, reachable by everybody. It is a matter of will to reach it.
Make your firm and good resolutions and then you shall not lack the Spirit of God, rest assured. Love your neighbor as yourself for the love of God and you will have dignified the very day when the Saint Spirit came to visit the apostles of Christianity.
Hyppolyte Fortoul
Make your firm and good resolutions and then you shall not lack the Spirit of God, rest assured. Love your neighbor as yourself for the love of God and you will have dignified the very day when the Saint Spirit came to visit the apostles of Christianity.
Hyppolyte Fortoul
Forgiveness - Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies – medium Mr. A. Didier
How can one find the strength to forgive? The sublimity of forgiveness is the death of Christ on the Golgotha. I have already told you that Jesus summarized in his life all human struggles and anguishes. All of those who deserved the Christian name died with forgiveness in their lips. The defenders of the oppressed liberties, the martyrs of great causes and truths have understood so much the elevation and sublimity of his life that they did not fail at the last minute and forgave. If Augustus forgiveness is not entirely sublime historically, the Augustus of Corneille, the great tragic, owns himself and the universe for he forgives. Ah! How petty those who owned the world and did not forgive! How great the one who had all spiritual humanities in the future centuries and forgave! Forgiveness is an inspiration and sometimes an advice given by the Spirits. Unfortunate are those who shut their ears to that voice. They are punished, as the Scriptures say, because they had ears and did not hear. Then! If you want to forgive, if you feel weak before yourself, contemplate the death of Christ. The one who knows oneself easily wins the battle against oneself. That is why a great prince of old wisdom knew to know himself, before anything else. The athletes were taught the safe ways of winning the great battles before they were sent to the fields of war. In the academia Socrates taught that there was a Supreme Being and later on and centuries before Jesus he taught the whole Greek nation to die and forgive.
A vicious and weak person does not forgive. Someone used to the personal fights, to the fair thoughts and reflections easily forgives.
Lamennais
A vicious and weak person does not forgive. Someone used to the personal fights, to the fair thoughts and reflections easily forgives.
Lamennais
Vengeance - Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies – medium Mr. de B…M…
Vengeance pleases the heart, said the poet. Oh! Blind people who give free ride to the ugliest passions. You believe to harm your neighbor with your blows and do not notice that they come back against you. It is not only a crime but also an absurd misunderstanding. Brothers, it is like bad feelings, hatred, jealousy, children of pride, the means utilized by the Spirits of darkness to attract to them those who they feel may escape them. It is the most infallible instrument of moral ruin that could reach human’s hands by the enemies who rejoice with their moral defeat.
You must all resist, children of Earth, to this wicked attraction, and rest assured that if someone has deserved your rage, it is not in the heat of the anger that you will find peace of mind. Deliver it to the hands of the Almighty and He will pronounce with respect to your rights and the justice of your cause. There is something degrading and impious to the spirit in vengeance. No, vengeance is not compatible with perfection. While someone keeps such feelings they will stay in the basements of the spiritual world. But you shall not be the eternal toy of that unfortunate passion. I guarantee that the abolition of the false notion of the eternal hell, or better saying, the eternal penalties that have served as a pretext or at least as an excuse to acts of vengeance, it will be the dawn of a new era of tolerance and kindness that shall not be long to extend even to regions that lack a moral life.
Could humans condemn vengeance when God was presented to them as someone jealous and vindictive that personally promotes the eternal tortures? Stop people; stop insulting the Divinity, transferring to God your own ignoble passions. You shall then be, oh inhabitants of Earth, a God blessed people. You who hear me you must proceed in a liberating way, a way that frees the soul from the shameful actions contrary to charity so that you may deserve to be admitted at the sacred sanctuary whose doors can only be opened by charity.
Pierre Ange, protector spirit
You must all resist, children of Earth, to this wicked attraction, and rest assured that if someone has deserved your rage, it is not in the heat of the anger that you will find peace of mind. Deliver it to the hands of the Almighty and He will pronounce with respect to your rights and the justice of your cause. There is something degrading and impious to the spirit in vengeance. No, vengeance is not compatible with perfection. While someone keeps such feelings they will stay in the basements of the spiritual world. But you shall not be the eternal toy of that unfortunate passion. I guarantee that the abolition of the false notion of the eternal hell, or better saying, the eternal penalties that have served as a pretext or at least as an excuse to acts of vengeance, it will be the dawn of a new era of tolerance and kindness that shall not be long to extend even to regions that lack a moral life.
Could humans condemn vengeance when God was presented to them as someone jealous and vindictive that personally promotes the eternal tortures? Stop people; stop insulting the Divinity, transferring to God your own ignoble passions. You shall then be, oh inhabitants of Earth, a God blessed people. You who hear me you must proceed in a liberating way, a way that frees the soul from the shameful actions contrary to charity so that you may deserve to be admitted at the sacred sanctuary whose doors can only be opened by charity.
Pierre Ange, protector spirit
Spiritism in Lyon
Communications from beyond the grave, select manifestations from the Spiritist Society of Brotteaux with the epigraph: “Spiritism is not imposed; it is reached by necessity”. Allan Kardec, The Spiritist Review 1861. Brochure in-8, 32 pages, followed with four mediumistic drawings. Price 75 cents. At the main bookstores in Lyon and at the Ledoyen in Paris.
This is the first of a series of brochures to be published at undetermined times. It contains a collection of messages received in the Brotteaux group directed by Mr. Déjoud, manager at an atelier. All those communications are in full agreement with the doctrine found in The Spirits’ Book and breathe the healthiest moral with the unquestionable sponsorship of good and benevolent Spirits.
The style is simple, family-like, perfectly adapted to the environment where they were given and do not carry abstract ideas. The good Spirits want to instruct, before anything else, hence they position themselves at the level of the audience, giving little importance to the satisfaction of those who appreciate pompous styles and do not take advantage of the lessons. To them the essential thing is that the instruction is good and penetrates people’s hearts. Our understanding is that from that point of view the collection fully achieves the objective.
We happily take this opportunity to congratulate Mr. Déjoud, leader of that group, one of the largest in Lyon, for his enthusiasm and perseverance in the propagation of Spiritism among the workers, his brothers.
-o-
The third volume of “Revelations from beyond the grave” by Mrs. Dozan will be published soon.
This is the first of a series of brochures to be published at undetermined times. It contains a collection of messages received in the Brotteaux group directed by Mr. Déjoud, manager at an atelier. All those communications are in full agreement with the doctrine found in The Spirits’ Book and breathe the healthiest moral with the unquestionable sponsorship of good and benevolent Spirits.
The style is simple, family-like, perfectly adapted to the environment where they were given and do not carry abstract ideas. The good Spirits want to instruct, before anything else, hence they position themselves at the level of the audience, giving little importance to the satisfaction of those who appreciate pompous styles and do not take advantage of the lessons. To them the essential thing is that the instruction is good and penetrates people’s hearts. Our understanding is that from that point of view the collection fully achieves the objective.
We happily take this opportunity to congratulate Mr. Déjoud, leader of that group, one of the largest in Lyon, for his enthusiasm and perseverance in the propagation of Spiritism among the workers, his brothers.
-o-
The third volume of “Revelations from beyond the grave” by Mrs. Dozan will be published soon.