PersecutionsConsidering the mockery that has been shattered against the armor of Spiritism and that it serves better to its propagation than to its discredit, the adversaries rehearse of another ploy is not going to give better results and will eventually create new proselytes. Such a ploy is persecution. We say that it will help more for a very simple reason. The fact is that the importance of Spiritism grows in proportion to the importance that it is given. Besides, the more a cause is beaten the more we feel attached to it. The readers will undoubtedly remember the beautiful communications given about the martyrs of Spiritism published in The Spiritist Review of April last. The Spirits announced such a phase long ago. They said:
“When they see the uselessness of ridicule they will try persecution. There will no longer be bloody martyrdoms but many will suffer in their interests and affections. They will try to separate families, reduce the number of followers by persecute them. This is a situation that will be worse than death. However, they will still find some unmovable and devout souls who will know how to face the miseries of the world in hopes of a better future that waits for them. Remember those words from the Divine Savior: Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted. Rest assured, however, that the time of persecution is close but it will be short and your enemies will only harvest shame out of that because the weapons that they utilize against you will turn against them.”
The predicted time has begun. We see in several places regrettable things done by the ministers of a God of charity and peace. We shall not speak of the violence against consciences by expelling from the Church those who are taken there by Spiritism. Since this has led to more or less negative results they sought other more efficient practices.
We could mention places where people were threatened to lose their jobs; others where the followers were marked by public scorn, persecuted by gangs of youngster; others still were kids were spelled from schools for the reason that their parents sympathized with Spiritism; another one where a poor professor was fired and left in misery because he had a copy of The Spirits’ Book at home.
We received from this latter one a touching prayer in a poem, full of noble feelings and the most sincere resignation. We must add that a benefactor Spiritist reached out to him and that he was victim of an infamous treachery from the part of a man who he had confided and who seemed to be interested in the book.
During the last Lent and in a small town where Spiritism counts on a good number of followers a missionary said from the pulpit: “I trust that there are only good faithful people in the audience without any Jews, Protestants or Spiritists.” It looks that he was not very much confident in the power of conversion of his words.
In a community near Bordeaux people wanted to forbid five or more Spiritists to get together saying that it was forbidden by the law. A superior authority, however, drove the local authority to behave according to the actual law. The result of that little annoyance is that today three quarters of that community are Spiritists.
Spiritists of several towns wanted to gather in the Department of Tarn-et-Garonne and were accused of conspiring against the government. Such ridicule accusation was soon dropped as it should and provoked laughter.
As a compensation to all that we were told that a magistrate said: “I wish that by the will of God everybody were Spiritist”. He has thus announced a great and profound truth for one can already observe the moralizing influence that Spiritism exerts upon the masses. Isn’t that a wonderful result to see people renouncing to alcoholism, mockery, all sorts of degrading excesses, and suicide? Violent men become well-behaved, kind and peaceful and good family members! People who used to say blasphemies against God now praying with their hearts and approaching altars? These are the people that you are expelling from the Church!
Ah! If there still are many days of atonement on Earth may God allow the existence of many Spiritists because these have learned to forgive their offenders and consider reaching out to them instead of stepping on them to their first duty as Christians!
A bookseller from Charente sent us the following:
“I was not afraid of openly declaring my Spiritist opinions. I put the petty worldly things aside without worrying if that would harm my business. I was, however, far from expecting what did happen to me. If all that was reserved by evilness were jokes that would not be anything. Ah! Thanks to those who hardly understand religion I became the ugly sheep of the flock, the plague of the district. I am pointed at as the precursor of anti-Christ. They threw everything at me, including calumny, to take me down, to scare my customers away in a word and to ruin me. The Spirits speak of persecutions, of martyrs of Spiritism. I am not proud of that but I am certainly among them. It is true that my family also suffers with that but I am fortunate to have a wife who also shares my Spiritist convictions. My children will soon be at an age that will allow them to understand such a beautiful doctrine. I intend to enlighten them with our belief. May God allow me to do so – regardless of what people do otherwise – and have them instructed and prepared to fight, if necessary! The events reported in the May issue of your The Spiritist Review has a shocking analogy with what has happened to me. Like the author of the letter I was disgracefully expelled from the confessionary. Before that the vicar wanted me to renounce to my Spiritist ideas. The result of his imprudence is that he will never see me again in the religious ceremonies. If what I am doing is wrong he is the one to blame.”
The following passages were extracted from a letter sent to us from the Vosges region. Although authorized to name the author and the place we will not understandably do so but the letter is in our hands and will use it whenever necessary. The fact is identical to all others mentioned above and according to its greater or lesser importance they will later belong to the history of the establishment of Spiritism.
“I am not very savvy in literature to treat the subject accordingly. Nevertheless I will try to make myself understood as long as you forgive the imperfection of my style and my writing for I have been eager to write you for months since my son sent me the books containing the Spiritist Doctrine and the one about the mediums.
I was returning from the fields when I saw the books brought by the mailman. I was quick with the dinner and immediately started reading them under the candle light by the bed thinking that I would read until I felt sleepy but I read all night long and so keenly that I never felt like sleeping.”
He then describes the reasons that had led him to the absolute religious disbelief here omitted for a matter of respect.
“..All these considerations populated my mind daily; I was taken by a feeling of displeasure; I was led to a state of harsh skepticism; in that solitude, boredom and despair I had decided to end my misery through suicide. Ah! Sir, I do not know if anyone will ever make an idea of the effect that The Spirits’ Book had on me. The trust was reborn; the love of God took my heart over and I felt embedded in a kind of divine balsam. In my whole life I sought the truth and God’s justice to only find abuse and lies, and now in my advanced age I am fortunate enough to find that so much desired truth. What a change in my situation! From sadness to kindness. I am now continuously in the presence of God and his blessed Spirits, my Creator and the loyal protector Spirits.
I believe that the most beautiful poetic expressions are insufficient to describe such a pleasant situation. When allowed by my weak chest I sing hymns and songs that might please them. Finally I am happy because of Spiritism. I sent I letter to my son, the one who sent me the books, telling him that the books made me happier than if he had sent me the greatest fortune.”
Below follows a detailed report of tests of mediumship with the results carried out by followers in a village. Several mediums appeared among them and one seems to be remarkable. They evoked parents and friends who gave incontestable proofs of identity and also superior Spirits who gave them excellent advice.
“All these communications were taken to the Cure and manipulated by gossipers. On May 18th, one of these mediums hurled thousands of insults against the house of C… (one of the main followers) and against myself during a ceremony of first communion while teaching catechism.
He then said to a child of C…: I do not want you here but in two years you shall be strong enough and my advice is that you leave your parents who are not capable of giving you good examples. What a beautiful catechism! In the same afternoon he took the word to the pulpit and repeated the same sermon given to the students earlier by saying that we could not identify hell and that we were not afraid of being involved with robbery to become richer at the expenses of others; that we were given to superstitions from the Middle Ages and a thousand more inventions.
By the way I wrote a letter to the Imperial Commissioner of M… but before sending it I wanted to consult with the spirit of St. Vincent of Paul in the first meeting. That good spirit had the medium writing the following: Remember these words said by Jesus Christ: Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing. After that I burnt the letter.
The noise about this doctrine spreads around all neighboring villages. Many have requested books that I do not have. All of those who understand the texts a little want to know it better and pass the books from hand to hand.
After I read The Spirits’ Book and The Mediums’ Book I wanted to know if I was a medium. Since nothing happened in the first eight days I communicated the lack of success to my son. He lived near a magnetizer who proposed to send me a magnetize letter with which I would be able to evoke my wife. The poor magnetizer could not imagine that he was supplying me with a whip to have him beaten. After that I became a hearing medium. I had myself prepared to write again and I was then told: “People are trying to deceive your son”. I heard that for three days, finding myself distracted from what I was doing. I wrote a letter to my son about the event warning him about a certain man. He then wrote back criticizing me for the doubts I had about that man who had his full trust. A few days later he sent me another letter in a different tone saying that he had sent the miserable invader away and that he abused his apparent honesty to deceive his victims. He showed him my letter who had painted them so well even a hundred leagues away.”
Observation: This letter needs no comments. We can see that the sermon of Mr. Cure has produced an effect on the villagers, like it has elsewhere. If in that case it was the devil who took the name of St. Vincent de Paul that Mr. Cure must be thankful to him. Aren’t we right by saying that the adversaries themselves do the propaganda and unwillingly serve our cause? We must say, however, that facts like these are rather exceptions. At least that is how we prefer to think. We know many honest priests who reject such actions and consider them unwise and politically wrong.
If we are told so many deplorable things we also learn about many other events of truly ethical character. A vicar was telling one of his penitents who asked about Spiritism: Nothing happens without God’s permission. Hence, these things only take place for His will.
A dying person sent for a priest and told him: Father, I have been away from the Church for fifty years and I had forgotten God. I was brought back to Him by Spiritism and that is why I called you. Will you give your pardon? My child, said the priest, God’s designs are impenetrable. Say grace for having received this lifeline. Die in peace.
We could mention a hundred other similar cases.
