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The Spiritist Review - Journal of Psychological Studies - 1864 > December
December
Tribute to the dead
Note: This issue has a supplement. It contains 52 pages instead of 32, including the general index.
The Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies met for the first time on November 2nd, 1864 with the objective of offering a pious tribute to their deceased Spiritist brothers and colleagues. On the occasion Mr. Allan Kardec developed the principle of communion of thoughts in the following speech:
Dear Spiritist brothers and sisters,
We gathered here on this day dedicated by tradition to the memory of the dead to give those brothers that left Earth a private testimony of sympathy, giving continuity to the relationships of love and fraternity that existed between them and us while they were alive and to attract to them the benevolence of the Almighty.
But why do we gather? Because we deviate from our occupations? Can’t each one do in private what we propose to do in common? Isn’t that what each one does to their loved ones? Can’t it be done every day and every hour of the day? Therefore what is the benefit to get-together on a determined day? I propose to make some considerations about that point, ladies and gentlemen.
The reception that the idea of this meeting had is the first answer to those multiple questions. It is the indication of the need that we have to gather in communion of thoughts.
Communion of thoughts! Do we really understand the reach of such expression? It is allowed to doubt that at least by the majority. Spiritism that teaches us so many things by the laws that it reveals comes still to explain the cause, effects and the power of such condition of the Spirit. Communion of thoughts means common thoughts, unity of intentions, will, desire and aspirations. Nobody can neglect the fact that thought is force. Is it, however, a purely mental and abstract force? No, because otherwise certain effects of thought could not be explained and even less of the communion of thoughts. In order to understand it we need to know the properties and the action of the elements that constitute our spiritual essence and it is Spiritism that teaches us.
Thought is the characteristic attribute of the spiritual being. That is what distinguishes Spirit and matter. Without thought the Spirit would not be Spirit. The will is not a special attribute of the Spirit; it is thought at a certain level of energy; it is thought transformed into driving force. It is through the will that the Spirit transmits movements in a given direction to limbs and body. But if it has the power to act upon physical organs how much must that action be upon the fluidic elements that surround us! Thought acts upon the fluids in the ambient, like sound acts on the air; those fluids bring us the thought like the air brings the sound. One can therefore and positively say that there are waves and rays of thoughts in those fluids that cross one another without mixing up, as there are sound waves and rays in the air.
An assembly is a focus from where diverse thoughts irradiate; it is like an orchestra, a choir of thoughts in which each one produces a note. It results in a large quantity of currents and fluidic emanations from which each person receives impressions by the spiritual sense like in a musical choir the impression is received by the hearing sense. However, in the same way that there are harmonic or discordant sound waves there are also harmonic and discordant thoughts. If the whole is harmonic the impression will be pleasant; if it is discordant the impression will be painful.
For that it is not necessary that the thought be formulated with words since the fluidic radiation does exist be it expressed in words or not. If all thoughts are benevolent the attendees will have a pleasant feeling and at ease. However if some bad thoughts get into the mix they produce the effect of cold air in a warm environment.
That is the cause of the feeling of satisfaction that one experiences in a sympathetic meeting; it is like a healthy atmosphere that prevails, where one can breathe freely and leaves the place renovated because we are impregnated by healthy emanations. That is also the explanation for the undefined anxiety and indisposition that we feel in a hostile environment in which malevolent thoughts provoke, in a way, unhealthy fluidic currents.
The communion of thoughts consequently produces a kind of physical effect that acts upon the moral world. That is what only Spiritism could make understandable. People feel that instinctively and that is why they seek meetings in which they know they are going to find communion; in these homogeneous and sympathetic gatherings they absorb new moral strengths. One can say that they recover their fluidic losses that happen every day by the radiation of thoughts as they recover the loss of physical weight through food. These considerations, ladies and gentlemen, seem to keep us away from the main objective of our meeting, however, they bring us right here. The meetings that have per objective a tribute to the dead are based on a communion of thoughts. In order to understand its utility it would be necessary to define the effects and nature of that communion.
To explain spiritual things I sometimes utilize very material things and perhaps pushing too much for they must not always be taken literally. Nonetheless it is going from the known to the unknown that we realize, at least approximately, what escapes our senses. It is to such comparisons that the Spiritist Doctrine owns to a large extent have been easily understood, even by the most common intelligences, whereas if I had remained in the abstractions of the metaphysics philosophy it would have been only shared, even today, by a few privileged minds. Now, since the beginning it was necessary to have it accepted by the masses because the opinion of the masses exerts a pressure that ends up making the law and succeeding against the more tenacious oppositions. That is why I strived to simplify it and make it clear to have it to the reach of everybody taking the risk of heaving it contested by certain persons with respect to the title of the philosophy because it is not sufficiently abstract and because it has come out of the foggy cloud of classical metaphysics.
To the effects that I have just described with respect to the communion of thoughts I add another one that is its natural consequence and that we must not lose sight of. It is the power that the thought or will acquires by the sum of thoughts or will put together. Since the will is an active force it is multiplied by the number of identical will like the muscular force is multiplied by the number of arms.
That point made one must conceive that in the relationships established between persons and the Spirits there is, in a gathering in which a perfect communion of thoughts reigns, an attractive or repealing force that an isolated force not always has. If up until now the large gatherings are less favorable it is for the difficulty of finding a perfect homogeneity of thoughts, due to the imperfect human nature on Earth.
The larger the meeting the more mixed up the heterogeneous elements that paralyze the action of the good elements and that are like grains of sand in a gear box. That is not what happens in more advanced worlds and that condition will change in our planet, following the betterment of mankind here.
To the Spiritists the communion of thoughts has an even more special result. We have seen the result of such communion from person to person. Spiritism proves that it is not lower between persons and the Spirits and vice versa. In fact if the collective thought acquires strength by quantity, a group of identical thoughts, if the objective is to do good they will have more power to neutralize the action of the bad Spirits. We see that the tactics of the latter is to drive division and isolation. A man alone may succumb but if seconded by the will of others he can resist, according to the axiom: unity is strength, axiom that is true to the physical as well as spiritual world.
On another hand if the action of the malevolent Spirits may be paralyzed by a common thought it is evident that the action of the good ones may be boosted and its healthy influence will not find obstacles; its fluidic emanations will spread onto all attendees since they are not hindered by contrary currents, precisely for the fact that all would have attracted them through their thoughts, not each one to their personal benefit but to the benefit of all, according to the law of charity. Such emanations will fall upon them like tongues of fire to use a remarkable image in the Gospel.
Through the communion of thoughts, therefore, people help one another and at the same time they assist the Spirits and are assisted by them. The relationships between the visible and invisible worlds instead of individual becomes collective and for that very reason more powerful to the benefit of the masses as well as the individuals. In a word, it establishes a solidarity that is the basis of fraternity. Nobody works for oneself but for everyone and working for everyone each finds its own share. That is what selfishness does not understand.
Every religious gathering, irrespective of the cult, are founded on the communion of thoughts; that is where they can and must exert its full power because the objective must be the liberation of thoughts from the constriction of matter. Unfortunately the majority stays away from that principle as much as they turned religion into a question of recipe. This resulted in each person seeking their own recipe and considering to be good with God and their fellow human beings since the formula was practiced. It results still that each person goes to religious gatherings with a personal thought and on their own and in the majority of cases without any feeling of fraternity with respect to the other attendees. That person is in isolation in the multitude and only thinks about heavens for herself. Certainly that was not Jesus’ understanding when he said: “when many of you are gathered in my name I will be with you.” Gathered in my name means: with a common thought but one cannot gather in the name of Jesus without taking into account his principles, his doctrine. But what is the fundamental principle of the doctrine of Jesus? Charity in thoughts, words and actions. The egotist and proud persons lie when believe to be gathering in the name of Jesus because Jesus to not recognize them as his disciples.
Adopting those abuses and deviations some persons deny the utility of religious assemblies and, consequently, the buildings dedicated to that. In their radical view they think that it would be better to build hospitals than temples given that the temple of God is everywhere and that God can be worshiped everywhere; that each person can pray in their home and at any time while the poor and sick require their place of recovery.
But for the reason that they make such mistakes and move away from the right path does it mean that there is no right way and that everything that is abused is bad? Certainly not. This is a misunderstanding of the origin and benefits of the communion of thoughts that must be the essence of the religious assemblies; it is ignorance of the sources that lead to them.
It is understandable that materialistic persons profess such ideas because they make abstraction of the spiritual world in everything but from spiritualists and in particular Spiritists that would be a nonsense. Religious isolation, like social isolation, leads to selfishness. It is possible that certain persons are strong enough by themselves, very heartful so that their faith and charity do not need to be fed by a common focus but that is not the case with the masses that require stimulus without which they would remain indifferent.
Besides, which person can consider oneself enlightened enough to have nothing to learn with respect to her future interest and perfect enough to prescind from the advices to the current life? Is that person always capable of learning by herself? No. The majority lacks direct teachings about religious and moral issues, as well as with respect to the science. There is no doubt that such instructions may be given everywhere, under the dome of the skies as much as under the roof of a temple. But why people would not have special places to meet heavenly things, like there are those for the earthly ones? Why not having religious assemblies like there are others in politics, science and technology? That does not preclude the foundations to the benefit of the unfortunate ones but we say in addition that when humanity better understand their interests in heavens there will be the need for less people in hospitals here.
Speaking generically and without reference to any cult, if the religious assemblies many times move away from their main primitive objective that is the fraternal communion of thoughts; if the teachings there have not always followed the progressive march of humanity it is for the reason that not everyone realize progress simultaneously. What they do not time in period the do in another. As they learn they see the existing blanks in their institutions and fill them out; they understand that what was good at one time, given the level of civilization, becomes insufficient in a more advanced period and they catch up. We know that Spiritism is the great lever of progress in all things. It marks an era of renovation. Let us learn to wait and let us not claim from a time more than it can give. Like with the plants, it is necessary that the ideas mature to have the fruits harvested. We must also make the necessary concessions to the times of transition for nothing in nature happens in a sudden and instantaneous way.
For the reason that we gather here, ladies and gentlemen, I consider to be proper to take the opportunity to develop the subject of the communion of thoughts, from the point of view of Spiritism. Since our objective is to unite in our intention to together offer a private testimony of sympathy to our deceased loved ones it seemed useful to call our attention to the advantages of the meeting. Thanks to Spiritism we understand the power and the effects of collective thoughts and we can better explain the good feeling that we experience in a homogeneous and sympathetic environment, but we equally know that the same applies to the Spirits because they know how to receive the emanations of every benevolent thought that elevates to them like a cloud of perfume. Those that are happy feel an even greater joy in this harmonious concert; those that suffer feel a greater relief with that. Each one of us, in particular, preferably pray for those of their interest or esteem. Let us have it here that all of them may have their share in the prayers that we address to God.
Note: This issue has a supplement. It contains 52 pages instead of 32, including the general index.
The Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies met for the first time on November 2nd, 1864 with the objective of offering a pious tribute to their deceased Spiritist brothers and colleagues. On the occasion Mr. Allan Kardec developed the principle of communion of thoughts in the following speech:
Dear Spiritist brothers and sisters,
We gathered here on this day dedicated by tradition to the memory of the dead to give those brothers that left Earth a private testimony of sympathy, giving continuity to the relationships of love and fraternity that existed between them and us while they were alive and to attract to them the benevolence of the Almighty.
But why do we gather? Because we deviate from our occupations? Can’t each one do in private what we propose to do in common? Isn’t that what each one does to their loved ones? Can’t it be done every day and every hour of the day? Therefore what is the benefit to get-together on a determined day? I propose to make some considerations about that point, ladies and gentlemen.
The reception that the idea of this meeting had is the first answer to those multiple questions. It is the indication of the need that we have to gather in communion of thoughts.
Communion of thoughts! Do we really understand the reach of such expression? It is allowed to doubt that at least by the majority. Spiritism that teaches us so many things by the laws that it reveals comes still to explain the cause, effects and the power of such condition of the Spirit. Communion of thoughts means common thoughts, unity of intentions, will, desire and aspirations. Nobody can neglect the fact that thought is force. Is it, however, a purely mental and abstract force? No, because otherwise certain effects of thought could not be explained and even less of the communion of thoughts. In order to understand it we need to know the properties and the action of the elements that constitute our spiritual essence and it is Spiritism that teaches us.
Thought is the characteristic attribute of the spiritual being. That is what distinguishes Spirit and matter. Without thought the Spirit would not be Spirit. The will is not a special attribute of the Spirit; it is thought at a certain level of energy; it is thought transformed into driving force. It is through the will that the Spirit transmits movements in a given direction to limbs and body. But if it has the power to act upon physical organs how much must that action be upon the fluidic elements that surround us! Thought acts upon the fluids in the ambient, like sound acts on the air; those fluids bring us the thought like the air brings the sound. One can therefore and positively say that there are waves and rays of thoughts in those fluids that cross one another without mixing up, as there are sound waves and rays in the air.
An assembly is a focus from where diverse thoughts irradiate; it is like an orchestra, a choir of thoughts in which each one produces a note. It results in a large quantity of currents and fluidic emanations from which each person receives impressions by the spiritual sense like in a musical choir the impression is received by the hearing sense. However, in the same way that there are harmonic or discordant sound waves there are also harmonic and discordant thoughts. If the whole is harmonic the impression will be pleasant; if it is discordant the impression will be painful.
For that it is not necessary that the thought be formulated with words since the fluidic radiation does exist be it expressed in words or not. If all thoughts are benevolent the attendees will have a pleasant feeling and at ease. However if some bad thoughts get into the mix they produce the effect of cold air in a warm environment.
That is the cause of the feeling of satisfaction that one experiences in a sympathetic meeting; it is like a healthy atmosphere that prevails, where one can breathe freely and leaves the place renovated because we are impregnated by healthy emanations. That is also the explanation for the undefined anxiety and indisposition that we feel in a hostile environment in which malevolent thoughts provoke, in a way, unhealthy fluidic currents.
The communion of thoughts consequently produces a kind of physical effect that acts upon the moral world. That is what only Spiritism could make understandable. People feel that instinctively and that is why they seek meetings in which they know they are going to find communion; in these homogeneous and sympathetic gatherings they absorb new moral strengths. One can say that they recover their fluidic losses that happen every day by the radiation of thoughts as they recover the loss of physical weight through food. These considerations, ladies and gentlemen, seem to keep us away from the main objective of our meeting, however, they bring us right here. The meetings that have per objective a tribute to the dead are based on a communion of thoughts. In order to understand its utility it would be necessary to define the effects and nature of that communion.
To explain spiritual things I sometimes utilize very material things and perhaps pushing too much for they must not always be taken literally. Nonetheless it is going from the known to the unknown that we realize, at least approximately, what escapes our senses. It is to such comparisons that the Spiritist Doctrine owns to a large extent have been easily understood, even by the most common intelligences, whereas if I had remained in the abstractions of the metaphysics philosophy it would have been only shared, even today, by a few privileged minds. Now, since the beginning it was necessary to have it accepted by the masses because the opinion of the masses exerts a pressure that ends up making the law and succeeding against the more tenacious oppositions. That is why I strived to simplify it and make it clear to have it to the reach of everybody taking the risk of heaving it contested by certain persons with respect to the title of the philosophy because it is not sufficiently abstract and because it has come out of the foggy cloud of classical metaphysics.
To the effects that I have just described with respect to the communion of thoughts I add another one that is its natural consequence and that we must not lose sight of. It is the power that the thought or will acquires by the sum of thoughts or will put together. Since the will is an active force it is multiplied by the number of identical will like the muscular force is multiplied by the number of arms.
That point made one must conceive that in the relationships established between persons and the Spirits there is, in a gathering in which a perfect communion of thoughts reigns, an attractive or repealing force that an isolated force not always has. If up until now the large gatherings are less favorable it is for the difficulty of finding a perfect homogeneity of thoughts, due to the imperfect human nature on Earth.
The larger the meeting the more mixed up the heterogeneous elements that paralyze the action of the good elements and that are like grains of sand in a gear box. That is not what happens in more advanced worlds and that condition will change in our planet, following the betterment of mankind here.
To the Spiritists the communion of thoughts has an even more special result. We have seen the result of such communion from person to person. Spiritism proves that it is not lower between persons and the Spirits and vice versa. In fact if the collective thought acquires strength by quantity, a group of identical thoughts, if the objective is to do good they will have more power to neutralize the action of the bad Spirits. We see that the tactics of the latter is to drive division and isolation. A man alone may succumb but if seconded by the will of others he can resist, according to the axiom: unity is strength, axiom that is true to the physical as well as spiritual world.
On another hand if the action of the malevolent Spirits may be paralyzed by a common thought it is evident that the action of the good ones may be boosted and its healthy influence will not find obstacles; its fluidic emanations will spread onto all attendees since they are not hindered by contrary currents, precisely for the fact that all would have attracted them through their thoughts, not each one to their personal benefit but to the benefit of all, according to the law of charity. Such emanations will fall upon them like tongues of fire to use a remarkable image in the Gospel.
Through the communion of thoughts, therefore, people help one another and at the same time they assist the Spirits and are assisted by them. The relationships between the visible and invisible worlds instead of individual becomes collective and for that very reason more powerful to the benefit of the masses as well as the individuals. In a word, it establishes a solidarity that is the basis of fraternity. Nobody works for oneself but for everyone and working for everyone each finds its own share. That is what selfishness does not understand.
Every religious gathering, irrespective of the cult, are founded on the communion of thoughts; that is where they can and must exert its full power because the objective must be the liberation of thoughts from the constriction of matter. Unfortunately the majority stays away from that principle as much as they turned religion into a question of recipe. This resulted in each person seeking their own recipe and considering to be good with God and their fellow human beings since the formula was practiced. It results still that each person goes to religious gatherings with a personal thought and on their own and in the majority of cases without any feeling of fraternity with respect to the other attendees. That person is in isolation in the multitude and only thinks about heavens for herself. Certainly that was not Jesus’ understanding when he said: “when many of you are gathered in my name I will be with you.” Gathered in my name means: with a common thought but one cannot gather in the name of Jesus without taking into account his principles, his doctrine. But what is the fundamental principle of the doctrine of Jesus? Charity in thoughts, words and actions. The egotist and proud persons lie when believe to be gathering in the name of Jesus because Jesus to not recognize them as his disciples.
Adopting those abuses and deviations some persons deny the utility of religious assemblies and, consequently, the buildings dedicated to that. In their radical view they think that it would be better to build hospitals than temples given that the temple of God is everywhere and that God can be worshiped everywhere; that each person can pray in their home and at any time while the poor and sick require their place of recovery.
But for the reason that they make such mistakes and move away from the right path does it mean that there is no right way and that everything that is abused is bad? Certainly not. This is a misunderstanding of the origin and benefits of the communion of thoughts that must be the essence of the religious assemblies; it is ignorance of the sources that lead to them.
It is understandable that materialistic persons profess such ideas because they make abstraction of the spiritual world in everything but from spiritualists and in particular Spiritists that would be a nonsense. Religious isolation, like social isolation, leads to selfishness. It is possible that certain persons are strong enough by themselves, very heartful so that their faith and charity do not need to be fed by a common focus but that is not the case with the masses that require stimulus without which they would remain indifferent.
Besides, which person can consider oneself enlightened enough to have nothing to learn with respect to her future interest and perfect enough to prescind from the advices to the current life? Is that person always capable of learning by herself? No. The majority lacks direct teachings about religious and moral issues, as well as with respect to the science. There is no doubt that such instructions may be given everywhere, under the dome of the skies as much as under the roof of a temple. But why people would not have special places to meet heavenly things, like there are those for the earthly ones? Why not having religious assemblies like there are others in politics, science and technology? That does not preclude the foundations to the benefit of the unfortunate ones but we say in addition that when humanity better understand their interests in heavens there will be the need for less people in hospitals here.
Speaking generically and without reference to any cult, if the religious assemblies many times move away from their main primitive objective that is the fraternal communion of thoughts; if the teachings there have not always followed the progressive march of humanity it is for the reason that not everyone realize progress simultaneously. What they do not time in period the do in another. As they learn they see the existing blanks in their institutions and fill them out; they understand that what was good at one time, given the level of civilization, becomes insufficient in a more advanced period and they catch up. We know that Spiritism is the great lever of progress in all things. It marks an era of renovation. Let us learn to wait and let us not claim from a time more than it can give. Like with the plants, it is necessary that the ideas mature to have the fruits harvested. We must also make the necessary concessions to the times of transition for nothing in nature happens in a sudden and instantaneous way.
For the reason that we gather here, ladies and gentlemen, I consider to be proper to take the opportunity to develop the subject of the communion of thoughts, from the point of view of Spiritism. Since our objective is to unite in our intention to together offer a private testimony of sympathy to our deceased loved ones it seemed useful to call our attention to the advantages of the meeting. Thanks to Spiritism we understand the power and the effects of collective thoughts and we can better explain the good feeling that we experience in a homogeneous and sympathetic environment, but we equally know that the same applies to the Spirits because they know how to receive the emanations of every benevolent thought that elevates to them like a cloud of perfume. Those that are happy feel an even greater joy in this harmonious concert; those that suffer feel a greater relief with that. Each one of us, in particular, preferably pray for those of their interest or esteem. Let us have it here that all of them may have their share in the prayers that we address to God.
First a special prayer for the moment that served the general evocation that operates as introduction to the ordinary sessions. Here how it was said:
“Praise God, the sovereign Lord of all things! Lord, we beg you to spread your sacred blessing over this whole assembly. We glorify your name and thank you for you illuminated our paths with the divine light of Spiritism. Thanks to that light doubt and disbelief disappeared from our souls and will also disappear from this world; future life is a reality and we follow without uncertainty with respect to the future that is reserved to us. We know where we came from, where we are going to and why we are on this Earth. We know the causes of our miseries and know that everything is justice and wisdom in your work. We know that the death of the body does not interrupt the life of the Spirit but that it opens the door to true life; that it does not break any sincere love; that those that are dear to us are not lost and that we shall meet again in the world of the Spirits. We know that while we wait they are by our side; they see and hear us and can continue their relationships with us. Help us God to spread among our brothers on Earth that are still living in ignorance the benefits of this sacred belief because it soothes every pain, consoles those in affliction and gives them courage, resignation and hope in the greatest pains of life. We beg you to extend your mercy on our deceased brothers and on all of those that are recommended to us, irrespective of their beliefs on Earth. Allow our good thoughts to carry relief, consolation and hope to those in suffering.”
The President then addresses the following words to the Spirits:
“Dear Spirits of our former colleagues Jobard, Sanson, Costeau, Hobach and Poudra,
When we invited you to this commemorative meeting our objective is not only that of giving you a testimony of our memory that you know well is very dear to us; we are here in particular to congratulate you for the position that you hold in the spiritual world and to thank you for the excellent instructions that from time to time you come to give us since your departure. The Society rejoices for the assurance that you are happy. It is honored for having counted you among its members and to have you now among its counselors of the invisible world. We have appreciated the wisdom of your communications and we shall be happy every time you kindly come to join our activities. To this testimony of gratitude we add all of those good Spirits that routinely or eventual come to us to bring their lights: John Evangelist, Erastus, Lamennais, Georges, François-Nicolas-Madeleine, St. Augustine, Sonnet, Baluze, Vianney priest d’Ars, Jean Raynaud, Delphine de Girardin, Mesmer as well as those that only use the name Spirit. We owe a particular tribute of acknowledgement to our spiritual president, St. Louis. We thank him for taking our Society under his sponsorship and by the evident proofs of protection that he has given us. He equally beg for his assistance in this circumstance. Our thoughts go out to all of the followers and apostles of our Doctrine that have left Earth and in particular to those that are personally known to us as: N. N…
To all of those that God allows to come and hear us we say:
Dear brothers in belief that have preceded us in the world of the Spirits, we unite in our thoughts to testify our sympathy to you and to ask for the Almighty blessings to you. We thank him for having given you the grace of being enlightened by the lights of truth before you left Earth because those lights guided you on your return to the Spiritual world. The faith and confidence in God that you got from that preserved you from the disturbances and anguishes that follow the separation of those that doubt and are afflicted by disbelief. It gave you courage and resignation in the trials of the earthly life; it showed you the objective and the need for good and the inevitable consequences of evil and now you harvest the fruits. You left Earth without sorrow knowing that you would find assets infinitely more valuable than those that you left behind. You left the planet with the positive certainty that you would meet again those that were object of your love and of being able to return, as a Spirit, to sustain and give consolation to those that you left on Earth. Finally, you are in the world of the Spirits like in a country that you knew in anticipation.
We are very happy for having seen your beliefs confirmed by all of those that among you communicated with us. None came to say that had been eluded in her hopes and that we were eluding ourselves with respect to the future, but on the contrary all of them said that there were indescribable splendors in the world of the Spirits and that her hopes had been surpassed. It is now up to you who enjoys the happiness of having had faith, and that receives the reward for your submission to the law of God, to come to help those, among your brothers on this Earth, that are still in darkness. Be the missionaries of the Spirit of Truth for the progress of mankind and for the accomplishment of the designs of the Almighty.
Our thoughts are not addressed only to our brothers in Spiritism since all human beings are brothers, irrespective of their beliefs. If we were exclusivists we would not be Spiritists nor Christians. That is why we involve in our prayers, exhortations and congratulations all of those Spirits that can benefit from our support, according to their current condition, having or not shared our beliefs.
The knowledge of Spiritism is not indispensable to a future life because it does not has the privilege of making elections. It is a means of arriving more easily and more securely to the objective through a rational faith given by Spiritism and by the charity that it inspires. It illuminates the path so that people march more safely. Good and evil are better understood through Spiritism. It gives more strength to practice one and avoid the other. To please God the only thing we need is to observe his laws, that is, to practice charity that summarizes all others. Well, charity may be practiced by everyone. Detach oneself from all vices and all inclinations that are contrary to charity is then the essential condition to salvation.”
-o-
After those words special prayers were said to each category of Spirits with the proper nomination of each one. They were partially taken from the Imitation of the Gospel. The series of prayers ended with the developed Our Father (see Spiritist Review, August 1864). After that the mediums were ready to serve the Spirits that wanted to communicate. No particular evocation was carried out. We give below the main communications that were received:
I
“Praise God, the sovereign Lord of all things! Lord, we beg you to spread your sacred blessing over this whole assembly. We glorify your name and thank you for you illuminated our paths with the divine light of Spiritism. Thanks to that light doubt and disbelief disappeared from our souls and will also disappear from this world; future life is a reality and we follow without uncertainty with respect to the future that is reserved to us. We know where we came from, where we are going to and why we are on this Earth. We know the causes of our miseries and know that everything is justice and wisdom in your work. We know that the death of the body does not interrupt the life of the Spirit but that it opens the door to true life; that it does not break any sincere love; that those that are dear to us are not lost and that we shall meet again in the world of the Spirits. We know that while we wait they are by our side; they see and hear us and can continue their relationships with us. Help us God to spread among our brothers on Earth that are still living in ignorance the benefits of this sacred belief because it soothes every pain, consoles those in affliction and gives them courage, resignation and hope in the greatest pains of life. We beg you to extend your mercy on our deceased brothers and on all of those that are recommended to us, irrespective of their beliefs on Earth. Allow our good thoughts to carry relief, consolation and hope to those in suffering.”
The President then addresses the following words to the Spirits:
“Dear Spirits of our former colleagues Jobard, Sanson, Costeau, Hobach and Poudra,
When we invited you to this commemorative meeting our objective is not only that of giving you a testimony of our memory that you know well is very dear to us; we are here in particular to congratulate you for the position that you hold in the spiritual world and to thank you for the excellent instructions that from time to time you come to give us since your departure. The Society rejoices for the assurance that you are happy. It is honored for having counted you among its members and to have you now among its counselors of the invisible world. We have appreciated the wisdom of your communications and we shall be happy every time you kindly come to join our activities. To this testimony of gratitude we add all of those good Spirits that routinely or eventual come to us to bring their lights: John Evangelist, Erastus, Lamennais, Georges, François-Nicolas-Madeleine, St. Augustine, Sonnet, Baluze, Vianney priest d’Ars, Jean Raynaud, Delphine de Girardin, Mesmer as well as those that only use the name Spirit. We owe a particular tribute of acknowledgement to our spiritual president, St. Louis. We thank him for taking our Society under his sponsorship and by the evident proofs of protection that he has given us. He equally beg for his assistance in this circumstance. Our thoughts go out to all of the followers and apostles of our Doctrine that have left Earth and in particular to those that are personally known to us as: N. N…
To all of those that God allows to come and hear us we say:
Dear brothers in belief that have preceded us in the world of the Spirits, we unite in our thoughts to testify our sympathy to you and to ask for the Almighty blessings to you. We thank him for having given you the grace of being enlightened by the lights of truth before you left Earth because those lights guided you on your return to the Spiritual world. The faith and confidence in God that you got from that preserved you from the disturbances and anguishes that follow the separation of those that doubt and are afflicted by disbelief. It gave you courage and resignation in the trials of the earthly life; it showed you the objective and the need for good and the inevitable consequences of evil and now you harvest the fruits. You left Earth without sorrow knowing that you would find assets infinitely more valuable than those that you left behind. You left the planet with the positive certainty that you would meet again those that were object of your love and of being able to return, as a Spirit, to sustain and give consolation to those that you left on Earth. Finally, you are in the world of the Spirits like in a country that you knew in anticipation.
We are very happy for having seen your beliefs confirmed by all of those that among you communicated with us. None came to say that had been eluded in her hopes and that we were eluding ourselves with respect to the future, but on the contrary all of them said that there were indescribable splendors in the world of the Spirits and that her hopes had been surpassed. It is now up to you who enjoys the happiness of having had faith, and that receives the reward for your submission to the law of God, to come to help those, among your brothers on this Earth, that are still in darkness. Be the missionaries of the Spirit of Truth for the progress of mankind and for the accomplishment of the designs of the Almighty.
Our thoughts are not addressed only to our brothers in Spiritism since all human beings are brothers, irrespective of their beliefs. If we were exclusivists we would not be Spiritists nor Christians. That is why we involve in our prayers, exhortations and congratulations all of those Spirits that can benefit from our support, according to their current condition, having or not shared our beliefs.
The knowledge of Spiritism is not indispensable to a future life because it does not has the privilege of making elections. It is a means of arriving more easily and more securely to the objective through a rational faith given by Spiritism and by the charity that it inspires. It illuminates the path so that people march more safely. Good and evil are better understood through Spiritism. It gives more strength to practice one and avoid the other. To please God the only thing we need is to observe his laws, that is, to practice charity that summarizes all others. Well, charity may be practiced by everyone. Detach oneself from all vices and all inclinations that are contrary to charity is then the essential condition to salvation.”
-o-
After those words special prayers were said to each category of Spirits with the proper nomination of each one. They were partially taken from the Imitation of the Gospel. The series of prayers ended with the developed Our Father (see Spiritist Review, August 1864). After that the mediums were ready to serve the Spirits that wanted to communicate. No particular evocation was carried out. We give below the main communications that were received:
I
“My children, a strange communion connects the living ones to the dead. Death continues the planned work and does not break the links of the heart. Such a certainly enriches the treasure of love spilled upon creation. Human progress obtained to the price of painful sacrifices and bloody hecatombs approach mankind to the Divine Verb making them spell the sacred word that fell from the lips of Jesus and reanimated a fainting humanity. Love is the law of Spiritism; it dilates the heart and actively extends love to those that disappeared in the vague obscurity of the tomb. Spiritism is not a vain sound, fallen from mortal lips and carried by a blow of wind. It is the powerful and sturdy faith proclaimed by Moses at Mount Sinai, the faith affirmed by the martyrs, intoxicated by hope, the law discussed by the uneasy philosophers that the Spirits finally come to proclaim.
Spiritists! The great name of Jesus must fluctuate like a flag above your teachings. Before you were, the savior carried the revelation in his heart and his carefully measured word indicated each one of the phases that you cover today. The mysteries shall fall before the prophetic breath that opens your intelligences today, like the walls of Jericho in the old days.
Be united in your intentions as you do in this blessed gathering. The warmth that comes out of your hearts covers the distance that separates us, dissipating the fumes of doubt, personality and indifference that frequently obscures the spiritual sight. Love and pray for your works.”
John Evangelist, medium Mrs. Costel
II
Spiritists! The great name of Jesus must fluctuate like a flag above your teachings. Before you were, the savior carried the revelation in his heart and his carefully measured word indicated each one of the phases that you cover today. The mysteries shall fall before the prophetic breath that opens your intelligences today, like the walls of Jericho in the old days.
Be united in your intentions as you do in this blessed gathering. The warmth that comes out of your hearts covers the distance that separates us, dissipating the fumes of doubt, personality and indifference that frequently obscures the spiritual sight. Love and pray for your works.”
John Evangelist, medium Mrs. Costel
II
“My good friends, your prayers and your reverence have attracted numerous Spirits to whom you did a lot of good. A meeting like yours has such a power of attraction that the vibrations of your thoughts reached all corners of space. A multitude of brothers, less advanced or in suffering, followed the superior Spirits. Before hearing you they had no faith; they now wait and believe. Your voices, together with mine, will have them blessed from now on. They know you are strong before your trials. Like you they will be willing to deserve the eternal life, the Godly life.
Forget nobody, dear President. As for myself I am proud to see my name warmly welcomed among former co-workers. I always heard that a curious person behind the door can never hear a praise; nonetheless we are invisible witnesses; our count is infinite; what we hear, contrary to the earthly case, is forgiveness, prayer and benevolence; it is the practice of charity, the noblest flagship. May your example spread like a loving echo so that every Spirit in suffering may hear everywhere words that may guide them to the eternal truths! They say that Paris is a city of noise and obliviousness. The mystic affirm that it is the modern Babylon. I strongly protest since Paris is the city of careful thoughts, of fecund ideas and noble feelings. It is a city that irradiates over the universe; it will always the city that teaches the great principles, the great abnegation and solid virtues. Observe this city well on this day that each one of you carry a tear for the absent loved ones. It left aside its multiple life to seek shelter in the tombs and this human river, circumspect and nonbeliever is taken by respect. They say that Paris is not Spiritist. Look around in the universe to find a city where the most modest grave is more venerated and flowery. The city of the great births feels better the great losses; it cries true tears and does not bother with appearances. Paris is, no doubt, a city of pleasures to certain persons but it is also the city of work and thoughts to the majority. It is not fundamentally materialistic. It is this city that provides the Spiritist light to the universe and that light will come back still more depurated and augmented. All peoples will come to you for the truths of Spiritism, much preferred to the vain and futile pleasures that leave nothing in the minds. There is a rational idea in the air, approved by every progressive person. It is the idea that everyone should be able to read. However beautiful our doctrine is, it finds obstacles in ignorance. Our duty, therefore, of all of us Spiritists, is to diminish the number of ignorant brothers so that The Spirits’ Book may not continue to be dead letter to so many pariah. The work towards a spread in education paves the way to Spiritism and at the same time destroys fanaticism; it diminishes the deviations of ignorance forming persons that will live and die well. Having accomplished this great act of charity you will no longer see delayed Spirits coming back on this day of the dead, requesting incarnation to be able to learn and to accomplish missions now promised to their new skills. These educated Spirits can go to other planets and have their voices heard teaching and giving the bread of life that is knowledge that makes us worthy of God.
Legions of ignorant souls beg around you. They are your dead. Do not forget their asking. Your prayer will be useful to them but your actions are needed to do them an even more essential service.
So long brothers,
Your devout co-disciple,”
Sanson, medium Mr. Leymarie
III
Forget nobody, dear President. As for myself I am proud to see my name warmly welcomed among former co-workers. I always heard that a curious person behind the door can never hear a praise; nonetheless we are invisible witnesses; our count is infinite; what we hear, contrary to the earthly case, is forgiveness, prayer and benevolence; it is the practice of charity, the noblest flagship. May your example spread like a loving echo so that every Spirit in suffering may hear everywhere words that may guide them to the eternal truths! They say that Paris is a city of noise and obliviousness. The mystic affirm that it is the modern Babylon. I strongly protest since Paris is the city of careful thoughts, of fecund ideas and noble feelings. It is a city that irradiates over the universe; it will always the city that teaches the great principles, the great abnegation and solid virtues. Observe this city well on this day that each one of you carry a tear for the absent loved ones. It left aside its multiple life to seek shelter in the tombs and this human river, circumspect and nonbeliever is taken by respect. They say that Paris is not Spiritist. Look around in the universe to find a city where the most modest grave is more venerated and flowery. The city of the great births feels better the great losses; it cries true tears and does not bother with appearances. Paris is, no doubt, a city of pleasures to certain persons but it is also the city of work and thoughts to the majority. It is not fundamentally materialistic. It is this city that provides the Spiritist light to the universe and that light will come back still more depurated and augmented. All peoples will come to you for the truths of Spiritism, much preferred to the vain and futile pleasures that leave nothing in the minds. There is a rational idea in the air, approved by every progressive person. It is the idea that everyone should be able to read. However beautiful our doctrine is, it finds obstacles in ignorance. Our duty, therefore, of all of us Spiritists, is to diminish the number of ignorant brothers so that The Spirits’ Book may not continue to be dead letter to so many pariah. The work towards a spread in education paves the way to Spiritism and at the same time destroys fanaticism; it diminishes the deviations of ignorance forming persons that will live and die well. Having accomplished this great act of charity you will no longer see delayed Spirits coming back on this day of the dead, requesting incarnation to be able to learn and to accomplish missions now promised to their new skills. These educated Spirits can go to other planets and have their voices heard teaching and giving the bread of life that is knowledge that makes us worthy of God.
Legions of ignorant souls beg around you. They are your dead. Do not forget their asking. Your prayer will be useful to them but your actions are needed to do them an even more essential service.
So long brothers,
Your devout co-disciple,”
Sanson, medium Mr. Leymarie
III
“A day of happiness to the Spirits of the Lord that unite to address prayers to God in favor of the Spirits because this sacred communion of thoughts replicates also in superior regions! Oh Yes, happy are the poor disinherited that understand the objective of our prayers said to speed up their progress! Thanks to Spiritism many have already entered the avenue of regret and were able to improve. It is that grace from heavens that opened their hearts to their sorrow and gave them hopes to one day join you. Thank you all Christian Spiritists for having asked God that allowed me to come and say: Courage! The Spirits that came here enjoy and thank you for your good thoughts.
To my good friend Canu in particular I say: Be happy for knowing that your friend Hobach is here in person, surrounded by friendly and protecting Spirits, attracted by sympathy, coming here to elevate their souls to the Creator since everything comes from him and must return to him. Let us then always seek the sincere gatherings so that we can take advantage of the teachings received there and may the invisible ones and the incarnate progress towards infinity, that is, to the Supreme Being that created us for good and towards the progressive march of his works. Yes, a thousand times thank you for I read in every heart the feelings for those that ware particularly loved; but also those that cry may hold their tears because they will meet us in a better world where the law of justice is sovereign and emanates from God.”
Hobach, medium Mrs. Patet
IV
To my good friend Canu in particular I say: Be happy for knowing that your friend Hobach is here in person, surrounded by friendly and protecting Spirits, attracted by sympathy, coming here to elevate their souls to the Creator since everything comes from him and must return to him. Let us then always seek the sincere gatherings so that we can take advantage of the teachings received there and may the invisible ones and the incarnate progress towards infinity, that is, to the Supreme Being that created us for good and towards the progressive march of his works. Yes, a thousand times thank you for I read in every heart the feelings for those that ware particularly loved; but also those that cry may hold their tears because they will meet us in a better world where the law of justice is sovereign and emanates from God.”
Hobach, medium Mrs. Patet
IV
“Brothers and friends in Spiritism, you gathered today to address the Lord with your vows and prayers for the Spirits that are dear to you and that have accomplished their missions here. Many among them, my dear friends, carried out their tasks honorably and received the reward for their work in this life of misery and atonement. Oh my dear Spiritists! They watch you; they protect you and today the join you in your vows and requests that you send to our common Father. Most of them are around you, happy for seeing your reverence at this solemn time. But your thoughts and prayers must be in particular with those that did not understand their mission in the world of transition. Ah those need friendly hearts, compassionate souls that remember them with their prayer but a sincere prayer, a prayer that reaches out to the Eternal. Ah how many of these souls are abandoned and forgotten by those that should think of them and by relatives sometimes very close to them! Those are not Spiritists, dear friends; they do not understand the effect that the prayers may exert on them. No, they do not know charity; they do not believe in another life after this one; they believe that there is nothing after death. How many, in these days of mourning, visit the tombs of their loved ones with their cold and dry hearts? When they go it is out of convenience; their souls have no hope; they do not imagine that the souls that are remembered are there with them, waiting for a prayer from the bottom of their hearts. Oh my friends, do it yourselves, do it with your prayers what is not done by your brothers. The only see the remains in death, forgetting that the soul outlives. Pray for your prayers shall be heard by the Almighty!
A Spirit that also needs a share of your prayers,”
Lalouze, medium Mrs. Lampérière
V
A Spirit that also needs a share of your prayers,”
Lalouze, medium Mrs. Lampérière
V
“Dear friends, how many actions of grace don’t we owe you in exchange for your good and generous prayers! Yes, we are grateful for you devotion and charity. Never before have so warm and enthusiastic prayers been carried on the white wings of pure Spirits to the divine throne. Never before people understood so well the utility of a common prayer whose weight falls onto imperfect Spirits that come here ever in greater numbers feeding from your generous and fraternal environment because there is no separation here; the little ones and the disinherited of Earth are received by you like the great and the princes; you pray for the rich as you do for the poor. Ah divine fraternity, you grow and grow continually until you meet the sublime Regenerator that sends you to bring people back to the right path from which they had moved away so many centuries ago! Ask and it will be given, knock and the door will be opened to you[1] said Jesus. Yes, knock on your passions and the beam of divine clarity will inundate your soul. Ask for the faith and it shall be granted. Ask for patience and that will be given. In a word, ask for every necessary virtue so that you can leave behind the old person that must disappear forever and give place to the new good person. To you I am an unknown Spirit who has taken this hand by the charity of St. Joseph.”
Medium Mr. Lampérière
VI
Medium Mr. Lampérière
VI
“My very dear wife I saw your sighs and tears. Always crying. I also saw your prayers. Let me thank you for them. Now, my dear friend, rest assured. With that you disturb my happiness. Be happy for you are happier than many others; you have brothers around you that love you and rejoice for having you around them. See how blessed you are among many others! I can only praise you my brothers for having welcomed my dear wife among you. I thank you for everything you do for her… and additionally for your charity in inviting me today! I was among the first ones to sustain and propagate with all my heart this sacred doctrine. Ah had I known what I know and see now! Believe, believe! It is all I can tell you. Do whatever you can to spread it and to attract people to your hearts. There is nothing more beautiful, nothing truer than what is found in your books.”
Cousteau, medium Ms. Béguet
VII
Cousteau, medium Ms. Béguet
VII
“Thank you so much beloved brothers for you kind memory and your good prayers. Thanks to you dear President for the fortunate initiative of having a communion of thoughts and ideas, praying for everyone. Yes, we are all here; we happily hear your sincere prayers addressed to our Father of mercy in favor of each one of us. Yes, we are happy because the pray said from the heart reaches God and from God we receive the necessary strength to fight the bad influences that the frivolous Spirits try spill onto those that labor in the sacred work. Those prayers to us are like a solemn appeal and we stand all here by your side. From far away or from nearby we all promptly attended that fortunate appeal. We wish that your example be followed by every serious center because such prayers said with such honesty and selflessness reach God like sacred emanations returning to each one of us. Thank once more my dear friends and although my name had not be mentioned you can see that I am here. This must demonstrate to you that we are happy and in large number. The mother of an honorary member of your Society,”
Aimée Bredard, from Bordeaux, medium Mrs. Delanne
VIII
Aimée Bredard, from Bordeaux, medium Mrs. Delanne
VIII
“My good friends, I would see each one of you leaving with the pious silence that the prayer leaves in your heart, after you have said those prayers and associated yourselves to the group with all of your hearts. You raised your souls to God in favor of all of those that have left Earth; you brought kind memories of the past and in this very moment, don’t you feel stronger? A short while ago, while your souls were lifted into the skies in a common impulse, didn’t you feel the warm breath of other souls mixing up their prayers to yours? Aren’t you impregnated by them? Why haven’t you gone with the quiet aroma from beyond the grave instead of demanding voices? Isn’t that enough happiness to live with the sweet thoughts that emanate from the sacred fluids of prayer? Nonetheless I understand that this mute language is not enough for you. The warm winds are not enough to the loving heart that demands for an echo responding to their voice. I forgive you for such natural desire. Why couldn’t each one of you to enjoy a second benefit that is provided by your new faith; the communication with those that are dear to you through the mediums?
However, how large your assembly is compared to the number of hands that can write! Who among you can say that they are the fortunate ones that will hear their voices? I see a much larger number of Spirits than the number of incarnate souls here. They agglomerate around each one of our intermediaries: Georges, Sanson, Costeau, Jobard, Dauban, Paul, Émile and a hundred more whose names I cannot tell you are here and would like to speak with you. I refrain their impulses and tell them that I shall be the interpreter between them and you. They want that very much but how about you? I will be the fathers to some and the mothers to others; to this one I will be a son, a daughter, a husband, a wife, and to all I will be a friend, a brother that loves you and that would like that all of you united in one single heart form a single thought, a single soul responding to this communication concentrated in my thought and in my soul.
Ah your dear dead did not wait for this day to come to each one of you. Don’t you feel them surrounding you all the time, calling you to the cast and divine secrets of the duty through what you call the voice of your conscience? Don’t you feel them really close at the times of sadness and suffering? They tell you: have courage! And particularly to you, Spiritists, they show you the skies and the innumerable stars that cover the immense blue as a sign of alliance between the Lord and you.
No, my dear friends, they did not leave you behind in their thoughts. To you, mother, your daughter says: I left first, like the branch that is broken by the storm detaches from the trunk, but I still live out of your sap and your love in the vastness, and in this rosary of pearls that my soul carries isn’t there some emeralds that came from you?
Father, I hear your son saying: I left to come back and help you to better love God in your prayers. I left because your forehead did not bow before the great provider of all things; he wanted you to remember him, making you hear the modulations from beyond the grave by the voice of your son. Brother, I hear your brother talking to you about the play time of the old days, your fights, your happiness and your suffering. I left to the beyond before you, he says, but I am not dead. I paved the way for you; there you will find more glory than on Earth. Throw away your purple mantle and dress up with the coat for your trip since the Lord loves more poverty than richness. I hear kind whispering responding to your sighs; the lover responding to the lover; the husband to the wife. What a beautiful harmony!
Rejoice, therefore! How many happy tears! How many touching impulses! Wives, feel your hands pressed by the invisible hands of your husbands. At this time thy come to renovate the eternal vows; they come to tell you what I did myself: that death does not break the links of the heart and that the unions continue beyond the grave. I would like very much to name all of the dear dead here but I cannot. Hear their voices yourselves. Each one of you will acknowledge them in the sacred concert that raises in the skies. Together they sing a song of graces to the Lord.”
St. Augustine, medium Mr. Vézy
IX
However, how large your assembly is compared to the number of hands that can write! Who among you can say that they are the fortunate ones that will hear their voices? I see a much larger number of Spirits than the number of incarnate souls here. They agglomerate around each one of our intermediaries: Georges, Sanson, Costeau, Jobard, Dauban, Paul, Émile and a hundred more whose names I cannot tell you are here and would like to speak with you. I refrain their impulses and tell them that I shall be the interpreter between them and you. They want that very much but how about you? I will be the fathers to some and the mothers to others; to this one I will be a son, a daughter, a husband, a wife, and to all I will be a friend, a brother that loves you and that would like that all of you united in one single heart form a single thought, a single soul responding to this communication concentrated in my thought and in my soul.
Ah your dear dead did not wait for this day to come to each one of you. Don’t you feel them surrounding you all the time, calling you to the cast and divine secrets of the duty through what you call the voice of your conscience? Don’t you feel them really close at the times of sadness and suffering? They tell you: have courage! And particularly to you, Spiritists, they show you the skies and the innumerable stars that cover the immense blue as a sign of alliance between the Lord and you.
No, my dear friends, they did not leave you behind in their thoughts. To you, mother, your daughter says: I left first, like the branch that is broken by the storm detaches from the trunk, but I still live out of your sap and your love in the vastness, and in this rosary of pearls that my soul carries isn’t there some emeralds that came from you?
Father, I hear your son saying: I left to come back and help you to better love God in your prayers. I left because your forehead did not bow before the great provider of all things; he wanted you to remember him, making you hear the modulations from beyond the grave by the voice of your son. Brother, I hear your brother talking to you about the play time of the old days, your fights, your happiness and your suffering. I left to the beyond before you, he says, but I am not dead. I paved the way for you; there you will find more glory than on Earth. Throw away your purple mantle and dress up with the coat for your trip since the Lord loves more poverty than richness. I hear kind whispering responding to your sighs; the lover responding to the lover; the husband to the wife. What a beautiful harmony!
Rejoice, therefore! How many happy tears! How many touching impulses! Wives, feel your hands pressed by the invisible hands of your husbands. At this time thy come to renovate the eternal vows; they come to tell you what I did myself: that death does not break the links of the heart and that the unions continue beyond the grave. I would like very much to name all of the dear dead here but I cannot. Hear their voices yourselves. Each one of you will acknowledge them in the sacred concert that raises in the skies. Together they sing a song of graces to the Lord.”
St. Augustine, medium Mr. Vézy
IX
“Since my medium could not serve all of the Spirits here I come to replace one Spirit that perhaps wanted to communicate. Since it is not out of context in this meeting I want to give you some advices with respect to the proper way of doing things in order to really obtain responses from the Spirits that are evoked.
There are many mediums here and many Spirits that would like to communicate, however, only a few will be able to achieve that because they would not have had time to establish the fluidic communication with them. The identity of communications is something difficult to establish and you may rarely be assured of that identity. However, if you wanted to help the Spirits a little by preparing yourselves previously for the evocations there would be more frequent identification. The fluids must always be similar because without that similarity there is no communication possible. But you, the mediums, you have many diverse fluids and among them some may be used by the Spirits in case they were given time to influence those fluids.
People generally call this one or that one at a short notice, without having called them in their thoughts, without having offered them one’s fluidic instrument, without having given them time to prepare and vibrate in sync with their own thoughts. Do you think this is right? No, because they are forced to utilize the intermediation of your familiar Spirits and you cannot recognize them so positively then, forced to attest thoughts that are sometimes very different from what they had when alive, finding no particularity that may help you confirm identity.
Believe me when you want to evoke someone think for some time about that Spirit that you wish to call and by that you are offering the Spirit much better means of communicating with you in person. I speak in the name of all of those that are friends and familiar to my medium and I wish to thank the President for the words full of energy that he pronounced to all of us. It is certainly pleasant to unite with so many persons with good and benevolent wishes and us, Spirits prone to good and instructor Spirits, we consider our duty to accomplish the missions that have been assigned to us and to all Spiritist hearts.” (See below an observation about the article Spiritist Communication regarding the Imitation of the Gospel).
A Spirit, medium Ms. A.C.
[1] Mathew 7:7
There are many mediums here and many Spirits that would like to communicate, however, only a few will be able to achieve that because they would not have had time to establish the fluidic communication with them. The identity of communications is something difficult to establish and you may rarely be assured of that identity. However, if you wanted to help the Spirits a little by preparing yourselves previously for the evocations there would be more frequent identification. The fluids must always be similar because without that similarity there is no communication possible. But you, the mediums, you have many diverse fluids and among them some may be used by the Spirits in case they were given time to influence those fluids.
People generally call this one or that one at a short notice, without having called them in their thoughts, without having offered them one’s fluidic instrument, without having given them time to prepare and vibrate in sync with their own thoughts. Do you think this is right? No, because they are forced to utilize the intermediation of your familiar Spirits and you cannot recognize them so positively then, forced to attest thoughts that are sometimes very different from what they had when alive, finding no particularity that may help you confirm identity.
Believe me when you want to evoke someone think for some time about that Spirit that you wish to call and by that you are offering the Spirit much better means of communicating with you in person. I speak in the name of all of those that are friends and familiar to my medium and I wish to thank the President for the words full of energy that he pronounced to all of us. It is certainly pleasant to unite with so many persons with good and benevolent wishes and us, Spirits prone to good and instructor Spirits, we consider our duty to accomplish the missions that have been assigned to us and to all Spiritist hearts.” (See below an observation about the article Spiritist Communication regarding the Imitation of the Gospel).
A Spirit, medium Ms. A.C.
[1] Mathew 7:7
Remarkable example of agreement
A somnambulistic medium that pretends to be led to sleep by the Spirit of Mr. Jobard was saying that she had received a communication from him addressed to another medium to whom he would advise to charge consultation to the rich and give them for free to the poor and to the workers. The Spirit described how that person spent her day with no sparing of praises to her eminent skills and her high mission. Since one person raised questions about the authenticity of that communication and knowing that the Spirit of Mr. Jobard frequently communicates at the Society, we were asked to submit it to a critical examination.
To be on the safe side we immediately addressed these simple words to six mediums: “Will you kindly enquiry the Spirit of Mr. Jobard if he dictated a communication to another medium through Ms. X…, a somnambulistic medium, advising that other medium to explore her faculty. I would like to have the answer tomorrow.” We were careful in not telling them about the strategy utilized so that each thought that they were the only ones asked to solve the issue.
We counted on the elevation of the Spirit of Mr. Jobard to attend that circumstance and do not feel offended or become impatient with the question that should be addressed to him almost simultaneously in six different places.
On the next day we got the responses below to which we added a few thoughts.
To be on the safe side we immediately addressed these simple words to six mediums: “Will you kindly enquiry the Spirit of Mr. Jobard if he dictated a communication to another medium through Ms. X…, a somnambulistic medium, advising that other medium to explore her faculty. I would like to have the answer tomorrow.” We were careful in not telling them about the strategy utilized so that each thought that they were the only ones asked to solve the issue.
We counted on the elevation of the Spirit of Mr. Jobard to attend that circumstance and do not feel offended or become impatient with the question that should be addressed to him almost simultaneously in six different places.
On the next day we got the responses below to which we added a few thoughts.
October 20th, 1864 – medium Mr. Leymarie
“How about that my dear friends, my name is then used as an excuse to all kinds of people! I have been used to that kind of shameless plagiarism for a long time that sometimes make me change color like a chameleon; they think I am goofy. Nonetheless my past life, my works and the multiple proofs of identity that I gave to the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies do not allow such mistakes about my feelings. A simple incarnate soul, I was like I am in the state of free Spirit and my mission with you, friends, is that of devotion and above all selflessness. Spiritism is a positive science. The facts upon which it is based are not complete yet but be patient you that know to wait and this science that invented nothing because it is a force of nature will demonstrate to the less clairvoyant its entirely moral objective is the regeneration of humanity and that beyond any speculative science its teaching is the opposite of materialism that is hypothetical.
Proceed with the analysis; establish the facts to go back to the causes; proclaim the spiritual element after attesting its existence such is the clear and without subterfuge ways of Spiritism. It is the straight line, the one that must be followed by every asserted Spiritist. I then separate the weed from the good seed and reject any niggardly interest, half devotions, sickly commitments that are the ulcer of our faith. Since you call yourself Spiritist I have the right to ask you what you are, what you want to be. Low and behold! If you have faith before anything else you are charitable. To your eyes every incarnate soul suffer a trial; as spectators you watch much suffering and in this rude struggle of life in which your brothers seek light your duty of a privileged person that has seen and know is that of give generously what God also gave you generously. Mediums, have no pride because the hand that gives may stay away from you. When a Spirit comes to give consolation, encouragement, instructions through your intermediation you must thank God for that that allows you to be the good source where the thirsty ones will quench their thirst. That water, however, does not belong to you. It provides to all. You cannot sell or pass it on because the owner is not in this world. Would you like to be expelled like the salesmen at the temple? Rich or poor everybody reaches out and requests. Each one has their own secret suffering; the rags of one will turn into the rich mantles of the other and that is why mediumship is not greed. All incarnate creatures are the same before mediumship. Look around you. Are they rich, are they poor the ones that carry that providential gift? They sell the science of the Spirits and the alms that they receive is the gangrene of spiritualism. They did well when they said spiritualism because the Spiritists reproach, you know well, every spiritual sale. It is not for sale. We repeal from our environment every shameful act of exchange that makes the assistants laugh. As for myself dear master, I will respond to those that wish to trade with my name that however stupid I may be I would never be enough to place my signature in counterfeit titles that are presented against your devoted
Jobard
“How about that my dear friends, my name is then used as an excuse to all kinds of people! I have been used to that kind of shameless plagiarism for a long time that sometimes make me change color like a chameleon; they think I am goofy. Nonetheless my past life, my works and the multiple proofs of identity that I gave to the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies do not allow such mistakes about my feelings. A simple incarnate soul, I was like I am in the state of free Spirit and my mission with you, friends, is that of devotion and above all selflessness. Spiritism is a positive science. The facts upon which it is based are not complete yet but be patient you that know to wait and this science that invented nothing because it is a force of nature will demonstrate to the less clairvoyant its entirely moral objective is the regeneration of humanity and that beyond any speculative science its teaching is the opposite of materialism that is hypothetical.
Proceed with the analysis; establish the facts to go back to the causes; proclaim the spiritual element after attesting its existence such is the clear and without subterfuge ways of Spiritism. It is the straight line, the one that must be followed by every asserted Spiritist. I then separate the weed from the good seed and reject any niggardly interest, half devotions, sickly commitments that are the ulcer of our faith. Since you call yourself Spiritist I have the right to ask you what you are, what you want to be. Low and behold! If you have faith before anything else you are charitable. To your eyes every incarnate soul suffer a trial; as spectators you watch much suffering and in this rude struggle of life in which your brothers seek light your duty of a privileged person that has seen and know is that of give generously what God also gave you generously. Mediums, have no pride because the hand that gives may stay away from you. When a Spirit comes to give consolation, encouragement, instructions through your intermediation you must thank God for that that allows you to be the good source where the thirsty ones will quench their thirst. That water, however, does not belong to you. It provides to all. You cannot sell or pass it on because the owner is not in this world. Would you like to be expelled like the salesmen at the temple? Rich or poor everybody reaches out and requests. Each one has their own secret suffering; the rags of one will turn into the rich mantles of the other and that is why mediumship is not greed. All incarnate creatures are the same before mediumship. Look around you. Are they rich, are they poor the ones that carry that providential gift? They sell the science of the Spirits and the alms that they receive is the gangrene of spiritualism. They did well when they said spiritualism because the Spiritists reproach, you know well, every spiritual sale. It is not for sale. We repeal from our environment every shameful act of exchange that makes the assistants laugh. As for myself dear master, I will respond to those that wish to trade with my name that however stupid I may be I would never be enough to place my signature in counterfeit titles that are presented against your devoted
Jobard
Medium Mrs. Costel
“I come to protest and complain about the abuse made of my name. The poor of spirit – and there are many of these among them – have the ugly habit of taking the names that may serve them as passports together with proud and senseless mediums. I would certainly have difficulty to defend the nobility of my poor name, synonym of naïve. However I hope to have place it very high in the judgment of those that met me to fear for having become engaged with the trivialities assigned to my name. It is therefore just out of respect for the truth that I affirm not having made any somnambulist sleep nor have I exalted any medium. I communicate very rarely since I have a lot to learn to serve as a guide and instructor of others.
In principle I reproach the exploitation of mediumship by the simple reason that the medium enjoys the faculty only in an intermittent and uncertain way and cannot prejudge or base anything on that faculty. Therefore poor people make a mistake when they leave their jobs to work with mediumship in the profitable sense of the word. I know that many among them dissimulate the abandonment of their homes with the title mission, homes that are disinherited by petty satisfactions and by the ephemeral importance given by mundane curiosity. I hope such mediums are mistaken in good-faith but they are mistaken, nonetheless.
Mediumship is a sacred and intimate gift that cannot be used as an open office. The mediums that are too poor to dedicate to the work of mediumship must have it subordinated to the work that wins them the bread. Spiritism will not lose anything with that, on the contrary and their dignity, on the contrary, has a lot to gain. I do not wish to discourage anybody or condemn the ones that act with good-will but it is of fundamental importance that our dear Doctrine remains shielded from any malevolent accusation. Ceaser’s wife must not be an object of suspicion and neither the Spiritists. That is what is said and I hope there is no remaining doubt with respect to the words of your friend.”
Jobard
“I come to protest and complain about the abuse made of my name. The poor of spirit – and there are many of these among them – have the ugly habit of taking the names that may serve them as passports together with proud and senseless mediums. I would certainly have difficulty to defend the nobility of my poor name, synonym of naïve. However I hope to have place it very high in the judgment of those that met me to fear for having become engaged with the trivialities assigned to my name. It is therefore just out of respect for the truth that I affirm not having made any somnambulist sleep nor have I exalted any medium. I communicate very rarely since I have a lot to learn to serve as a guide and instructor of others.
In principle I reproach the exploitation of mediumship by the simple reason that the medium enjoys the faculty only in an intermittent and uncertain way and cannot prejudge or base anything on that faculty. Therefore poor people make a mistake when they leave their jobs to work with mediumship in the profitable sense of the word. I know that many among them dissimulate the abandonment of their homes with the title mission, homes that are disinherited by petty satisfactions and by the ephemeral importance given by mundane curiosity. I hope such mediums are mistaken in good-faith but they are mistaken, nonetheless.
Mediumship is a sacred and intimate gift that cannot be used as an open office. The mediums that are too poor to dedicate to the work of mediumship must have it subordinated to the work that wins them the bread. Spiritism will not lose anything with that, on the contrary and their dignity, on the contrary, has a lot to gain. I do not wish to discourage anybody or condemn the ones that act with good-will but it is of fundamental importance that our dear Doctrine remains shielded from any malevolent accusation. Ceaser’s wife must not be an object of suspicion and neither the Spiritists. That is what is said and I hope there is no remaining doubt with respect to the words of your friend.”
Jobard
Medium Mr. Rul…
“How could you expect that the one that has always recommended charity and selflessness in his communications would come to contradict himself today? It is a trial to the somnambulistic medium and I advise her not allow to be seduced by the bad Spirits that want to do a disfavor to the mediums in general through this little speculation, and in particular to this specific medium that is mentioned. I believe I do not need to do my profession of faith again. Similar accusations cannot be attributed to someone that despite being robbed many times had righteousness and loyalty as a rule of conduct. He would be happy if we could apply an identification stamp to the communications from beyond the grave, like it is done to certain merchandises on Earth. You are not sufficiently advanced for that but in the absence of a stamp use your reason. It cannot deceive you and I challenge all the Spirits, irrespective of their number, to try to make me go by someone more stupid than I really am. Good-bye,
Jobard
Medium Sr. Vézy
Why still so much stupidity among those that believe in good faith? Believe me if you put the true principles of things before their eyes they suddenly change and become more skeptical than St. Thomas! Go and tell that kind lady that I have never communicated with her. She will say that it is possible and will agree in your presence. But intimately she will say that you are insensible. As they say, prohibiting a crazy person from doing crazy things is to become even crazier oneself. Nonetheless we need a medicine to cure so many poor Spirits that go their own way persuaded that they are guided by wonders. In reality, my dear President, do you believe I am capable of writing the nonsenses that were given to you? In that case I should have been given the name I had for having dared write such silly things. Spiritism is not taught like that. May the one that cannot take our words to her brothers unless sacrificing their own bread winning activity stay home and continue to use her tools or needles to fight for her survival. But when they behave like the presenter of spectacles they open the guard to the domination of exploiters and charlatans. The one that is poor and has the courage to become an apostle of our doctrine must cover herself with the mantle of her faith and courage and when the time is right the Providence will bring her the bread that is lacking. But do not reach to any effort for we would be the first to shout to her: move away woman and let others do the work. We always find persons of good will to accomplish the tasks that we have for them.
Men or women that leave the loom behind to become a preacher or a medium against a salary are guided by pride. Would you like some glory around your name? The rusting metal shows bad reflexes while true glory is shinier with abnegation. I prefer Malfilatre, Gilbert and Moreau singing their agony in a hospital bed to the beggar poet that sells his own heart to keep some golden fringes around his death bed. The selfless will be better compensated; a lasting happiness waits for them and the power of their names will be in proportion to their own tears and to the works and struggles measured in dust and sweat. That is all I call hell you about that, dear President, and I take the opportunity to shake hands with you and send you my sincere good wishes. You keep yourself strong and determined in the task that you chose. Keep the envious and talkers around you quiet through the firmness and simplicity that falls so well on you. One does need to be positive today. Do not get carried away by the conquest of the Moon when Earth is by your feet and that is the place to finish your work. There is an abundance of material around you. Demonstrate your theory through facts and may your examples not be supported by algebraic theorems that could not be understood by everyone but upon mathematical axioms. A child knows that two plus two is four. Let the long legged ones have a head start; they will have their necks broken and it is useless to follow them in their fall. Let us move in a steadfast way for the world is still young and the time ahead is in our favor for the instruction of mankind. The sun sets in the afternoon because darkness is needed to have its shine understood. Truth sometimes is covered in obscurity to avoid blinding the ones that meet it upfront.
“How could you expect that the one that has always recommended charity and selflessness in his communications would come to contradict himself today? It is a trial to the somnambulistic medium and I advise her not allow to be seduced by the bad Spirits that want to do a disfavor to the mediums in general through this little speculation, and in particular to this specific medium that is mentioned. I believe I do not need to do my profession of faith again. Similar accusations cannot be attributed to someone that despite being robbed many times had righteousness and loyalty as a rule of conduct. He would be happy if we could apply an identification stamp to the communications from beyond the grave, like it is done to certain merchandises on Earth. You are not sufficiently advanced for that but in the absence of a stamp use your reason. It cannot deceive you and I challenge all the Spirits, irrespective of their number, to try to make me go by someone more stupid than I really am. Good-bye,
Jobard
Medium Sr. Vézy
Why still so much stupidity among those that believe in good faith? Believe me if you put the true principles of things before their eyes they suddenly change and become more skeptical than St. Thomas! Go and tell that kind lady that I have never communicated with her. She will say that it is possible and will agree in your presence. But intimately she will say that you are insensible. As they say, prohibiting a crazy person from doing crazy things is to become even crazier oneself. Nonetheless we need a medicine to cure so many poor Spirits that go their own way persuaded that they are guided by wonders. In reality, my dear President, do you believe I am capable of writing the nonsenses that were given to you? In that case I should have been given the name I had for having dared write such silly things. Spiritism is not taught like that. May the one that cannot take our words to her brothers unless sacrificing their own bread winning activity stay home and continue to use her tools or needles to fight for her survival. But when they behave like the presenter of spectacles they open the guard to the domination of exploiters and charlatans. The one that is poor and has the courage to become an apostle of our doctrine must cover herself with the mantle of her faith and courage and when the time is right the Providence will bring her the bread that is lacking. But do not reach to any effort for we would be the first to shout to her: move away woman and let others do the work. We always find persons of good will to accomplish the tasks that we have for them.
Men or women that leave the loom behind to become a preacher or a medium against a salary are guided by pride. Would you like some glory around your name? The rusting metal shows bad reflexes while true glory is shinier with abnegation. I prefer Malfilatre, Gilbert and Moreau singing their agony in a hospital bed to the beggar poet that sells his own heart to keep some golden fringes around his death bed. The selfless will be better compensated; a lasting happiness waits for them and the power of their names will be in proportion to their own tears and to the works and struggles measured in dust and sweat. That is all I call hell you about that, dear President, and I take the opportunity to shake hands with you and send you my sincere good wishes. You keep yourself strong and determined in the task that you chose. Keep the envious and talkers around you quiet through the firmness and simplicity that falls so well on you. One does need to be positive today. Do not get carried away by the conquest of the Moon when Earth is by your feet and that is the place to finish your work. There is an abundance of material around you. Demonstrate your theory through facts and may your examples not be supported by algebraic theorems that could not be understood by everyone but upon mathematical axioms. A child knows that two plus two is four. Let the long legged ones have a head start; they will have their necks broken and it is useless to follow them in their fall. Let us move in a steadfast way for the world is still young and the time ahead is in our favor for the instruction of mankind. The sun sets in the afternoon because darkness is needed to have its shine understood. Truth sometimes is covered in obscurity to avoid blinding the ones that meet it upfront.
- Q. Haven’t you ever communicated with that lady? However, she say you have hypnotized her! A. – Poor woman. She attributes to intelligent people what can only be dictated by foolish ones or some very good and simple words to great oracles. It is a disease that cannot be avoided: it is located in the nerves and it is cured by prudence and cold showers.
JobardMedium Mrs. Delanne
Fraternal greetings to everybody, my good friends, you that work so hard to fecund humanity. You must pay attention because at this very moment an incredible revolution takes place among the discarnate. You also have adversaries here that strive to create obstacles to you but God oversees his creation. He placed a vigilant boss in front of you, one with cold blood, perspicacity and a strong determination to help you overcome the obstacles that are raised by your visible and invisible enemies underneath your feet. Hence he made no mistake when he read this communication. He knew well that Jobard could not speak like that nor could he approve similar language. No, my friends, Spiritism must not be exploited by sincere and righteous Spirits. Preach against the abuse of that kind that cast discredit upon the religion. You cannot practice what you condemn because you keep away those that could be attracted by your selflessness.
Haven’t you ever seriously consider the dismal effect of paid meetings? Understand well that if Allan Kardec gave authorization to similar ideas through his silence or tactical approval in less than two years Spiritism would fall victim of a multitude of exploiters and this sacred thing would fall in discredit by charlatanism. That is my opinion. I therefore repeal today, as always, any idea of speculation under any pretext that may block instead of promoting the doctrine. At this time you must dedicate yourself to the transformation of mankind through your teachings and example. May your selflessness and moderation speak so loud that none of your adversaries may be able to criticize you! Having each one of you place in different positions each must work according to their strengths. God does not ask for the impossible. Have trust in him and allow each thing to come when the time is right. If God wanted Spiritism to march in an even faster pace he would have sent the great incarnate Spirits earlier, Spirits that will appear almost simultaneously in all corners of the globe in the right time. While you wait pave the way with caution and wisdom. Courage, dear President! The harness becomes harder everyday but we are here to support you and God has your back.
Jobard
Medium Mr. D’Ambel
You are surprised! But there are as many fools in the spiritual world as there are among you, no offense; a fool was able to give another one the somnambulistic communication in question. As for the medium, should we worry more than normal? Give time because time is a great reformer. Those that establish a price tag to their mediumistic communications acts like the foretellers that open a deck of card in front of them and say: “I see a man from the city or from the country; a card is coming, it is an ace of diamonds.” Who knows, it could be a return to the past, to former bad habits? Tough luck to those that fall into the same trap! They will not find their profits and will one day feel sorry for having made the wrong decision. All I can tell you is that since I am not absolutely in that business, as you know, I wash my hands and feel sorry for the poor humanity that still resource to such expedients. So long,
Jobard
Fraternal greetings to everybody, my good friends, you that work so hard to fecund humanity. You must pay attention because at this very moment an incredible revolution takes place among the discarnate. You also have adversaries here that strive to create obstacles to you but God oversees his creation. He placed a vigilant boss in front of you, one with cold blood, perspicacity and a strong determination to help you overcome the obstacles that are raised by your visible and invisible enemies underneath your feet. Hence he made no mistake when he read this communication. He knew well that Jobard could not speak like that nor could he approve similar language. No, my friends, Spiritism must not be exploited by sincere and righteous Spirits. Preach against the abuse of that kind that cast discredit upon the religion. You cannot practice what you condemn because you keep away those that could be attracted by your selflessness.
Haven’t you ever seriously consider the dismal effect of paid meetings? Understand well that if Allan Kardec gave authorization to similar ideas through his silence or tactical approval in less than two years Spiritism would fall victim of a multitude of exploiters and this sacred thing would fall in discredit by charlatanism. That is my opinion. I therefore repeal today, as always, any idea of speculation under any pretext that may block instead of promoting the doctrine. At this time you must dedicate yourself to the transformation of mankind through your teachings and example. May your selflessness and moderation speak so loud that none of your adversaries may be able to criticize you! Having each one of you place in different positions each must work according to their strengths. God does not ask for the impossible. Have trust in him and allow each thing to come when the time is right. If God wanted Spiritism to march in an even faster pace he would have sent the great incarnate Spirits earlier, Spirits that will appear almost simultaneously in all corners of the globe in the right time. While you wait pave the way with caution and wisdom. Courage, dear President! The harness becomes harder everyday but we are here to support you and God has your back.
Jobard
Medium Mr. D’Ambel
You are surprised! But there are as many fools in the spiritual world as there are among you, no offense; a fool was able to give another one the somnambulistic communication in question. As for the medium, should we worry more than normal? Give time because time is a great reformer. Those that establish a price tag to their mediumistic communications acts like the foretellers that open a deck of card in front of them and say: “I see a man from the city or from the country; a card is coming, it is an ace of diamonds.” Who knows, it could be a return to the past, to former bad habits? Tough luck to those that fall into the same trap! They will not find their profits and will one day feel sorry for having made the wrong decision. All I can tell you is that since I am not absolutely in that business, as you know, I wash my hands and feel sorry for the poor humanity that still resource to such expedients. So long,
Jobard
The need for the selflessness in mediums became such a principle today that it would be superfluous to publish the fact above if it did not offer, in addition to the central issue, a remarkable example of coincidence and a positive proof of identity from the similarity of thoughts and the level of originality that in general every communication from our former colleague Jobard, to the point that when he communicates spontaneously at the Society it is rare the case when we cannot identify the author from his first initial lines. Therefore there was no question about the authenticity of those that we have just given above whereas the one that we were asked to examine contains striking deception to any one that knows the language and the character of Mr. Jobard, as well as the principles that he constantly professed as a man and now as a Spirit. It would be irrational to admit that he had suddenly changed to have one person benefited materially. It was an awkward charlatanism.
As for the matter of selflessness it would be useful to repeat everything that has already been said about it and that is remarkably well summarized in Mr. Jobard’s answers. We only add an important consideration.
Certain exploiting mediums think to be saving the appearances by only charging the rich or only accepting a voluntary contribution. First we say that the exploitation of sacred things does not make it less of a job with a profit taken from something that one receives for free. When Jesus and the apostles taught and cured people they did not add a price tag to their words or to the care that was given although they did not have resources to live from. On another hand acting in this way gives no guarantee of sincerity and does not eliminate the suspicion of charlatanism. The reason for free consultation offered by certain doctors in the case of philanthropy is well-known as well as in the case of certain dealers that sell things on much lower prices or that even give them away. In certain cases gratuity is a means of attracting a wealthy clientele.
There is, however, an even stronger consideration. How to recognize the one that can pay and the one that cannot? Appearance is sometimes misleading and sometimes a clean outfit may hide a greater need than the worker’s overall. Does the person then need to attest poverty, their titles of charity or provide a certificate of need? Furthermore who can guarantee that the medium, even by admitting honesty on her side, will show the same solicitude to one that pays a lot or that pays something as compared to the one that does not pay at all, and that she will not give each one according to their payment? And that when simultaneously receiving a rich and a poor person she will not give preference to the rich that only wishes to satisfy a futile curiosity whereas the poor person that might need significant consolation will be delayed? Her conscience will be unwillingly tempted by preference. She will be lead to look the one that pays with better eyes even if that rich person would through a golden coin with disdain like to a mercenary whereas she will look at a minimum with indifference the few coins that the ashamed poor person will timidly present.
Are such feelings compatible with Spiritism? Isn’t that the maintenance of the humiliating separation that already does a lot of harm and that must be eliminated by Spiritism, demonstrating the equality between rich and poor before God who does not measure the light rays of his sun by someone’s fortune, and that God would not subordinate the consolations of the heart that are given by his the good Spirits, his messenger, to people based on their fortune?
Honestly, given the choice we would prefer the medium that always charged because in that case there wouldn’t be any hypocrisy; one would immediately know how to consider that medium. Besides, the ever growing multiplicity of mediums in every social branch and in the heart of the majority of families, subtracts from paid mediumship any utility and any meaning. That multiplicity will eliminate exploitation, if not by the disgust that such activity provokes.
We were informed about the termination of the activities of an old and large group in a country town that was led by selfish interests. The leader of that group, as well as his family, had abandoned their professional activities with the deceiving argument of devotion to the cause to which they wanted to dedicate all of their time. The bread winning activities were replaced by the resources that they expected to gain from Spiritism. Fortunately the exploitation of mediumship was so much discredited in the country that in most cities whoever transformed them in profession, even with the most powerful faculties, would not inspire any trust. Speculation did not correspond to the expectation and the leader of that group would have complained to the attendees, we were told, for his precarious situation and had asked for help, and getting the feedback that if he were is such situation it was his own fault; that he had made a mistake by closing his shop to live out of Spiritism and charge for the instructions of the Spirits that he received for free. He responded by blaming the Spirits. In the event out of nine mediums to whom the issue was presented eight received communications reproaching his actions; only one approved it: his wife. Accepting the advice of the Spirits the leader of the group announced that the group was over from that moment on. It would have undoubtedly be wiser from him to have heard earlier the advices that since long ago were given to him by sincere friends of Spiritism. Another group, in more or less identical conditions, was gradually abandoned by the assistants and finally forced to dissolve.
These are, therefore, two groups that disappear by the pressure of public opinion. A letter was sent to us saying that this result is treated in the text of the Imitation of the Gospel in its items #392 and beyond. As a matter of fact it is impossible that a sincere Spiritist that understands the essence and true interests of the Doctrine becomes a defender and gives support to an abuse that would certainly tend to discredit it. We invite you to be suspicious of the traps that the enemies of Spiritism tried to lay with such objective. It is a known fact that in the absence of good reasons to combat Spiritism one of their tactics is to try to ruin it by itself. That is how we see them carefully watching the occasions to catch it at fault or in contradiction with itself. That is why the Spirits continuously ask us to be vigilant and on guard.
As for ourselves, we are aware of the fact that we did not convert into friends those that saw an object of exploitation in Spiritism nor those that supported them. But why bother with the opposition of a few individuals? We defend a true principle and no personal consideration will make us move back before the accomplishment of a duty. Our efforts will always tend to preserve Spiritism from the invasion of commerce. The present time is the most difficult but as the Doctor is better understood such an invasion will be less feared. The opinion of the masses will oppose an insurmountable barrier. The principle of the selflessness that simultaneously satisfies heart and reason will always have the largest number of sympathies and will lead it to victory by the force of things against the principle of speculation.
As for the matter of selflessness it would be useful to repeat everything that has already been said about it and that is remarkably well summarized in Mr. Jobard’s answers. We only add an important consideration.
Certain exploiting mediums think to be saving the appearances by only charging the rich or only accepting a voluntary contribution. First we say that the exploitation of sacred things does not make it less of a job with a profit taken from something that one receives for free. When Jesus and the apostles taught and cured people they did not add a price tag to their words or to the care that was given although they did not have resources to live from. On another hand acting in this way gives no guarantee of sincerity and does not eliminate the suspicion of charlatanism. The reason for free consultation offered by certain doctors in the case of philanthropy is well-known as well as in the case of certain dealers that sell things on much lower prices or that even give them away. In certain cases gratuity is a means of attracting a wealthy clientele.
There is, however, an even stronger consideration. How to recognize the one that can pay and the one that cannot? Appearance is sometimes misleading and sometimes a clean outfit may hide a greater need than the worker’s overall. Does the person then need to attest poverty, their titles of charity or provide a certificate of need? Furthermore who can guarantee that the medium, even by admitting honesty on her side, will show the same solicitude to one that pays a lot or that pays something as compared to the one that does not pay at all, and that she will not give each one according to their payment? And that when simultaneously receiving a rich and a poor person she will not give preference to the rich that only wishes to satisfy a futile curiosity whereas the poor person that might need significant consolation will be delayed? Her conscience will be unwillingly tempted by preference. She will be lead to look the one that pays with better eyes even if that rich person would through a golden coin with disdain like to a mercenary whereas she will look at a minimum with indifference the few coins that the ashamed poor person will timidly present.
Are such feelings compatible with Spiritism? Isn’t that the maintenance of the humiliating separation that already does a lot of harm and that must be eliminated by Spiritism, demonstrating the equality between rich and poor before God who does not measure the light rays of his sun by someone’s fortune, and that God would not subordinate the consolations of the heart that are given by his the good Spirits, his messenger, to people based on their fortune?
Honestly, given the choice we would prefer the medium that always charged because in that case there wouldn’t be any hypocrisy; one would immediately know how to consider that medium. Besides, the ever growing multiplicity of mediums in every social branch and in the heart of the majority of families, subtracts from paid mediumship any utility and any meaning. That multiplicity will eliminate exploitation, if not by the disgust that such activity provokes.
We were informed about the termination of the activities of an old and large group in a country town that was led by selfish interests. The leader of that group, as well as his family, had abandoned their professional activities with the deceiving argument of devotion to the cause to which they wanted to dedicate all of their time. The bread winning activities were replaced by the resources that they expected to gain from Spiritism. Fortunately the exploitation of mediumship was so much discredited in the country that in most cities whoever transformed them in profession, even with the most powerful faculties, would not inspire any trust. Speculation did not correspond to the expectation and the leader of that group would have complained to the attendees, we were told, for his precarious situation and had asked for help, and getting the feedback that if he were is such situation it was his own fault; that he had made a mistake by closing his shop to live out of Spiritism and charge for the instructions of the Spirits that he received for free. He responded by blaming the Spirits. In the event out of nine mediums to whom the issue was presented eight received communications reproaching his actions; only one approved it: his wife. Accepting the advice of the Spirits the leader of the group announced that the group was over from that moment on. It would have undoubtedly be wiser from him to have heard earlier the advices that since long ago were given to him by sincere friends of Spiritism. Another group, in more or less identical conditions, was gradually abandoned by the assistants and finally forced to dissolve.
These are, therefore, two groups that disappear by the pressure of public opinion. A letter was sent to us saying that this result is treated in the text of the Imitation of the Gospel in its items #392 and beyond. As a matter of fact it is impossible that a sincere Spiritist that understands the essence and true interests of the Doctrine becomes a defender and gives support to an abuse that would certainly tend to discredit it. We invite you to be suspicious of the traps that the enemies of Spiritism tried to lay with such objective. It is a known fact that in the absence of good reasons to combat Spiritism one of their tactics is to try to ruin it by itself. That is how we see them carefully watching the occasions to catch it at fault or in contradiction with itself. That is why the Spirits continuously ask us to be vigilant and on guard.
As for ourselves, we are aware of the fact that we did not convert into friends those that saw an object of exploitation in Spiritism nor those that supported them. But why bother with the opposition of a few individuals? We defend a true principle and no personal consideration will make us move back before the accomplishment of a duty. Our efforts will always tend to preserve Spiritism from the invasion of commerce. The present time is the most difficult but as the Doctor is better understood such an invasion will be less feared. The opinion of the masses will oppose an insurmountable barrier. The principle of the selflessness that simultaneously satisfies heart and reason will always have the largest number of sympathies and will lead it to victory by the force of things against the principle of speculation.
Moral study
One can read in the Siècle from October 12th, 1864:
“In a horrible shanty at the passage of St. Pierre, in Clichy, there was a man called Louis-Henri, a sixty four year old that looked like ninety. He had fallen to the last level of the social echelon. People say that before he had been handsome and flamboyant; that he had disturbed many female’s heads and that he had led an agitated life. In fact sometimes he spoke in a way that reminded the refined society and in his house one could see two delicious miniatures representing charming women. The frame of those medallions had been sold long ago and the painting itself was too faded to be of any use. Louis-Henri was a ragman but he was so weak, so broken and frail that he was collecting almost nothing. With the rags on he slept on filthy things that were used as his bed. Other ragmen and almost as poor as him used to chip in to give him some food such as breadcrumbs and leftovers from kitchens that they would have in their baskets. He was covered in ulcers and worms. According to the Opinion Nationale the soldiers from the brigade of Clichy had several times collected money among them to pay for him to have sulphurous baths. He had forgotten his own name and did not know what had happened to his family. The only thing he remembered was the first name Louis-Henri. The leper, as he was called, had not been seen for some days. A terrible smile exhaled from his dwelling, catching the attention of the owners. The police was informed and together with Dr. Massart they came to the place with a locksmith to break in. They found the remains of the ragman among other filthy things, bitten by rats and in decomposition, having died from his sickness and late diseases.”
-o-
It is a said turnaround of fortune and a proof that God’s justice not always waits for a future life to reach the offender. We say offender hypothetically because such a state of degradation cannot be the result but of a vices in their highest degree. The richest and best placed person may fall to the lowest social level but if honor was not abated in the deepest misery he keeps his dignity. Assuming that the life of that man could offer some teaching the Parisian Society resolved that he should be evoked in hopes that it would be at least useful.
Parisian Society, July 28th, 1864 – medium Mr. Vézy
Q. – The details that we read about your life and death seemed of interest first to yourself because all of those that suffer deserve our prayers and second to the benefit of our own instruction. From a moral point of view it would be useful to know how and why you fell into such abjection from a life that seemed to have been brilliant and what is your current situation. We beg a good Spirit to assist you in your communication with us. A. – Haven’t I pay enough during my life of sufferings on Earth to have a couple of hours of lucidity in the beyond the grave? Is my Spirit disturbed because of the worm infected and bitten body? Allow me to recognize myself a bit. I do not need to explain why I have fallen into such disgusting state to you that know the laws of migration of the soul. However, since I am ordered to do that, I will tell you my story… In fact an anecdote will do you good amidst your wise discussions and argumentations. You have an audience here and this will entertain them more than your moral and philosophy. Let us begin then.
Observation: On that day the Society had a general session in which a few strange individuals are admitted. That is what the Spirit makes reference to.
“Why wouldn’t I tell you the name I used and that in my final years, in particular, I had forgotten myself? Haven’t you guessed that the swamp that devoured me was the only cause of my silence about it? I pretended to have forgotten. I remember… but no. I do want to spill filth upon the tuxedos and the silky and velvet dresses of those that were my relatives and friends, with whom I lived in my youth and they still live. I also do not want to see some old ladies that changed from the hairdresser to the oratory to see the medallion that they used to have hanging above their alcove, hidden under the clothes of a gallant and kind gentleman, the miserable abandoned one. To some of them I died in America during the wars that followed the stand up of their peoples; to others I was the last to die in the bloody skirmishes of Vendée, screaming: Save the King! Let us not touch on those laurels on which my heart rests! I have died to them long ago! I also died for her! Ah Let us not talk about that any more… Yes, to you I am very dead! Dead for eternity! However how many hours of ecstasy and intoxication haven’t we spent together? How many times your eyes met mine, my smiles your smile! You still live to show me your wrinkles and your white hair. But when death finally reaches you I will see you no more! No, no! Damn it! I hear voices that shout: Damn it! No, I will not see her again… To hear light and shine, to me night and darkness! I removed the wings of the angel on Earth but her tears will return her purity and God’s forgiveness will present her with the wings of seraphim.
Ah! Why the youth plays with one’s heart like that? Why picking every flower on the way and having them below your feet later? However, when one’s heart speaks the language of the soul to the other soul it is not lying. Why is it necessary that the breath of impure passions rot your body, throwing it into abjection? Let me drop my tears... they are soothing to those that suffer!
How much I would like to live again my life of former times to live better my hours of youth! Oh how much I would like to have my heart again when I was in my twenties! I would give it all to a twin heart. I would give my soul entirely to a sister soul and would ask God to allow us to enjoy the pleasantries of heaven! But it is done. Why my tears and my sorrow? Degraded man, what is your dream? Everything is lost to the one that could not enjoy what was given to him! Everything is lost to the miserable one that did not know how to employ the qualities that he had! Ah all of you that hear me, yes the one that speaks to you was gifted with beautiful faculties. What for? To deceive with astuteness and knowledge of cause! To commit crimes! I then muffled remorse in the orgies, blocking the screams of my conscience. I was a kind man; I handled the word and the sword with audacity and if the women called me a refined man, while caressing my head and my hair in their dressing room, men called me invincible and brave! Pride! Why such memories of those days? Disgrace… Damnation! I see blood around me! Why hasn’t this sword with which I hurt others, why hasn’t it turned against my own chest? Among the dead, do you see this cadaver? It is my son! Oh irony! That is the consequence of the culture of a society in which people laugh at everything. I was the guilty one did I know that it was my son? Did I know that the lover that was abandoned twenty years ago would throw on my path an adulterous fruit that I did not recognize and that would come to fight for a prey with the new D. Juan? And you wanted me not to have forgotten my name after so many mistakes? Ah to me the cup of shame and ignominy! I should have died as I did, in mud. I feel the cold of the tomb! I feel the worms biting me! I feel the filthy coverings! I feel the ulcers around my body! If your father did not give you a name, he erased your world; if he gave you death, he also died in mud. Ah! Open your arms to me! Teaches your father the path to God through forgiveness. What a dismal story! I believed that by taking his hand I would meet the smiles of former times! Attractive! Is it the environment where I am now that penetrates and transforms me? Why have you evoked me? Why have you brought me from darkness to some light and will throw me in darkness again? It is my time to interrogate you. Answer me!
Q. – We called you because we have pity on your suffering and because we want to be useful to you. What can we do for you? A. – Ah, what do I know? It is up to you to enlighten me. Do not throw me back into obscurity… You brought the dead back. I see them in darkness. I am afraid!
Q. – We will pray for you. A. – Ah pray. They say that the prayer is very good to those in suffering.
Q. – Would you like to sign your name? No, no. Pray for me.
A few days later another medium, Mr. Rul from Passy, carried out a private evocation of the same Spirit and obtained the following three communications. We considered superfluous to reproduce the advices given by the medium to the Spirit. Those are of one sincere Spiritist, moved by the true charity towards his brothers in suffering.
II. Yes, pray for me because the prayers of your brothers have already helped me. If you only knew the suffering of a discarnate! If you could read in my spiritual face the traces of the passions that deformed it, you would be taken by pity and your fraternal hand, holding mine, would feel the fever that agitates me. How much I suffer since I was evoked by your President! I know the divine justice. Alone, wandering around the dead I believed to be the only one to be aware of my sufferings and here I am, at the height of publicity, called to make confession of my mistakes! Ah how many mistakes I made because of passions! I did not tell your brother everything because I was stopped by shame; I preferred to hide my confessions and erase these indelible characters that placed me in the pillory of your consciences. But they prayed for me and today I acknowledge the good your charitable hearts did to me and to better deserve your compassion, because you are Spiritists, meaning indulgent and compassionate, I accuse myself for not having stepped back before any fault in order to satisfy my passions. I did not commit any crime punishable by human laws but the vices that your society tolerates and excuses, particularly when one has a name and fortune, those are condemned by God that never let them go unpunished. I atoned them cruelly on Earth; I fell onto the last degree of misery, of degradation and neglect, me that in other times was shiny and reason for envy and jealousy; the punishment chased me beyond the grave. I did not murder like a vile assassin; I did not steal because my pride would cause me to revolt to the simple thought of being confused with criminals. I nonetheless killed but to defend my honor according to the world. I led families to ruin, shame and despair, and I was called the happy and lucky one! How many victims cry for vengeance around me! Ah for how long will I bear the burden of those crimes! Pray for me since I suffer to the point of feeling my soul breaking apart… Thank you, thank you dear brother. I want to call you like you do to me; I thank you for your tears that brought me relief; I thank you for your prayers that have attracted to me Spirits full of glory that tell me: Wait, you that failed so miserably; wait for the mercy of God that forgives all creatures that regret. Persevere in your good resolutions and you shall be stronger to withstand your sufferings. Thank you for taking me from the fog that surrounded me. I hope I can one day demonstrate to you that the recognition of your brother is forever!
III. Remorse chases me; I suffer a lot but I understand the need to suffer; I understand that impurity can only become purity after its transformation by fire. The good Spirits ask me to wait; that I pray and I prayed but I need a friend that reaches out to me to help me out and do not allow me to succumb under this heavy burden. Be such a charitable and devout friend to me. I will hear your advices; I will pray with you; I shall prostrate with you to the feet of the Almighty. How many times have I seen my sword stained in the blood of one of my brothers! I was merciless in my vengeance and when exalted by flesh, vanity, and the desire that execute it upon my rivals I sought victory at any price. Sad victory, stained by the lowest passions! I was cruel when driven by pride. Yes, I was a huge sinner but I want to become a child of the Lord and for that I came to tell you: Be my friend to help me out in purification. Brother, let us pray together.
IV. Thank you, thank you brother. I am under the impression of the words that you have just said. I feel stronger; I see the objective and without measuring the distance that separates me from that I say to myself: I will do it, because I want and because I trust the good Spirits that ask me to wait. When I did bad things on Earth I did not doubt success. How could I doubt now when I want to do good? Thank you brother for your charity, for your good prayers, for your teachings, because I feel that I gain strength and I feel my regret grow. If regret doubles the suffering I know that it is going to last only sometime and that happiness waits for me after depuration. I then want to suffer, suffer a lot to soon deserve the happiness that the radiant Spirits that I see near you experience. So long, brother, since I see that you have another suffering Spirit to console and strengthen in his regret. Think of me and during your nightly prayer I will be near you.
One can read in the Siècle from October 12th, 1864:
“In a horrible shanty at the passage of St. Pierre, in Clichy, there was a man called Louis-Henri, a sixty four year old that looked like ninety. He had fallen to the last level of the social echelon. People say that before he had been handsome and flamboyant; that he had disturbed many female’s heads and that he had led an agitated life. In fact sometimes he spoke in a way that reminded the refined society and in his house one could see two delicious miniatures representing charming women. The frame of those medallions had been sold long ago and the painting itself was too faded to be of any use. Louis-Henri was a ragman but he was so weak, so broken and frail that he was collecting almost nothing. With the rags on he slept on filthy things that were used as his bed. Other ragmen and almost as poor as him used to chip in to give him some food such as breadcrumbs and leftovers from kitchens that they would have in their baskets. He was covered in ulcers and worms. According to the Opinion Nationale the soldiers from the brigade of Clichy had several times collected money among them to pay for him to have sulphurous baths. He had forgotten his own name and did not know what had happened to his family. The only thing he remembered was the first name Louis-Henri. The leper, as he was called, had not been seen for some days. A terrible smile exhaled from his dwelling, catching the attention of the owners. The police was informed and together with Dr. Massart they came to the place with a locksmith to break in. They found the remains of the ragman among other filthy things, bitten by rats and in decomposition, having died from his sickness and late diseases.”
-o-
It is a said turnaround of fortune and a proof that God’s justice not always waits for a future life to reach the offender. We say offender hypothetically because such a state of degradation cannot be the result but of a vices in their highest degree. The richest and best placed person may fall to the lowest social level but if honor was not abated in the deepest misery he keeps his dignity. Assuming that the life of that man could offer some teaching the Parisian Society resolved that he should be evoked in hopes that it would be at least useful.
Parisian Society, July 28th, 1864 – medium Mr. Vézy
Q. – The details that we read about your life and death seemed of interest first to yourself because all of those that suffer deserve our prayers and second to the benefit of our own instruction. From a moral point of view it would be useful to know how and why you fell into such abjection from a life that seemed to have been brilliant and what is your current situation. We beg a good Spirit to assist you in your communication with us. A. – Haven’t I pay enough during my life of sufferings on Earth to have a couple of hours of lucidity in the beyond the grave? Is my Spirit disturbed because of the worm infected and bitten body? Allow me to recognize myself a bit. I do not need to explain why I have fallen into such disgusting state to you that know the laws of migration of the soul. However, since I am ordered to do that, I will tell you my story… In fact an anecdote will do you good amidst your wise discussions and argumentations. You have an audience here and this will entertain them more than your moral and philosophy. Let us begin then.
Observation: On that day the Society had a general session in which a few strange individuals are admitted. That is what the Spirit makes reference to.
“Why wouldn’t I tell you the name I used and that in my final years, in particular, I had forgotten myself? Haven’t you guessed that the swamp that devoured me was the only cause of my silence about it? I pretended to have forgotten. I remember… but no. I do want to spill filth upon the tuxedos and the silky and velvet dresses of those that were my relatives and friends, with whom I lived in my youth and they still live. I also do not want to see some old ladies that changed from the hairdresser to the oratory to see the medallion that they used to have hanging above their alcove, hidden under the clothes of a gallant and kind gentleman, the miserable abandoned one. To some of them I died in America during the wars that followed the stand up of their peoples; to others I was the last to die in the bloody skirmishes of Vendée, screaming: Save the King! Let us not touch on those laurels on which my heart rests! I have died to them long ago! I also died for her! Ah Let us not talk about that any more… Yes, to you I am very dead! Dead for eternity! However how many hours of ecstasy and intoxication haven’t we spent together? How many times your eyes met mine, my smiles your smile! You still live to show me your wrinkles and your white hair. But when death finally reaches you I will see you no more! No, no! Damn it! I hear voices that shout: Damn it! No, I will not see her again… To hear light and shine, to me night and darkness! I removed the wings of the angel on Earth but her tears will return her purity and God’s forgiveness will present her with the wings of seraphim.
Ah! Why the youth plays with one’s heart like that? Why picking every flower on the way and having them below your feet later? However, when one’s heart speaks the language of the soul to the other soul it is not lying. Why is it necessary that the breath of impure passions rot your body, throwing it into abjection? Let me drop my tears... they are soothing to those that suffer!
How much I would like to live again my life of former times to live better my hours of youth! Oh how much I would like to have my heart again when I was in my twenties! I would give it all to a twin heart. I would give my soul entirely to a sister soul and would ask God to allow us to enjoy the pleasantries of heaven! But it is done. Why my tears and my sorrow? Degraded man, what is your dream? Everything is lost to the one that could not enjoy what was given to him! Everything is lost to the miserable one that did not know how to employ the qualities that he had! Ah all of you that hear me, yes the one that speaks to you was gifted with beautiful faculties. What for? To deceive with astuteness and knowledge of cause! To commit crimes! I then muffled remorse in the orgies, blocking the screams of my conscience. I was a kind man; I handled the word and the sword with audacity and if the women called me a refined man, while caressing my head and my hair in their dressing room, men called me invincible and brave! Pride! Why such memories of those days? Disgrace… Damnation! I see blood around me! Why hasn’t this sword with which I hurt others, why hasn’t it turned against my own chest? Among the dead, do you see this cadaver? It is my son! Oh irony! That is the consequence of the culture of a society in which people laugh at everything. I was the guilty one did I know that it was my son? Did I know that the lover that was abandoned twenty years ago would throw on my path an adulterous fruit that I did not recognize and that would come to fight for a prey with the new D. Juan? And you wanted me not to have forgotten my name after so many mistakes? Ah to me the cup of shame and ignominy! I should have died as I did, in mud. I feel the cold of the tomb! I feel the worms biting me! I feel the filthy coverings! I feel the ulcers around my body! If your father did not give you a name, he erased your world; if he gave you death, he also died in mud. Ah! Open your arms to me! Teaches your father the path to God through forgiveness. What a dismal story! I believed that by taking his hand I would meet the smiles of former times! Attractive! Is it the environment where I am now that penetrates and transforms me? Why have you evoked me? Why have you brought me from darkness to some light and will throw me in darkness again? It is my time to interrogate you. Answer me!
Q. – We called you because we have pity on your suffering and because we want to be useful to you. What can we do for you? A. – Ah, what do I know? It is up to you to enlighten me. Do not throw me back into obscurity… You brought the dead back. I see them in darkness. I am afraid!
Q. – We will pray for you. A. – Ah pray. They say that the prayer is very good to those in suffering.
Q. – Would you like to sign your name? No, no. Pray for me.
A few days later another medium, Mr. Rul from Passy, carried out a private evocation of the same Spirit and obtained the following three communications. We considered superfluous to reproduce the advices given by the medium to the Spirit. Those are of one sincere Spiritist, moved by the true charity towards his brothers in suffering.
II. Yes, pray for me because the prayers of your brothers have already helped me. If you only knew the suffering of a discarnate! If you could read in my spiritual face the traces of the passions that deformed it, you would be taken by pity and your fraternal hand, holding mine, would feel the fever that agitates me. How much I suffer since I was evoked by your President! I know the divine justice. Alone, wandering around the dead I believed to be the only one to be aware of my sufferings and here I am, at the height of publicity, called to make confession of my mistakes! Ah how many mistakes I made because of passions! I did not tell your brother everything because I was stopped by shame; I preferred to hide my confessions and erase these indelible characters that placed me in the pillory of your consciences. But they prayed for me and today I acknowledge the good your charitable hearts did to me and to better deserve your compassion, because you are Spiritists, meaning indulgent and compassionate, I accuse myself for not having stepped back before any fault in order to satisfy my passions. I did not commit any crime punishable by human laws but the vices that your society tolerates and excuses, particularly when one has a name and fortune, those are condemned by God that never let them go unpunished. I atoned them cruelly on Earth; I fell onto the last degree of misery, of degradation and neglect, me that in other times was shiny and reason for envy and jealousy; the punishment chased me beyond the grave. I did not murder like a vile assassin; I did not steal because my pride would cause me to revolt to the simple thought of being confused with criminals. I nonetheless killed but to defend my honor according to the world. I led families to ruin, shame and despair, and I was called the happy and lucky one! How many victims cry for vengeance around me! Ah for how long will I bear the burden of those crimes! Pray for me since I suffer to the point of feeling my soul breaking apart… Thank you, thank you dear brother. I want to call you like you do to me; I thank you for your tears that brought me relief; I thank you for your prayers that have attracted to me Spirits full of glory that tell me: Wait, you that failed so miserably; wait for the mercy of God that forgives all creatures that regret. Persevere in your good resolutions and you shall be stronger to withstand your sufferings. Thank you for taking me from the fog that surrounded me. I hope I can one day demonstrate to you that the recognition of your brother is forever!
III. Remorse chases me; I suffer a lot but I understand the need to suffer; I understand that impurity can only become purity after its transformation by fire. The good Spirits ask me to wait; that I pray and I prayed but I need a friend that reaches out to me to help me out and do not allow me to succumb under this heavy burden. Be such a charitable and devout friend to me. I will hear your advices; I will pray with you; I shall prostrate with you to the feet of the Almighty. How many times have I seen my sword stained in the blood of one of my brothers! I was merciless in my vengeance and when exalted by flesh, vanity, and the desire that execute it upon my rivals I sought victory at any price. Sad victory, stained by the lowest passions! I was cruel when driven by pride. Yes, I was a huge sinner but I want to become a child of the Lord and for that I came to tell you: Be my friend to help me out in purification. Brother, let us pray together.
IV. Thank you, thank you brother. I am under the impression of the words that you have just said. I feel stronger; I see the objective and without measuring the distance that separates me from that I say to myself: I will do it, because I want and because I trust the good Spirits that ask me to wait. When I did bad things on Earth I did not doubt success. How could I doubt now when I want to do good? Thank you brother for your charity, for your good prayers, for your teachings, because I feel that I gain strength and I feel my regret grow. If regret doubles the suffering I know that it is going to last only sometime and that happiness waits for me after depuration. I then want to suffer, suffer a lot to soon deserve the happiness that the radiant Spirits that I see near you experience. So long, brother, since I see that you have another suffering Spirit to console and strengthen in his regret. Think of me and during your nightly prayer I will be near you.
It is obvious that this Spirit is in the good direction; we can see that he is fighting the good fight for the only think that he requests is to be enlightened. His ideas, however, are influenced by certain prejudices. Like many others that believe to find an excuse in them, he attains himself to society. But what is it that makes society bad if not the bad persons? There is no doubt that society still has a long way to go with respect to its institutions, but since there are decent people and that law abiding people everyone could do the same for society does not force anyone to act badly. Was it society that forced Louis-Henri to abandon that woman and child? If he did not recognized the child why has he lost sight of him with no concern with respect to his fate? Were the social prejudices that precluded him from giving his name to that woman? No, because his only motivation were his passions. Was it education that he lacked? No because he was part of the high echelons of society. Society is not the one to be blamed in his case; he was not denied anything by society because he was one of its favorites in everything. He was the one to blame with society because he acted freely, voluntarily and with knowledge of cause. Who threw his son onto the excesses? Chance? No. It was the Providence so that it could serve his advancement later on through remorse. The true ulcer of society, the first cause of every disorder, is incredulity. The denial of the spiritual principle, the belief in nothing after death, the materialistic ideas in a word, highly defended by influent people, infiltrates in the formative years that suck it up with milk, as a way of speaking. The person that only believes in the present life wants to enjoy everything to any price and that is consistent since that person believes in nothing beyond the grave. That person expects the nothingness and consequently fears nothing. If Louis-Henri had faith in his soul and in the future he would have understood that the physical life is transient and precarious and would not have established it as his only objective; knowing that nothing that is acquired here is lost he would have been concerned with his future fate whereas he acted here like the one that eats his capital and plays the final hand. How many disorders, how many miseries and how many crimes have their origin in the way people see life! Who are the first to blame? Those that erect it as dogma, belief and that make fun and treat as mad people the ones that believe that not everything is in matter and in the visible world. Louis-Henri was not strong enough to resist to that current of ideas; succumbed, victim of his passions, that found a justification in materialism whereas an unbreakable and reasoned faith would have given opposed him a brake that is more powerful than every repressive law that cannot reach all errors. Spiritism gives that faith and that is why it leads to so many moral transformations. The three last communications confirm the first one obtained by another medium; the bottom line of the ideas is evidently the same. It is possible to observe the progress of the Spirit and several teachings may be collected from them. In the first one, with the confession of his faults, there isn’t serious regret yet nor a resolution is made; he is almost sorry for having been evoked. In the second one he says: “How much I suffer since I was evoked by your President.” Would such words justify the statement of certain persons that believe the evocation disturbs the rest of the dead? Certainly not because first they only come when it is convenient to them; second, because in their majority they testify satisfaction for having been called it is driven by a sympathetic and benevolent feeling. Certain guilty Spirits only come with disgust and in such a case they are not constrained by the evoker but by superior Spirits observing their own advancement. Their rejection is like that of the criminal that is conducted to the court. The evocation of guilty Spirits has the objective of their betterment. The temporary hindrance that they feel works on their advantage because the work towards their regret abbreviates the sufferings that they endure in the spiritual world. Would that then be more charitable to leave them in the abjection in which they are found than to take them out of there? The suffering caused by that is like the one produced by the doctor on the patient to have her cured. If you take a man out of the mud he will complain. The same happens with the Spirits.
In the communications of this Spirit there is a thought similar to what was expressed by Latour about the suffering caused by regret. We explained the cause of such feeling in the Spiritist Review of November 1864; it is the same that leads this one to say: “I suffer since I was evoked”, and “remorse chases me; I suffer a lot.” It is therefore remorse that makes him suffer but it is the very remorse that must save him and it was the evocation that provoked that. But he still adds these remarkable words: “I understand the need for suffering”; “I understand that impurity can only become purity after its transformation by fire”. And later: “If regret doubles the suffering I know that it is going to last only sometime and that happiness waits for me after depuration”.
That certainty makes him say: I then want to suffer, suffer a lot to soon deserve happiness.” After that is there any surprise when a Spirit choses terrible trials in new existences? Isn’t that the case of a patient that resigns to a painful surgery to be cured or the man that exposes himself to all sorts of danger that endures all kinds of miseries, fatigue and deprivations aiming at fortune or glory? Therefore, there is nothing irrational about the principle of the free choice of the trials of life. In order to take advantage of them the condition is not to step back. Not supporting them with courage and resignation is the same as stepping back. What is going to be the fate of Louis-Henri in a new life? Since he atoned cruelly his faults in his last existence; since his regret is sincere in the state of Spirit and his resolutions are serious, it is likely that he is going to be placed in conditions to repair his errors by doing good. But considering that he paid his debts of physical sufferings he will no longer have to go through that kind of vicissitudes. That is our objective given our prayers on his behalf.
In the communications of this Spirit there is a thought similar to what was expressed by Latour about the suffering caused by regret. We explained the cause of such feeling in the Spiritist Review of November 1864; it is the same that leads this one to say: “I suffer since I was evoked”, and “remorse chases me; I suffer a lot.” It is therefore remorse that makes him suffer but it is the very remorse that must save him and it was the evocation that provoked that. But he still adds these remarkable words: “I understand the need for suffering”; “I understand that impurity can only become purity after its transformation by fire”. And later: “If regret doubles the suffering I know that it is going to last only sometime and that happiness waits for me after depuration”.
That certainty makes him say: I then want to suffer, suffer a lot to soon deserve happiness.” After that is there any surprise when a Spirit choses terrible trials in new existences? Isn’t that the case of a patient that resigns to a painful surgery to be cured or the man that exposes himself to all sorts of danger that endures all kinds of miseries, fatigue and deprivations aiming at fortune or glory? Therefore, there is nothing irrational about the principle of the free choice of the trials of life. In order to take advantage of them the condition is not to step back. Not supporting them with courage and resignation is the same as stepping back. What is going to be the fate of Louis-Henri in a new life? Since he atoned cruelly his faults in his last existence; since his regret is sincere in the state of Spirit and his resolutions are serious, it is likely that he is going to be placed in conditions to repair his errors by doing good. But considering that he paid his debts of physical sufferings he will no longer have to go through that kind of vicissitudes. That is our objective given our prayers on his behalf.
The Spiritist Society of Paris has just lost one of its members Mr. Bruneau, deceased on November 13th, 1864 at the age of seventy years old; a death that was announced in the terms below by the Opinion Nationale:
“Death renovates its attacks to the surving members of the Saint-simonianism mission in Egypt. After Mr. Enfantin and Lambert Rey we have today to mourn the loss of Mr. Bruneau, former colonel of the infantry that founded the school of cavalry in Egypt while Mr. Lambert Rey, his son-in-law, organized a Polytechnic School. Mr. Bruneau died as a free man, full of hope in the material, intellectual and moral progress, and full of faith in the religious and social doctrines of his youth.”
Mr. Bruneau was a former student at the Polytechnic School and for several years member of the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies. We ignore the faith that he had in the religious and social doctrines of his youth but we know that he had an absolute confidence in the future of Spiritism of which he was a keen and enlightened follower. He had acquired an unbreakable faith in the future life and in the humanitarian reforms that will be its consequence. We add that his colleagues were able to appreciate his excellent qualities, his extreme modesty, his kindness, benevolence and charity. He communicated at the Society a few days after his death and gave testimony of the elevation of his Spirit by the correction and profoundness of his appreciations. The invisible word had no surprise to him for he understood it beforehand. He then came to confirm everything that the Doctrine teaches us about it. He gladly found his relatives, friends and colleagues that had preceded him and waited for his arrival among them.
The Spiritist Society of Paris was represented in the funerals of Mr. Bruneau by a delegation of twenty members. We considered our duty to express the feelings of the Society but knowing that his family was not sympathetic to our ideas we were forced to abstain from any manifestation. Spiritism does not impose itself. It wants to be freely accepted and for that reason respects every belief and, out of a principle of tolerance and charity, avoids anything that may shock contrary ideas.
As a matter of fact the fair tribute of praises and sorrows that could not have been ostensibly paid before a hostile or indifferent public was done with much more reverence at the heart of the Society. At the session the followed the funerals a speech was given and all of his colleagues united in prayers that were said on his behalf.
At the session dedicated to the memory of Mr. Bruneau, Mr. Allan Kardec offered the following speech:
Ladies and gentlemen, dear Spiritist brothers and sisters,
One of our colleagues has just left Earth to enter the world of the Spirits. By dedicating this session to him we accomplish a duty of fraternity to him in which each one of us, I have no doubt, will associate their heart in a sacred communion of thoughts.
Mr. Bruneau joined the Society on April 1st, 1862. As a member of the committee, as you know, he was very much present at our sessions. All of us were able to appreciate the kindness of his character, his extreme benevolence, his simplicity and charity. There isn’t a single relief run in our Society to which he had not brought his offering. His death revealed an eminent quality in him: modesty. He had never exhibited his titles that recommended him as an enlightened man. By chance I was informed that he had attended the Polytechnic School but we all ignored the fact that he had been a colonel of the artillery and that he had accomplish a superior mission in Egypt, founding a school of cavalry at the same time that his son-in-law, Lambert Bey, founded there a Polytechnic School. We knew him as a sincere Spiritist, devoted and instructed, but if he was quiet about his times he was not about his opinions. These circumstances, ladies and gentlemen, make his memory even more dear to us and we do not doubt that he found a deservedly position in the world of the Spirits. Mr Bruneau was an active member of the Saint-simonianism School, and that was mentioned by the papers that announced his death, but they avoided mentioning that he died as a Spiritist.
This is not the forum to discuss the Saint-simonianism School. However, the beginning of the article of the Opinion Nationale lead us to involuntarily make a comparison. It says: “Death renovates its attacks to the surving members of the Sansimonist mission in Egypt. After Mr. Enfantin and Lambert Rey we have today to mourn the loss of Mr. Bruneau, etc.” Saint-simonianism shined intensely for a few years be it by the originality of the books or by the eminent persons associated to that. It is a fact, however, that the shine was transient. Why then such a short impact if it had the philosophical truth?
Truth sometimes is hard to propagate but when it begins to show up it grows and does not disappear because truth is eternal and it is eternal because it comes from God. Only falsehoods perish because they come from people. Progress is the law of humanity. Humanity will only progress when it discovers the truth. Once the discovery is done it is acquired and unbreakable. Which theory could prevail today against the law of the movement of the globes, of the formation of Earth and so many others? Philosophy is only mutable because it results from systems created by men; it will only have stability when it acquire the accuracy of mathematical truth. If then a system, a theory, any doctrine, philosophical, religious or social, marches towards decline it is a positive proof that it is not with the absolute truth. In all religions, and not excluding Christianity, it is only the divine element that is imperishable; the human element falls if not in agreement with the law of progress. But since progress is endless it results that in the religions the human element must modify or disappear. It is only the divine element that is invariable. You see that in Moses’ law: the two tables of Mount Sinai still stand becoming the code of humanity whereas the rest is already lost in time.
Since absolute truth can only be established onto the ruins of the error it forcibly finds antagonists among those that by living out of the error have interest in fighting truth and for that very reason give rise to a bloodthirsty battle.
But truth soon conquers the sympathy of the selfishness masses. Was it what happened to the Saint-simonianism doctrine? No. It lived like a practice; it only survived as a sympathetic theory and individual belief in the heads of some of its former followers. But like it is attested by the Opinion Nationale, by daily taking away some of its representatives the day in which they will be almost all gone is not far and it will then only live in history, from what we must conclude that it did not had the absolute truth and did not correspond to every aspiration.
Does it mean that every sect and school that disappear are in the absolute false? No. On the contrary. The majority of them have foreseen part of the truth but the summation of the truths that they had was not enough to sustain the fight against progress so that they were not up to the needs of humanity. In fact the sects are very exclusive and for that reason stationaries. It follows that the ones that were able to mark a stage of progress in a given time ended up being left behind and extinguished by the force of things. However, irrespective of the mistakes by which they succumbed their passage was not useless because they agitated the ideas, moved mankind away from numbness, raised new issues that were better elaborated and detached from the spirit of system and exaggeration, and later on received their solution. Among the ideas that they sowed only the good ones bear fruits and are reborn in a different format. Time, experience and reason do justice to the others. The mistake of every social doctrine, presented as panacea of the evils of humanity, is that of be founded exclusively on material interests. It follows that the solidarity that they try to establish among individuals is fragile like the corporeal life; the links of fraternity, without roots in a faith in the future, break to the minimal shock of egotism.
Spiritism presents itself in completely different conditions. Is it with the truth? We believe so but are we better prepared than the others. The reasons that lead us to believe in Spiritism are very simple. They stem simultaneously out of cause and effects. As cause it has in its favor the fact that it is not a human conception, the product of a personal system, and that is of paramount importance. There isn’t a single one of its principles – and here there is no exception – that is not based on the observation of facts. If only one principle of Spiritism were the result of a personal opinion this would be its vulnerable side. But since Spiritism affirms nothing that is not sanctioned by the experience of facts and since facts are the law of nature, it must be immutable like those laws because it will find the sanction and confirmation everywhere and at all times and sooner or later it is necessary that all beliefs bow before the facts.
In fact it responds to every aspiration of the soul; it satisfies at the same time the Spirit, reason and the heart; it fulfills the emptiness left by the doubt; it gives a foundation and a meaning to solidarity, by the connection that it establishes between present and future; finally, it rests on solid foundations the pivot that will receive every serious social reform. Spiritism itself is based on facts and laws of nature, without mixture with human theories, and does not risk to move away from the divine element. Spiritism therefore offers the only spectacle in history of a doctrine that in a few years was implanted in all corners of the globe and grows continuously; that unites every religious beliefs while others are exclusivists and remain circumscribed to limited circle of followers. In a few words these are the reasons why our faith is based on the truth and in the stability of Spiritism. We hope that our former colleague and always brother Bruneau may kindly tell us how he feels about the issue, now that he can see it from a more elevated point of view.
Note: Mr. Bruneau’s communication totally corresponded to our expectation. Like the others that were read at this session it is related to a number of questions that will be dealt with later and that is why we postponed its publication.
“Death renovates its attacks to the surving members of the Saint-simonianism mission in Egypt. After Mr. Enfantin and Lambert Rey we have today to mourn the loss of Mr. Bruneau, former colonel of the infantry that founded the school of cavalry in Egypt while Mr. Lambert Rey, his son-in-law, organized a Polytechnic School. Mr. Bruneau died as a free man, full of hope in the material, intellectual and moral progress, and full of faith in the religious and social doctrines of his youth.”
Mr. Bruneau was a former student at the Polytechnic School and for several years member of the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies. We ignore the faith that he had in the religious and social doctrines of his youth but we know that he had an absolute confidence in the future of Spiritism of which he was a keen and enlightened follower. He had acquired an unbreakable faith in the future life and in the humanitarian reforms that will be its consequence. We add that his colleagues were able to appreciate his excellent qualities, his extreme modesty, his kindness, benevolence and charity. He communicated at the Society a few days after his death and gave testimony of the elevation of his Spirit by the correction and profoundness of his appreciations. The invisible word had no surprise to him for he understood it beforehand. He then came to confirm everything that the Doctrine teaches us about it. He gladly found his relatives, friends and colleagues that had preceded him and waited for his arrival among them.
The Spiritist Society of Paris was represented in the funerals of Mr. Bruneau by a delegation of twenty members. We considered our duty to express the feelings of the Society but knowing that his family was not sympathetic to our ideas we were forced to abstain from any manifestation. Spiritism does not impose itself. It wants to be freely accepted and for that reason respects every belief and, out of a principle of tolerance and charity, avoids anything that may shock contrary ideas.
As a matter of fact the fair tribute of praises and sorrows that could not have been ostensibly paid before a hostile or indifferent public was done with much more reverence at the heart of the Society. At the session the followed the funerals a speech was given and all of his colleagues united in prayers that were said on his behalf.
At the session dedicated to the memory of Mr. Bruneau, Mr. Allan Kardec offered the following speech:
Ladies and gentlemen, dear Spiritist brothers and sisters,
One of our colleagues has just left Earth to enter the world of the Spirits. By dedicating this session to him we accomplish a duty of fraternity to him in which each one of us, I have no doubt, will associate their heart in a sacred communion of thoughts.
Mr. Bruneau joined the Society on April 1st, 1862. As a member of the committee, as you know, he was very much present at our sessions. All of us were able to appreciate the kindness of his character, his extreme benevolence, his simplicity and charity. There isn’t a single relief run in our Society to which he had not brought his offering. His death revealed an eminent quality in him: modesty. He had never exhibited his titles that recommended him as an enlightened man. By chance I was informed that he had attended the Polytechnic School but we all ignored the fact that he had been a colonel of the artillery and that he had accomplish a superior mission in Egypt, founding a school of cavalry at the same time that his son-in-law, Lambert Bey, founded there a Polytechnic School. We knew him as a sincere Spiritist, devoted and instructed, but if he was quiet about his times he was not about his opinions. These circumstances, ladies and gentlemen, make his memory even more dear to us and we do not doubt that he found a deservedly position in the world of the Spirits. Mr Bruneau was an active member of the Saint-simonianism School, and that was mentioned by the papers that announced his death, but they avoided mentioning that he died as a Spiritist.
This is not the forum to discuss the Saint-simonianism School. However, the beginning of the article of the Opinion Nationale lead us to involuntarily make a comparison. It says: “Death renovates its attacks to the surving members of the Sansimonist mission in Egypt. After Mr. Enfantin and Lambert Rey we have today to mourn the loss of Mr. Bruneau, etc.” Saint-simonianism shined intensely for a few years be it by the originality of the books or by the eminent persons associated to that. It is a fact, however, that the shine was transient. Why then such a short impact if it had the philosophical truth?
Truth sometimes is hard to propagate but when it begins to show up it grows and does not disappear because truth is eternal and it is eternal because it comes from God. Only falsehoods perish because they come from people. Progress is the law of humanity. Humanity will only progress when it discovers the truth. Once the discovery is done it is acquired and unbreakable. Which theory could prevail today against the law of the movement of the globes, of the formation of Earth and so many others? Philosophy is only mutable because it results from systems created by men; it will only have stability when it acquire the accuracy of mathematical truth. If then a system, a theory, any doctrine, philosophical, religious or social, marches towards decline it is a positive proof that it is not with the absolute truth. In all religions, and not excluding Christianity, it is only the divine element that is imperishable; the human element falls if not in agreement with the law of progress. But since progress is endless it results that in the religions the human element must modify or disappear. It is only the divine element that is invariable. You see that in Moses’ law: the two tables of Mount Sinai still stand becoming the code of humanity whereas the rest is already lost in time.
Since absolute truth can only be established onto the ruins of the error it forcibly finds antagonists among those that by living out of the error have interest in fighting truth and for that very reason give rise to a bloodthirsty battle.
But truth soon conquers the sympathy of the selfishness masses. Was it what happened to the Saint-simonianism doctrine? No. It lived like a practice; it only survived as a sympathetic theory and individual belief in the heads of some of its former followers. But like it is attested by the Opinion Nationale, by daily taking away some of its representatives the day in which they will be almost all gone is not far and it will then only live in history, from what we must conclude that it did not had the absolute truth and did not correspond to every aspiration.
Does it mean that every sect and school that disappear are in the absolute false? No. On the contrary. The majority of them have foreseen part of the truth but the summation of the truths that they had was not enough to sustain the fight against progress so that they were not up to the needs of humanity. In fact the sects are very exclusive and for that reason stationaries. It follows that the ones that were able to mark a stage of progress in a given time ended up being left behind and extinguished by the force of things. However, irrespective of the mistakes by which they succumbed their passage was not useless because they agitated the ideas, moved mankind away from numbness, raised new issues that were better elaborated and detached from the spirit of system and exaggeration, and later on received their solution. Among the ideas that they sowed only the good ones bear fruits and are reborn in a different format. Time, experience and reason do justice to the others. The mistake of every social doctrine, presented as panacea of the evils of humanity, is that of be founded exclusively on material interests. It follows that the solidarity that they try to establish among individuals is fragile like the corporeal life; the links of fraternity, without roots in a faith in the future, break to the minimal shock of egotism.
Spiritism presents itself in completely different conditions. Is it with the truth? We believe so but are we better prepared than the others. The reasons that lead us to believe in Spiritism are very simple. They stem simultaneously out of cause and effects. As cause it has in its favor the fact that it is not a human conception, the product of a personal system, and that is of paramount importance. There isn’t a single one of its principles – and here there is no exception – that is not based on the observation of facts. If only one principle of Spiritism were the result of a personal opinion this would be its vulnerable side. But since Spiritism affirms nothing that is not sanctioned by the experience of facts and since facts are the law of nature, it must be immutable like those laws because it will find the sanction and confirmation everywhere and at all times and sooner or later it is necessary that all beliefs bow before the facts.
In fact it responds to every aspiration of the soul; it satisfies at the same time the Spirit, reason and the heart; it fulfills the emptiness left by the doubt; it gives a foundation and a meaning to solidarity, by the connection that it establishes between present and future; finally, it rests on solid foundations the pivot that will receive every serious social reform. Spiritism itself is based on facts and laws of nature, without mixture with human theories, and does not risk to move away from the divine element. Spiritism therefore offers the only spectacle in history of a doctrine that in a few years was implanted in all corners of the globe and grows continuously; that unites every religious beliefs while others are exclusivists and remain circumscribed to limited circle of followers. In a few words these are the reasons why our faith is based on the truth and in the stability of Spiritism. We hope that our former colleague and always brother Bruneau may kindly tell us how he feels about the issue, now that he can see it from a more elevated point of view.
Note: Mr. Bruneau’s communication totally corresponded to our expectation. Like the others that were read at this session it is related to a number of questions that will be dealt with later and that is why we postponed its publication.
Antwerp, November 1st, 1864
(End) .ellerutan iol al ed erdro'l snad recalp el ruop lerutanrus te euqitsatnaf erètcarac tuot emsitiripS ua zetô iouqruop tse'c; noitcefrep al: tub emêm el snoviusruop suon ,strom suon te stnaviv suov euq tnemelanif ,eguj niarevuos ua etpmoc udner àjéd snova suon tnod noissim enu erviusruop ed ueiD rap ségrahc te sproc el emmon no'uq ertserret eppolevne ertov snad sénnosirpme erid-à-tse'c ,sénracni stirpsE ,suoV .stirpsE suot semmos suon euq elpmis trof noisulcnoc al à ehcuot no ,emâ'l ed étilatrommi'l ed étatsnoc tiaf el rap ,ro; enirt-cod ettec reruotne à tîalp es no tnod erbmos siofrap te xuellievrem egitserp el eriurtéd à tnemennosiar elpmis el rap evirra no ,ertua'l snas nu'l retejer uo erttemda tiaruas en no'uq ,sepicnirp xued sec ed tnatrap nE .emâ'l ed étilatrommi'l te ueiD nu'd ecnetsixe'l: sétirév sednarg xued dnerppa suov emsitiripS eL (start here).
(End). étirahc ed etca nu'd eéngapmocca erèirp ennob enu (trépassés) idercrem ruop te ,port sap zeugitaf suov en: noitadnammocer erèinred enu ,ritrap ed tnavA (Start here).
.riover uA
-o-
We give above one curious example of reverse typtology (in French) that we mentioned in our last October issue. One can notice that it is not only the words that are written backwards but the whole paragraphs so that we have to start from the last letter of each paragraph. We leave to the readers the effort of the translation.
(End) .ellerutan iol al ed erdro'l snad recalp el ruop lerutanrus te euqitsatnaf erètcarac tuot emsitiripS ua zetô iouqruop tse'c; noitcefrep al: tub emêm el snoviusruop suon ,strom suon te stnaviv suov euq tnemelanif ,eguj niarevuos ua etpmoc udner àjéd snova suon tnod noissim enu erviusruop ed ueiD rap ségrahc te sproc el emmon no'uq ertserret eppolevne ertov snad sénnosirpme erid-à-tse'c ,sénracni stirpsE ,suoV .stirpsE suot semmos suon euq elpmis trof noisulcnoc al à ehcuot no ,emâ'l ed étilatrommi'l ed étatsnoc tiaf el rap ,ro; enirt-cod ettec reruotne à tîalp es no tnod erbmos siofrap te xuellievrem egitserp el eriurtéd à tnemennosiar elpmis el rap evirra no ,ertua'l snas nu'l retejer uo erttemda tiaruas en no'uq ,sepicnirp xued sec ed tnatrap nE .emâ'l ed étilatrommi'l te ueiD nu'd ecnetsixe'l: sétirév sednarg xued dnerppa suov emsitiripS eL (start here).
(End). étirahc ed etca nu'd eéngapmocca erèirp ennob enu (trépassés) idercrem ruop te ,port sap zeugitaf suov en: noitadnammocer erèinred enu ,ritrap ed tnavA (Start here).
.riover uA
-o-
We give above one curious example of reverse typtology (in French) that we mentioned in our last October issue. One can notice that it is not only the words that are written backwards but the whole paragraphs so that we have to start from the last letter of each paragraph. We leave to the readers the effort of the translation.
How and why I became a Spiritist
By J.B. Borreau, from Niort[1]
The author describes how he was led to believe in the existence of the Spirits, in their manifestations and their intervention with the world, and all that before Spiritism came to be. He was led by a series of events when he was not thinking about those things at all. He found the world of the Spirits when carrying out experiments with much different objectives, it is true that by its worst side, but nonetheless it showed up as an active side. Mr. Borreau found it by chance absolutely like those that sought the philosophical stone and found new bodies that they were not looking for and that enriched science if did not enriched themselves.
The detailed report given by Mr. Borreau is at the same time interesting because it is true and very instructive by the teachings that they provide to whoever wants to seek the deductions and consequences that may be taken from the facts and do not stop at the surface of things.
Mr. Borreau is a great magnetizer. For that very reason he had attested the force of the magnetic agent and the remarkable lucidity of certain somnambulists that see from a distance with an accuracy similar that with the eyes but whose sight is not hindered by obscurity or opaque bodies. For him those phenomena were the tangible proof that we have an intelligent principle beyond matter. He had the firm desire to propagate that new science but discouraged by incredulity he thought that he could poke imaginations by a brilliant fact before which all denials and the most adamant doubts would fall.
Considering that the sight of somnambulists penetrate everything, he says, it can also penetrate the layers of Earth. The positive discovery of a buried treasure would make a lot of noise and impose silence to the mockery because nobody would mock a real treasure. That is the story that Mr. Borreau tells in his brochure, painful and dangerous attempts that gave him the impression of victory sometimes but that in fact only led to deceptions and mystifications. One of the most touching episodes was that of the terrible scene that took place when excavating in a field in Vendee on a dark night at the bottom of some druid stones, among somber brooms; when the somnambulist thought that she was touching the objective, in the paroxysm of the ecstasy and excitement, she fell lifeless as if hit by a lightning stroke, not showing any sign of life.
Believing her dead she was transported through the bushes and stone with great difficulty in the dark night. It was only after transposing a few miles that she began to revive without any memory of what had happened. That did not scare the persevering researcher despite a number of other incidents that were not less dramatic and that constantly frustrated him as if to warn him about the uselessness and danger of those attempts.
It was during those experiments that the existence of the Spirits was revealed to him in a positive way through the somnambulist that saw them and dealt with them and by more than fifty cases of direct writing whose origin was unquestionable. Those Spirits sometimes showed up to the medium in a terrifying way provoking terrible crises on the somnambulist that even the hypnotic power of Mr. Borreau could not pacify; on other occasions they came under the appearance of benevolent Spirits that came to encourage him to continue his investigations, always promising success but never indicating the time for that. Persisting on doing that, we must say, was a dangerous game and could lead to serious liability. We must add that the Spirits prescribed a large number of novenas that Mr. Bureau gave up for being too expensive and that led to this thought: the prayers that he said himself could fully efficient and would cost nothing.
Today Spiritism came to clarify all of those issues and each paragraph of his brochure could give rise to an instructive comments but two full issues of the Spiritist Review would hardly suffice. We may perhaps one day take on that task. Meanwhile any person versed in the knowledge of the principles of Spiritism will be able to find their own conclusions. For that matter we refer the reader to the Mediums’ Book, chapter XXVI, specifically items #294 and #295 as well as the considerations that follow the article about the German society of treasure hunters published in our Spiritist Review, October 1864.
Mr. Borreau says that his only objective was to overcome disbelief in human magnetism. However, despite the fact that he was not successful magnetism and somnambulism followed their path. Despite the systematic opposition of some scientists the phenomena of that nature have today passed to the facts accepted by the crowds and by a large number of doctors. Magnetic cures are admitted, even officially; some still contest out of pure spirit of opposition but they no longer laugh at it; what is certain is that whatever is true shall prevail sooner or later.
Hence the success of Mr. Borreau’s attempts was not necessary. He did not reach his objective because an isolated fact cannot turn into law and the nonbelievers would have had plenty of reasons to attribute those facts to anything else but its true cause. We say more: his success would have been damaging to magnetism.
A new principle is only worthy of credit by the multiplicity of events. The possibility of one person finding a treasure would imply that the same would apply to everybody. To be better convinced each person would like to try. Nothing more natural since everyone could promptly get rich and with great easiness! The lazy would have found fortune there as well as the thieves because of this: why would the principle stop before the right of property? Greed, already a scourge, would not need this additional stimulus. Providence did not want that. But since human magnetism is a law of nature it succeeded by the force of things. Its propagation is above all due to its healing power; through that it has a humanitarian purpose and not a selfish one like it is necessary with the interest of profiting. The multiple events of cure that take place daily around the globe did more to its credibility than the discovery of the greatest treasure would have done, or even the most curious experiments because everybody can enjoy that benefit whilst there isn’t enough treasures to all and curiosity itself fades away. Jesus made more proselytes by curing the sick than the miracles of Canaan. It is like with Spiritism. The ratio between those that are brought in by consolation to those that come out of curiosity is 100:1.
Have those attempts, even unsuccessful from a material point of view, gone without benefit to Mr. Borreau? Here is what he says about it.
“All of those thoughts had made me so depressed, me that was always joyful, that I became said for the rest of the trip, I became unfair to the point that I regretted having ever considered that idea that brought me all those tribulations from unknown paths. What did I gain from that? I asked upset with myself. The knowledge, it is true, of an unknown world to me and the possibility of entering in communication with the beings that inhabit it. But after all that world like ours must have good as well as bad Spirits. Who can give me assurance that despite the interest that we have and all of their good and benevolent words, the one that seems to have imposed himself on us only has good intentions and the power, as he says, to lead us to the brilliant success that I dreamed about, and that may have only inspired me to seduce me and induce me in error?”
Doesn’t the confirmation of the invisible world, of something that is of the interest of the future of humanity at the highest level for the whole humanity will get there, aren’t all these things of significance? Isn’t the discovery of the key to all problems that even today puzzle philosophy a huge finding? Isn’t that an honor to be among the first ones called in to that knowledge? Isn’t that a great service done to the cause of magnetism, by chance it is true, for having given a new proof, among a thousand others, of the impossibility of success in similar cases, and that of discouraging those tempted to do similar tests feeding deluded hopes?
That is the kind of result that the laborious researches of Mr. Borreau produced. If he did not find treasures in this life he certainly found another one a thousand times more precious to the other life, because the one that he could have found on Earth he would be forced to leave it here when he died whereas he will take an imperishable one with him. Is he happy about it? We don’t know.
Nevertheless, we cannot go without establishing a correlation between this event and the old man from the fable that told his three sons the field that they would inherit had a hidden treasure. Two of them then started to excavate their portions but found no treasure. The third and wiser one took very good care of the soil, so much so that one year later he got a big profit back. Hence the maxim: “Work, strive; the essential is what lacks the least.” The Spirit did as the old man and in our opinion Mr. Borreau found the true treasure.
Our criticism in no way reaches Mr. Borreau that we know from a long time and that we have in high account in all senses. We only wanted to show the moral teaching behind his experiments to the benefit of the science and each one in particular. From that point of view his brochure is highly instructive and at the same time interesting for the remarkable phenomena that it verifies. That is why we recommend it to our readers.
[1] Brochre 2 francs ─ Niort, all bookstores; Paris, Didier & Co, Quai des Augustins, 35; Ledoyen, Palais-Royal.
By J.B. Borreau, from Niort[1]
The author describes how he was led to believe in the existence of the Spirits, in their manifestations and their intervention with the world, and all that before Spiritism came to be. He was led by a series of events when he was not thinking about those things at all. He found the world of the Spirits when carrying out experiments with much different objectives, it is true that by its worst side, but nonetheless it showed up as an active side. Mr. Borreau found it by chance absolutely like those that sought the philosophical stone and found new bodies that they were not looking for and that enriched science if did not enriched themselves.
The detailed report given by Mr. Borreau is at the same time interesting because it is true and very instructive by the teachings that they provide to whoever wants to seek the deductions and consequences that may be taken from the facts and do not stop at the surface of things.
Mr. Borreau is a great magnetizer. For that very reason he had attested the force of the magnetic agent and the remarkable lucidity of certain somnambulists that see from a distance with an accuracy similar that with the eyes but whose sight is not hindered by obscurity or opaque bodies. For him those phenomena were the tangible proof that we have an intelligent principle beyond matter. He had the firm desire to propagate that new science but discouraged by incredulity he thought that he could poke imaginations by a brilliant fact before which all denials and the most adamant doubts would fall.
Considering that the sight of somnambulists penetrate everything, he says, it can also penetrate the layers of Earth. The positive discovery of a buried treasure would make a lot of noise and impose silence to the mockery because nobody would mock a real treasure. That is the story that Mr. Borreau tells in his brochure, painful and dangerous attempts that gave him the impression of victory sometimes but that in fact only led to deceptions and mystifications. One of the most touching episodes was that of the terrible scene that took place when excavating in a field in Vendee on a dark night at the bottom of some druid stones, among somber brooms; when the somnambulist thought that she was touching the objective, in the paroxysm of the ecstasy and excitement, she fell lifeless as if hit by a lightning stroke, not showing any sign of life.
Believing her dead she was transported through the bushes and stone with great difficulty in the dark night. It was only after transposing a few miles that she began to revive without any memory of what had happened. That did not scare the persevering researcher despite a number of other incidents that were not less dramatic and that constantly frustrated him as if to warn him about the uselessness and danger of those attempts.
It was during those experiments that the existence of the Spirits was revealed to him in a positive way through the somnambulist that saw them and dealt with them and by more than fifty cases of direct writing whose origin was unquestionable. Those Spirits sometimes showed up to the medium in a terrifying way provoking terrible crises on the somnambulist that even the hypnotic power of Mr. Borreau could not pacify; on other occasions they came under the appearance of benevolent Spirits that came to encourage him to continue his investigations, always promising success but never indicating the time for that. Persisting on doing that, we must say, was a dangerous game and could lead to serious liability. We must add that the Spirits prescribed a large number of novenas that Mr. Bureau gave up for being too expensive and that led to this thought: the prayers that he said himself could fully efficient and would cost nothing.
Today Spiritism came to clarify all of those issues and each paragraph of his brochure could give rise to an instructive comments but two full issues of the Spiritist Review would hardly suffice. We may perhaps one day take on that task. Meanwhile any person versed in the knowledge of the principles of Spiritism will be able to find their own conclusions. For that matter we refer the reader to the Mediums’ Book, chapter XXVI, specifically items #294 and #295 as well as the considerations that follow the article about the German society of treasure hunters published in our Spiritist Review, October 1864.
Mr. Borreau says that his only objective was to overcome disbelief in human magnetism. However, despite the fact that he was not successful magnetism and somnambulism followed their path. Despite the systematic opposition of some scientists the phenomena of that nature have today passed to the facts accepted by the crowds and by a large number of doctors. Magnetic cures are admitted, even officially; some still contest out of pure spirit of opposition but they no longer laugh at it; what is certain is that whatever is true shall prevail sooner or later.
Hence the success of Mr. Borreau’s attempts was not necessary. He did not reach his objective because an isolated fact cannot turn into law and the nonbelievers would have had plenty of reasons to attribute those facts to anything else but its true cause. We say more: his success would have been damaging to magnetism.
A new principle is only worthy of credit by the multiplicity of events. The possibility of one person finding a treasure would imply that the same would apply to everybody. To be better convinced each person would like to try. Nothing more natural since everyone could promptly get rich and with great easiness! The lazy would have found fortune there as well as the thieves because of this: why would the principle stop before the right of property? Greed, already a scourge, would not need this additional stimulus. Providence did not want that. But since human magnetism is a law of nature it succeeded by the force of things. Its propagation is above all due to its healing power; through that it has a humanitarian purpose and not a selfish one like it is necessary with the interest of profiting. The multiple events of cure that take place daily around the globe did more to its credibility than the discovery of the greatest treasure would have done, or even the most curious experiments because everybody can enjoy that benefit whilst there isn’t enough treasures to all and curiosity itself fades away. Jesus made more proselytes by curing the sick than the miracles of Canaan. It is like with Spiritism. The ratio between those that are brought in by consolation to those that come out of curiosity is 100:1.
Have those attempts, even unsuccessful from a material point of view, gone without benefit to Mr. Borreau? Here is what he says about it.
“All of those thoughts had made me so depressed, me that was always joyful, that I became said for the rest of the trip, I became unfair to the point that I regretted having ever considered that idea that brought me all those tribulations from unknown paths. What did I gain from that? I asked upset with myself. The knowledge, it is true, of an unknown world to me and the possibility of entering in communication with the beings that inhabit it. But after all that world like ours must have good as well as bad Spirits. Who can give me assurance that despite the interest that we have and all of their good and benevolent words, the one that seems to have imposed himself on us only has good intentions and the power, as he says, to lead us to the brilliant success that I dreamed about, and that may have only inspired me to seduce me and induce me in error?”
Doesn’t the confirmation of the invisible world, of something that is of the interest of the future of humanity at the highest level for the whole humanity will get there, aren’t all these things of significance? Isn’t the discovery of the key to all problems that even today puzzle philosophy a huge finding? Isn’t that an honor to be among the first ones called in to that knowledge? Isn’t that a great service done to the cause of magnetism, by chance it is true, for having given a new proof, among a thousand others, of the impossibility of success in similar cases, and that of discouraging those tempted to do similar tests feeding deluded hopes?
That is the kind of result that the laborious researches of Mr. Borreau produced. If he did not find treasures in this life he certainly found another one a thousand times more precious to the other life, because the one that he could have found on Earth he would be forced to leave it here when he died whereas he will take an imperishable one with him. Is he happy about it? We don’t know.
Nevertheless, we cannot go without establishing a correlation between this event and the old man from the fable that told his three sons the field that they would inherit had a hidden treasure. Two of them then started to excavate their portions but found no treasure. The third and wiser one took very good care of the soil, so much so that one year later he got a big profit back. Hence the maxim: “Work, strive; the essential is what lacks the least.” The Spirit did as the old man and in our opinion Mr. Borreau found the true treasure.
Our criticism in no way reaches Mr. Borreau that we know from a long time and that we have in high account in all senses. We only wanted to show the moral teaching behind his experiments to the benefit of the science and each one in particular. From that point of view his brochure is highly instructive and at the same time interesting for the remarkable phenomena that it verifies. That is why we recommend it to our readers.
[1] Brochre 2 francs ─ Niort, all bookstores; Paris, Didier & Co, Quai des Augustins, 35; Ledoyen, Palais-Royal.
That is the title of a new journal published in Brussels with the format of large newspapers under the direction of Mr. Balibran and Mr. Roselli, names that are simultaneously a program and a recommendation for that kind of media. It is not the Arts part that we would like to appreciate. With that respect we resource to more competent persons that may assess according to their own titles. In fact it could not be confused with those frivolous papers that under the flagship of literature give their readers more baloney than substance and sometimes more blanks than text. The Monde Musical is a serious journal where every issue in its program is treated seriously and by skillful hands. This consideration is important to us. This journal is a first step of the independent press on the path of Spiritism. Without identifying itself as an institution that propagates the Doctrine it brought this judicious reasoning:
“True or false Spiritism occupied a place in the events of actuality that concern public opinion. The storms that it provoke in a certain world demonstrate that it has its importance; its propagations, despite the attacks of the clergy, demonstrates that it is not a fire spark that fades away; by the number of its followers it is already a power with which sooner or later we have to count on. If it is a mistake it will fall on its own; if it is a truth it is inevitably a revolution of the ideas and nothing will be able to oppose it. In both alternatives we must keep our readers aware of the current status of the issue. Between the option of discussing this or something else it would be better, in our opinion, to discuss this subject than to propagate the scandalous chronicles of the saloons. To provide our readers with the foundations of the idea we extracted part of our citations from the writings that give support to the followers of that doctrine; but since we do not want nor wish to force anybody’s opinion, without taking sides, we will admit the controversy as long as it does not move away from civility and honesty in the discussion. By keeping ourselves impartial each one remains free in their own beliefs. The contrary or supporting opinions that could be formulated in certain articles must be considered as personal to their respective writers and in anyway compromise the responsibility of the journal.”
That is the summary that was presented to us and that we can only applaud. It would be desirable that this example was followed by other vehicles in the press; what we criticize in them is not the discussion of our principles but the blind and systematically malevolent criticism that they make without knowing them and that denature those principles in a disloyal way. The papers that frankly enter this path far from losing out they will only gain materially because the Spiritists today form a mass of readers that is increasingly dominating and whose sympathy will naturally tend to their side. From that point of view the Monde Musical deserves encouraging.
Note: the Monde Musical is published on Sundays since October 1st, 1864. Price of subscription: 4 francs per year in Belgium; 10 francs in France. Subscription accept from the first day of each month; In Brussels in the office located at Rue l’Êcuyer, 18 and in Paris at the journals headquarter at Rue de Buffaut, 9.
A society was formed for the administration of this journal with a capital of 60,000 francs divided in 2,400 shares of 25 francs each.
“True or false Spiritism occupied a place in the events of actuality that concern public opinion. The storms that it provoke in a certain world demonstrate that it has its importance; its propagations, despite the attacks of the clergy, demonstrates that it is not a fire spark that fades away; by the number of its followers it is already a power with which sooner or later we have to count on. If it is a mistake it will fall on its own; if it is a truth it is inevitably a revolution of the ideas and nothing will be able to oppose it. In both alternatives we must keep our readers aware of the current status of the issue. Between the option of discussing this or something else it would be better, in our opinion, to discuss this subject than to propagate the scandalous chronicles of the saloons. To provide our readers with the foundations of the idea we extracted part of our citations from the writings that give support to the followers of that doctrine; but since we do not want nor wish to force anybody’s opinion, without taking sides, we will admit the controversy as long as it does not move away from civility and honesty in the discussion. By keeping ourselves impartial each one remains free in their own beliefs. The contrary or supporting opinions that could be formulated in certain articles must be considered as personal to their respective writers and in anyway compromise the responsibility of the journal.”
That is the summary that was presented to us and that we can only applaud. It would be desirable that this example was followed by other vehicles in the press; what we criticize in them is not the discussion of our principles but the blind and systematically malevolent criticism that they make without knowing them and that denature those principles in a disloyal way. The papers that frankly enter this path far from losing out they will only gain materially because the Spiritists today form a mass of readers that is increasingly dominating and whose sympathy will naturally tend to their side. From that point of view the Monde Musical deserves encouraging.
Note: the Monde Musical is published on Sundays since October 1st, 1864. Price of subscription: 4 francs per year in Belgium; 10 francs in France. Subscription accept from the first day of each month; In Brussels in the office located at Rue l’Êcuyer, 18 and in Paris at the journals headquarter at Rue de Buffaut, 9.
A society was formed for the administration of this journal with a capital of 60,000 francs divided in 2,400 shares of 25 francs each.
Photography of a local drawing representing the ceremony of the auto-da-fe of the Spiritists books in Barcelona, with a summary of the minutes handwritten by Mr. Allan Kardec. Price 1.25 francs, exempt from postal fees in France and Algeria; postage and packaging elsewhere 1.5 francs. Available at the office of the Spiritist Review.
Bordeaux, May 1864, Group St. John, medium Mr. Rul.
There is a new book out. It is another shiny light that comes to illuminate your path. Eighteen centuries ago I came to bring God’s word to those of good will by the commandment of my father. That word was forgotten by the majority, and incredulity and materialism came to muffle the grain that I had deposited on your Earth. Today, by the order of the Eternal, the good Spirits, his messengers, come to all corners of the globe make the reverberating trumpet heard. Hear their voices; they are destined to show you the path that leads to our celestial Father. Be submissive to their teachings; the forecasted times have come; all prophecies shall be accomplished. By the fruit you recognize the tree. See the fruits of Spiritism: couples that had replaced peace by discord returned to peace and harmony; persons that succumbed to the weight of their sufferings now awaken by the melodious voices from beyond the grave, understanding that they followed the wrong path and ashamed of their weaknesses regretted and asked the Lord the strength to withstand their trials. Trials and atonement that is the condition of a person on Earth. Atonement of the past, trials to strengthen her against temptation; to develop the Spirit by the struggle in the fight; to get her used to dominating matter and prepare her for the pure pleasures that await in the world of the Spirits.
My father’s house has many rooms, I said eighteen centuries ago. Spiritism came to make these words understood. And you, my beloved ones, workers that face the heat of the day, that believe to have to feel sorry about the unfairness of your fate, praise your sufferings; thank God that gives you means of making up debts of the past; pray not with your lips but with your improved heart to take place in the house of my Father, because the great shall be humiliated, as you know, and the little ones and the humble exalted.
The Spirit of Truth
Observation: It is well-known that we take less responsibility by the names when they belong to more elevated beings. We do not guarantee that signature more than many others, limiting ourselves to give that communication to each enlightened Spiritist. However, we must say that it is not possible to disregard in this one the elevation of thoughts, the nobility and simplicity of the expressions, the soberness of the language and the absence of superficiality. If compared to those inserted in the Imitation of the Gospel (preface and Chap. III: The consoling Christ) and that carry the same signature, although obtained by different mediums and on different occasions, it is possible to detect a markedly analogy among them of tone, style and thoughts, that indicates a unique origin. From our side we say that it can be from the Spirit of Truth because it is worthy of him whereas we have seen many signed with that venerable name or that of Jesus whose prolixity, wordiness, vulgarity, and even sometimes the triviality of the ideas, betraying the apocryphal origin to the eyes of the least clairvoyant. Only a complete fascination can explain the blindness of those that allow to be deceived, added also to the pride of considering themselves infallible and privileged interpreters of pure Spirits, a sooner or later always punished pride by deceptions, ridiculous mystifications and real disgrace in this life. In the presence of such venerable names the first feeling of a humble medium is that of the doubt because such medium does not consider oneself worthy of such a favor.
There is a new book out. It is another shiny light that comes to illuminate your path. Eighteen centuries ago I came to bring God’s word to those of good will by the commandment of my father. That word was forgotten by the majority, and incredulity and materialism came to muffle the grain that I had deposited on your Earth. Today, by the order of the Eternal, the good Spirits, his messengers, come to all corners of the globe make the reverberating trumpet heard. Hear their voices; they are destined to show you the path that leads to our celestial Father. Be submissive to their teachings; the forecasted times have come; all prophecies shall be accomplished. By the fruit you recognize the tree. See the fruits of Spiritism: couples that had replaced peace by discord returned to peace and harmony; persons that succumbed to the weight of their sufferings now awaken by the melodious voices from beyond the grave, understanding that they followed the wrong path and ashamed of their weaknesses regretted and asked the Lord the strength to withstand their trials. Trials and atonement that is the condition of a person on Earth. Atonement of the past, trials to strengthen her against temptation; to develop the Spirit by the struggle in the fight; to get her used to dominating matter and prepare her for the pure pleasures that await in the world of the Spirits.
My father’s house has many rooms, I said eighteen centuries ago. Spiritism came to make these words understood. And you, my beloved ones, workers that face the heat of the day, that believe to have to feel sorry about the unfairness of your fate, praise your sufferings; thank God that gives you means of making up debts of the past; pray not with your lips but with your improved heart to take place in the house of my Father, because the great shall be humiliated, as you know, and the little ones and the humble exalted.
The Spirit of Truth
Observation: It is well-known that we take less responsibility by the names when they belong to more elevated beings. We do not guarantee that signature more than many others, limiting ourselves to give that communication to each enlightened Spiritist. However, we must say that it is not possible to disregard in this one the elevation of thoughts, the nobility and simplicity of the expressions, the soberness of the language and the absence of superficiality. If compared to those inserted in the Imitation of the Gospel (preface and Chap. III: The consoling Christ) and that carry the same signature, although obtained by different mediums and on different occasions, it is possible to detect a markedly analogy among them of tone, style and thoughts, that indicates a unique origin. From our side we say that it can be from the Spirit of Truth because it is worthy of him whereas we have seen many signed with that venerable name or that of Jesus whose prolixity, wordiness, vulgarity, and even sometimes the triviality of the ideas, betraying the apocryphal origin to the eyes of the least clairvoyant. Only a complete fascination can explain the blindness of those that allow to be deceived, added also to the pride of considering themselves infallible and privileged interpreters of pure Spirits, a sooner or later always punished pride by deceptions, ridiculous mystifications and real disgrace in this life. In the presence of such venerable names the first feeling of a humble medium is that of the doubt because such medium does not consider oneself worthy of such a favor.
This subscription ended on December 1st, as announced in our last issue of the Spiritist Review. The proceedings added to 255 francs.
We must inform that due to the vacation of the Society, at the time of the disaster, the subscription could only be initiated at the return and be announced in the Spiritist Review in the month of October. At that time each person had promptly made their own contribution to the several donation centers what explains the small amount that was raised when compared from that of the region of Ruan elevated to 2,833 francs. The almost totality of the donors remained anonymous so that we do not publish a nominal list. However, we mention one that donated 50 francs with the title “product of the journey of a countryside photographer”, with the recommendation of not even mentioning the name of the city. The donation will be delivered in the name of the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies.
Allan Kardec
We must inform that due to the vacation of the Society, at the time of the disaster, the subscription could only be initiated at the return and be announced in the Spiritist Review in the month of October. At that time each person had promptly made their own contribution to the several donation centers what explains the small amount that was raised when compared from that of the region of Ruan elevated to 2,833 francs. The almost totality of the donors remained anonymous so that we do not publish a nominal list. However, we mention one that donated 50 francs with the title “product of the journey of a countryside photographer”, with the recommendation of not even mentioning the name of the city. The donation will be delivered in the name of the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies.
Allan Kardec