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The Spiritist Review - JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDIES - 1861 > March
March
The Little Man is still AliveRegarding the article published in the Journal des Débats, by
Mr. Deschanel
Mr. Emile Deschanel, whose name was unknown to me, wanted to
dedicate twenty four columns of the Journal des Débats to us, in the
numbers 15 and 29 of last November. We thank him for that or at least
for the intention. In fact after the articles “Bibliographie Catholique” and
the “Gazette de Lyon”, which regurgitated strong detestations and sharp
insults from the mouth in a manner reminiscent of the fifteenth century,
we don’t know anything more malicious, less scientific and particularly
long-winded than Mr. Deschanel. Such a violent attack must have led
him to believe that Spiritism would be dead and buried forever, since it
was wounded by his spear and sword. Now, due to the fact that we did not
respond to him; because we have not summoned him or have not initiated
any controversy, he might be mistaken about the reasons for our silence:
we will now explain our motives.
The first reason is that in our opinion there was nothing urgent to
be dealt with and we were very comfortable with the wait in order to assess
the effect of such an attack, and then respond accordingly. Now that
we are perfectly aware of the issue we will say a few words. The second
reason is a direct consequence of the first. In order to refute the whole
article it would be necessary to reproduce it in its entirety to show the attack and the defense, and that alone would have taken a full issue of
our Review. The refutation would take at least two issues. We would then
have used up three issues of The Review to object to what? Reasons? No,
just mockeries by Mr. Deschanel. Frankly, it was not worth it and our
readers do prefer something else. Those willing to get to know his logic
will be satisfied by reading the referred texts. Furthermore, our response
would have definitely been a repetition of what we have been saying, responding
to the Univers, to Mr. Oscar Comettant, to the Gazette de Lyon,
to Mr. Louis Figuier and to the Bibliographie Catholique * since all those
attacks are nothing more than variations of the same theme. It would
then be necessary to repeat the same thing in different terms to avoid
being boring and we do not have time for that. What we would have to
say would be useless to the followers and not good enough to convince
the disbelievers; so, it will be a waste of time. We prefer to reference our
works to those who really want to learn. They then can balance the arguments
in favor and against. Their own reason will do the rest. As a matter
of fact, why should we respond to Mr. Deschanel? To convince him? But
we have no interest absolutely in doing that. Some people might say that
it would be one follower more. However, what is the actual importance of
Mr. Deschanel as a person? Which weight does he bring to the scale when
membership reaches in the thousands, starting from the top of the social
echelon? But he is a reporter and if instead of attacks he had praised the
Doctrine, wouldn’t it have been much better? This is a more serious issue.
Let us then discuss it.
To begin with, is it certain that Mr. Deschanel, supposedly a new
convert, would have dedicated twenty four columns of his paper in favor
of Spiritism, as he did against it? We don’t believe that for two reasons:
first because he would had been afraid of being ridiculed by his comrades;
second, because the editor of the newspaper would likely had refused to
do so for being afraid of scaring his readers away, who are less worried about the devil than the spirits. We know a good number of scholars
and reporters who are this way but are not less sincere and good spiritists
because of that. It is a known fact that Mrs. Emile de Girardin, who was
considered to be a scholarly person, was not only a devout believer but also
a good medium who obtained several communications, always reserved
and in an intimate circle of friends who shared her convictions. She did
not talk about it to other people. Thus, a reporter who dared to speak
against but who would not dare to speak in favor, in case of a conversion,
is just a simple individual. When we see a mother devastated by the loss
of her dear child finding ineffable consolation in the Doctrine, her adhesion
to our principles is worth a hundred times more than the adhesion of
any celebrity if that celebrity dares not say anything about the Doctrine.
Besides, there are plenty of people of good will. These are so numerous
and so many come to us that we can hardly serve them. Hence, we don’t
see the point in wasting our time with those who are indifferent, running
after those who don’t seek us.
Just one word is enough to reveal if Mr. Deschanel is serious. Here is
the beginning of his second article, dated November 29th:
“The Spiritist Doctrine refutes itself. It is enough to expose it. It is not
wrong for being called simply spiritist, after all, because it is neither
spiritual nor spiritualist. On the contrary, it is based on the grossest
materialism, and it would be funny if it were not ridiculous.”
Saying that Spiritism is based on gross materialism when it fights materialism
relentlessly; when it would be nothing without the soul, its immortality,
the future penalties and rewards, of which it is a clear example of,
is a stretch of ignorance about the subject that is being dealt with. If it is
not ignorance, it is bad faith and slander.
When we see that accusation and when we see him citing the biblical
texts, the prophets, Moses’ law that prohibits to interrogate the dead – a
proof that they can be interrogated since one does not forbid something
that is just impossible – we could attribute him with a frenzied orthodoxy but by reading the fallacy of the following texts the readers would be embarrassed
to discuss his opinion:
“How can the spirits excite your senses? How can they be seen, heard
and touched? And how can they write themselves and give us their
autograph from the other world? Oh! These spirits are not spirits as
you think: spirits, purely spirits. The spirit, you have heard, is not an
abstract, undefined being, only conceived in our minds; it is a real,
circumscribed being, in certain cases noticeable through sight, hearing
and touch.”
“Will these spirits then have a body? Not exactly.”
“Well…?”
“The human being has three things:
1st – the body or the material being, analogous to the animals,
moved by the same vital principle;
2nd – the soul or the immaterial being, the spirit that is
incarnate in the body;
3rd – the link between the soul and the body, the intermediary
principle between matter and spirit.”
“Intermediary? What the hell are you talking about? It is either matter
or not.”
“That depends.”
“What do you mean by – depends?”
“It is like that: the link or perispirit, that bonds the spirit to the
body, is a kind of semi-material covering…”
“Semi… semi…!”
“Death is the destruction of the denser covering; the spirit keeps
the second that is like an ethereal body, invisible to us in the normal
state, but that can become accidentally visible and even tangible, as
that which happens in the phenomena of apparitions.”
“However ethereal you like, a body is always a body. That means
two bodies. And matter is matter. You can make it as subtle as you
wish that there will never be anything semi there. Electricity itself
is nothing more than matter and not semi-matter. And regarding
your… how do you call it?”
“Perispirit?”
“Yes, your perispirit… I believe that it explains nothing and it
does need an explanation on its own.”
“The perispirit operates as the first covering of the spirit, bonding
the soul to the body. That is similar to the perisperm and the skin of a
fruit or a germ… the perispirit is taken from the environment, from
the universal fluid; it simultaneously takes part in the electricity and
the magnetic fluid, and to a certain extent into the inert matter…
Do you understand?”
“Not really.”
“One could say that it is the quintessence of matter.”
“You have very well quintessence, you cannot pull it away from
the spirit or the semi-spirit. Your perispirit is pure matter.”
“It is the principle of organic life but not the intellectual life.”
“In the end it can be whatever you like. Your perispirit is so many
things that I don’t know for sure what it is; it can well be nothing.”
The word perispirit, as it seems, offends you. Had you lived at the time
when the term perisperm was created you would perhaps have found it
ridiculous too. Why not criticize the words that are created every day to
express new ideas? It is not the word that I criticize, you will say, it is the
thing itself.
Be that you have never seen the perispirit; do you also deny the soul,
considering that you have not seen it either? Do you deny God for the
same reason? Well! If the soul or the spirit that are the same thing cannot
be seen, the perispirit that is their fluidic envelope can be seen, when free,
as one can see the soul’s material covering when incarnate.
Mr. Deschanel strives to demonstrate that the perispirit must be material.
But that is what we have said in all our letters. Would that be the
reason that led him to say that Spiritism is a materialistic doctrine? But
he is betrayed by the very citation that he makes because we say so using
our own terms, but without the witty mockery, that the perispirit is only
an independent envelope of the spirit. Where has he heard us saying it is
the perispirit that thinks? Being that he does not want a perispirit either;
but then he has to tell us how he can explain the action of the spirits upon
matter without an intermediary.
Let us not talk about the contemporary apparitions in which he certainly
doesn’t believe. However, since he is so versed in the Bible, since he
so fervently defends it, if it is that he believes in the bible and what it says,
can he then explain the apparitions of angels that are mentioned at every
instantaneous moment? According to the theological doctrine, the angels
are pure spirits; but when they become visible will Mr. Deschanel say that
it is the spirit that is made visible? This would be the same as materializing
the spirit since only matter can affect our senses. We say that the spirit has
an envelope that can make it visible and even tangible at will. It is only the
envelope that is material, although very much ethereal, and that does not
diminish the actual qualities of the spirit in anyway. We thus explain a
fact hitherto inexplicable and we are certainly less materialistic than those
who pretend that it is the spirit that transforms into matter in order to act
and to be seen.
Those who didn’t believe in the apparition of angels in the Bible may
believe now, if they believed in the existence of angels but were reluctant
due to previous reasoning; they may for that reason understand the possibility
of current manifestations, visible, tangible or otherwise, considering
that the soul or the spirit has a fluidic envelope or body, and if indeed they
believe in the existence of the soul.
Besides, Mr. Deschanel forgot something: to give his own theory of
the soul or spirit. As a judicious man he should have said: You are wrong
for this or that reason; things are not as you say; here is how they are. It
would only be then that we would have something to discuss. However, it is noticeable that this is not done by any contradictor of Spiritism. They
deny, mock and slander. We don’t know any other logic from them and
that does not disturb us or cause much worry. We remain absolutely firm
since they propose nothing or seem to have nothing better to offer. It is
only the openly materialistic person that has an established system: the
void after death. We wish them a lot of happiness if that satisfies them.
Unfortunately those who admit the existence of the soul are incapable of
solving the most vital questions only according to their theory and hence
have no other option but to turn to a blind faith, not a very conclusive
reasoning for those who like reason, and these count in large numbers
in this period of intellectual enlightenment. Well, since the spiritualists
explain nothing in a satisfactory way to the thinkers, they conclude that
there is nothing and that the materialists may be right. That is what leads
so many people to disbelief whereas those same difficulties are a simple
and natural solution in the spiritist theory.
Materialism says: There is nothing beyond matter. Spiritualism says:
There is something, but provides no proof. Spiritism says: There is something
and demonstrates it, and supported by its foundation it explains
what was so far was inexplicable. That is what is makes Spiritism bring
so many disbelievers back to spiritualism. There is only one thing that
we would like to ask Mr. Deschanel: that he may provide his theory and
clearly respond to the several questions that we addressed to Mr. Figuier.
To summarize, Mr. Deschanel’s objections are trivial. If he were a
serious man; had he criticized with knowledge of the facts; had he not
exposed himself by making the huge mistake of defining Spiritism as a
materialistic doctrine, he would have tried to study it in-depth; he would
have come to meet us, as many others have done, to seek clarifications that
we would have gladly provided. However, he preferred to speak according
to his own ideas, and that he certainly considers to be the supreme regulator,
like the metric unit to measure human reason.
Well, since his personal opinion is irrelevant to us, we have no intention
to make him change. We did not move a single step in the direction
of doing so; we did not invite him to any meeting, to any demonstration. If he wanted to know he would have come to us. Considering that he did
not come it is because he did not want to and we are not more interested
than he is.
This is another point to discuss: Can such a vicious and lengthy
criticism, founded or not founded, in such an important vehicle like the
Débats, can it harm the propagation of new ideas? Let us see.
To begin with it is necessary to observe that one cannot treat a philosophical
doctrine as a commodity. If a newspaper claimed, based on evidence,
that merchant sells damaged or tainted food then nobody would
feel like trying it to see if that was true. However, every metaphysical
theory is an opinion that even if coming from God would find contradictors.
Haven’t we seen the best things, the most incontestable truths today,
ridiculed in their origin, by the most respectable men? Has it prevented
them from being true and spreading? Everybody knows this; that’s why
the opinion of a reporter on such issues is always only a personal opinion.
That makes us think that if so many wise people were mistaken about
objective things, Mr. Deschanel can well be mistaken about something
abstract. However little he may know about Spiritism, even a vague idea,
his accusation that it is materialistic was his rightful condemnation. This
results in people preferring to see and judge for themselves and that is all
we ask. Mr. Deschanel has unwillingly done a great service to our cause
with that respect; and we thank him since that spares us from the cost of
publicity, since we do not have enough money to pay for advertising in a
publication of 24 columns. However widespread it may be, Spiritism has
not yet penetrated everywhere. There are still many who have not heard
about it. An article of this size attracts attention. It penetrates even into
the enemy’s camps where it provokes desertions, because nobody would
so strongly attack something that is unworthy. In fact, we should not
amuse ourselves by raising formidable regiments towards a battlefield that
may be taken by rifles. The resistance is judged by the deployment of the
attacking forces strength, and this is what calls the attention to things
which might have otherwise gone unnoticed.
All of that is only reasoning. Let us see if the facts come to contradict
him. The credibility of a newspaper is assessed by the sympathies
found within public opinion, by the number of readers. The
same must apply to Spiritism, represented by a few special books; we
only speak about ours because we know the exact numbers. Well! The
Spirits’ Book which has become the most complete presentation of
Spiritism was initially published in 1857; the second edition in April
1860; the third edition in August 1860, that is four months later, and
in February 1861 the fourth edition was out. Hence, three editions in
less than a year demonstrate that not everybody is like Mr. Deschanel.
Our new book, The Mediums’ Book, was issued on January 15th, 1861
and we are already thinking about the second edition. We have requests
from Russia, Germany, Italy, England, Spain, USA, Mexico,
Brazil, etc.
The articles of the Journal des Débats was published last November.
If they had exerted the minimal influence upon public opinion it would
have been felt by The Spiritist Review that is published monthly. Well,
on the date of renewal of subscriptions on January 1st, 1861 there was an
increase of thirty three percent with respect to the same period of last
year, and The Review receives daily requests for new subscriptions with
the remarkable request for the full collections of previous years, a fact that
has forced us to reprint them.
This shows that The Review does not seem so ridiculous to them.
From all sides, in Paris, in the countryside, abroad, there are spiritist gatherings.
We know of more than a hundred of them in different regions, and
we are far from knowing all of them and not to mention those individuals
who study at home in groups or alone. What would Mr. Deschanel,
Mr. Figuier and others of the same kind say about it? That the number
of deranged people increases? Yes, it increases at such a rate that soon the
number of mad people will surpass the sensible ones.
But what those gentlemen so much full of solicitude must deplore
is the fact that everything that they have done to stop this movement has actually produced an opposite result. Do they want to know the
cause? It is very simple. They pretend to speak in the name of reason
and offer nothing better; some give the void as perspective; others the
eternal flames; two alternatives that don’t please many people. Between
the two choose the one that is more reassuring. After that, does it come
as a surprise the fact that people throw themselves into the arms of
Spiritism? Those gentlemen believed to have killed it, and we had to
demonstrate to them that the little man is still alive, and will still live
for a long time.
Since experience demonstrated that Mr. Deschanel’s article, far from
harming the cause of Spiritism has served it, exciting the desire to get to
know it in those who had not heard about it yet, we then find it useless
to discuss his assertions one by one. All weapons have been used against
this doctrine: it has been attacked in the name of religion, religion that
Spiritism serves instead of causing harm; in the name of science, in the
name of materialism. Attacks, threats, slanders have multiplied against
the doctrine that resisted them all, even ridicule. Under the cloud of darts
thrown against it, the doctrine peacefully traveled around the world and
creates roots everywhere, before the eyes of its most bloodthirsty enemies.
Isn’t that a subject for serious thought and isn’t that proof that it resonates
in human’s heart, at the same time that it is safeguarded by a force against
which all human efforts prove useless? It is remarkable that when the
articles appeared in the Journal des Débats, spontaneous communications
were given in several places, in Paris and other regions. They all expressed
the same thought. The following was given at the Society on November
30th last:
“Don’t be disturbed by what the world may write against Spiritism. It
is not you that the disbelievers attack but God Himself. However, God is
more powerful. This is a new era, you must understand that well, a new
era that opens up before you and those who try to oppose the designs of
Providence will be knocked down soon. As it was correctly said, instead
of harming Spiritism, skepticism hurts its own hands and it will kill itself.
Let skepticism speak while the world wishes to make death omnipotent by the nothingness; only oppose indifference to their bitter pretentiousness.
For you death will no longer be that terrible goddess dreamt by the poets.
Death shall become Homer’s dawn of rosy fingers. **”
André Chénier
St. Louis had already said this about the same issue:
“Similar articles don’t cause harm but to those who write them; they
don’t do any harm to Spiritism, but help its propagation, even among its
enemies.”
Another spirit responded to a doctor from Nimes, who asked his
opinion about the subject:
“You must be happy with that. If your enemies dedicate so much time
to you it is for recognizing that you have some value and for fear of you.
Then, let them do as they wish. The more they speak the more they will
make you known. The time is not far when they shall be forced to silence.
Their rage proves their weakness. Only the true force knows how to control
itself, for it is patient and has confidence. The weakness tries to stun
by making a lot of noise.”
Do you now want an example of how certain wise people employ science
for the benefit of humanity?
One of our colleagues from the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies,
Mr. Indermuhle from Berne, writes the following:
“Mr. Schiff, professor of Anatomy (I don’t know if this is the same
that so ingeniously discovered the cracking muscle that Mr. Jobert de
Lamballe took on as the chief editor) *** gave a public course here about
digestion. The course was certainly interesting. However, after having
spoken at length about culinary and Chemistry he demonstrated that no
matter can be annihilated; that it can be divided and transformed but that
it is found in the composition of air, water, organic tissues, arriving at the following conclusion: thus, he says, the soul as vulgarly understood, is exactly
in this sense that which we call the soul dissolves as a material body after
death; it decomposes to become part of the matter in the air or in other bodies.
That is the only way that the word immortality can be justified. Otherwise
it cannot.” That is how in 1861 the scholars assigned with the task of
instructing and clarifying humankind gave them stone instead of bread.
One must say praising humanity that the majority of the attendees
were not very impressed or happy with such a conclusion made so suddenly
and many were outraged. As for myself I felt sorry for this man. Had
he criticized the government, he would have been stopped and punished.
How can one tolerate the public teaching of materialism, which dissolves
society? We would add to the sound thoughts of our colleague that a
materialistic society that certain people strive to transform our current society
into today, is more dangerous in any kind of government since there
is no moral restraint. Materialism has perhaps never been professed with
such cynicism, and those who refrain by having some modesty indemnify
themselves by dragging in the mud whatever can be destroyed. However,
do as they will, these are the convulsions of their agony. Whatever Mr.
Deschanel may say it is Spiritism that will give him the final blow. We just
sent Mr. Deschanel the following letter:
“Sir,
You published two articles in the Journal des Débats last
November 15th and 29th, in which you appreciate Spiritism from
your point of view. The ridicule that you cast upon this doctrine
and consequently upon me in turn and all those who profess it,
gives me the right of response that I would then ask of you to
publish as well. I had not done so yet because regardless of the extension
of my answer, it would still be insufficient to those unfamiliar
to this science and useless to those who know it. Belief can
only be acquired after serious studies, carried out without prevention,
without preconceived ideas, and through a large number of
observations, done with patience and perseverance by someone who is really willing to know and learn. I would need to give a
real course to your readers and that would surpass the limits of a
single article. However, since I believe you are a man of honor I
am sure you would not attack without giving the opportunity of
defense, thus limiting myself to this simple letter that I request
you kindly to have published in your paper, containing the same
words that your readers will find in The Spirits’ Book and in The
Mediums’ Book that I have just published through Mr. Didier &
Co., an answer that is sufficient in my opinion. I will allow your
readers to make a parallel between your arguments and mine.
Those who would like to form a prior and low cost concise idea
may read the little book entitled “What is Spiritism?” that costs
only 60 cents, as well as the Letter of a Catholic about Spiritism,
from Mr. Grand, former Vice-Council of France. They will also
find some thoughts about your article that we published in this
March issue of The Spiritist Review. Nevertheless, there is one
point that I cannot let go quietly: it is the passage in your article
where you say that Spiritism is founded on the grossest materialism.
I set aside your offenses and uncivil expressions, things to
which I usually don’t give importance, and stick to the point that
contains a mistake that I would not call gross because such term
would be discourteous but is of capital importance and that needs
to be pointed out for the benefit of the reader. In fact, the essential
foundation of Spiritism and without which there would be no
reason for its occurrence, is the belief in God, in the existence and
immortality of the soul, in the future penalties and rewards. Well,
these points are the most absolute negation of materialism that
admits none of them. The Spiritist Doctrine is not satisfied with
their affirmation; it does not admit them as a preconceived idea,
but is a clear demonstration. That is why Spiritism has already
brought back a large number of disbelievers who had rejected any
religious sentiments. It may not be spiritual but there is no doubt
that it is essentially spiritualist, that is, contrary to materialism since one would not be able to understand a doctrine of the immortal
soul founded on the inexistence of the soul. This leads
so many people to an absolute disbelief in the way by which the
soul and its future are presented to them. Daily I see people who
say to me: “If since my childhood I had been taught these things as
you teach them, I would never have become a non-believer, because
now I understand what I did not before.” Thus, on a daily basis I
am presented with sufficient proof that it is enough to expose this
doctrine that has won over numerous supporters.
Yours sincerely, etc.”
____________________________________
* To Univers, May and July 1859; to Mr. Comettant, December 1859; to the Gazette
of Lyon, October 1860; to Mr. Figuier, September and December 1860; to Bibliographie
Catholique, January 1861
** Reference to Homer’s Odissey, ‘l’Aurore aux doigts de rose’ translated into French, word
by word. Fenelon did not hesitate to use it: …tomorrow when the dawn with its rosy fingers
open the golden doors to the East… Aristotle wanting to demonstrate that all metaphors are
based on the most beautiful and pleasant things to our senses cites this as a reference but says:
it would have been much better if someone had said: the dawn of purple fingers.
***See The Spiritist Review, June 1859
Garibaldi’s Head
The Siècle edition of February 4th contains a letter from Dr. Riboli
who went to Caprera to examine Garibaldi’s head, from a phrenological
perspective. Our intention is not to assess the doctor’s opinion and
even less the politician. Nevertheless, by reading the letter we were led to
some reflections that are naturally in order here. Dr. Riboli believes that
Garibaldi’s cranial structure corresponds perfectly well to his distinguishing
intellectual and moral faculties, adding:
“You may laugh at my fanaticism but I can assure you that the time
I spent examining that remarkable head was the happiest of my life. I
saw, my dear friend, I saw that great man and he gave me everything
that he was asked. I held that head that is the size of the whole world
in my own hands, and for more than twenty minutes, feeling the
inequalities and contrasts of his genius sticking out under my fingers
everywhere. Garibaldi is 5’4” ft. tall. I measured all proportions: the
width of the shoulders, the length of the arms and legs, the body circumference.
In short, he is a well-proportioned man, strong body and
of an uneasy temperament. The volume of his head is remarkable.
The main aspect is the height of the skull, measured from the ear to
the top of the head, yielding 20 cm (approx. 8 in). Such particular
dominance of the whole upper part of the head indicates, at first sight
and without a more thorough examination, an exceptional structure. The development of the skull on the top, the seat of feelings, indicates
a balance of all the noble faculties against basic instincts. After
examination, the craniology of Garibaldi immediately shows an extremely
rare structure and I can even say that it is unprecedented.
The harmony of all organs is perfect and the mathematical resultant
of the whole thing shows: abnegation before anything else; prudence
and cold blood; austerity; almost continual meditation; serious and
precise eloquence; prevalent loyalty; an incredible deference to his
friends to the point of suffering with it; his perceptibility in regard
to everyone around him was especially dominant. To summarize, my
dear friend, and without boring you with every comparison, causality,
habitability, constructivism and destructivity *, it is a wonderful,
organic, flawless head that science will use as a model, etc.
The whole letter is written with such an enthusiasm that clearly indicates
the most profound and sincere admiration for the Italian hero. However,
we would like to believe that the author’s observations were not influenced
by any preconceived idea. But that is not the point. We accept his
phrenological data as accurate but even if they were not, Garibaldi would
not be more or less than he actually is. Everyone knows that the disciples
of Gall form two schools: the materialists and the spiritualists. The first
ones attribute the faculties to the organs. For them the organs are the
cause, the faculties the product, and hence there is no faculty unless there
is an organ, or put differently, when a person dies everything else is dead.
The second group admits the independence of the faculties. The faculties
are the cause; the development of the organs is the effect, and hence the
annihilation of the organs does not imply the destruction of the faculties.
We don’t know anything about the author’s affiliation to either school
since he does not reveal it in his words.
Nonetheless, let us admit for a moment that the observations above
were made by a materialist Phrenologist. We then ask what his reaction
would be to the idea that this head encompasses a whole world, that it owes its genius to chance or to the caprice of nature that would have given
him more cerebral mass on a given point of the brain than on another.
Well, since chance is blind and has no previous design, it could also have
enlarged a given part of the brain thus and unwilling yielding a completely
different result to his personality. Such logic necessarily applies
to any transcendent person, regardless of how it may be defined. Where
would any merit reside if it were due to the displacement of a little piece of
cerebral substance? If a simple caprice of nature could produce a common
rather than a great man? Instead of a righteous man, an outcast?
That is not all. Taking into account such a great mind, isn’t that horrible
to think that there will perhaps be nothing left of him tomorrow, absolutely
nothing but the inert matter to be devoured by the worms? Not to
speak of the dismal consequences of such a system in case it was accepted,
with a multitude of inexplicable contradictions, daily demonstrated by the
facts. Instead, everything is explained by the spiritualist system: the faculties
are not a product of the organs, but attributes of the soul whose organs
are nothing more than instruments to serve their manifestation. Since the
faculty is independent, its activity excites the development of the organ,
like exercise stimulates the growth of a muscle. The being that thinks is
the main thing, and the body is nothing more than an accessory. Thus,
talent is a real merit because it results from work and not from a more or
less abundant matter. In the materialistic system, work that supports the
acquisition of talent is totally lost with death which often does not allow
enough time to enjoy that talent. With the soul, work has a meaning since
everything that has been acquired is useful to its development; one works
for an immortal creature and not for a body that only has some hours of
existence.
People will say that the genius is not acquired, but it is innate. That
is true. However, why then are two men that are born in the same conditions
so very different from an intellectual point of view? Why would
God have favored one more than the other? Why would one have been
given the means of advancing while the other had that denied? Which
philosophical system has solved this issue? It is only the doctrine of preexistence of the soul that can explain it: the genius has lived before,
he has pre-acquired knowledge and experience and thus he deserves
our respect more than if the superiority were an unjustified favor of
Providence or a whim of nature. We want to believe that Dr. Riboli
might have seen on the head of that man that he barely touched, out of
respect, something more worthy of his veneration than a simple mass of
flesh, not reducing it to the role of an organized mechanism. We recall
that philosophical ragman that saw a dead dog by the side of the road
and said to himself: That is what expects us! Well, then! All of you who
deny a future life that is what you make of the greatest geniuses! For
more details about Phrenology and Physiognomy, we recommend the
article in The Spiritist Review, July 1860.
__________________________________
* There we go with neologisms that are not more barbaric than Spiritism and perispirit
The Assassination of Mr. Poinsot
The mystery that still surrounds this deplorable event led many people
to think that the evocation of the spirit of the victim could establish
the truth. We received a large number of letters about it and since the
subject involves a serious principle we found it useful to let all readers
know our answer. We never thought of evoking Mr. Poinsot since for us
Spiritism has never been an object of curiosity. Nevertheless, following an
adamant request from one of our corresponding members that supposedly
had a communication from him and wanted to know if that communication
was authentic, we tried to carry out the evocation a few days ago. As
usual, we asked our spiritual guide if such evocation was possible and if
he was the one who communicated with our correspondent. Here are the
answers:
• “Mr. Poinsot cannot answer your appeal. He has not communicated
with anybody yet. God does not allow him at this point in time.”
1. Can you tell us why? – A. Yes. Because revelations of such kind
would influence the conscience of the judges who must act with
total freedom.
2. Yet, by clarifying the judges these revelations could avoid regrettable
and even irreparable mistakes. – A. That is not how they
should be clarified. God wants them to have the entire responsibility
of their sentences, as each person has the responsibility of
their acts; also the research work and the merit for that must not
be overlooked.
3. However, in the absence of sufficient information, can the culprit
escape justice? – A. Would you believe that one could escape
God’s justice? If one must be reached by the justice of man, God
will find ways for that to happen.
4. That is fine with respect to the guilty; however, if an innocent
person is condemned wouldn’t that be bad? – A. God judges in
the supreme instance and someone that is unjustly condemned
by men will have their rehabilitation. As a matter of fact, that
condemnation may be a useful trial for their advancement. But it
may sometimes be the fair punishment of a crime from which one
may have escaped in a previous existence. Keep in mind that the
spirits are assigned with the mission of enlightening you in the
path of good and not to smooth things out on the earthly terrain,
leaving that to your own intelligence. When you distance yourself
from the providential objective of Spiritism you become exposed
to being deceived by the swarm of lying spirits that constantly
move around you.
After the first answer the attendees discussed the reasons for the interdiction
and as if willing to justify a principle one spirit led a medium
to write the following: “I will bring him… here he is!” Soon after he wrote:
“How kind of you wanting to talk to me! I am very pleased since I have a
lot to tell you.” The language seemed suspicious to us having come from
a man like Mr. Poinsot, and particularly considering the answer that we
had just received, thus someone asked him to attest his identity in the
name of God. The spirit then wrote: “My God, I cannot lie. However, I
would be very happy to talk to your likable Society but you don’t want to. Good bye.” That was when our spiritual guide added: “I told you that
spirit cannot respond tonight. God forbids his manifestation. If you insist you
will be deceived.”
Observation: It is obvious that if the spirits could spare people from
doing research the latter would not bother doing anything to discover the
truth since it would always be revealed. Thus, the laziest person could
find that out, as much as the hardest working researcher and that would
not be fair. This is a general principle. When applied to Mr. Poinsot, it
is not less evident that if the spirit indicated that a given individual were
innocent or guilty and the judges could not find sufficient proof of one
or the other, they could then become confused and public opinion biased
by unfair preventions. Since the human being is imperfect we must conclude
that God knows better what must be revealed or hidden. If a given
revelation must be made through superhuman means, God knows how
to make it look authentic as to eliminate any doubt, as demonstrated by
the event below:
A farm had been set on fire near a mining region in Mexico. In a
meeting dealing with spirit manifestations (there are several in this country
where Mr. Deschanel’s articles may not have arrived yet hence they
are so backwards there); a spirit communicated through raps. The spirit
says that the person to blame is among the attendees of the meeting. First
it was doubted, believed to be a hoax. The spirit insists, pointing to a
person that was present, stunning everybody. The person puts on a good
face, but the spirit seems to insist and so convincingly, that the man is
arrested and after being pressed with questions he ends up confessing to
the crime.
The criminals, as seen, must not trust the discretion of the spirits that
are sometimes the instruments used by God to punish them. How would
Mr. Figuier explain that? Is it intuition, hypnotism, biology, overexcitement
of the brain, the concentration of thoughts, hallucination, which he
admits but not believing in the independence of the spirit from matter?
Conciliate all that if you can. His own solution is a problem and he should
provide the solution to his solution. Nevertheless, why a spirit would not reveal the assassin of Mr. Poinsot, as he had done for this arsonist? You
must ask God to respond for his actions. Ask Mr. Figuier who seems to
know better than Him.
Family Conversations from Beyond the Grave
Mrs. Bertrand (Haute Saône)Deceased on February 7th, 1881 and evoked at the Society on the 15th of the same month
Note: Mrs. Bertrand was a serious student of Spiritism, acknowledged the doctrine and understood all its philosophical implications.
1. Evocation. – A. I am here.
2. Having learned to admire you from your correspondence and knowing your sympathy towards the Society, we thought you may not mind, if we evoked you at such an early date. – A. As you see, I am here.
3. There is another personal reason that leads me to do so. I intend to write to your daughter regarding the event that has just hurt her and I am sure that she would feel very happy to know about this conversation. – A. She certainly expects that since I had promised her to communicate as soon as I was evoked.
4. Enlightened as you were about Spiritism and impregnated by the principles of this Doctrine, your answers will have double the educational effect. To begin with, will you tell us if it took you long to recognize yourself and if you have already recovered the plenitude of your faculties? – A. The plenitude of my old faculties, yes; the plenitude of my new ones, no.
5. It is usual to ask people how they are doing. However, we ask the spirits if they are happy. We ask that question with a profound feeling of sympathy. – A. Thank you my friends. I am not happy yet in the spiritualist meaning of the word. However, I am happy for the renovation of my spirit, overwhelmed by the ecstasy; by the sight of things that are revealed to us, but that we still don’t understand completely, however good medium or spiritist we may be.
6. You had an idea about the spiritual world from the study of the Doctrine. Could you tell us if you found things as you had imagined them? – A. More or less, as when we see things in the vagueness of twilight. However, how different they become when revealed by the brightness of daylight!
7. Thus, the image that we are given about the spiritual life has no exaggeration, no illusion! – A. It is diminished by your spirit that you cannot understand divine things but only when tweaked and veiled. We behave towards you as you do with children to whom you only show part of what is available for them to learn.
8. Have you witnessed the time of death of your body? – A. Worn out after a long suffering period my body did not have to go through a difficult struggle. My soul detached from the body like the ripe fruit that falls from the tree. The complete annihilation of my being precluded me from feeling the last agony of the torment.
9. Could you describe your sensations at the first moments of your wakening? – A. There is no wakening, or I should say, it seemed like a continuation to me. Like when you get back home after a short absence, it seemed as if it was just a few minutes after I left it all behind. Wandering around my bed, I saw myself stretched out lying there, transfigured, incapable of moving away, at least as it seemed to be and attached by the last link to that corporeal wrapping that had made me suffer so much.
10. Were you immediately aware of other spirits around you? – A. They soon came to welcome me. I then veered my thoughts off my earthly self, and my transported spiritual self was overwhelmed by the exquisite pleasure of new things and known things that I met again.
11. Were you around your family members during your funeral? – A. I saw my body taken away but I left soon after. Spiritism dematerializes in anticipation and makes the transition from the terrestrial to the spiritual world subtler. I had not brought any useless sorrow or vain curiosity from my passage on Earth.
12. Would you like to say anything in particular to your daughter, who shared your beliefs and wrote to me several times in your name? – A. I recommend her to take her studies more seriously; to transform her sterile pain into a compassionate and productive memory; to not forget that life moves on uninterruptedly and that the world’s frivolous interests fade away before the great word eternity! As a matter of fact, my kind and intimate memory will be transmitted to her soon.
13. In January I sent you a picture-card. Since you had never seen me, can you tell me if you recognize me? – A. No, I don’t recognize you. I see you. - You did not receive that card? – A. I don’t remember.
14. I would still have several important questions to ask you about extraordinary events that took place in your house and that you told us about. I believe that you could give us interesting explanations about them. However, the late hour and the fatigue of the medium advise me to adjourn. I will limit myself to just a few questions before stopping. Although your death is recent have you had the chance to travel open spaces and visit other worlds? – A. The word visit doesn’t correspond to the very fast movement that allows us to discover other sites with the speed of thought. Distance is only a word, like time for us is only a moment.
15. When we prepare the questions to be addressed to a spirit we generally have an anticipated evocation. Thus, could you tell us if you were forewarned of our intention and if you were by my side yesterday when I formulated the questions? – A. Yes, I knew everything that you would say today and will easily answer those questions which are reserved.
16. You would have made us very happy if you were among us in life but since it was not possible we are equally happy for having you in spirit, and we thank you for the consideration in responding to our questions. – A. My friends, I followed your studies with interest and now that I can live with you as a spirit I advise you to give more importance to the “spirit than to the letter”. Good bye.
The letter below was sent to us regarding this evocation.
“Dear Sir,
It is with a deep sense of gratitude that I want to thank you on behalf of my father and me, for anticipating our desire to receive news from the one that we cry for through your intermediary.
The multiple moral and physical trials that my dear mother had to endure during her life, her patience to bear with them, her devotion, her complete abnegation of herself, gave me the hopes that she was happy. However, the assurance that you have just given us, Sir, is a great consolation to those who loved her so much and who wish her happiness more than our own.
My mother was the soul of the house, Sir. Needless to tell you the emptiness that she left; we suffer for no longer seeing her, more than I could express and yet we feel some sort of quietness since we no longer see her suffering the atrocious pains. My poor mother was a martyr. She must have found a great reward for the patience and kindness with which she supported all the anguishes. Her life was nothing more than a long torture of spirit and body. Her elevated feelings and faith in another existence sustained her. She had a kind of presentiment and a hidden memory of the spiritual world; I saw her often looking at the worldly things with compassion, saying: nothing down here can suffice me; I feel the nostalgia of another world.
We recognize my dear and adorable mother in the answers that she gave you, Sir, her way of thinking and expressing herself. She liked to employ images. I am just surprised that she could not remember your picture-card that had given her so much pleasure. I should have thanked you on her behalf. My busy days during the last days of my venerable mother did not allow me to. I believe that she will remember later. Right now she is overwhelmed by the splendors of the new life. The life that has just finished for her seems to be just a bad dream, already far away from her. We also hope my father and I that she may come to bring us a few affectionate words, which we badly need. Would it be an indiscretion, Sir, to ask you to please let us know when she will speak to you again? It was so good that you brought us news about her and that she is no longer suffering! Thank you once again, Sir! I pray to God that you may be recompensed for that, from the bottom of my heart and my soul.
By leaving me, my mother deprives me from the best of all mothers, the kindest friend. I need the assurance of knowing that she is happy and also need my belief in Spiritism to gain some strength. God sustained her. My courage was greater than I thought.
Observation: May the disbelievers laugh as much as they wish at Spiritism. May the more or less interested adversaries ridicule it! May they even say vulgarities, but none of that will remove its consoling power that brings happiness to the unfortunate, making them triumph over the illfaith of the indifferent, despite their effort to abate it. Human beings are thirsty for happiness; when it is not found on Earth, isn’t that a great relief to have the certainty of finding it in the next life, once they did what is needed to deserve it? What is it that offers more relief to the evils of Earth? Is it materialism, with the horrible perspective of the nothingness? Is it the expectation of the eternal flames, to which not one in a million can escape? Make no mistake. Such a perspective is even more terrible than the emptiness, and that is why those whose reason refuses to believe are led to materialism. When the future is presented to the individual in a rational way, there will no longer be materialists. Don’t be surprised by seeing the spiritist ideas welcomed with so much enthusiasm by the crowds, because these ideas give more courage instead of diminishing them. The example of happiness is contagious. When everyone sees happy people around them because of Spiritism they will throw themselves into its arms as a salvation since they would rather have a doctrine that smiles and speaks to reason than those that terrify them.
The example that we have just mentioned is not one of a kind; they are offered to thousands and the great joy that God has reserved to us here is to testify the benefits and progresses of a belief that we help to propagate with our efforts. The people of goodwill, those that come here to draw the consolations are so numerous that we could not take our time from them, dealing with those who are indifferent and have no desire to be convinced. Those who come to us are sufficient to absorb all of our time and that is why we don’t seek anybody else. That is also why we don’t spend that time sowing on sterile land. Their time will come when God decides to remove the veil that blinds their eyes, and that time will come sooner than thought, for the glory of some and shame of others.
Yours sincerely, etc.
Note: Mrs. Bertrand was a serious student of Spiritism, acknowledged the doctrine and understood all its philosophical implications.
1. Evocation. – A. I am here.
2. Having learned to admire you from your correspondence and knowing your sympathy towards the Society, we thought you may not mind, if we evoked you at such an early date. – A. As you see, I am here.
3. There is another personal reason that leads me to do so. I intend to write to your daughter regarding the event that has just hurt her and I am sure that she would feel very happy to know about this conversation. – A. She certainly expects that since I had promised her to communicate as soon as I was evoked.
4. Enlightened as you were about Spiritism and impregnated by the principles of this Doctrine, your answers will have double the educational effect. To begin with, will you tell us if it took you long to recognize yourself and if you have already recovered the plenitude of your faculties? – A. The plenitude of my old faculties, yes; the plenitude of my new ones, no.
5. It is usual to ask people how they are doing. However, we ask the spirits if they are happy. We ask that question with a profound feeling of sympathy. – A. Thank you my friends. I am not happy yet in the spiritualist meaning of the word. However, I am happy for the renovation of my spirit, overwhelmed by the ecstasy; by the sight of things that are revealed to us, but that we still don’t understand completely, however good medium or spiritist we may be.
6. You had an idea about the spiritual world from the study of the Doctrine. Could you tell us if you found things as you had imagined them? – A. More or less, as when we see things in the vagueness of twilight. However, how different they become when revealed by the brightness of daylight!
7. Thus, the image that we are given about the spiritual life has no exaggeration, no illusion! – A. It is diminished by your spirit that you cannot understand divine things but only when tweaked and veiled. We behave towards you as you do with children to whom you only show part of what is available for them to learn.
8. Have you witnessed the time of death of your body? – A. Worn out after a long suffering period my body did not have to go through a difficult struggle. My soul detached from the body like the ripe fruit that falls from the tree. The complete annihilation of my being precluded me from feeling the last agony of the torment.
9. Could you describe your sensations at the first moments of your wakening? – A. There is no wakening, or I should say, it seemed like a continuation to me. Like when you get back home after a short absence, it seemed as if it was just a few minutes after I left it all behind. Wandering around my bed, I saw myself stretched out lying there, transfigured, incapable of moving away, at least as it seemed to be and attached by the last link to that corporeal wrapping that had made me suffer so much.
10. Were you immediately aware of other spirits around you? – A. They soon came to welcome me. I then veered my thoughts off my earthly self, and my transported spiritual self was overwhelmed by the exquisite pleasure of new things and known things that I met again.
11. Were you around your family members during your funeral? – A. I saw my body taken away but I left soon after. Spiritism dematerializes in anticipation and makes the transition from the terrestrial to the spiritual world subtler. I had not brought any useless sorrow or vain curiosity from my passage on Earth.
12. Would you like to say anything in particular to your daughter, who shared your beliefs and wrote to me several times in your name? – A. I recommend her to take her studies more seriously; to transform her sterile pain into a compassionate and productive memory; to not forget that life moves on uninterruptedly and that the world’s frivolous interests fade away before the great word eternity! As a matter of fact, my kind and intimate memory will be transmitted to her soon.
13. In January I sent you a picture-card. Since you had never seen me, can you tell me if you recognize me? – A. No, I don’t recognize you. I see you. - You did not receive that card? – A. I don’t remember.
14. I would still have several important questions to ask you about extraordinary events that took place in your house and that you told us about. I believe that you could give us interesting explanations about them. However, the late hour and the fatigue of the medium advise me to adjourn. I will limit myself to just a few questions before stopping. Although your death is recent have you had the chance to travel open spaces and visit other worlds? – A. The word visit doesn’t correspond to the very fast movement that allows us to discover other sites with the speed of thought. Distance is only a word, like time for us is only a moment.
15. When we prepare the questions to be addressed to a spirit we generally have an anticipated evocation. Thus, could you tell us if you were forewarned of our intention and if you were by my side yesterday when I formulated the questions? – A. Yes, I knew everything that you would say today and will easily answer those questions which are reserved.
16. You would have made us very happy if you were among us in life but since it was not possible we are equally happy for having you in spirit, and we thank you for the consideration in responding to our questions. – A. My friends, I followed your studies with interest and now that I can live with you as a spirit I advise you to give more importance to the “spirit than to the letter”. Good bye.
The letter below was sent to us regarding this evocation.
“Dear Sir,
It is with a deep sense of gratitude that I want to thank you on behalf of my father and me, for anticipating our desire to receive news from the one that we cry for through your intermediary.
The multiple moral and physical trials that my dear mother had to endure during her life, her patience to bear with them, her devotion, her complete abnegation of herself, gave me the hopes that she was happy. However, the assurance that you have just given us, Sir, is a great consolation to those who loved her so much and who wish her happiness more than our own.
My mother was the soul of the house, Sir. Needless to tell you the emptiness that she left; we suffer for no longer seeing her, more than I could express and yet we feel some sort of quietness since we no longer see her suffering the atrocious pains. My poor mother was a martyr. She must have found a great reward for the patience and kindness with which she supported all the anguishes. Her life was nothing more than a long torture of spirit and body. Her elevated feelings and faith in another existence sustained her. She had a kind of presentiment and a hidden memory of the spiritual world; I saw her often looking at the worldly things with compassion, saying: nothing down here can suffice me; I feel the nostalgia of another world.
We recognize my dear and adorable mother in the answers that she gave you, Sir, her way of thinking and expressing herself. She liked to employ images. I am just surprised that she could not remember your picture-card that had given her so much pleasure. I should have thanked you on her behalf. My busy days during the last days of my venerable mother did not allow me to. I believe that she will remember later. Right now she is overwhelmed by the splendors of the new life. The life that has just finished for her seems to be just a bad dream, already far away from her. We also hope my father and I that she may come to bring us a few affectionate words, which we badly need. Would it be an indiscretion, Sir, to ask you to please let us know when she will speak to you again? It was so good that you brought us news about her and that she is no longer suffering! Thank you once again, Sir! I pray to God that you may be recompensed for that, from the bottom of my heart and my soul.
By leaving me, my mother deprives me from the best of all mothers, the kindest friend. I need the assurance of knowing that she is happy and also need my belief in Spiritism to gain some strength. God sustained her. My courage was greater than I thought.
Observation: May the disbelievers laugh as much as they wish at Spiritism. May the more or less interested adversaries ridicule it! May they even say vulgarities, but none of that will remove its consoling power that brings happiness to the unfortunate, making them triumph over the illfaith of the indifferent, despite their effort to abate it. Human beings are thirsty for happiness; when it is not found on Earth, isn’t that a great relief to have the certainty of finding it in the next life, once they did what is needed to deserve it? What is it that offers more relief to the evils of Earth? Is it materialism, with the horrible perspective of the nothingness? Is it the expectation of the eternal flames, to which not one in a million can escape? Make no mistake. Such a perspective is even more terrible than the emptiness, and that is why those whose reason refuses to believe are led to materialism. When the future is presented to the individual in a rational way, there will no longer be materialists. Don’t be surprised by seeing the spiritist ideas welcomed with so much enthusiasm by the crowds, because these ideas give more courage instead of diminishing them. The example of happiness is contagious. When everyone sees happy people around them because of Spiritism they will throw themselves into its arms as a salvation since they would rather have a doctrine that smiles and speaks to reason than those that terrify them.
The example that we have just mentioned is not one of a kind; they are offered to thousands and the great joy that God has reserved to us here is to testify the benefits and progresses of a belief that we help to propagate with our efforts. The people of goodwill, those that come here to draw the consolations are so numerous that we could not take our time from them, dealing with those who are indifferent and have no desire to be convinced. Those who come to us are sufficient to absorb all of our time and that is why we don’t seek anybody else. That is also why we don’t spend that time sowing on sterile land. Their time will come when God decides to remove the veil that blinds their eyes, and that time will come sooner than thought, for the glory of some and shame of others.
Yours sincerely, etc.
Miss Pauline M. (Sent by M. Pichon, a medium from Sens)
1. Evocation – A. I am here, my good friends.
2. We have a request from your parents to ask you if you are happier in your current existence than you were in your earthly life. – A. Oh yes, I am happier than they are.
3. Do you frequently assist your mother? – A. I almost never leave her but she cannot understand all the encouragement that I give her. She wouldn’t otherwise be feeling so bad. She cries for me but I am happy! God called me back. It is a favor. How reassured all mothers would be had they all be blessed by the lights of Spiritism! Tell my poor mother to resign or else she will stay away from her dear daughter. Those who do not resign to the will of their Creator fail the objective of their trials. May her understand it very well or she will not be able to see me any time soon. She lost me materially speaking but she will meet me in Spirit. May she recover promptly to attend your sessions! I will then be able to better console her and I will be happier myself.
4. Would you be able to manifest to her in a more particular way? Could she operate as your medium? She could then feel more consolation than through our intermediation. – A. She shall hold a pen like you do and I will try to dictate something to her. That is very difficult to us when we don’t find the necessary dispositions for that.
5. Could you tell us why has God at such an early age taken you from the heart of your family where you were joy and reassurance? – A. Read again. *
6. Could you tell us about your feelings at the time of death? – A. A disturbance. I did not believe to be dead. It made me feel very sorry for leaving my mother behind! I did not recognize myself. It changed when I understood though.
7. Are you completely dematerialized now? – A. Yes.
8. Could you tell us how long has that disturbance lasted? – A. It lasted six of your weeks.
9. Where were you when you recognized yourself? – A. By my body. I saw the cemetery and realized it. Mom, I am always by your side. I see you and understand you much better than when I had a body. Hence you must stop suffering because you have only lost the poor body that you had given me. Your daughter is always there. No more crying. On the contrary, rejoice for this is the only attitude that will be good to you and to me too. We will better understand one another; I will tell you many pleasant things. God will allow me to; we will pray together. I will be among these persons that work for the benefit of humanity; I will take part in their work and I will help you. That will help us both in our advancement.
Your daughter who loves you,
Pauline.
PS – You will give this to my mother. I shall be grateful.
10. Do you believe that your mother’s recovery will still take long? – A. That will depend on the consolation that she receives and her resignation.
11. Do you remember all of your previous incarnations? – A. No; not all of them.
12. Was the one before the last one on Earth? – A. Yes, I was in a large commercial house.
13. When was that? – A. During the kingdom of Louis XIV; in the beginning.
14. Do you remember some characters of that time? – A. I met Mr. Duke of Orleans who used to buy supplies in our store. I also knew Mazarin and part of his family.
15. Has your latest existence served much to the advancement of your Spirit? – A. It did not serve me much because I did not endure any trial. More than to me it was a trial to my parents.
16. How about the one before the last one was it more beneficial? – A. Yes because I was much tested in that one. Loss of fortune; death of all of those who were dear to me; I was left alone. However, I trusted my Creator and supported everything with resignation. Tell my mother to do as I did. May the one who will take my consolation to her shake hands with all of my good relatives. Good-bye.
___________________________________
* The Spirit requests the reader to read again the essential points of the Doctrine. (TN).
2. We have a request from your parents to ask you if you are happier in your current existence than you were in your earthly life. – A. Oh yes, I am happier than they are.
3. Do you frequently assist your mother? – A. I almost never leave her but she cannot understand all the encouragement that I give her. She wouldn’t otherwise be feeling so bad. She cries for me but I am happy! God called me back. It is a favor. How reassured all mothers would be had they all be blessed by the lights of Spiritism! Tell my poor mother to resign or else she will stay away from her dear daughter. Those who do not resign to the will of their Creator fail the objective of their trials. May her understand it very well or she will not be able to see me any time soon. She lost me materially speaking but she will meet me in Spirit. May she recover promptly to attend your sessions! I will then be able to better console her and I will be happier myself.
4. Would you be able to manifest to her in a more particular way? Could she operate as your medium? She could then feel more consolation than through our intermediation. – A. She shall hold a pen like you do and I will try to dictate something to her. That is very difficult to us when we don’t find the necessary dispositions for that.
5. Could you tell us why has God at such an early age taken you from the heart of your family where you were joy and reassurance? – A. Read again. *
6. Could you tell us about your feelings at the time of death? – A. A disturbance. I did not believe to be dead. It made me feel very sorry for leaving my mother behind! I did not recognize myself. It changed when I understood though.
7. Are you completely dematerialized now? – A. Yes.
8. Could you tell us how long has that disturbance lasted? – A. It lasted six of your weeks.
9. Where were you when you recognized yourself? – A. By my body. I saw the cemetery and realized it. Mom, I am always by your side. I see you and understand you much better than when I had a body. Hence you must stop suffering because you have only lost the poor body that you had given me. Your daughter is always there. No more crying. On the contrary, rejoice for this is the only attitude that will be good to you and to me too. We will better understand one another; I will tell you many pleasant things. God will allow me to; we will pray together. I will be among these persons that work for the benefit of humanity; I will take part in their work and I will help you. That will help us both in our advancement.
Your daughter who loves you,
Pauline.
PS – You will give this to my mother. I shall be grateful.
10. Do you believe that your mother’s recovery will still take long? – A. That will depend on the consolation that she receives and her resignation.
11. Do you remember all of your previous incarnations? – A. No; not all of them.
12. Was the one before the last one on Earth? – A. Yes, I was in a large commercial house.
13. When was that? – A. During the kingdom of Louis XIV; in the beginning.
14. Do you remember some characters of that time? – A. I met Mr. Duke of Orleans who used to buy supplies in our store. I also knew Mazarin and part of his family.
15. Has your latest existence served much to the advancement of your Spirit? – A. It did not serve me much because I did not endure any trial. More than to me it was a trial to my parents.
16. How about the one before the last one was it more beneficial? – A. Yes because I was much tested in that one. Loss of fortune; death of all of those who were dear to me; I was left alone. However, I trusted my Creator and supported everything with resignation. Tell my mother to do as I did. May the one who will take my consolation to her shake hands with all of my good relatives. Good-bye.
___________________________________
* The Spirit requests the reader to read again the essential points of the Doctrine. (TN).
Henry Murger
NOTE: In a private session at the house of one of our colleagues from the Society, the medium spontaneously wrote the following, on February 6th, 1861:
“The skies are ampler, the atmosphere larger, the flowers more beautiful, the fruits sweeter and the aspirations go even beyond imagination. Greetings, new homeland! Greetings, new dwelling! Greetings love, greetings happiness! How pale is the brief passage on Earth, and how happy is the one who sighed of relief for having left Tartarus and gone to the heavens! Greetings, true bohemia! Greetings, true separation! Greetings, dreams that have come true! I was glad when I fell asleep because I knew that the awakening would be happy. Ah! Thank you my friends for your kind remembrance!
M. Murger
The following Q&A were carried out at the Society on February 8th:
1. You spontaneously came last Wednesday to communicate at the house of one of our colleagues, and there you wrote a nice message. However, there wasn’t anybody there who knew you. Can you please tell us what has prompted you to give us the honor of your visit? – A. I came to demonstrate that I was alive so that I could be evoked today.
2. Were you sympathetic to the spiritist ideas? – A. Two things: First, I suspected then I was easily driven by my own inspirations.
3. It seems that your confusion did not last long considering that you express yourself so easily and so clearly! – A. I died with a perfect awareness of myself, hence I only had to open the eyes of the spirit as soon as the eyes of the flesh were shut.
4. That communication may be considered as a report of your first impressions about the world where you are now. Could you describe with more accuracy what happened to you since the moment when the soul left the body? – A. I was overwhelmed with joy; I saw dear faces again, faces that I supposed were lost forever. I have just been dematerialized and my sensations are still almost earthly sensations.
5. Could you give us your impressions about your main book: ‘La vie de bohème’, from your current stand point? – A. Stunned as I am by the unknown splendors of resurrection, how do you want me to go back to that poor book, a pale reflex of a painful youth?
6. One of your friends, Mr. Théodore Pelloquet, published a bibliographic article about you in the Le Siècle on the 6th of this month. Could you address him with a few words as well as other writers who are friends and comrades of yours, some of whom may not exactly be believers in a future life? – A. I will tell them that the worldly success is like gold transformed into dry leaves. What we all believe in, what we all expect is success, always success, we the hungry harvesters of the Parisian soil, never looking up and above, to the skies, never thinking of the one who always judges us based on our deeds. Will my words change them? No. Dragged through the scorching life that blemishes belief and youth, they will hear lightheartedly, they will forget and move on.
7. Do you see Gérard de Nerval here, the one that has just spoke of you? – A. I see him, and Musset and the lovely and great Delphine. I see them all. They help me; they give me encouragement and teach me to communicate.
Observation: This last question was triggered by the following communication spontaneously received by a medium at the Society, at the beginning of the session:
“A brother has arrived to our world, he is happy and doing well. He thanks heaven for his somewhat late liberation, as you heard him saying a short while ago. Goodbye to sadness, tears and the bitter smile, because we now know that the smile among you is never honest. Something really regrettable and painful on Earth is the need to smile; forced smile or smile at nothing, particularly in France when someone is prepared to dream in solitude. Disenchantment is terrible to a long waiting heart, disillusion a terrible skeleton whose contour one tries to unsuccessfully touch. The uneasy and trembling hand can only find bones. What a horror! For someone who believed in love, religion, family, friendship; those who can face that horrible and petrifying mask, and go unpunished. Ah! Those living, although petrified, but those who sing like bohemians those die very quickly. They turn Medusa’s head. My brother was one of those. As you see my friends from now on we no longer live only in our books, and we will promptly attend your calls. Far from being proud of this happy environment that surrounds us, we shall come to you as if we were still on Earth, and Murger will still sing.”
Gérard de Nerval
“The skies are ampler, the atmosphere larger, the flowers more beautiful, the fruits sweeter and the aspirations go even beyond imagination. Greetings, new homeland! Greetings, new dwelling! Greetings love, greetings happiness! How pale is the brief passage on Earth, and how happy is the one who sighed of relief for having left Tartarus and gone to the heavens! Greetings, true bohemia! Greetings, true separation! Greetings, dreams that have come true! I was glad when I fell asleep because I knew that the awakening would be happy. Ah! Thank you my friends for your kind remembrance!
M. Murger
The following Q&A were carried out at the Society on February 8th:
1. You spontaneously came last Wednesday to communicate at the house of one of our colleagues, and there you wrote a nice message. However, there wasn’t anybody there who knew you. Can you please tell us what has prompted you to give us the honor of your visit? – A. I came to demonstrate that I was alive so that I could be evoked today.
2. Were you sympathetic to the spiritist ideas? – A. Two things: First, I suspected then I was easily driven by my own inspirations.
3. It seems that your confusion did not last long considering that you express yourself so easily and so clearly! – A. I died with a perfect awareness of myself, hence I only had to open the eyes of the spirit as soon as the eyes of the flesh were shut.
4. That communication may be considered as a report of your first impressions about the world where you are now. Could you describe with more accuracy what happened to you since the moment when the soul left the body? – A. I was overwhelmed with joy; I saw dear faces again, faces that I supposed were lost forever. I have just been dematerialized and my sensations are still almost earthly sensations.
5. Could you give us your impressions about your main book: ‘La vie de bohème’, from your current stand point? – A. Stunned as I am by the unknown splendors of resurrection, how do you want me to go back to that poor book, a pale reflex of a painful youth?
6. One of your friends, Mr. Théodore Pelloquet, published a bibliographic article about you in the Le Siècle on the 6th of this month. Could you address him with a few words as well as other writers who are friends and comrades of yours, some of whom may not exactly be believers in a future life? – A. I will tell them that the worldly success is like gold transformed into dry leaves. What we all believe in, what we all expect is success, always success, we the hungry harvesters of the Parisian soil, never looking up and above, to the skies, never thinking of the one who always judges us based on our deeds. Will my words change them? No. Dragged through the scorching life that blemishes belief and youth, they will hear lightheartedly, they will forget and move on.
7. Do you see Gérard de Nerval here, the one that has just spoke of you? – A. I see him, and Musset and the lovely and great Delphine. I see them all. They help me; they give me encouragement and teach me to communicate.
Observation: This last question was triggered by the following communication spontaneously received by a medium at the Society, at the beginning of the session:
“A brother has arrived to our world, he is happy and doing well. He thanks heaven for his somewhat late liberation, as you heard him saying a short while ago. Goodbye to sadness, tears and the bitter smile, because we now know that the smile among you is never honest. Something really regrettable and painful on Earth is the need to smile; forced smile or smile at nothing, particularly in France when someone is prepared to dream in solitude. Disenchantment is terrible to a long waiting heart, disillusion a terrible skeleton whose contour one tries to unsuccessfully touch. The uneasy and trembling hand can only find bones. What a horror! For someone who believed in love, religion, family, friendship; those who can face that horrible and petrifying mask, and go unpunished. Ah! Those living, although petrified, but those who sing like bohemians those die very quickly. They turn Medusa’s head. My brother was one of those. As you see my friends from now on we no longer live only in our books, and we will promptly attend your calls. Far from being proud of this happy environment that surrounds us, we shall come to you as if we were still on Earth, and Murger will still sing.”
Gérard de Nerval
The Spirit and the Roses (Sent by Mrs. B… from New Orleans)
Emma D… was a 7 year old beautiful girl who died after having suffered for six months, hardly eating anything during the last six weeks before her death.
1. Evocation – A. I am here Ma’am, what is it that you want?
2. I want to know where you are; if you are happy and why has God inflicted such a heavy burden of losing you onto your mother and your sisters. – A. I am among good spirits that love me and instruct me; I am happy, very happy. My passage with you was the remains of a physical trial. I suffered but that suffering was nothing; it purified my soul while it destroyed my poor body. I now learn about the life of the soul. I am incarnate but now as a conservative spirit. I live in a world where none of us stays longer than necessary to learn the teachings of the great spirits. Beyond that I travel, preventing disgraces, sending temptations away. I am frequently here. There are so many poor African Americans! I always complained but now I love them. Yes, I do love them, poor souls! Many of them are good, better than their masters, and we must feel sorry even for the lazy ones. Many times I visited my dear mother. Whenever she feels her heart invigorating that is me casting the divine balm on her. She does need to suffer, though! Later it will all be forgotten. And Lucia, my beloved Lucia, shall be with me before long. But the others will come. It is nothing more than dying to be this way: we change bodies, and that is all. I no longer suffer the illness that upset others. I am happier now and at night I lean over my mom and kiss her. She feels nothing but she dreams of me and sees me like I was before the terrible disease. Do understand Ma’am that I am happy. I wish I could have some roses at the corner of the garden where I used to sleep in the past. You could suggest that to Lucia to have some roses there. I loved roses and I still go there so often! I have roses there but Lucia sleeps every day in my little place and I am also by her side every day. I love her so much!
3. My dear little girl, could I see you? – A. No. You still cannot see me, but look at the beam of sun light on the table. I will cross it. Thank you for having evoked me. Be indulgent towards my sisters. Good-bye. The spirit disappeared, for a moment shadowing the light beam that was still there. As soon as the flowers were placed on her dear spot at the garden the medium wrote the word thanks three days later, with the signature of the child. She then wrote: “Start your letter over again; I don’t mind. I am so happy to have a medium. I will come back. Thank you for the roses. Good bye!”
1. Evocation – A. I am here Ma’am, what is it that you want?
2. I want to know where you are; if you are happy and why has God inflicted such a heavy burden of losing you onto your mother and your sisters. – A. I am among good spirits that love me and instruct me; I am happy, very happy. My passage with you was the remains of a physical trial. I suffered but that suffering was nothing; it purified my soul while it destroyed my poor body. I now learn about the life of the soul. I am incarnate but now as a conservative spirit. I live in a world where none of us stays longer than necessary to learn the teachings of the great spirits. Beyond that I travel, preventing disgraces, sending temptations away. I am frequently here. There are so many poor African Americans! I always complained but now I love them. Yes, I do love them, poor souls! Many of them are good, better than their masters, and we must feel sorry even for the lazy ones. Many times I visited my dear mother. Whenever she feels her heart invigorating that is me casting the divine balm on her. She does need to suffer, though! Later it will all be forgotten. And Lucia, my beloved Lucia, shall be with me before long. But the others will come. It is nothing more than dying to be this way: we change bodies, and that is all. I no longer suffer the illness that upset others. I am happier now and at night I lean over my mom and kiss her. She feels nothing but she dreams of me and sees me like I was before the terrible disease. Do understand Ma’am that I am happy. I wish I could have some roses at the corner of the garden where I used to sleep in the past. You could suggest that to Lucia to have some roses there. I loved roses and I still go there so often! I have roses there but Lucia sleeps every day in my little place and I am also by her side every day. I love her so much!
3. My dear little girl, could I see you? – A. No. You still cannot see me, but look at the beam of sun light on the table. I will cross it. Thank you for having evoked me. Be indulgent towards my sisters. Good-bye. The spirit disappeared, for a moment shadowing the light beam that was still there. As soon as the flowers were placed on her dear spot at the garden the medium wrote the word thanks three days later, with the signature of the child. She then wrote: “Start your letter over again; I don’t mind. I am so happy to have a medium. I will come back. Thank you for the roses. Good bye!”
Spiritist Teachings and Dissertations
Moses and Jesus’ Laws (Received by Mr. R…, from Mulhouse)One of our subscribers from Mulhouse sent us a letter with the following communication:
“I take this opportunity to send you a communication that I received as a medium from my guardian spirit and that seems interesting and educational from all aspects. If you agree with my judgment I authorize you to use it in any way that you may consider useful. Here is how it started. I am Jewish by religion and thus I am naturally guided by the principles that I was taught. I had noticed that in every communication received from the spirits the only moral that was mentioned was that of Jesus, and Moses was never mentioned. Nevertheless I used to say to myself that God’s commandments, revealed by Moses, seemed to be the foundation of the Christian moral; that Jesus might have broadened the horizon and elaborated about the consequences but the germ was present in the law given at the Sinai. Then I asked myself if the reason wouldn’t be the fact that most communications we received were from spirits who had belonged to the dominant religion and if that would not be a memory of their earthly life. Absorbed in those thoughts I evoked my guardian spirit who was one of my close relatives by the name Mardoqueu R… Below you will find the questions that I addressed to him and his answers, etc.”
1. In every communication given at the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies Jesus is considered to be the one who taught the most beautiful moral. How should I see that? – A. Yes. Christ was the initiator of the purest moral, the most sublime: the Christian Evangelical moral that must renovate the world, bringing every people together like brothers and sisters; the moral that will make charity and love to the neighbor stream out of everybody’s hearts; that must create a common solidarity among humanity; and finally the moral that must transfigure Earth, creating the conditions for the dwelling of spirits who are superior to those who live here now. That is the natural law of progress in action; and Spiritism is one of the living forces used by God to facilitate the advancement of humanity on the path of moral progress. The time has come in which the moral ideas will develop in order to realize the progress that is in God’s designs. They must follow the same route taken by the ideas of freedom that were their precursors. However, one must not expect such a development without a fight. No. They need to be shaken and tested to achieve maturity and to attract the attention of the masses; then the beauty and sacred nature of that moral will touch the spirits who will devote themselves to the science that gives them the key to the future, opening up the doors of eternal happiness. God is unique and Moses is the spirit sent by God in order to become known not only by the Hebrews but also by the Pagan people. The Hebrew people were the instrument that God used for his revelation through Moses and the prophets, and the vicissitudes of that remarkable people were the means of tearing off the veil that used to hide God from people.
2. In which points is Moses’ moral inferior to that of Jesus? – A. Moses’ moral was adequate to the degree of advancement of the people that were destined to be regenerated by that. Those people, were sort of semi-savage regarding the progress of the souls, would not have understood that it was possible to worship God by means other than burnt offerings or that it was necessary to forgive the enemy. Their intelligence was remarkable from a material point of view, and even from the arts and sciences, but that intelligence was well behind in morality and would not have converted under the domain of an entirely spiritual religion. They needed a semi material representation, like the one given by the Hebraic religion. That is how the burnt offerings spoke to their senses while the idea of God spoke to their souls. God’s commandments received by Moses are the seeds of a broader Christian moral, but the comments found in the Bible narrowed its meaning since if it were practiced in its whole purity it would not have been understood. Nonetheless, God’s Ten Commandments are still a brilliant frontispiece, like the lighthouse that must illuminate the path that must be walked by humanity. Moses led the way; Jesus continued the work; Spiritism will finish it.
3. Is Saturday a holy day? – A. Yes. Saturday is a day dedicated to resting and praying. It is the symbol of eternal happiness, aspired by all spirits who will get there after having perfected through their work and after thoroughly eliminating the impurities from their hearts through the incarnations.
4. Then, what was the reason that led each sect to consecrate a different day? – A. It is true that each sect has consecrated a different day but that is not a reason for surprise. God accepts the prayers and the formats of every religion as long as the teachings are followed by actions. Prayer always pleases God however it is said and as long as with pure intention.
5. Should we expect the establishment of a universal religion? – A. No. Not on our planet or at least while it has not made the progress that not even thousands of generations will see.
Mardoqueu R…
“I take this opportunity to send you a communication that I received as a medium from my guardian spirit and that seems interesting and educational from all aspects. If you agree with my judgment I authorize you to use it in any way that you may consider useful. Here is how it started. I am Jewish by religion and thus I am naturally guided by the principles that I was taught. I had noticed that in every communication received from the spirits the only moral that was mentioned was that of Jesus, and Moses was never mentioned. Nevertheless I used to say to myself that God’s commandments, revealed by Moses, seemed to be the foundation of the Christian moral; that Jesus might have broadened the horizon and elaborated about the consequences but the germ was present in the law given at the Sinai. Then I asked myself if the reason wouldn’t be the fact that most communications we received were from spirits who had belonged to the dominant religion and if that would not be a memory of their earthly life. Absorbed in those thoughts I evoked my guardian spirit who was one of my close relatives by the name Mardoqueu R… Below you will find the questions that I addressed to him and his answers, etc.”
1. In every communication given at the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies Jesus is considered to be the one who taught the most beautiful moral. How should I see that? – A. Yes. Christ was the initiator of the purest moral, the most sublime: the Christian Evangelical moral that must renovate the world, bringing every people together like brothers and sisters; the moral that will make charity and love to the neighbor stream out of everybody’s hearts; that must create a common solidarity among humanity; and finally the moral that must transfigure Earth, creating the conditions for the dwelling of spirits who are superior to those who live here now. That is the natural law of progress in action; and Spiritism is one of the living forces used by God to facilitate the advancement of humanity on the path of moral progress. The time has come in which the moral ideas will develop in order to realize the progress that is in God’s designs. They must follow the same route taken by the ideas of freedom that were their precursors. However, one must not expect such a development without a fight. No. They need to be shaken and tested to achieve maturity and to attract the attention of the masses; then the beauty and sacred nature of that moral will touch the spirits who will devote themselves to the science that gives them the key to the future, opening up the doors of eternal happiness. God is unique and Moses is the spirit sent by God in order to become known not only by the Hebrews but also by the Pagan people. The Hebrew people were the instrument that God used for his revelation through Moses and the prophets, and the vicissitudes of that remarkable people were the means of tearing off the veil that used to hide God from people.
2. In which points is Moses’ moral inferior to that of Jesus? – A. Moses’ moral was adequate to the degree of advancement of the people that were destined to be regenerated by that. Those people, were sort of semi-savage regarding the progress of the souls, would not have understood that it was possible to worship God by means other than burnt offerings or that it was necessary to forgive the enemy. Their intelligence was remarkable from a material point of view, and even from the arts and sciences, but that intelligence was well behind in morality and would not have converted under the domain of an entirely spiritual religion. They needed a semi material representation, like the one given by the Hebraic religion. That is how the burnt offerings spoke to their senses while the idea of God spoke to their souls. God’s commandments received by Moses are the seeds of a broader Christian moral, but the comments found in the Bible narrowed its meaning since if it were practiced in its whole purity it would not have been understood. Nonetheless, God’s Ten Commandments are still a brilliant frontispiece, like the lighthouse that must illuminate the path that must be walked by humanity. Moses led the way; Jesus continued the work; Spiritism will finish it.
3. Is Saturday a holy day? – A. Yes. Saturday is a day dedicated to resting and praying. It is the symbol of eternal happiness, aspired by all spirits who will get there after having perfected through their work and after thoroughly eliminating the impurities from their hearts through the incarnations.
4. Then, what was the reason that led each sect to consecrate a different day? – A. It is true that each sect has consecrated a different day but that is not a reason for surprise. God accepts the prayers and the formats of every religion as long as the teachings are followed by actions. Prayer always pleases God however it is said and as long as with pure intention.
5. Should we expect the establishment of a universal religion? – A. No. Not on our planet or at least while it has not made the progress that not even thousands of generations will see.
Mardoqueu R…
Family Lessons of Moral (Sent by the medium Mrs. Countess F… from Warsaw, translated from the Polish)
I
My dear children, the way you see God’s will is wrong since you consider everything that happens as an expression of his will. God certainly knows everything that has been, that is and that will be; since his sacred will is the actual expression of his divine love, it always carries his grace and blessings; now, when someone stays away from that unique path that person attracts sufferings that are simple warnings. Blindfolded by the spirit of pride or drowned in the swamp of passions, people of our times unfortunately do not wish to understand those warnings. Now, know this my children, the time has come when God’s will shall triumph on Earth. Anyone who dares to disgracefully deny that will be broken like the bamboo, while those who have settled on the right path will discover the treasures of the infinite mercy. Behold that if God’s will is the expression of his love, hence immutable and eternal, every rebellious attitude against that will, although supported by an incomprehensible logic, is just temporary as a demonstration of God’s mercy and not as an expression of his will.
II
I am glad to see, my children, that your faith is unyielding, despite the attacks of disbelief. Had everyone accepted with the same enthusiasm, the same perseverance, and especially the same good faith that some did accept that extraordinary manifestation of the divine benevolence, a new door would open to their own advancement, and that would have been evident proof that the world is not so bad or pitiless as it seems and that God’s hand had unfairly hit humanity, something obviously inadmissible. Thus, don’t be surprised by the opposition brought upon Spiritism in this world. Spiritism is naturally exposed to the persecution of selfishness and fanaticism, this always derived from the former, because Spiritism is destined to win the combat against egotism, for the triumph of charity. Remember what has been said centuries ago: “For many are called but few are chosen.” Nevertheless, the good that comes from God will always triumph over the bad that comes from people.
III
God brought faith and charity to Earth to help humanity to shake the double tyranny of wickedness and whim and there is no doubt that with those divine engines they would have long ago reached the most comprehensive happiness possible to people on Earth and given the condition of your planet, if the human being had not allowed faith to languish and hearts to dry out. For a moment they believed that they could let the faith go and be saved by charity only. Then they saw the surge of a large number of social systems, good in their intentions but impractical and faulty in their application. You may ask: Why are they impractical? Aren’t they based on everyone’s altruism? Yes, no doubt, but to be based on altruism it is necessary that altruism exists! Well, it is not enough to decree; it is necessary to inspire altruism. Since there is no faith that ensures the future life and rewards, altruism is then a mistake to the eyes of the selfish. That is why systems that are only founded on material interests are unstable. It is certain that the individual would not be able to construct anything harmonious and long lasting without faith, faith that endows the individual with a moral force superior to all other physical forces and that also opens up the door to the assistance of the spiritual world, thus allowing humanity to drink directly from the fountain of the divine omnipotence.
IV
“Even after you have accomplished all that was commanded, see yourself as a useless servant.” These words from Christ teach you humility as the first foundation of faith and one of the first conditions to charity. The faithful does not forget that God is aware of all imperfections; hence, one does not pretend to show to others what one does not have. The humble always faces criticism with kindness regardless of how unfair those may be, since, you must know this well, injustice never irritates the just but pressing the finger onto some soft and poisoned spot of your soul makes you blush with the heat of shame, a sure indication of a barely disguised pride. Pride, my dear, is the greatest obstacle to your betterment, because it does not allow you to take advantage of the received teachings. Thus, the best way to work towards your own improvement is by battling it at all times, in all quarters.
V
If you look at the world around you will see that everything is in harmony. Beauty is the harmony of the material world. However, it is still the less noble part of creation. The harmony of the spiritual world is love, a divine emanation that fulfills the spaces and leads men to their creator. You must strive, my dear, to fill your own hearts with that love. Any greatness of yours outside this law would not be taken into account. It is only when love has triumphed on Earth that the kingdom of God promised by the apostles shall come to you.
My dear children, the way you see God’s will is wrong since you consider everything that happens as an expression of his will. God certainly knows everything that has been, that is and that will be; since his sacred will is the actual expression of his divine love, it always carries his grace and blessings; now, when someone stays away from that unique path that person attracts sufferings that are simple warnings. Blindfolded by the spirit of pride or drowned in the swamp of passions, people of our times unfortunately do not wish to understand those warnings. Now, know this my children, the time has come when God’s will shall triumph on Earth. Anyone who dares to disgracefully deny that will be broken like the bamboo, while those who have settled on the right path will discover the treasures of the infinite mercy. Behold that if God’s will is the expression of his love, hence immutable and eternal, every rebellious attitude against that will, although supported by an incomprehensible logic, is just temporary as a demonstration of God’s mercy and not as an expression of his will.
II
I am glad to see, my children, that your faith is unyielding, despite the attacks of disbelief. Had everyone accepted with the same enthusiasm, the same perseverance, and especially the same good faith that some did accept that extraordinary manifestation of the divine benevolence, a new door would open to their own advancement, and that would have been evident proof that the world is not so bad or pitiless as it seems and that God’s hand had unfairly hit humanity, something obviously inadmissible. Thus, don’t be surprised by the opposition brought upon Spiritism in this world. Spiritism is naturally exposed to the persecution of selfishness and fanaticism, this always derived from the former, because Spiritism is destined to win the combat against egotism, for the triumph of charity. Remember what has been said centuries ago: “For many are called but few are chosen.” Nevertheless, the good that comes from God will always triumph over the bad that comes from people.
III
God brought faith and charity to Earth to help humanity to shake the double tyranny of wickedness and whim and there is no doubt that with those divine engines they would have long ago reached the most comprehensive happiness possible to people on Earth and given the condition of your planet, if the human being had not allowed faith to languish and hearts to dry out. For a moment they believed that they could let the faith go and be saved by charity only. Then they saw the surge of a large number of social systems, good in their intentions but impractical and faulty in their application. You may ask: Why are they impractical? Aren’t they based on everyone’s altruism? Yes, no doubt, but to be based on altruism it is necessary that altruism exists! Well, it is not enough to decree; it is necessary to inspire altruism. Since there is no faith that ensures the future life and rewards, altruism is then a mistake to the eyes of the selfish. That is why systems that are only founded on material interests are unstable. It is certain that the individual would not be able to construct anything harmonious and long lasting without faith, faith that endows the individual with a moral force superior to all other physical forces and that also opens up the door to the assistance of the spiritual world, thus allowing humanity to drink directly from the fountain of the divine omnipotence.
IV
“Even after you have accomplished all that was commanded, see yourself as a useless servant.” These words from Christ teach you humility as the first foundation of faith and one of the first conditions to charity. The faithful does not forget that God is aware of all imperfections; hence, one does not pretend to show to others what one does not have. The humble always faces criticism with kindness regardless of how unfair those may be, since, you must know this well, injustice never irritates the just but pressing the finger onto some soft and poisoned spot of your soul makes you blush with the heat of shame, a sure indication of a barely disguised pride. Pride, my dear, is the greatest obstacle to your betterment, because it does not allow you to take advantage of the received teachings. Thus, the best way to work towards your own improvement is by battling it at all times, in all quarters.
V
If you look at the world around you will see that everything is in harmony. Beauty is the harmony of the material world. However, it is still the less noble part of creation. The harmony of the spiritual world is love, a divine emanation that fulfills the spaces and leads men to their creator. You must strive, my dear, to fill your own hearts with that love. Any greatness of yours outside this law would not be taken into account. It is only when love has triumphed on Earth that the kingdom of God promised by the apostles shall come to you.
The Missionaries (Sent by Mr. Sabò, from Bordeaux)
I will say a few words to help you understand the objective proposed by the missionaries, leaving behind homelands and families to go and evangelize ferocious and ignorant tribes, although brothers, inclined to evil and oblivious of good; or to preach mortification, trust in God, prayer, faith, resignation in suffering, charity, hope of a better life after repentance. You will ask: isn’t that Spiritism? Yes, noble souls that always served God and faithfully observed His laws; who love and help their fellow human beings, you are spiritists. But you don’t understand and you are afraid of this new word.
Well, since you are afraid, we shall not repeat it until you come to us and ask about this word that summarizes the existence of the spirits and their manifestations: Spiritism. Beloved brothers and sisters, what are the missionaries together with nations in their infancy? Spirits with a mission, sent by God, our father, to clarify the poor and more ignorant spirits; to teach patience and hope, to help people to know and love Him, to be good husbands and wives, good parents, good to their peers; to give them the idea of good and beauty as much as possible given their current condition.
But you who are so proud of your own intelligence, know this, that you came from as low as they are now and that you still have a lot to do to reach the highest degree. I ask you this, my friends: Without the missions and the missionaries, what would become of those poor people left to their own passions and savage nature? But tell me this: Are you the ones to go and preach the Gospel to those rude people, like the devoted brothers? No, you are not. You have family, friends, a position that you cannot abandon. No, not you who loves the warmth of a home; no, not you who enjoys wealth, honor, all the happiness for the satisfaction of your vanity and selfishness; no, it will not be you. It must be someone who gladly leaves behind their paternal homes and their homeland; people who don’t care much about life because they know it is sometimes crossed by the sword and the fire; people who are convinced that whenever they work in the land of the Lord, watering it with their own blood it is because they know that the reward for so much sacrifice will come later, in heaven.
Now, tell me if the disbelievers would be capable of such devotion, since they expect nothing after this life? Believe me, those are spirits sent by God. You must no longer laugh at what you call foolishness because they are enlightened, and by exposing their own lives to clarify their ignorant brothers and sisters they deserve your respect and sympathy. Yes, they are incarnate spirits with the dangerous mission of stimulating those rough intelligences, like other more advanced spirits that have the mission of helping you to progress. Spiritism is our mission, my friends. Don’t be afraid of that word. In particular, don’t laugh, because that word is the symbol of the universal law that rules all beings of creation.
Adolph, bishop of Alger
Well, since you are afraid, we shall not repeat it until you come to us and ask about this word that summarizes the existence of the spirits and their manifestations: Spiritism. Beloved brothers and sisters, what are the missionaries together with nations in their infancy? Spirits with a mission, sent by God, our father, to clarify the poor and more ignorant spirits; to teach patience and hope, to help people to know and love Him, to be good husbands and wives, good parents, good to their peers; to give them the idea of good and beauty as much as possible given their current condition.
But you who are so proud of your own intelligence, know this, that you came from as low as they are now and that you still have a lot to do to reach the highest degree. I ask you this, my friends: Without the missions and the missionaries, what would become of those poor people left to their own passions and savage nature? But tell me this: Are you the ones to go and preach the Gospel to those rude people, like the devoted brothers? No, you are not. You have family, friends, a position that you cannot abandon. No, not you who loves the warmth of a home; no, not you who enjoys wealth, honor, all the happiness for the satisfaction of your vanity and selfishness; no, it will not be you. It must be someone who gladly leaves behind their paternal homes and their homeland; people who don’t care much about life because they know it is sometimes crossed by the sword and the fire; people who are convinced that whenever they work in the land of the Lord, watering it with their own blood it is because they know that the reward for so much sacrifice will come later, in heaven.
Now, tell me if the disbelievers would be capable of such devotion, since they expect nothing after this life? Believe me, those are spirits sent by God. You must no longer laugh at what you call foolishness because they are enlightened, and by exposing their own lives to clarify their ignorant brothers and sisters they deserve your respect and sympathy. Yes, they are incarnate spirits with the dangerous mission of stimulating those rough intelligences, like other more advanced spirits that have the mission of helping you to progress. Spiritism is our mission, my friends. Don’t be afraid of that word. In particular, don’t laugh, because that word is the symbol of the universal law that rules all beings of creation.
Adolph, bishop of Alger
France (Sent by Mr. Sabò from Bordeaux)
You too, of the French crowned lands, you were deep into barbarism and your savage courts carried desolation and amazement to the heart of the civilized nations. You offered mountains of human sacrifice to Toutatis and trembled before the Druids’ voice when choosing their victims. The tombs that served you as altars lie in barren moors! The shepherd that drives his meager herds over there looks in amazement at those blocks of granite, and wonders, what was the object of those memories of former times! However, your brave children dominated the nations and triumphantly returned to their homeland, holding the trophies of victory in their hands, dragging the conquered behind in shameful slavery! God however wanted you to take your place among the nations, sending you good spirits, apostles of a new religion, who came to preach love, forgiveness and charity to your savage children. When Clovis invoked the help of that Almighty God before his army, his call was heard and victory was granted, and the appreciative child embraced Christianity! The apostle of Christ inspired by the spirit of God gave him the sacred anointment, commanding him to adore what he had burnt and to burn what he had adored.
A long battle was then initiated among your children, who could not face the rage of their gods and their priests; your land had to see the bloodshed of its martyrs so that the new ideas would flourish and you could gradually detach from the cult of your forefathers, following your kings. They were brave and courageous and fought the hordes of barbarians from the North. They returned in peace to their palaces, then dedicating to progress and civilization of their people. They slowly work that progress for centuries and finally place you at the top. You have been found guilty so many times and God’s hand was raised and you were about to be terminated. However, if the French soil is a focus of skepticism and atheism, it is also of noble movements, of charity and sublime devotion. The virtues preached in the Gospels prosper before impiety. Those virtues disarmed the hand that was so many times about to hurt you, casting upon your people the eyes of clemency, choosing you to become the messenger of His will; the seeds of the Spiritist Doctrine must come from your heart, transmitted by the good spirits, and its healing arms must gradually disseminate over the heart of all nations, and the people, consoled by the principles of love, charity and forgiveness, will tread gigantic steps towards their moral reformation that must regenerate humanity! Your fate is in your hands. If you neglected the celestial voice that calls you to this glorious destiny; if your indifference made you repel the light that you must shed, God would renounce you, as it was once done to the Hebrew people, since they should carry out His designs. Thus, hurry up for the time has come! May the people learn from you the path of true happiness! May your example show them the consoling fruits to be harvested and they shall join the choir of the good spirits: “God protects and blesses France!”
Charlemagne
A long battle was then initiated among your children, who could not face the rage of their gods and their priests; your land had to see the bloodshed of its martyrs so that the new ideas would flourish and you could gradually detach from the cult of your forefathers, following your kings. They were brave and courageous and fought the hordes of barbarians from the North. They returned in peace to their palaces, then dedicating to progress and civilization of their people. They slowly work that progress for centuries and finally place you at the top. You have been found guilty so many times and God’s hand was raised and you were about to be terminated. However, if the French soil is a focus of skepticism and atheism, it is also of noble movements, of charity and sublime devotion. The virtues preached in the Gospels prosper before impiety. Those virtues disarmed the hand that was so many times about to hurt you, casting upon your people the eyes of clemency, choosing you to become the messenger of His will; the seeds of the Spiritist Doctrine must come from your heart, transmitted by the good spirits, and its healing arms must gradually disseminate over the heart of all nations, and the people, consoled by the principles of love, charity and forgiveness, will tread gigantic steps towards their moral reformation that must regenerate humanity! Your fate is in your hands. If you neglected the celestial voice that calls you to this glorious destiny; if your indifference made you repel the light that you must shed, God would renounce you, as it was once done to the Hebrew people, since they should carry out His designs. Thus, hurry up for the time has come! May the people learn from you the path of true happiness! May your example show them the consoling fruits to be harvested and they shall join the choir of the good spirits: “God protects and blesses France!”
Charlemagne
Ingratitude (Sent by a medium from Sens)
It is always necessary to support the weak and those who wish to do good, knowing beforehand that we shall not be compensated by those helped by us, because the one that refuses to be thankful for your help is not as ungrateful as you think. That person often acts following God’s designs but frequently His designs are not and cannot be appreciated by you. It is enough to know that it is necessary to do good as a duty and for the love of God, as Jesus said: “When you give to the poor, don’t blow a loud horn. That’s what show-offs do in the meeting places and on the street corners, because they are always looking for praise. I can assure you that they already have their reward.”
Socrates
Socrates