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The Spiritist Review - Journal of Psychological Studies - 1863 > September
September
NOTE: The following article is the introduction to a complete work that the author, Mr. Herrenschneider, intends to completeabout the need for harmony between Philosophy and Spiritism.
“Since the time when Spiritism was revealed in France, about ten to twelve years ago, the continual communication of the Spirits provoked a positive religious movement throughout all layers of society to encourage and develop. The religious feeling was in fact lost in this century, particularly with the literate and educated classes; the sarcasm of the Voltairism had removed the prestige of Christianity; the progress of science made them see the existing contradictions between the dogmas and the natural laws; the astronomical discoveries demonstrated the puerility of the idea of God sustained by the sons of Abraham, Moses and Christ.
The development of wealth, of the wonderful inventions of art and industry, the whole civilization protested before the eyes of modern civilization against the renunciation of the world. It was due to these several reasons that disbelief and indifference penetrated the souls; that the concern with respect to the eternal destinies had hampered our love to good and paralyzed our moral betterment and that the passion towards the well-being, pleasure, luxury and the earthly vanities ended up by captivating our ambition; it was then that the dead came back to remind us that our current life is followed by another day and that our actions have fatal, inevitable consequences that will come if not in this life certainly in the future life.
That apparition of the Spirits was like a bolt that had a lot of people trembling in the presence of moving furniture by the action of an invisible force; when hearing intelligent thoughts dictated by the use of a gross telegraphy; when reading these sublime pages, written by distracted hands under the influence of a mysterious power. How many pounding hearts suddenly shaken by fear; how many oppressed consciences woke up by deserved anguishes; how many minds hurting by the stupor! The renovation of relationships with the soul of the dead is and continues to be an extraordinary event whose consequence will be the regeneration so much needed by modern society. This is due to the fact that when human society has the sole objective of material prosperity and the pleasure of the senses it dives into the egotist materialism; every action is weighed with the basis on its return; renouncing to any effort that does not lead to material advantage; only appreciates the wealthy and only respects power that is imposed. When people are only concerned with immediate and profitable success, they lose the sense of honesty, renounce to the choice of means, step on their own intimate happiness and virtues, no longer following the guidelines of justice and equity.
In such a society that is dragged into this immoral direction, the rich lead a life of dishonorable morality and hardening of the heart and the disinherited ones are left to a painful and monotonous life whose last consolation seems to be suicide.
Philosophy is powerless against such moral, public and private disposition. It is not that it lacks arguments to demonstrate the social need for pure and generous principles; it is not that it cannot demonstrate the imminence of the final responsibility and establish the perpetuity of our existence but in general people have no time or taste for this or have not given sufficient thought to pay attention to the voice of conscience and to the observations of reason. Besides, the vicissitudes of life are frequently very demanding to have them leaning towards the exercise of virtue by the love of good. Even if philosophy had been what it should had been: a complete and certain doctrine, it would had never been able to lead to an efficient social regeneration only through its teachings, hence up until today it was only able to give to the authority of its doctrine the abstract love to the ideal and to perfection.
To be convinced of the need to be dedicated to good humanity needs tangible things that speak to the senses. They need the striking image of their future pains to make them walk back the dismal ramp of their vices; they need to touch with their own fingers the eternal miseries that they engineered to themselves in their moral carelessness to understand that current life is not the objective of their existences but the Creator given means of having them working individually towards the achievement of their final destinies. It was also for these reasons that every religion based their commandments on the horror of hell and on the seduction of celestial joys.
But since people were reassured about the final consequences of their sins, under the influence of disbelief and religious indifference, an easy and inconsistent philosophy that supports the cult of the senses, temporal interests and the doctrines of selfishness finally prevailed. Today the enlightened, intelligent and strong ones move away from the Church and follow their own inspirations; it fails them for a lack of authority, an authority needed to regain its twenty century old influence. Therefore we can say that the Church is as powerless as philosophy, and that neither one nor the other will exert salutary influence unless each one is submitted to a radical reform, each on its own ground.
Meanwhile humanity stirs up, events follow one another, and the appearance of the Spirit manifestations in this century of lights, practical, and skeptical enough, is unquestionably the most remarkable event. We then see the tomb open before us, not as the end of our troubles and earthly miseries, not as the yawning abyss engulfing our passions, our joys and our illusions, but instead as the majestic door of a new world, where each will reap, despite themselves, the bitter fruits sowed by their own weaknesses; and where others, on the contrary, will ensure by their own merit the passage to the purest and highest spheres. Hence it is Spiritism that reveals our future destiny and the more it is known, the more religious and moral regeneration will gain momentum and reach.
The union between Spiritism and philosophical sciences, in fact, seems highly necessary for human happiness and moral, intellectual and religious progress of modern society because we no longer live in times when one could rule out human science and give preference to blind faith.
Modern science is too wise, too sure of itself and too advanced in the knowledge of the laws that God has imposed on the intelligence and character, so that the religious transformation can take place without its assistance. We know too well the relative tininess of our globe to assign humanity with a privileged place in the designs of the Providence. To the eyes of all, we are only a speck in the vastness of the worlds and we know that the laws that regulate this indefinite multitude of existences are simple, unchanging and universal.
Finally, the demands for the certainty of our knowledge were strongly reinforced so that a new doctrine can rise and sustain itself on another base without a touching and harmless mysticism. When therefore Spiritism wants to expand its influence over all classes of society, upon persons of intelligence and superiority, as onto the kind and believing souls, it must then unreservedly throw itself onto the course of human thoughts and that by its philosophical superiority it imposes to proud reason respect to its authority.
It is this independent action from the followers of Spiritism and the elevated Spirits fully understand. The one who calls himself St. Augustine said recently: "Observe and study carefully the communications that you receive; accept what your reason does not reject and reject what shocks it; ask for clarification about those that leave you in doubt. There you have the procedure to transmit to future generations, without fear of seeing them altered, the truths that you will effortlessly separate from the entourage of unavoidable mistakes.”
That is in a few words the true spirit of Spiritism, the one that science may admit without derogation; the one that will serve us to conquer humanity. As a matter of fact Spiritism has nothing to fear about its union to philosophy because it is based on incontestable facts whose very existence are based on the laws of creation. It is up to science to study its reach and coordinate the general principles according to this new order of phenomena for it is evident that if science had not foreseen the necessary existence of the souls of the dead or the ones that are destined to be reborn around us it must understand that its initial philosophy was wrong and that it had missed the fundamental principles.
Philosophy, on the contrary, has much to gain by considering the facts of Spiritism. To begin with because these are the solemn sanction of its moral teachings and because they will by themselves demonstrate the fatal reach of its conduct to the most hardened ones. Nonetheless, regardless of the importance of such a positive justification of its maxims the in-depth study of the deduced consequences of the attested survival of the soul will then serve to determine its constituent elements, origin and destiny, also serving to the establishment of the moral law and progress upon basis certain and unyielding. Besides, the knowledge of the essence of the soul will lead philosophy to the knowledge of the essence of God’s things allowing the union of all dividing doctrines in a single and same true complete system.
Finally, these several developments of philosophy, provoked by this precious determination of the psychic essence, will infallibly lead it through the traces of the fundamental principles of the old Cabala and the old hidden science of the hierophants whose last luminous beam that reached us is the Christian trinity. That is how by the simple apparition of the errant soul one will form, since we all have the right of waiting, to the unbreakable chain of moral, religious and metaphysical traditions of humanity, old and modern.
That considerable future that we conceive to philosophy allied to Spiritism will not seem impossible to those who have some notion of that science if they consider the emptiness of the principles that found several schools and their consequent impotence to explain the concrete reality of God and the soul.
That is how materialism claims that the creatures are no more than material phenomena, similar to those produced by combinations of chemical substances and that the principle that animates them is supposedly part of a universal vital principle. According to this system the individual soul would not exist and God would be a completely useless being. The disciples of Helel, in turn, imagine that the idea, this undisciplined phenomenon of our soul, is an element in itself, independent of us; that it is a universal principle that is manifested through humanity and its intellectual activity as well as through nature and its wonderful transformations. That school consequently denies the eternal individuality of our soul, confusing it in a whole with nature. It supposes that there is a perfect identity between the visible universe and the moral and intellectual world; that one and another are the result of the progressive and fatal primitive, universal idea, in one word, the absolute. God equally has no individuality, no freedom and knowledge of himself. He only noticed himself in 1810 through Hegel when he acknowledged Him in the absolute and universal idea (Historical).
Finally, our spiritualist school, commonly called eclecticism, considers the soul as only a force without extension and robustness, an imperceptible intelligence in the human body and that, once separated from its envelope, keeping its individuality and immortality, would no longer exist in time and space. Our soul would then be one I don’t know what without connection to what exists and would not occupy any determined space. According to the same system God would not be perceptible. He is the perfect thought and equally would not be permanent or have any stability or form or sensible reality; it is an empty being; without reason we can have no intuition of him. However, who are those who invented atheism, skepticism, pantheism, idealism, etc.? These are the man of reason, the intelligent and wise men! Ignorant peoples whose main guides are their sensations have never doubted God or the soul or its immortality. Hence reason only seems to be a bad counselor!
Those doctrines, as one can verify, consequently have not a real, stable principle, a living notion of the real Being. They move in an intelligible world that has nothing to do with concrete reality. The emptiness of their principles relates to the whole of their systems making them as much subtle as vague and oblivious to the reality of things. Common sense itself is hurt, despite the talent and prodigious erudition of their followers. But Spiritism is even more brutal with respect to them for it takes down these abstract systems by opposing them with a single fact: the substantial reality, living and current of the non-incarnate soul. It is shown as an individual being, existing in time and space, although invisible to us; like a being with a solid element, substantial and its thinking and active force. It even shows us the errant souls communicating with us out of their own initiative! It is evident that such a fact must destroy all the castles of sand and with a single pen dispel those proud and imaginary schemes.
But for more confusion, we can demonstrate to the followers of such convoluted doctrines that every person carries in their own conscience the elements sufficient to demonstrate the existence of the soul, like Spiritism establishes through the facts, so that their systems are not only wrong at the arrival but also at their starting point. Therefore the best side to be taken by those honorable wise people is to completely reformulate their doctrines and dedicate their profound knowledge to the foundation of a first science, more accurate and according to reality.
We effective carry in ourselves four irreducible notions that authorizes us to affirm the existence of our soul, as it is presented to us by Spiritism. First we have in ourselves the feeling of our own existence. Such feeling can only be revealed by an impression that we receive from ourselves. Well, no impression is possible from something that is not sturdy or extensive so that by considering the simple fact of our sensations we must deduce that there is a sensible element in us, subtle, extensive and resistant, that is, a substance. Second, we have the conscience of an active element, causal, that manifests in our free-will, thoughts and acts. Consequently it is still evident that we have a second element: a force. Hence by the simple fact that we feel ourselves and are aware of ourselves we must conclude that we have two constituent elements, force and substance, an essential, psychic duality. But these two primitive notions are not the only ones that we carry with ourselves. In third place we still conceive a personal unity, original, that remains always identical to itself; and in fourth place an equally personal destiny because we all seek happiness and our own conveniences in every circumstance of life. Consequently, joining these two new notions that constitute our double being to the two preceding ones,we acknowledge that we are formed by four distinct principles: the duality of essence and the duality of appearance.
Now with the knowledge of these four elements of our self that define our individuality that are notions independent of the body and that have no relationship with our material envelope, it is evident and peremptory to any fair and not prejudiced mind that our being depends on an invisible principle called “soul” and where that soul exists as such because it has a substance and a force, a proper and personal destiny.
These are the four elements of our fundamental psychic individuality whose notion each one of us intimately carries along and that none would deny. As a consequence, as we said, philosophy has, at any time, the elements sufficient to the acknowledgement of the soul as we are given to know by Spiritism. If so far human reason could not have construed a true and useful metaphysics that might have brought the knowledge that the soul must be considered as a real being, independent of the body and capable of existing by itself, substantially and virtually, in time and space, fact is that reason has disdained the direct observation of the facts of conscience and that, in its pride and sufficiency, reason took the place of reality.
According to these observations, one can understand how important it is to philosophy the union to Spiritism for it will take from that union the advantage of creating a first, serious and complete science, founded on the knowledge of the essence of the soul and the four conditions of its reality. But it is no longer necessary for Spiritism to ally to philosophy because it is the only way through which it will be able to establish the scientific certainty of the Spiritist events that form the fundamental basis of its belief and from there extract the important consequences that it contains.
No doubt that to common sense it is enough to see a phenomenon to attest its reality and many are satisfied with that but science many times had motives to doubt the claims of common sense and to mistrust the impressions of our senses and in the illusions of our imagination. Hence common sense is not enough to scientifically establish the reality of the presence of the Spirits around us. In order to establish that in an irrefutable way it is necessary that it is done rationally according to the general laws of creation, that its existence is necessary by itself and that its invisible presence is not but the confirmation of rational and scientific data as the ones that we just indicated unquestionably. Therefore it is only through the philosophical method that one can get at that result. That is necessary to the works of Spiritism and it is only philosophy that can do such a service.
In order to succeed in any undertaking it is necessary to the knowledge about the principles to the observation of the facts. In the particular circumstances of Spiritism it is even much more necessary to proceed in that rigorous manner to get to the truth because our new doctrine touches our dearest and highest interests, constituting our present and eternal happiness. The union of Spiritism and philosophy, consequently, is of the utmost importance for the success of our efforts and for the future of humanity.”
F. Herrenschneider
“Since the time when Spiritism was revealed in France, about ten to twelve years ago, the continual communication of the Spirits provoked a positive religious movement throughout all layers of society to encourage and develop. The religious feeling was in fact lost in this century, particularly with the literate and educated classes; the sarcasm of the Voltairism had removed the prestige of Christianity; the progress of science made them see the existing contradictions between the dogmas and the natural laws; the astronomical discoveries demonstrated the puerility of the idea of God sustained by the sons of Abraham, Moses and Christ.
The development of wealth, of the wonderful inventions of art and industry, the whole civilization protested before the eyes of modern civilization against the renunciation of the world. It was due to these several reasons that disbelief and indifference penetrated the souls; that the concern with respect to the eternal destinies had hampered our love to good and paralyzed our moral betterment and that the passion towards the well-being, pleasure, luxury and the earthly vanities ended up by captivating our ambition; it was then that the dead came back to remind us that our current life is followed by another day and that our actions have fatal, inevitable consequences that will come if not in this life certainly in the future life.
That apparition of the Spirits was like a bolt that had a lot of people trembling in the presence of moving furniture by the action of an invisible force; when hearing intelligent thoughts dictated by the use of a gross telegraphy; when reading these sublime pages, written by distracted hands under the influence of a mysterious power. How many pounding hearts suddenly shaken by fear; how many oppressed consciences woke up by deserved anguishes; how many minds hurting by the stupor! The renovation of relationships with the soul of the dead is and continues to be an extraordinary event whose consequence will be the regeneration so much needed by modern society. This is due to the fact that when human society has the sole objective of material prosperity and the pleasure of the senses it dives into the egotist materialism; every action is weighed with the basis on its return; renouncing to any effort that does not lead to material advantage; only appreciates the wealthy and only respects power that is imposed. When people are only concerned with immediate and profitable success, they lose the sense of honesty, renounce to the choice of means, step on their own intimate happiness and virtues, no longer following the guidelines of justice and equity.
In such a society that is dragged into this immoral direction, the rich lead a life of dishonorable morality and hardening of the heart and the disinherited ones are left to a painful and monotonous life whose last consolation seems to be suicide.
Philosophy is powerless against such moral, public and private disposition. It is not that it lacks arguments to demonstrate the social need for pure and generous principles; it is not that it cannot demonstrate the imminence of the final responsibility and establish the perpetuity of our existence but in general people have no time or taste for this or have not given sufficient thought to pay attention to the voice of conscience and to the observations of reason. Besides, the vicissitudes of life are frequently very demanding to have them leaning towards the exercise of virtue by the love of good. Even if philosophy had been what it should had been: a complete and certain doctrine, it would had never been able to lead to an efficient social regeneration only through its teachings, hence up until today it was only able to give to the authority of its doctrine the abstract love to the ideal and to perfection.
To be convinced of the need to be dedicated to good humanity needs tangible things that speak to the senses. They need the striking image of their future pains to make them walk back the dismal ramp of their vices; they need to touch with their own fingers the eternal miseries that they engineered to themselves in their moral carelessness to understand that current life is not the objective of their existences but the Creator given means of having them working individually towards the achievement of their final destinies. It was also for these reasons that every religion based their commandments on the horror of hell and on the seduction of celestial joys.
But since people were reassured about the final consequences of their sins, under the influence of disbelief and religious indifference, an easy and inconsistent philosophy that supports the cult of the senses, temporal interests and the doctrines of selfishness finally prevailed. Today the enlightened, intelligent and strong ones move away from the Church and follow their own inspirations; it fails them for a lack of authority, an authority needed to regain its twenty century old influence. Therefore we can say that the Church is as powerless as philosophy, and that neither one nor the other will exert salutary influence unless each one is submitted to a radical reform, each on its own ground.
Meanwhile humanity stirs up, events follow one another, and the appearance of the Spirit manifestations in this century of lights, practical, and skeptical enough, is unquestionably the most remarkable event. We then see the tomb open before us, not as the end of our troubles and earthly miseries, not as the yawning abyss engulfing our passions, our joys and our illusions, but instead as the majestic door of a new world, where each will reap, despite themselves, the bitter fruits sowed by their own weaknesses; and where others, on the contrary, will ensure by their own merit the passage to the purest and highest spheres. Hence it is Spiritism that reveals our future destiny and the more it is known, the more religious and moral regeneration will gain momentum and reach.
The union between Spiritism and philosophical sciences, in fact, seems highly necessary for human happiness and moral, intellectual and religious progress of modern society because we no longer live in times when one could rule out human science and give preference to blind faith.
Modern science is too wise, too sure of itself and too advanced in the knowledge of the laws that God has imposed on the intelligence and character, so that the religious transformation can take place without its assistance. We know too well the relative tininess of our globe to assign humanity with a privileged place in the designs of the Providence. To the eyes of all, we are only a speck in the vastness of the worlds and we know that the laws that regulate this indefinite multitude of existences are simple, unchanging and universal.
Finally, the demands for the certainty of our knowledge were strongly reinforced so that a new doctrine can rise and sustain itself on another base without a touching and harmless mysticism. When therefore Spiritism wants to expand its influence over all classes of society, upon persons of intelligence and superiority, as onto the kind and believing souls, it must then unreservedly throw itself onto the course of human thoughts and that by its philosophical superiority it imposes to proud reason respect to its authority.
It is this independent action from the followers of Spiritism and the elevated Spirits fully understand. The one who calls himself St. Augustine said recently: "Observe and study carefully the communications that you receive; accept what your reason does not reject and reject what shocks it; ask for clarification about those that leave you in doubt. There you have the procedure to transmit to future generations, without fear of seeing them altered, the truths that you will effortlessly separate from the entourage of unavoidable mistakes.”
That is in a few words the true spirit of Spiritism, the one that science may admit without derogation; the one that will serve us to conquer humanity. As a matter of fact Spiritism has nothing to fear about its union to philosophy because it is based on incontestable facts whose very existence are based on the laws of creation. It is up to science to study its reach and coordinate the general principles according to this new order of phenomena for it is evident that if science had not foreseen the necessary existence of the souls of the dead or the ones that are destined to be reborn around us it must understand that its initial philosophy was wrong and that it had missed the fundamental principles.
Philosophy, on the contrary, has much to gain by considering the facts of Spiritism. To begin with because these are the solemn sanction of its moral teachings and because they will by themselves demonstrate the fatal reach of its conduct to the most hardened ones. Nonetheless, regardless of the importance of such a positive justification of its maxims the in-depth study of the deduced consequences of the attested survival of the soul will then serve to determine its constituent elements, origin and destiny, also serving to the establishment of the moral law and progress upon basis certain and unyielding. Besides, the knowledge of the essence of the soul will lead philosophy to the knowledge of the essence of God’s things allowing the union of all dividing doctrines in a single and same true complete system.
Finally, these several developments of philosophy, provoked by this precious determination of the psychic essence, will infallibly lead it through the traces of the fundamental principles of the old Cabala and the old hidden science of the hierophants whose last luminous beam that reached us is the Christian trinity. That is how by the simple apparition of the errant soul one will form, since we all have the right of waiting, to the unbreakable chain of moral, religious and metaphysical traditions of humanity, old and modern.
That considerable future that we conceive to philosophy allied to Spiritism will not seem impossible to those who have some notion of that science if they consider the emptiness of the principles that found several schools and their consequent impotence to explain the concrete reality of God and the soul.
That is how materialism claims that the creatures are no more than material phenomena, similar to those produced by combinations of chemical substances and that the principle that animates them is supposedly part of a universal vital principle. According to this system the individual soul would not exist and God would be a completely useless being. The disciples of Helel, in turn, imagine that the idea, this undisciplined phenomenon of our soul, is an element in itself, independent of us; that it is a universal principle that is manifested through humanity and its intellectual activity as well as through nature and its wonderful transformations. That school consequently denies the eternal individuality of our soul, confusing it in a whole with nature. It supposes that there is a perfect identity between the visible universe and the moral and intellectual world; that one and another are the result of the progressive and fatal primitive, universal idea, in one word, the absolute. God equally has no individuality, no freedom and knowledge of himself. He only noticed himself in 1810 through Hegel when he acknowledged Him in the absolute and universal idea (Historical).
Finally, our spiritualist school, commonly called eclecticism, considers the soul as only a force without extension and robustness, an imperceptible intelligence in the human body and that, once separated from its envelope, keeping its individuality and immortality, would no longer exist in time and space. Our soul would then be one I don’t know what without connection to what exists and would not occupy any determined space. According to the same system God would not be perceptible. He is the perfect thought and equally would not be permanent or have any stability or form or sensible reality; it is an empty being; without reason we can have no intuition of him. However, who are those who invented atheism, skepticism, pantheism, idealism, etc.? These are the man of reason, the intelligent and wise men! Ignorant peoples whose main guides are their sensations have never doubted God or the soul or its immortality. Hence reason only seems to be a bad counselor!
Those doctrines, as one can verify, consequently have not a real, stable principle, a living notion of the real Being. They move in an intelligible world that has nothing to do with concrete reality. The emptiness of their principles relates to the whole of their systems making them as much subtle as vague and oblivious to the reality of things. Common sense itself is hurt, despite the talent and prodigious erudition of their followers. But Spiritism is even more brutal with respect to them for it takes down these abstract systems by opposing them with a single fact: the substantial reality, living and current of the non-incarnate soul. It is shown as an individual being, existing in time and space, although invisible to us; like a being with a solid element, substantial and its thinking and active force. It even shows us the errant souls communicating with us out of their own initiative! It is evident that such a fact must destroy all the castles of sand and with a single pen dispel those proud and imaginary schemes.
But for more confusion, we can demonstrate to the followers of such convoluted doctrines that every person carries in their own conscience the elements sufficient to demonstrate the existence of the soul, like Spiritism establishes through the facts, so that their systems are not only wrong at the arrival but also at their starting point. Therefore the best side to be taken by those honorable wise people is to completely reformulate their doctrines and dedicate their profound knowledge to the foundation of a first science, more accurate and according to reality.
We effective carry in ourselves four irreducible notions that authorizes us to affirm the existence of our soul, as it is presented to us by Spiritism. First we have in ourselves the feeling of our own existence. Such feeling can only be revealed by an impression that we receive from ourselves. Well, no impression is possible from something that is not sturdy or extensive so that by considering the simple fact of our sensations we must deduce that there is a sensible element in us, subtle, extensive and resistant, that is, a substance. Second, we have the conscience of an active element, causal, that manifests in our free-will, thoughts and acts. Consequently it is still evident that we have a second element: a force. Hence by the simple fact that we feel ourselves and are aware of ourselves we must conclude that we have two constituent elements, force and substance, an essential, psychic duality. But these two primitive notions are not the only ones that we carry with ourselves. In third place we still conceive a personal unity, original, that remains always identical to itself; and in fourth place an equally personal destiny because we all seek happiness and our own conveniences in every circumstance of life. Consequently, joining these two new notions that constitute our double being to the two preceding ones,we acknowledge that we are formed by four distinct principles: the duality of essence and the duality of appearance.
Now with the knowledge of these four elements of our self that define our individuality that are notions independent of the body and that have no relationship with our material envelope, it is evident and peremptory to any fair and not prejudiced mind that our being depends on an invisible principle called “soul” and where that soul exists as such because it has a substance and a force, a proper and personal destiny.
These are the four elements of our fundamental psychic individuality whose notion each one of us intimately carries along and that none would deny. As a consequence, as we said, philosophy has, at any time, the elements sufficient to the acknowledgement of the soul as we are given to know by Spiritism. If so far human reason could not have construed a true and useful metaphysics that might have brought the knowledge that the soul must be considered as a real being, independent of the body and capable of existing by itself, substantially and virtually, in time and space, fact is that reason has disdained the direct observation of the facts of conscience and that, in its pride and sufficiency, reason took the place of reality.
According to these observations, one can understand how important it is to philosophy the union to Spiritism for it will take from that union the advantage of creating a first, serious and complete science, founded on the knowledge of the essence of the soul and the four conditions of its reality. But it is no longer necessary for Spiritism to ally to philosophy because it is the only way through which it will be able to establish the scientific certainty of the Spiritist events that form the fundamental basis of its belief and from there extract the important consequences that it contains.
No doubt that to common sense it is enough to see a phenomenon to attest its reality and many are satisfied with that but science many times had motives to doubt the claims of common sense and to mistrust the impressions of our senses and in the illusions of our imagination. Hence common sense is not enough to scientifically establish the reality of the presence of the Spirits around us. In order to establish that in an irrefutable way it is necessary that it is done rationally according to the general laws of creation, that its existence is necessary by itself and that its invisible presence is not but the confirmation of rational and scientific data as the ones that we just indicated unquestionably. Therefore it is only through the philosophical method that one can get at that result. That is necessary to the works of Spiritism and it is only philosophy that can do such a service.
In order to succeed in any undertaking it is necessary to the knowledge about the principles to the observation of the facts. In the particular circumstances of Spiritism it is even much more necessary to proceed in that rigorous manner to get to the truth because our new doctrine touches our dearest and highest interests, constituting our present and eternal happiness. The union of Spiritism and philosophy, consequently, is of the utmost importance for the success of our efforts and for the future of humanity.”
F. Herrenschneider
“Moulins, July 8th 1863
Dear and venerable master,
I want to bring to your attention a question that was discussed in our small group and we could not have resolved with our insights and knowledge. The Spirits that we consulted did not respond in a way that we could understand. . I wrote a short note that I take the liberty of sending to you in which I put together the points of my personal opinion which are different from the other colleagues. In their opinion, atonement takes place effectively during incarnation. This isbased on the fact that these assertions have been used in many communication, including in The Spirits’ Book.
I then ask for your extreme kindness in giving us your opinion about this issue. Your decision will have the force of law to us and in good will each one will sacrifice their own way of seeing it to hold the flag that you have planted and hold in such a wise and firm way.
Yours sincerely…etc.”
T. T.
“Several communications given by different Spirits qualify atonements and trials indistinctly, pains and tribulations that account for the share of each one of us during the incarnation on Earth. The application of the same idea to two words that have very different applications results in some confusion undoubtedly without importance to the dematerialized Spirits but that give rise to discussions among the incarnate ones, therefore it would be recommended to stop that by a clear and accurate definition and explanations given by the superior Spirits that would irrevocably determine that point of the doctrine.
To begin with and taking the two words in their absolute meaning, it seems that atonement would be the punishment, the imposed punishment to compensate for a fault with the perfect knowledge from the part of the punished person of the cause of the punishment, that is the fault to be atoned. Inthat sense it is understandable that the atonement is always imposed by God. The trial carries no idea of reparation. It can be voluntary or imposed but strictly speaking it is not the immediate consequence of perpetrated errors. The trial is a means of assessing that state of something, to acknowledge its quality. That is how a rope, a bridge, a piece of armory are tested to verify if they are adequate for the function that they should perform and it is not related to their previous condition. By extension people call trials of life the set of moral or physical means that reveal the existence or absence of qualities of the soul that establish its perfection or the progress it has achieved in search of that final perfection.
It seems then logical to admit that atonement, properly saying and in the absolute sense of the word, takes place in the spiritual life, after discarnation or corporeal death; that it may be more or less lengthy, more or less painful, according to the severity of the faults, complete in the other world, always terminating with an eager desire to have another incarnation during which the chosen or imposed trials will allow the soul to make progress towards perfection that was not achieved due to previous faults. Hence it would not be adequate to admit that there is atonement on Earth even exceptionally because there would then be the need to admit the knowledge of the faults that are punished. Such knowledge only exist in the life beyond the grave. Atonement without that knowledge would be a useless barbarism and it would not conform to God’s justice or goodness.
During the incarnation one can only conceive trials because whatever the pains and tribulations on Earth it is impossible to consider them sufficient atonement for faults of any gravity. Would you believe that when a condemned person is delivered to the justice of men that person would be well punished if condemned to live with the most unfortunate among us?
Let us then not exaggerate the troubles of Earth to assign us with the merit of having endured them. The trial is more associated to the way that the troubles are endured than on their intensity that, like earthly happiness, is always relative to each individual.
The distinct characters of atonement and trial are that the first is always imposed and its cause must be known by the one that endures it whereas the second may be voluntary that is chosen by the Spirit or even imposed by God in the absence of a choice. Besides, it may well be conceived without a known cause for it is not necessarily the consequence of committed faults.
Simply put: the atonement covers the past; the trial opens up the future.
The July issue of the Spiritist Review contains an article entitled Earthly atonement that would seem contrary to the opinion above. However, reading it carefully one can see that the true atonement took place in the spiritual life and that the position that Max had in his last incarnation in reality is nothing more than the kind of trials that he chose or that were imposed to him and from which he rose victorious but during that whole life he could not benefit from an aimless atonement since he did not know his previous position.
This may perhaps be more of an issue of words than principles. In fact, it has been said many times: “Don’t stay at the level of the words; look for the meaning of the thought.” In any case for us that understand one another through words it is important that we understand well the meaning that is given to them.”
Answer: The distinction established by the author of the note above between the character of the atonement and trials is perfectly just. However, we cannot share his opinion with respect the application of that theory to the situation of mankind on Earth.
Atonement implies the idea of a more or less painful punishment, result of fault that was committed. The trial always implies a real or presumable inferiority because the one that arrived at the aspired summit no longer needs trials. In certain cases the trial is confused with atonement, that is, the atonement may serve as a trial and vice versa. The candidate that shows up to graduate needs to go through a test. If he fails he will have to restart a painful work. This new work is the punishment for the negligence in the first one. The second trial then becomes an atonement.
A condemned person that awaits a reduction or a commutation in sentencing, after good behavior, the penalty is at the same time an atonement for the fault and a trial for the future life. If the person is not better when leaving prison then the trial is null and a new punishment will lead her to a new trial.
Now, taking into account humans on Earth, we will see that we endure troubles of all kinds and sometimes cruel. These troubles have a cause. Unless we attribute them to a caprice of the Creator, we are forced to admit that the cause is in us and that the miseries that we experience cannot be the result of our virtues. Hence its source is in our imperfections.
If a Spirit incarnates on Earth amidst fortune, honor and all material pleasures one can say that the Spirit endures the trial of being hauled. The one that falls in disgrace by conduct or improvidence it is the atonement of their current faults and it can be said that it is the punishment by the sins. However, what can we say about someone that was born in need and deprivation; that drags along a miserable and hopeless life; that succumbs to the weight of congenital diseases not having ostensibly done anything to deserve such a fate? Be it a trial or an atonement the position is not less painful and would not be less just from the point of view of our correspondent because if the person does not remember the fault he or she don’t remember having done wrong either. Hence the solution to the issue must be found somewhere else.
Since every effect has a cause human miseries are effects that must have a cause. If the cause is not in this life it must be in the preceding one. Besides, admitting God’s justice, the effects must have a more or less close relationship with preceding actions from which they are at the same time punishment for the past and trial for the future. They are atonements in the sense that they are consequence of a fault and trials with respect to the benefit that is taken from that. Reason tells us that God cannot harm the innocent. Hence if we are hurt and if we are not innocents the troubles we face is the punishment and the way we endure them is the trial.
However it frequently happens that the fault is not in this life. People then accuse God’s justice, deny his goodness and even doubt his existence. That is precisely the toughest trial. Whoever admits a sovereignly good and just God, even in things that we don’t understand, and that we suffer a punishment is that we deserve it. That is then an atonement.
By the great law of the plurality of the existences Spiritism completely raises the veil that kept our vision in darkness. It teaches us that if the fault was not committed in this life it was then done in the previous one and for that matter God’s justice follow its course pushing us where we were in error.
Then comes the serious question of forgetting that, according to our correspondent, subtracts the character of atonement from the troubles of life. It is a mistake. Give it any name you like but you will not preclude it from being the consequence of a fault. If you ignore that which Spiritism teaches you. As for not remembering the faults this does not have the consequences that you attribute. We demonstrated elsewhere that the precise memory of those faults would have extremely serious consequences because that would disturb and humiliate us before our own eyes and before the eyes of our fellow human beings; it would create disturbance in the social relationships and for that very reason would block our free-will.
On another hand the obliviousness is not as absolute as people suppose. It only happens in our exterior life of relationship for the interest of humanity but in the spiritual life there is no solution of continuity. Both in errant spiritual life as well as at moments of emancipation of the soul the Spirit remembers perfectly well and that memory leaves an intuition that is translated into the voice of the conscience that adverts the person of what must or must not be done. If the person does not listen to that it is the person’s fault.
In addition Spiritism gives people a means to go back to the past if not accurately in the actions at least in the general characters of those actions that remain more or less faded away in the present life. By the endured tribulations, atonements or trials, the person must conclude that was guilty. By the nature of the tribulations helped by the study of the instinctive tendencies and supported by the principle that the most just punishment is the consequence of the fault, the person can deduce about her moral past. The bad tendencies teach about what is left in terms of imperfection to be corrected. Current life becomes a new starting point. The person gets at this life rich or poor of moral qualities being then enough to study oneself to see what is missing and say to oneself: “If I am punished it is because I sinned.” The punishment itself will tell about the sin.
Let’s conduct a comparison.
Suppose a man that was condemned to forced labor and to suffer a special punishment there more or less severe according to the fault; suppose further that when he gets to prison he loses the memory of his past actions that led him to that place; couldn’t he say to himself: “If I am in prison it if for being guilty because righteous people are not condemned; hence I must become good right away so that I don’t come back here after I leave.” Does he want to know what he did? Studying the criminal law, he will understand what type of crime leads to that situation because someone is not place on shackles for something silly; from the time and severity of the sentence he will conclude about the kind of crime that was committed. To have a more accurate idea, he will only have to study those to which he feels more instinctively attracted. He will then know what he will have to avoid thereafter in order to keep his freedom and for that he will also be stimulated by good people assigned with the mission of educating and guiding him in the good path. If he does not take advantage of that he will suffer the consequences. That is the situation of the man on Earth where, like the shackles, could not have been placed on him for his perfection since his is unfortunate and forced to work. God multiplies the teachings that are proportional to his advancement. He is incessantly warned and even hurt in order to wake up from the numbness. The one that persists by turning blind eyes cannot be justified by ignorance. In short if certain situations of human life have more particularly the character of a trial others will unquestionably have that of punishment and every punishment may serve as a trial.
It is a mistake to think that the essential character of an atonement is that of its imposition. We daily see voluntary atonements not to mention the monks that hurt and punish themselves with discipline and cilice. Thus there is nothing of irrational in admitting that a Spirit, in trying to better and better, chooses or requests an earthly existence that lead him to make up for his past mistakes. If such an existence had been imposed on him it would not have been less fair, despite the momentary absence of memory, by the reasons that were developed above. The miseries here are then atonements on their effective and material side, and trials on their moral consequences. Whatever the name that they may be given the result must be the same: the betterment. In the presence of such an important objective it would be foolish to transform a question of words into an issue of principle. This would demonstrate that one gives more importance to words than to the thing itself.
It gives us great pleasure to respond and clarify serious questions, whenever possible. The discussion is even more useful to people of good faith that have studied and want to analyze things further because that is work towards the progress of the science as it is useless to those who judge without knowledge and want to know without carrying the burden of studying.
Dear and venerable master,
I want to bring to your attention a question that was discussed in our small group and we could not have resolved with our insights and knowledge. The Spirits that we consulted did not respond in a way that we could understand. . I wrote a short note that I take the liberty of sending to you in which I put together the points of my personal opinion which are different from the other colleagues. In their opinion, atonement takes place effectively during incarnation. This isbased on the fact that these assertions have been used in many communication, including in The Spirits’ Book.
I then ask for your extreme kindness in giving us your opinion about this issue. Your decision will have the force of law to us and in good will each one will sacrifice their own way of seeing it to hold the flag that you have planted and hold in such a wise and firm way.
Yours sincerely…etc.”
T. T.
“Several communications given by different Spirits qualify atonements and trials indistinctly, pains and tribulations that account for the share of each one of us during the incarnation on Earth. The application of the same idea to two words that have very different applications results in some confusion undoubtedly without importance to the dematerialized Spirits but that give rise to discussions among the incarnate ones, therefore it would be recommended to stop that by a clear and accurate definition and explanations given by the superior Spirits that would irrevocably determine that point of the doctrine.
To begin with and taking the two words in their absolute meaning, it seems that atonement would be the punishment, the imposed punishment to compensate for a fault with the perfect knowledge from the part of the punished person of the cause of the punishment, that is the fault to be atoned. Inthat sense it is understandable that the atonement is always imposed by God. The trial carries no idea of reparation. It can be voluntary or imposed but strictly speaking it is not the immediate consequence of perpetrated errors. The trial is a means of assessing that state of something, to acknowledge its quality. That is how a rope, a bridge, a piece of armory are tested to verify if they are adequate for the function that they should perform and it is not related to their previous condition. By extension people call trials of life the set of moral or physical means that reveal the existence or absence of qualities of the soul that establish its perfection or the progress it has achieved in search of that final perfection.
It seems then logical to admit that atonement, properly saying and in the absolute sense of the word, takes place in the spiritual life, after discarnation or corporeal death; that it may be more or less lengthy, more or less painful, according to the severity of the faults, complete in the other world, always terminating with an eager desire to have another incarnation during which the chosen or imposed trials will allow the soul to make progress towards perfection that was not achieved due to previous faults. Hence it would not be adequate to admit that there is atonement on Earth even exceptionally because there would then be the need to admit the knowledge of the faults that are punished. Such knowledge only exist in the life beyond the grave. Atonement without that knowledge would be a useless barbarism and it would not conform to God’s justice or goodness.
During the incarnation one can only conceive trials because whatever the pains and tribulations on Earth it is impossible to consider them sufficient atonement for faults of any gravity. Would you believe that when a condemned person is delivered to the justice of men that person would be well punished if condemned to live with the most unfortunate among us?
Let us then not exaggerate the troubles of Earth to assign us with the merit of having endured them. The trial is more associated to the way that the troubles are endured than on their intensity that, like earthly happiness, is always relative to each individual.
The distinct characters of atonement and trial are that the first is always imposed and its cause must be known by the one that endures it whereas the second may be voluntary that is chosen by the Spirit or even imposed by God in the absence of a choice. Besides, it may well be conceived without a known cause for it is not necessarily the consequence of committed faults.
Simply put: the atonement covers the past; the trial opens up the future.
The July issue of the Spiritist Review contains an article entitled Earthly atonement that would seem contrary to the opinion above. However, reading it carefully one can see that the true atonement took place in the spiritual life and that the position that Max had in his last incarnation in reality is nothing more than the kind of trials that he chose or that were imposed to him and from which he rose victorious but during that whole life he could not benefit from an aimless atonement since he did not know his previous position.
This may perhaps be more of an issue of words than principles. In fact, it has been said many times: “Don’t stay at the level of the words; look for the meaning of the thought.” In any case for us that understand one another through words it is important that we understand well the meaning that is given to them.”
Answer: The distinction established by the author of the note above between the character of the atonement and trials is perfectly just. However, we cannot share his opinion with respect the application of that theory to the situation of mankind on Earth.
Atonement implies the idea of a more or less painful punishment, result of fault that was committed. The trial always implies a real or presumable inferiority because the one that arrived at the aspired summit no longer needs trials. In certain cases the trial is confused with atonement, that is, the atonement may serve as a trial and vice versa. The candidate that shows up to graduate needs to go through a test. If he fails he will have to restart a painful work. This new work is the punishment for the negligence in the first one. The second trial then becomes an atonement.
A condemned person that awaits a reduction or a commutation in sentencing, after good behavior, the penalty is at the same time an atonement for the fault and a trial for the future life. If the person is not better when leaving prison then the trial is null and a new punishment will lead her to a new trial.
Now, taking into account humans on Earth, we will see that we endure troubles of all kinds and sometimes cruel. These troubles have a cause. Unless we attribute them to a caprice of the Creator, we are forced to admit that the cause is in us and that the miseries that we experience cannot be the result of our virtues. Hence its source is in our imperfections.
If a Spirit incarnates on Earth amidst fortune, honor and all material pleasures one can say that the Spirit endures the trial of being hauled. The one that falls in disgrace by conduct or improvidence it is the atonement of their current faults and it can be said that it is the punishment by the sins. However, what can we say about someone that was born in need and deprivation; that drags along a miserable and hopeless life; that succumbs to the weight of congenital diseases not having ostensibly done anything to deserve such a fate? Be it a trial or an atonement the position is not less painful and would not be less just from the point of view of our correspondent because if the person does not remember the fault he or she don’t remember having done wrong either. Hence the solution to the issue must be found somewhere else.
Since every effect has a cause human miseries are effects that must have a cause. If the cause is not in this life it must be in the preceding one. Besides, admitting God’s justice, the effects must have a more or less close relationship with preceding actions from which they are at the same time punishment for the past and trial for the future. They are atonements in the sense that they are consequence of a fault and trials with respect to the benefit that is taken from that. Reason tells us that God cannot harm the innocent. Hence if we are hurt and if we are not innocents the troubles we face is the punishment and the way we endure them is the trial.
However it frequently happens that the fault is not in this life. People then accuse God’s justice, deny his goodness and even doubt his existence. That is precisely the toughest trial. Whoever admits a sovereignly good and just God, even in things that we don’t understand, and that we suffer a punishment is that we deserve it. That is then an atonement.
By the great law of the plurality of the existences Spiritism completely raises the veil that kept our vision in darkness. It teaches us that if the fault was not committed in this life it was then done in the previous one and for that matter God’s justice follow its course pushing us where we were in error.
Then comes the serious question of forgetting that, according to our correspondent, subtracts the character of atonement from the troubles of life. It is a mistake. Give it any name you like but you will not preclude it from being the consequence of a fault. If you ignore that which Spiritism teaches you. As for not remembering the faults this does not have the consequences that you attribute. We demonstrated elsewhere that the precise memory of those faults would have extremely serious consequences because that would disturb and humiliate us before our own eyes and before the eyes of our fellow human beings; it would create disturbance in the social relationships and for that very reason would block our free-will.
On another hand the obliviousness is not as absolute as people suppose. It only happens in our exterior life of relationship for the interest of humanity but in the spiritual life there is no solution of continuity. Both in errant spiritual life as well as at moments of emancipation of the soul the Spirit remembers perfectly well and that memory leaves an intuition that is translated into the voice of the conscience that adverts the person of what must or must not be done. If the person does not listen to that it is the person’s fault.
In addition Spiritism gives people a means to go back to the past if not accurately in the actions at least in the general characters of those actions that remain more or less faded away in the present life. By the endured tribulations, atonements or trials, the person must conclude that was guilty. By the nature of the tribulations helped by the study of the instinctive tendencies and supported by the principle that the most just punishment is the consequence of the fault, the person can deduce about her moral past. The bad tendencies teach about what is left in terms of imperfection to be corrected. Current life becomes a new starting point. The person gets at this life rich or poor of moral qualities being then enough to study oneself to see what is missing and say to oneself: “If I am punished it is because I sinned.” The punishment itself will tell about the sin.
Let’s conduct a comparison.
Suppose a man that was condemned to forced labor and to suffer a special punishment there more or less severe according to the fault; suppose further that when he gets to prison he loses the memory of his past actions that led him to that place; couldn’t he say to himself: “If I am in prison it if for being guilty because righteous people are not condemned; hence I must become good right away so that I don’t come back here after I leave.” Does he want to know what he did? Studying the criminal law, he will understand what type of crime leads to that situation because someone is not place on shackles for something silly; from the time and severity of the sentence he will conclude about the kind of crime that was committed. To have a more accurate idea, he will only have to study those to which he feels more instinctively attracted. He will then know what he will have to avoid thereafter in order to keep his freedom and for that he will also be stimulated by good people assigned with the mission of educating and guiding him in the good path. If he does not take advantage of that he will suffer the consequences. That is the situation of the man on Earth where, like the shackles, could not have been placed on him for his perfection since his is unfortunate and forced to work. God multiplies the teachings that are proportional to his advancement. He is incessantly warned and even hurt in order to wake up from the numbness. The one that persists by turning blind eyes cannot be justified by ignorance. In short if certain situations of human life have more particularly the character of a trial others will unquestionably have that of punishment and every punishment may serve as a trial.
It is a mistake to think that the essential character of an atonement is that of its imposition. We daily see voluntary atonements not to mention the monks that hurt and punish themselves with discipline and cilice. Thus there is nothing of irrational in admitting that a Spirit, in trying to better and better, chooses or requests an earthly existence that lead him to make up for his past mistakes. If such an existence had been imposed on him it would not have been less fair, despite the momentary absence of memory, by the reasons that were developed above. The miseries here are then atonements on their effective and material side, and trials on their moral consequences. Whatever the name that they may be given the result must be the same: the betterment. In the presence of such an important objective it would be foolish to transform a question of words into an issue of principle. This would demonstrate that one gives more importance to words than to the thing itself.
It gives us great pleasure to respond and clarify serious questions, whenever possible. The discussion is even more useful to people of good faith that have studied and want to analyze things further because that is work towards the progress of the science as it is useless to those who judge without knowledge and want to know without carrying the burden of studying.
See the issue of July, 1863
Father, ,
In my previous letter I gave you the reasons that led me to not respond to your brochure article per article. I will not remind them, limiting myself to transcribe some passages.
You say: “We must conclude from all that that Spiritism must be limited to combat materialism, give people material proof of their immortality through well attested manifestations from beyond the grave; that beyond that point everything else is uncertainty, thick darkness, illusions, a true chaos; that as a philosophical-religious doctrine it is just a true utopia as many others found in history and to which time will do justice despite the spiritual army that you were made the commander-in-chief.”
To begin with,Father, , you must agree that your forecasts did not materialize and that time is in no hurry to do justice to Spiritism. If it did not succumb, one cannot blame the indifference and negligence of the clergy and its followers for there has been no lack of attacks: brochures, journals, sermons and excommunications fired in all directions; nothing was missed not even the indisputable talent and merit of some champions. If even under such a formidable artillery,the ranks of the Spiritists increased instead of diminishing, it is because the fire turned into smoke. Still once more a rule of elemental logic tells us that a force is judged by its effects. You could not stop Spiritism asit continues to move faster than you do and the reason for that is that it is ahead while you push from the back as the century advances.
Upon examining the several attacks directed against Spiritism, some serious and important teachings stand out. Those that come from the skeptical and materialistic party are characterized by the denial, a more or less witty mockery, the generally silly and banal jokes while – this is unfortunate to say – it is from the religious side that come the most uncivilized injuries, the personal attacks and the calumnies. It is from the cathedra that the most offensive words fall. It is in the name of the Church that the ignoble and lying pamphlet about the pretense balance of Spiritism. Despite that, I provided you with some data fromthe Spiritist Review. In addition, I did not say everything out of deference as I know that all the elements of the clergy are far from approving such things. It is useful, however, that later on people will know the kind of weapons that were used against Spiritism. Unfortunately, the journal articles are evading like the pages that they carry; the brochures themselves have a short life and in a few years the names of the most eager and bellicose antagonists will probably be forgotten.
There is only one way of preventing against this effect of time: it is to collect all the diatribes, from wherever side they come, and create an archive that will not be the least illustrative of the history of Spiritism. I have no lack of documents for such a work and I am sorry to say that it is the publications in the name of religion that, up until now Ihave provided the strongest contingent. I attest with pleasure that your brochure at least constitutes exception with respect to its civility but by the force of the arguments.
According to you, Father, everything in Spiritism is just uncertainty, thick darkness, illusions, chaos and utopias. You must then acknowledge that it is not very dangerous since nobody will understand it. What is it that the Church has to fear of something that is so absurd? If that is the case why such an exhibition of power? Based on these mismatches one can say that the Church is afraid. In general nobody fires a canon shot against a fly. Isn’t that a contradiction to say on one side that Spiritism is a threat to religion when on the other side they say that it is nothing?
In the above mentioned passage I notice, in passing, a certainly involuntary error for I don’t suppose that you would deliberately alter the truth like some of your colleagues, to serve your cause. You say: “despite the spiritual army that you were made the commander-in-chief.” To begin with, I ask you about what you understand by spiritual army. Is that the army of the Spirits or the Spiritists? The first interpretation would lead you to say an absurd; the second a falsehood because it is notorious that I have never made myself chief of anything. If the Spiritists give me that title it is out of a spontaneous feeling from their part given the trust they kindly have in me while you give the impression that I imposed myself and took the initiative, something that I formally deny.
As a matter of fact the successes of the doctrine that I profess give me certain authority upon the followers, a purely moral authority that I do not use but to recommend calm, moderation and abstention from any reprisal against those that treat them dishonorably, in a word to remind that about the practice of charity even against their enemies.
The most important part of that paragraph is the one in which you say that “Spiritism must be limited to combat materialism, give people material proof of their immortality through well attested manifestations from beyond the grave.” Spiritism is then good for something. If the manifestations from beyond the grave are useful to destroy materialism and demonstrate the immortality of the soul it is not the devil that is manifesting.
To get to that proof that according to you sticks out from those manifestations it is necessary to recognize parents and friends in them; thus, the communicating Spirits are the souls of those who had lived. Hence, Father you are in contradiction with the doctrine professed by several of your illustrious comrades, meaning that it is only the devil that can communicate. Is that a point of a doctrine or is it a personal opinion? In the second case one does not bear more value than the other. In the first case you attest the heresy.
There is more. Considering that the communications from beyond the grave are useful to fight against disbelief with respect to the fundamental basis of the religion: the existence and immortality of the soul; considering that Spiritism must be useful to that objective then each person is free to seek in the evocation the remedy to cure the doubt that religion alone could not resolve. Consequently every believer and even every good Catholic and priest is allowed to use it to lead the lost sheep to the pen. If Spiritism has the means of clearing the fog of doubt that religion could not destroy then it offers the resources that religion does not have otherwise there wouldn’t be a single unbeliever in the Catholic religion. Why then it rejects such an efficient way of saving the souls?
On another hand how to conciliate the utility that you acknowledge the communications from beyond the grave have with the formal prohibition set by the Church to evoke the dead? Considering that it is a strict principle that one cannot be a Catholic if not scrupulously conform to the precepts of the Church; that the least deviation from its commandments is a heresy, there you are Father,well and duly heretical since you declared to be good what the Church condemns.
You say that Spiritism is only chaos and uncertainty; are you much more clearer there? Where is the orthodoxy in that point since some think in a way and others in another way? How to you want people to agree when you yourself are in contradiction with your words? Your brochure is entitled: Complete Refutation of the Spiritist Doctrine from a Religious Point of View. If you say complete,you say absolute. If the refutation is complete it must not leave anything out. And now from a religious point of view you do acknowledge a huge utility to something that is prohibited by the Church! Is there a greater utility than leading that of leading the unbelievers to God? You brochure would have been better entitled: Refutation of the demoniac doctrine of the Church. In fact that is not the only contradiction that I could point out. Be relax you are not the only one dissident. I know very well a good number of ecclesiastics that do not believe more than you do on the exclusive communication of the devil; that deal with evocations safely and with conscience; that don’t believe more than I do in the irresistible penalties and in the absolute eternal condemnation and that in agreement with more than one father of the Church as it will be demonstrated to you later. Yes, many more ecclesiastics than people think look at Spiritism from a more elevated standpoint. Stunned by the universality of the manifestations and with the great spectacle of its irresistible march they see the dawn of a new era in all that and a sign of God’s will before which they bow in reverence.
Mr. Priest you say that Spiritism should stop at a given point and not go beyond. One must be consistent with oneself in everything. To have these souls convincing the unbelievers about their own existence it is necessary that they speak. Well, is it possible to preclude them from saying what they wish? Is it my fault if they come to us do describe their condition, fortunate or not, differently from what is taught by the Church? And if they come to say that they have already lived and that they will live again physically? That God is neither cruel nor vindictive nor inflexible as he is presented but good and merciful? If in all corners of the world where they are called to convince about the future life they say the same thing?
Finally, is that my fault if the picture that they paint of the future that is reserved to mankind is more seducing than the one you offer? If people prefer mercy to damnation?
Who made the Spiritist Doctrine? It was their words and not my imagination; it was the actors of the invisible world themselves, the eye witnesses of the things from beyond the grave that dictated them and it was only established upon the agreement of the immense majority of revelations made in all places and to thousands of people that I have never met. All I did in all that was to methodically coordinate the teachings given by the Spirits. Without taking into account isolated opinions I adopted those from the larger number, keeping away every systematic, individual, eccentric or contradictory idea with the positive data of science.
From those teachings and from their agreement, as well as from the careful observation of the facts, it turns out that there isn’t anything of supernatural in the Spiritist manifestations but, on the contrary, they are the result of a natural law that was unknown up until now, as were for a long time the law of gravitation, of the movement of the globes, the formation of Earth, the electricity, etc.
Considering that this law is in nature it is then the works of God unless someone says that nature is the work of the devil. Such a law that explains a number of things that would remain unexplained without it, converted as many unbelievers as did the fact of manifestations themselves and the proof of that is in the large number of materialistic persons redirected to God just by the reading of the books and without having seen anything. Would it be better if they remained as unbelievers taking the risk that they would not even accept the Catholic orthodoxy?
The Spiritist Doctrine then is not my work but that of the Spirits. If those Spirits are the souls of people it cannot be the works of the devil. If it were my personal conception I should congratulate myself for its prodigious success but I could not take the credit for something that is not mine. No, it is not the work of one person or even one Spirit, whoever they may be because they could not have given the doctrine a sufficient sanction, but it is the works of the Spirits and that is what constitutes its strength because anyone may receive their own confirmation.
Will time do it justice, as you say? For that it would be necessary to have it blocked from being taught, that is, the Spirits would have to stop existing and communicating all over the world. Besides, it would be necessary that it would no longer be logical and satisfying people’s aspirations.
You add that you hope I will acknowledge my mistake. I don’t think about that and frankly speaking it is not the argumentation found in your brochure that will make me change my opinion or desert from the position where I was placed by the Providence in which I find every moral happiness that one can find on Earth by seeing the fruits of what was sowed by God. It is a great and kind joy I assure you to see the people that became happy through the doctrine, so many people enrooted from despair, suicide, the brutality of passions and been redirected to good. Only one of its blessings is a plentiful compensation to me for the fatigue and the insults.
Nobody has the power to take such happiness away from me. You don’t recognize that because you wanted to do that. I wish you the same happiness from all my heart. Try it and you will see.
Father, I give you ten years to see what your opinion about the doctrine.
Yours sincerely,
Allan Kardec
Father, ,
In my previous letter I gave you the reasons that led me to not respond to your brochure article per article. I will not remind them, limiting myself to transcribe some passages.
You say: “We must conclude from all that that Spiritism must be limited to combat materialism, give people material proof of their immortality through well attested manifestations from beyond the grave; that beyond that point everything else is uncertainty, thick darkness, illusions, a true chaos; that as a philosophical-religious doctrine it is just a true utopia as many others found in history and to which time will do justice despite the spiritual army that you were made the commander-in-chief.”
To begin with,Father, , you must agree that your forecasts did not materialize and that time is in no hurry to do justice to Spiritism. If it did not succumb, one cannot blame the indifference and negligence of the clergy and its followers for there has been no lack of attacks: brochures, journals, sermons and excommunications fired in all directions; nothing was missed not even the indisputable talent and merit of some champions. If even under such a formidable artillery,the ranks of the Spiritists increased instead of diminishing, it is because the fire turned into smoke. Still once more a rule of elemental logic tells us that a force is judged by its effects. You could not stop Spiritism asit continues to move faster than you do and the reason for that is that it is ahead while you push from the back as the century advances.
Upon examining the several attacks directed against Spiritism, some serious and important teachings stand out. Those that come from the skeptical and materialistic party are characterized by the denial, a more or less witty mockery, the generally silly and banal jokes while – this is unfortunate to say – it is from the religious side that come the most uncivilized injuries, the personal attacks and the calumnies. It is from the cathedra that the most offensive words fall. It is in the name of the Church that the ignoble and lying pamphlet about the pretense balance of Spiritism. Despite that, I provided you with some data fromthe Spiritist Review. In addition, I did not say everything out of deference as I know that all the elements of the clergy are far from approving such things. It is useful, however, that later on people will know the kind of weapons that were used against Spiritism. Unfortunately, the journal articles are evading like the pages that they carry; the brochures themselves have a short life and in a few years the names of the most eager and bellicose antagonists will probably be forgotten.
There is only one way of preventing against this effect of time: it is to collect all the diatribes, from wherever side they come, and create an archive that will not be the least illustrative of the history of Spiritism. I have no lack of documents for such a work and I am sorry to say that it is the publications in the name of religion that, up until now Ihave provided the strongest contingent. I attest with pleasure that your brochure at least constitutes exception with respect to its civility but by the force of the arguments.
According to you, Father, everything in Spiritism is just uncertainty, thick darkness, illusions, chaos and utopias. You must then acknowledge that it is not very dangerous since nobody will understand it. What is it that the Church has to fear of something that is so absurd? If that is the case why such an exhibition of power? Based on these mismatches one can say that the Church is afraid. In general nobody fires a canon shot against a fly. Isn’t that a contradiction to say on one side that Spiritism is a threat to religion when on the other side they say that it is nothing?
In the above mentioned passage I notice, in passing, a certainly involuntary error for I don’t suppose that you would deliberately alter the truth like some of your colleagues, to serve your cause. You say: “despite the spiritual army that you were made the commander-in-chief.” To begin with, I ask you about what you understand by spiritual army. Is that the army of the Spirits or the Spiritists? The first interpretation would lead you to say an absurd; the second a falsehood because it is notorious that I have never made myself chief of anything. If the Spiritists give me that title it is out of a spontaneous feeling from their part given the trust they kindly have in me while you give the impression that I imposed myself and took the initiative, something that I formally deny.
As a matter of fact the successes of the doctrine that I profess give me certain authority upon the followers, a purely moral authority that I do not use but to recommend calm, moderation and abstention from any reprisal against those that treat them dishonorably, in a word to remind that about the practice of charity even against their enemies.
The most important part of that paragraph is the one in which you say that “Spiritism must be limited to combat materialism, give people material proof of their immortality through well attested manifestations from beyond the grave.” Spiritism is then good for something. If the manifestations from beyond the grave are useful to destroy materialism and demonstrate the immortality of the soul it is not the devil that is manifesting.
To get to that proof that according to you sticks out from those manifestations it is necessary to recognize parents and friends in them; thus, the communicating Spirits are the souls of those who had lived. Hence, Father you are in contradiction with the doctrine professed by several of your illustrious comrades, meaning that it is only the devil that can communicate. Is that a point of a doctrine or is it a personal opinion? In the second case one does not bear more value than the other. In the first case you attest the heresy.
There is more. Considering that the communications from beyond the grave are useful to fight against disbelief with respect to the fundamental basis of the religion: the existence and immortality of the soul; considering that Spiritism must be useful to that objective then each person is free to seek in the evocation the remedy to cure the doubt that religion alone could not resolve. Consequently every believer and even every good Catholic and priest is allowed to use it to lead the lost sheep to the pen. If Spiritism has the means of clearing the fog of doubt that religion could not destroy then it offers the resources that religion does not have otherwise there wouldn’t be a single unbeliever in the Catholic religion. Why then it rejects such an efficient way of saving the souls?
On another hand how to conciliate the utility that you acknowledge the communications from beyond the grave have with the formal prohibition set by the Church to evoke the dead? Considering that it is a strict principle that one cannot be a Catholic if not scrupulously conform to the precepts of the Church; that the least deviation from its commandments is a heresy, there you are Father,well and duly heretical since you declared to be good what the Church condemns.
You say that Spiritism is only chaos and uncertainty; are you much more clearer there? Where is the orthodoxy in that point since some think in a way and others in another way? How to you want people to agree when you yourself are in contradiction with your words? Your brochure is entitled: Complete Refutation of the Spiritist Doctrine from a Religious Point of View. If you say complete,you say absolute. If the refutation is complete it must not leave anything out. And now from a religious point of view you do acknowledge a huge utility to something that is prohibited by the Church! Is there a greater utility than leading that of leading the unbelievers to God? You brochure would have been better entitled: Refutation of the demoniac doctrine of the Church. In fact that is not the only contradiction that I could point out. Be relax you are not the only one dissident. I know very well a good number of ecclesiastics that do not believe more than you do on the exclusive communication of the devil; that deal with evocations safely and with conscience; that don’t believe more than I do in the irresistible penalties and in the absolute eternal condemnation and that in agreement with more than one father of the Church as it will be demonstrated to you later. Yes, many more ecclesiastics than people think look at Spiritism from a more elevated standpoint. Stunned by the universality of the manifestations and with the great spectacle of its irresistible march they see the dawn of a new era in all that and a sign of God’s will before which they bow in reverence.
Mr. Priest you say that Spiritism should stop at a given point and not go beyond. One must be consistent with oneself in everything. To have these souls convincing the unbelievers about their own existence it is necessary that they speak. Well, is it possible to preclude them from saying what they wish? Is it my fault if they come to us do describe their condition, fortunate or not, differently from what is taught by the Church? And if they come to say that they have already lived and that they will live again physically? That God is neither cruel nor vindictive nor inflexible as he is presented but good and merciful? If in all corners of the world where they are called to convince about the future life they say the same thing?
Finally, is that my fault if the picture that they paint of the future that is reserved to mankind is more seducing than the one you offer? If people prefer mercy to damnation?
Who made the Spiritist Doctrine? It was their words and not my imagination; it was the actors of the invisible world themselves, the eye witnesses of the things from beyond the grave that dictated them and it was only established upon the agreement of the immense majority of revelations made in all places and to thousands of people that I have never met. All I did in all that was to methodically coordinate the teachings given by the Spirits. Without taking into account isolated opinions I adopted those from the larger number, keeping away every systematic, individual, eccentric or contradictory idea with the positive data of science.
From those teachings and from their agreement, as well as from the careful observation of the facts, it turns out that there isn’t anything of supernatural in the Spiritist manifestations but, on the contrary, they are the result of a natural law that was unknown up until now, as were for a long time the law of gravitation, of the movement of the globes, the formation of Earth, the electricity, etc.
Considering that this law is in nature it is then the works of God unless someone says that nature is the work of the devil. Such a law that explains a number of things that would remain unexplained without it, converted as many unbelievers as did the fact of manifestations themselves and the proof of that is in the large number of materialistic persons redirected to God just by the reading of the books and without having seen anything. Would it be better if they remained as unbelievers taking the risk that they would not even accept the Catholic orthodoxy?
The Spiritist Doctrine then is not my work but that of the Spirits. If those Spirits are the souls of people it cannot be the works of the devil. If it were my personal conception I should congratulate myself for its prodigious success but I could not take the credit for something that is not mine. No, it is not the work of one person or even one Spirit, whoever they may be because they could not have given the doctrine a sufficient sanction, but it is the works of the Spirits and that is what constitutes its strength because anyone may receive their own confirmation.
Will time do it justice, as you say? For that it would be necessary to have it blocked from being taught, that is, the Spirits would have to stop existing and communicating all over the world. Besides, it would be necessary that it would no longer be logical and satisfying people’s aspirations.
You add that you hope I will acknowledge my mistake. I don’t think about that and frankly speaking it is not the argumentation found in your brochure that will make me change my opinion or desert from the position where I was placed by the Providence in which I find every moral happiness that one can find on Earth by seeing the fruits of what was sowed by God. It is a great and kind joy I assure you to see the people that became happy through the doctrine, so many people enrooted from despair, suicide, the brutality of passions and been redirected to good. Only one of its blessings is a plentiful compensation to me for the fatigue and the insults.
Nobody has the power to take such happiness away from me. You don’t recognize that because you wanted to do that. I wish you the same happiness from all my heart. Try it and you will see.
Father, I give you ten years to see what your opinion about the doctrine.
Yours sincerely,
Allan Kardec
The passage below was extracted from an article in the Écho of Sétif on July 23rd, 1863 responding to a brochure entitled Le Budget du Spiritisme which we mentioned in the last June issue of the Spiritist Review.
“We did not give much attention to the issue and for a better understanding we follow the order below:
“We did not give much attention to the issue and for a better understanding we follow the order below:
You believe in the immortality of the soul and so do I. We are in agreement on that point.
Once my soul finds God, you want it to remain with God, go to hell or finally to the purgatory. These are the only three places where you allow it to dwell. We are no longer in agreement here. I believe that God allows the soul to travel everywhere. You restrict the space to the soul and I increase it. Tell me openly and frankly if you think that your opinion is better founded than mine. Tell me why God would preclude my soul from traveling after the death of the body. Do you have any insight about this? Any proof from this type of rationale? I do not believe so. I have one: it is the rationale that I utilize from the known to the unknown. God created immutable laws that never contradict one another. I see in nature that everything moves and nothing remains still. It is God’s wish. Only this truth that I touch and feel is enough to demonstrate to me that the same happens to the globes that are not known to me. As for you, tell me why you want it to be different. If you do not contest the fact that my soul can move after the death of the body, if it is alive, if it feels, if it can communicate with something, with someone, tell me why it cannot ever communicate with your soul, still bonded to the body. Give me a reason, but a logical one otherwise I must reject it. If you say that your intelligence refuses to believe in that, it is a reason that I don’t admit because there are millions of things that your reason would refuse to believe and that, nonetheless, you will believe after you saw them. That is what St. Thomas did. I have one request only. I don’t mind what you believe and have no interest in that but I beg you to insult nobody without any need. Regardless of your merit there are people in Spiritism that are as worthy as you are. There are those who want to see, study and enlighten themselves; there are those who saw remarkable things and want to know their causes before they say anything. Well! Do as they did: Study, seek and only after you have found, give us the clear and accurate explanation of the phenomenon. That is more valuable than malicious expressions. You would have helped science to move a step forward and reassured alarmed consciences like yours. That is a nice role to play. Before I finish I have a question to Mr. Leblanc de Prébois: Has he sold his brochure or only had it published for the love of humanity?”
This book is a pure and simple report without comments or explanations of the mediumistic phenomena produced by Mr. Home. Those phenomena are very interesting to anyone that knows Spiritism and want to understand them but, on their own, they are not much convincing to unbelievers which do not believe in what they see, let alone what they are told. It is a collection of facts more appropriate to those who know than to those who don’t know, instructive to the former but simply a curiosity to the latter. Our intention is not to examine or discuss those facts that were already dealt with in the articles about Mr. Home published in the Spiritist Review in February, March, April and May 1858. We only say that the simplicity of the report carries a weight of truth that could not be ignored and that, from our point of view, we have no reason to be suspicious of its authenticity. What can be criticized is its monotony and the absence of any conclusion, of any moral or logical deduction. Inaccuracies of style are also very frequent. The translation, particularly in certain passages, is very distant from the spirit of the French language. If the doubt is the first impression in someone that cannot attest the facts any person that had carefully studies and understood our books, particularly The Mediums’ Book, will at least acknowledge their possibility because the explanation will be found.
As everybody knows, Mr. Home is a very gifted, enlightened medium. A remarkable point is that he gathers the necessary skills to obtain the majority of the phenomena of that kind in an exceptional level, in a certain way. Although he had been ridiculed by some because of his apocryphal facts and exaggerations, there is still a lot to justify his reputation. His work will have, above all, the great advantage of separating the true from the false. The phenomena produced by him takes us back to the first period of Spiritism. The period of the turning tables, also called as the “Curiosity Period”. This is the period of preliminary effects which was intended to draw the attention to the new order of things and pave the way to the “Philosophical Period”.
Such a march was rational because every philosophy must involve the deduction of facts consciously studied and observed and the one that would only rest on unfounded, speculative ideas. Theory then should result from the facts and the philosophical consequences should result from that theory.
If Spiritism was limited to the material phenomena then, once the curiosity was satisfied, it would have lived out its fashion and been short-lived. The proof of that is the turning tables which had the privilege of entertaining the theaters only during a few winters. Its vitality was in its utility only. Thus, the prodigious extension that it acquired comes from the time when it entered the philosophical path. It was only then that it took its place amongst the doctrines.
The observations and the agreement of the facts led to the search for the causes; the search for the causes led to the knowledge of the relationships between the visible and invisible worlds as a consequence of a law. Once that law was known it provided the explanation to a number of phenomena misunderstood and considered supernatural up until then, before the causes were known. Once the causes were established the phenomena entered the order of the natural phenomena and the wonderful disappeared.
In that respect and with reason one may criticize how Mr. Home characterizes his life as supernatural in his book. In the past, he would certainly be taken by a magician. Had he been a priest in the Middle Ages he would have become a saint, with the gift of making miracles; in his privacy he would be considered a witch and would have been burnt at the stake; among the pagans he would have been a god with altars erected in his name. But these were other times and other customs. Today he is a simple medium, predestined by the power of his gifts to a limited number of prodigies, proving by experience that certain phenomena considered supernatural are just part of the natural laws.
Some people feared the authenticity of certain miracles by seeing them reaching public opinion. But by sharing Mr. Home’s gifts with many other mediums so that all could observe, it becomes impossible to consider them as an exception to natural laws.
What to do then? One cannot preclude something to be what it is; one cannot hide something that is not the privilege of anybody. One must resign to the acceptance of these facts just like the Earth’s movement and creation were accepted. If Mr. Home were the only one of that kind, his works could be denied after his death but how can one deny phenomena that multiplied by the daily surge of thousands of families in all corners of the globe? Still once more, willing or not, one must accept what is positive and that cannot be blocked.
But if certain phenomena lose prestige from the point of view of the miraculous, they gain in authenticity. The disbelief, with respect to the miracles, is in the order of the day and must be acknowledged. Now in the presence of mediumistic effects and thanks to the Spiritist theory that proves that such effects are part of nature then the possibility of theses phenomena is demonstrated and disbelief will have to be silenced.
The denial of a fact brings the denial of its consequences. Is it better to deny a fact that is considered miraculous than to admit it as a simple law of nature? Aren’t the laws of nature the works of God? Isn’t the revelation of a new law the proof of his power? Will God be smaller by acting through his laws than by derogating them? As a matter of fact, are the miracles an exclusive attribute of the divine power? Doesn’t the Church teach us that “false prophets solicited by the devil may make miracles and prodigies to seduce even the elected ones”? If the devil can make miracles, he can also depart from the laws of God, that is undo what was done by God, but the Church does not say anywhere that the devil can make laws to rule the universe. Now if the miracles can be made by God and the devil and if the laws are only made by God, Spiritism, by explaining that certain facts that are seeing as exceptions, are in-fact theapplication of the laws of nature attesting for that very reason much more the power of God than the miracles themselves. This is because Spiritism attributes them only to God while, in the alternate hypothesis, they could also be the work of the devil.
Another teaching sticks out from the phenomena produced by Mr. Home and his book supports what we have many times said about the insufficiency of the physical manifestations only to bring conviction to certain persons. It is a very well-known fact that many people witnessed the most extraordinary manifestations and yet were not convinced because they did not understand them and because they were not founded on reasoning. As a result, their assessment was that these manifestations were based on charlatanism.
There is no doubt that if anyone was able to convince someone that these manifestations were factual then Mr. Homes would be able to do so. Not a single medium has produced a more credible set of phenomena. And even with these manifestations there were still those that believed he was a a skillful conjurer. To many,he produces curious things that are even more interesting than the great magician,Robert Houdin..It would seem, , however, that given the amazing effects and the observations from witnesses that that any denial would be impossible and that France would be massively converted. When those phenomena only took place in America they were rejected given the impossibility of witnessing them. Mr. Home came to show them to the top notch of society and he found more curious people than believers in that society although he challenged any suspicion of charlatanism.
What was missing in such manifestations to convince people? They lacked the key to understand them. Today there isn’t a single Spiritist that had seriously studied the science that would not admit the facts mentioned in Mr. Home’s book without having seen them, whereas there is more than one unbeliever among those that saw. This demonstrates that something that speaks to the mind and is supported by reason has the power of conviction that is not carried by something that only speak to the eyes.
Does it follow that the arrival of Mr. Home was useless? Absolutely not. We have said, and repeat, that he rushed the emergence of Spiritism in France by the light shed upon the phenomena even amidst the unbelievers, proving that they are not surrounded by mysteries or ridicule formulas of magic and that one can be a medium without the appearance of a witch.
Finally, by the repercussion that his name and the environment that he lived proved to be very useful as it gave Mr. Oscar Comettant the opportunity to speak about and write his well-known witty article. The only missing thing is the author to know about the subject that he criticized. This is similar to someone someone who know nothing about music and wants to criticize Mozart or Beethoven (see report of the work of Mr. Home by Mr. Comettant, Siècle July 15th 1863 and some words from us about that article in the Spiritist Review in the following August).
As everybody knows, Mr. Home is a very gifted, enlightened medium. A remarkable point is that he gathers the necessary skills to obtain the majority of the phenomena of that kind in an exceptional level, in a certain way. Although he had been ridiculed by some because of his apocryphal facts and exaggerations, there is still a lot to justify his reputation. His work will have, above all, the great advantage of separating the true from the false. The phenomena produced by him takes us back to the first period of Spiritism. The period of the turning tables, also called as the “Curiosity Period”. This is the period of preliminary effects which was intended to draw the attention to the new order of things and pave the way to the “Philosophical Period”.
Such a march was rational because every philosophy must involve the deduction of facts consciously studied and observed and the one that would only rest on unfounded, speculative ideas. Theory then should result from the facts and the philosophical consequences should result from that theory.
If Spiritism was limited to the material phenomena then, once the curiosity was satisfied, it would have lived out its fashion and been short-lived. The proof of that is the turning tables which had the privilege of entertaining the theaters only during a few winters. Its vitality was in its utility only. Thus, the prodigious extension that it acquired comes from the time when it entered the philosophical path. It was only then that it took its place amongst the doctrines.
The observations and the agreement of the facts led to the search for the causes; the search for the causes led to the knowledge of the relationships between the visible and invisible worlds as a consequence of a law. Once that law was known it provided the explanation to a number of phenomena misunderstood and considered supernatural up until then, before the causes were known. Once the causes were established the phenomena entered the order of the natural phenomena and the wonderful disappeared.
In that respect and with reason one may criticize how Mr. Home characterizes his life as supernatural in his book. In the past, he would certainly be taken by a magician. Had he been a priest in the Middle Ages he would have become a saint, with the gift of making miracles; in his privacy he would be considered a witch and would have been burnt at the stake; among the pagans he would have been a god with altars erected in his name. But these were other times and other customs. Today he is a simple medium, predestined by the power of his gifts to a limited number of prodigies, proving by experience that certain phenomena considered supernatural are just part of the natural laws.
Some people feared the authenticity of certain miracles by seeing them reaching public opinion. But by sharing Mr. Home’s gifts with many other mediums so that all could observe, it becomes impossible to consider them as an exception to natural laws.
What to do then? One cannot preclude something to be what it is; one cannot hide something that is not the privilege of anybody. One must resign to the acceptance of these facts just like the Earth’s movement and creation were accepted. If Mr. Home were the only one of that kind, his works could be denied after his death but how can one deny phenomena that multiplied by the daily surge of thousands of families in all corners of the globe? Still once more, willing or not, one must accept what is positive and that cannot be blocked.
But if certain phenomena lose prestige from the point of view of the miraculous, they gain in authenticity. The disbelief, with respect to the miracles, is in the order of the day and must be acknowledged. Now in the presence of mediumistic effects and thanks to the Spiritist theory that proves that such effects are part of nature then the possibility of theses phenomena is demonstrated and disbelief will have to be silenced.
The denial of a fact brings the denial of its consequences. Is it better to deny a fact that is considered miraculous than to admit it as a simple law of nature? Aren’t the laws of nature the works of God? Isn’t the revelation of a new law the proof of his power? Will God be smaller by acting through his laws than by derogating them? As a matter of fact, are the miracles an exclusive attribute of the divine power? Doesn’t the Church teach us that “false prophets solicited by the devil may make miracles and prodigies to seduce even the elected ones”? If the devil can make miracles, he can also depart from the laws of God, that is undo what was done by God, but the Church does not say anywhere that the devil can make laws to rule the universe. Now if the miracles can be made by God and the devil and if the laws are only made by God, Spiritism, by explaining that certain facts that are seeing as exceptions, are in-fact theapplication of the laws of nature attesting for that very reason much more the power of God than the miracles themselves. This is because Spiritism attributes them only to God while, in the alternate hypothesis, they could also be the work of the devil.
Another teaching sticks out from the phenomena produced by Mr. Home and his book supports what we have many times said about the insufficiency of the physical manifestations only to bring conviction to certain persons. It is a very well-known fact that many people witnessed the most extraordinary manifestations and yet were not convinced because they did not understand them and because they were not founded on reasoning. As a result, their assessment was that these manifestations were based on charlatanism.
There is no doubt that if anyone was able to convince someone that these manifestations were factual then Mr. Homes would be able to do so. Not a single medium has produced a more credible set of phenomena. And even with these manifestations there were still those that believed he was a a skillful conjurer. To many,he produces curious things that are even more interesting than the great magician,Robert Houdin..It would seem, , however, that given the amazing effects and the observations from witnesses that that any denial would be impossible and that France would be massively converted. When those phenomena only took place in America they were rejected given the impossibility of witnessing them. Mr. Home came to show them to the top notch of society and he found more curious people than believers in that society although he challenged any suspicion of charlatanism.
What was missing in such manifestations to convince people? They lacked the key to understand them. Today there isn’t a single Spiritist that had seriously studied the science that would not admit the facts mentioned in Mr. Home’s book without having seen them, whereas there is more than one unbeliever among those that saw. This demonstrates that something that speaks to the mind and is supported by reason has the power of conviction that is not carried by something that only speak to the eyes.
Does it follow that the arrival of Mr. Home was useless? Absolutely not. We have said, and repeat, that he rushed the emergence of Spiritism in France by the light shed upon the phenomena even amidst the unbelievers, proving that they are not surrounded by mysteries or ridicule formulas of magic and that one can be a medium without the appearance of a witch.
Finally, by the repercussion that his name and the environment that he lived proved to be very useful as it gave Mr. Oscar Comettant the opportunity to speak about and write his well-known witty article. The only missing thing is the author to know about the subject that he criticized. This is similar to someone someone who know nothing about music and wants to criticize Mozart or Beethoven (see report of the work of Mr. Home by Mr. Comettant, Siècle July 15th 1863 and some words from us about that article in the Spiritist Review in the following August).
On the billboard at theMetz Cathedral from 27-29th of May, 1863 was a brochure that was posted by Rev. Father Letierce. This brochure was refuted by a Spiritist of Metz which addressed the assertions in the brochure about the about the Spiritist madness.[1]
Although we don’t know the person that authored the brochure, we can say that it is the work of an enlightened and sincere Spiritist. We are glad to see Spiritist defended by such skillful hands that are able to ally the strength of reasoning to moderation, the hallmark of true power.
The arguments of the adversaries are combated there with a logic that we cannot envisage its counterpart for there is only one serious logic which is the one that leaves no room for counter argument. We think that the author’s is in that category. It is certain that, right or wrong, one can always respond for there are some people to whom one cannot say the last word even when trying to tell them that there is sunshine at noon. But these are not the ones to be silenced. Never mind if they are convinced or not of their mistakes. These are not the ones addressed by us either but the public, the judge in last instance of the good and bad causes. There is a sound judgement in the Spirit of the masses that may fail individuals alone but whose whole is like the resultant of the intellectual forces and common sense.
The aforementioned brochure, in our opinion, unites the advantages of depth and form, that is, it provides precision and elegance of the style to the fairness of reason. This combination can never spoil anything and makes the reading of any text easier and more attractive. We don’t doubt that this book will be welcomed by the Spiritists with the deserved sympathy. We do recommend it with every confidence and without restrictions. Contributing to its expansion you will do service to the cause.
[1] Brochure in-12, price 1 franc, by mail 1.1 franc. Paris, Didier Quais des Augustins, 35; Ledoyen, Palais Royal, Metz; Linden, Rue Pierre-Hardie, 1
Although we don’t know the person that authored the brochure, we can say that it is the work of an enlightened and sincere Spiritist. We are glad to see Spiritist defended by such skillful hands that are able to ally the strength of reasoning to moderation, the hallmark of true power.
The arguments of the adversaries are combated there with a logic that we cannot envisage its counterpart for there is only one serious logic which is the one that leaves no room for counter argument. We think that the author’s is in that category. It is certain that, right or wrong, one can always respond for there are some people to whom one cannot say the last word even when trying to tell them that there is sunshine at noon. But these are not the ones to be silenced. Never mind if they are convinced or not of their mistakes. These are not the ones addressed by us either but the public, the judge in last instance of the good and bad causes. There is a sound judgement in the Spirit of the masses that may fail individuals alone but whose whole is like the resultant of the intellectual forces and common sense.
The aforementioned brochure, in our opinion, unites the advantages of depth and form, that is, it provides precision and elegance of the style to the fairness of reason. This combination can never spoil anything and makes the reading of any text easier and more attractive. We don’t doubt that this book will be welcomed by the Spiritists with the deserved sympathy. We do recommend it with every confidence and without restrictions. Contributing to its expansion you will do service to the cause.
[1] Brochure in-12, price 1 franc, by mail 1.1 franc. Paris, Didier Quais des Augustins, 35; Ledoyen, Palais Royal, Metz; Linden, Rue Pierre-Hardie, 1
Spiritist dissertations
Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies, July 31st 1863
Medium Mrs. Costel
“There I was still in the theater of the world and saw myself buried forever in the veil of innocence and youth. The fire of Earth saved me from the fire of hell: that is how I used to think in my Catholic faith, daring not to see the splendors of paradise, my soul seeking refuge in the atonement of purgatory and I prayed and cried. But who gave me, in my weakness, the strength to endure the anguishes? Who, in the long nights of insomnia and painful fever, bent over my body of martyr? Who refreshed my dry lips? It was you my guardian angel, whose white light surrounded me; it was you also, dear friendly Spirits, who came to whisper in my ears words of hope and love.
The flame that consumed by fragile body rid me from the attachment to the transient; I then died but already alive in the true life. I did not know about the disturbance and entered serene and in reverence into the shiny day that surrounds the ones that had hope after a lot of suffering. My mother, my dear mother, was the last human vibration at the heart of my soul. Oh how much I would like to see her as a Spiritist!
I separated from the earthly tree like a premature fruit. I had not yet blossomed to the demon of pride that hurts the souls, dragged by the lights of success and wasted by youth. Blessed are the flames, the sufferings, the trials that were an atonement. Like those thinly white treads of autumn I float away, dragged by a luminous current. It is no longer the diamond stars that shiny upon my front by the golden ones from God.”
NOTE: It was our intention to evoke this Spirit at this session for being sympathetic to us. We were led to postpone the evocation for private reasons that we had not mentioned to anyone. The Spirit came spontaneously to give us this delightful communication above and without a doubt attracted by our thoughts and by those of several members of the Society.
Medium Mrs. Costel
“There I was still in the theater of the world and saw myself buried forever in the veil of innocence and youth. The fire of Earth saved me from the fire of hell: that is how I used to think in my Catholic faith, daring not to see the splendors of paradise, my soul seeking refuge in the atonement of purgatory and I prayed and cried. But who gave me, in my weakness, the strength to endure the anguishes? Who, in the long nights of insomnia and painful fever, bent over my body of martyr? Who refreshed my dry lips? It was you my guardian angel, whose white light surrounded me; it was you also, dear friendly Spirits, who came to whisper in my ears words of hope and love.
The flame that consumed by fragile body rid me from the attachment to the transient; I then died but already alive in the true life. I did not know about the disturbance and entered serene and in reverence into the shiny day that surrounds the ones that had hope after a lot of suffering. My mother, my dear mother, was the last human vibration at the heart of my soul. Oh how much I would like to see her as a Spiritist!
I separated from the earthly tree like a premature fruit. I had not yet blossomed to the demon of pride that hurts the souls, dragged by the lights of success and wasted by youth. Blessed are the flames, the sufferings, the trials that were an atonement. Like those thinly white treads of autumn I float away, dragged by a luminous current. It is no longer the diamond stars that shiny upon my front by the golden ones from God.”
NOTE: It was our intention to evoke this Spirit at this session for being sympathetic to us. We were led to postpone the evocation for private reasons that we had not mentioned to anyone. The Spirit came spontaneously to give us this delightful communication above and without a doubt attracted by our thoughts and by those of several members of the Society.
Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies, July 31st 1863
Medium Mr. Alfred Didier
“The Catholic religion shows purgatory to us as a place where the soul that suffers terrible punishments alleviate its faults and gradually claims, through pain, its rights to eternal life. Splendid image, the most perfect and truer of the great dogmatic trinity of hell, purgatory and paradise! Despite its desperate severities the Church understood that it needed a mid-ground between the eternal punishment and eternal happiness. The Church confused, however, in that strange setting, the infinite and progressive time, that is only one, with three limited and incomprehensible situations.
Spiritism adds to religion, or even better, to the entirely humanitarian teachings, the means of realizing that ideal humanity. In the philosophical deviations of our times there is more than one Spiritist germ; the skeptical philosophers whose advices are not towards the definite happiness of humanity but to the destruction of every human and divine belief work towards the universal trend of Spiritism more than one may think.
It is a path, however, where there isn’t much of heavens; where there is almost no future life but where there is at least material and egoistic tranquility in this life, clearly understood by the legislator and, if not a saint at least as a humanitarian philanthropist.
Now, it is necessary to know if in its latent state, say in the extracorporeal life that could be called intra-worlds, if the measure of knowledge and clairvoyant sagacity of the superior Spirits and the universal progress are as efficient as it is the earthly one.
Such a fundamental question to Spiritism has been poorly resolved up until now with answers about details. As the Church says it is not only a place of atonement but a universal spot where the souls fear with anguish or accept with hope the existences that unfolds before them. That is just the beginning of purgatory, that important stage of the life of the soul that we believe has not been well explained and not event mentioned by the Catholic dogmas.”
Lamennais
Medium Mr. Alfred Didier
“The Catholic religion shows purgatory to us as a place where the soul that suffers terrible punishments alleviate its faults and gradually claims, through pain, its rights to eternal life. Splendid image, the most perfect and truer of the great dogmatic trinity of hell, purgatory and paradise! Despite its desperate severities the Church understood that it needed a mid-ground between the eternal punishment and eternal happiness. The Church confused, however, in that strange setting, the infinite and progressive time, that is only one, with three limited and incomprehensible situations.
Spiritism adds to religion, or even better, to the entirely humanitarian teachings, the means of realizing that ideal humanity. In the philosophical deviations of our times there is more than one Spiritist germ; the skeptical philosophers whose advices are not towards the definite happiness of humanity but to the destruction of every human and divine belief work towards the universal trend of Spiritism more than one may think.
It is a path, however, where there isn’t much of heavens; where there is almost no future life but where there is at least material and egoistic tranquility in this life, clearly understood by the legislator and, if not a saint at least as a humanitarian philanthropist.
Now, it is necessary to know if in its latent state, say in the extracorporeal life that could be called intra-worlds, if the measure of knowledge and clairvoyant sagacity of the superior Spirits and the universal progress are as efficient as it is the earthly one.
Such a fundamental question to Spiritism has been poorly resolved up until now with answers about details. As the Church says it is not only a place of atonement but a universal spot where the souls fear with anguish or accept with hope the existences that unfolds before them. That is just the beginning of purgatory, that important stage of the life of the soul that we believe has not been well explained and not event mentioned by the Catholic dogmas.”
Lamennais
Group of Orléans, medium Mr. de Monvel
“From all virtues that Jesus gave us the adorable example there isn’t one more indignantly forgotten by humanity than that of chastity. I do not speak of the bodily chastity only that we certainly would not find many examples, but the chastity of the soul that had never conceived a single thought, a single word capable of harming the purity of the virgin or the listening child.
Evil is so widely spread and consists of so many dangerous occasionsthat parents, even the most truly chaste in their actions and words, cannot avoid the painful certainty that regardless their children cannot escape the dismal contact. Irrespective of the rejection to the idea they must resign to open the eyes of those innocent creatures at least to preserve them from the physical danger for it is absolutely impossible to preserve them from the moral danger. Frequently even after having thought that a danger was avoided there comes some obstacle that was unnoticed that shatters the innocent child that their love could not preserve from the dirt of vices.
How many imprudent words even in the most respectful society; how many images and descriptions, even in the most serious books don’t come without their parents’ knowledge to excite, awake and even completely satisfy that keen and feared curiosity of the child that is unaware of the danger! If bad is difficult to avoid even in the most enlightened layers of society what to think of the lower layers? Supposing that a child was fortunate to escape all that in the protection of the home, how to keep her from the inevitable contact with the daily elbowing vices?
There you have a dangerous and profound cancer that every righteous person must feel the imperious need to eliminate from society. Evil is entrenched in our hearts and a long time is still needed to have us pure enough just to suspect their seriousness. Someone who believed that a simple word with double meaning is a serious fault before a child will have pleasure in obscene or trivial jokes when surround by mature people believing that there is no harm in that. That person misses the fact that obscenity is such an immoral evil that it stains everything, even the air with vibrations will carry the blemish further downwind. They say that the walls have ears and if that image was true at least once it is true particularly in this situation.
Pure and sacred chastity will only and definitely establish its kingdom on Earth when every person that thinks and speaks understands that in no circumstance one should write or speak a single word that would blush the purest virgin. You will say that you have no kids at home and for that reason there is no need for the constraint, as you see it. Nonetheless, if you were pure yourselves there would be no need for the constraint. Don’t you have friends listening to you, excited by your example and that before the children that you don’t know may lose the last reservation of scruples that were maintained so far? Furthermore, it is almost always during meals that your mind is dragged by jokes that animate the gues. But can’t you see the servants around you, can’t you see that the neighbors have children? You don’t know the neighbor or the children so you cannot assess the damage that you have done. But evil regardless of its origin will always be punished, rest assured. It is not only the walls that have ears: there are things in the air that you breathe that are unknown to you or that you do not wish to know.
Nobody has the right to demand a virtue from their subordinates that is a virtue that one does not have or does not practice. A simple impure word is enough to break the purity of a child. A single impure child is enough to spread the gangrene around a whole generation of children when introduced in a public school, children that will become adults later on. Is there a single sensible person that can doubt the positive and painful truth in this?
Nobody doubts, nobody ignores the extension of the harm that can be carried by a single word, however, nobody feels obliged to this chastity of the soul that rejects every obscene thought however disguised it might be and even in certain circumstances nobody sees as their strict duty to abstain from jests that could make them blush if they were not proud of not blushing. Said and shameful pride!
It is not only chastity that we should respect in children but also that delicate candor that brings the blood to their faces by the simple idea of falsehood and that virtue is also very rare. We must not be very surprised when observing how elevated the immense majority of our children are. To the majority of the parents the children are not but little dolls, particularly at an early age, with whom they have fun like with a toy. It is their naïve belief that makes them so funny all day long after the little jokes that are considered innocents because they are told without malice and just to have fun as they say. Now in the true meaning of the word, innocent means that it causes no harm. But is there anything more harmful, on the contrary, to the candor of a child than those little and unstoppable abuses of trust before which the child is momentarily innocent but then laugh and have fun to imitate as soon as possible?
It results that the most sincere child learns to deceive as quickly as she learns to speak and that after a short while she is capable of teaching her own masters.
It goes almost unsuspected and particularly in that age when sometimes an insignificant cause may later on give rise to deplorable results. The organs of intelligence, particularly in children at a very early age, are like soft wax, capable of absorbing the form of the weakest touching object. The deformation does occur even in an instant and when the wax that was so fluid earlier on becomes harder the impression will remain unreasonable. One may think that it is covered by others but that is mistake because only the primitive impressions will stay indelible whereas the posterior ones will leave a fading mark only under which the initial one will always show.
That is what just a few young parents are capable of feeling strongly enough to transform it into a rule of conduct with their children and what is necessary to repeat to them continuously.”
Cécile Monvel
“From all virtues that Jesus gave us the adorable example there isn’t one more indignantly forgotten by humanity than that of chastity. I do not speak of the bodily chastity only that we certainly would not find many examples, but the chastity of the soul that had never conceived a single thought, a single word capable of harming the purity of the virgin or the listening child.
Evil is so widely spread and consists of so many dangerous occasionsthat parents, even the most truly chaste in their actions and words, cannot avoid the painful certainty that regardless their children cannot escape the dismal contact. Irrespective of the rejection to the idea they must resign to open the eyes of those innocent creatures at least to preserve them from the physical danger for it is absolutely impossible to preserve them from the moral danger. Frequently even after having thought that a danger was avoided there comes some obstacle that was unnoticed that shatters the innocent child that their love could not preserve from the dirt of vices.
How many imprudent words even in the most respectful society; how many images and descriptions, even in the most serious books don’t come without their parents’ knowledge to excite, awake and even completely satisfy that keen and feared curiosity of the child that is unaware of the danger! If bad is difficult to avoid even in the most enlightened layers of society what to think of the lower layers? Supposing that a child was fortunate to escape all that in the protection of the home, how to keep her from the inevitable contact with the daily elbowing vices?
There you have a dangerous and profound cancer that every righteous person must feel the imperious need to eliminate from society. Evil is entrenched in our hearts and a long time is still needed to have us pure enough just to suspect their seriousness. Someone who believed that a simple word with double meaning is a serious fault before a child will have pleasure in obscene or trivial jokes when surround by mature people believing that there is no harm in that. That person misses the fact that obscenity is such an immoral evil that it stains everything, even the air with vibrations will carry the blemish further downwind. They say that the walls have ears and if that image was true at least once it is true particularly in this situation.
Pure and sacred chastity will only and definitely establish its kingdom on Earth when every person that thinks and speaks understands that in no circumstance one should write or speak a single word that would blush the purest virgin. You will say that you have no kids at home and for that reason there is no need for the constraint, as you see it. Nonetheless, if you were pure yourselves there would be no need for the constraint. Don’t you have friends listening to you, excited by your example and that before the children that you don’t know may lose the last reservation of scruples that were maintained so far? Furthermore, it is almost always during meals that your mind is dragged by jokes that animate the gues. But can’t you see the servants around you, can’t you see that the neighbors have children? You don’t know the neighbor or the children so you cannot assess the damage that you have done. But evil regardless of its origin will always be punished, rest assured. It is not only the walls that have ears: there are things in the air that you breathe that are unknown to you or that you do not wish to know.
Nobody has the right to demand a virtue from their subordinates that is a virtue that one does not have or does not practice. A simple impure word is enough to break the purity of a child. A single impure child is enough to spread the gangrene around a whole generation of children when introduced in a public school, children that will become adults later on. Is there a single sensible person that can doubt the positive and painful truth in this?
Nobody doubts, nobody ignores the extension of the harm that can be carried by a single word, however, nobody feels obliged to this chastity of the soul that rejects every obscene thought however disguised it might be and even in certain circumstances nobody sees as their strict duty to abstain from jests that could make them blush if they were not proud of not blushing. Said and shameful pride!
It is not only chastity that we should respect in children but also that delicate candor that brings the blood to their faces by the simple idea of falsehood and that virtue is also very rare. We must not be very surprised when observing how elevated the immense majority of our children are. To the majority of the parents the children are not but little dolls, particularly at an early age, with whom they have fun like with a toy. It is their naïve belief that makes them so funny all day long after the little jokes that are considered innocents because they are told without malice and just to have fun as they say. Now in the true meaning of the word, innocent means that it causes no harm. But is there anything more harmful, on the contrary, to the candor of a child than those little and unstoppable abuses of trust before which the child is momentarily innocent but then laugh and have fun to imitate as soon as possible?
It results that the most sincere child learns to deceive as quickly as she learns to speak and that after a short while she is capable of teaching her own masters.
It goes almost unsuspected and particularly in that age when sometimes an insignificant cause may later on give rise to deplorable results. The organs of intelligence, particularly in children at a very early age, are like soft wax, capable of absorbing the form of the weakest touching object. The deformation does occur even in an instant and when the wax that was so fluid earlier on becomes harder the impression will remain unreasonable. One may think that it is covered by others but that is mistake because only the primitive impressions will stay indelible whereas the posterior ones will leave a fading mark only under which the initial one will always show.
That is what just a few young parents are capable of feeling strongly enough to transform it into a rule of conduct with their children and what is necessary to repeat to them continuously.”
Cécile Monvel
Thionville, December 25th 1862, medium Dr. R…
“We allowed you to foresee the dawn of human regeneration. You must see the hand of God in that as with the whole march of humanity through the ages. We have said many times that everything that happens down here, as in the whole universe, follows a general law, the law of progress.
Bow before that law, you arrogant and proud ones that pretend to be above the Almighty’s designs! Look around for the cause of your miseries and delights to always find the hand of God.
But then, you will say, the hand of God is fatalism! Ah keep yourself from confounding this impious word with the laws imposed by the Providence, the Providence that gave you the free-will to give you the merit of your actions but seasoned by this so many times ignored voice that warns you of the dangers ahead. Fatalism is the denial of the duty because if our fate is determined previously there is nothing we can do to change it.
What would become of the world with such a horrible theory that leaves mankind to the perfidious suggestions of the worst passions? Where would be the objective of creation? Where the meaning of the remarkable order that reigns in the universe?
The hand of God, on the contrary, is the punishment that is always hanging above the head of the guilty one; it is the remorse that erodes their heart, censoring the crimes at every step of the way; it is the horrible nightmare that tortures the long sleepless nights; it is that bloody impression that follows everywhere as if producing the image of the errors all the time; it is the fever that torments the egotist; the perpetual anguishes of that bad rich that sees pillagers in all those that approach as if prepared to rob a badly acquired asset; it is the pain that they experience at the last hour when feel incapable of carrying along the useless treasures!
The hand of God is the peace of heart reserved to the righteous person; it is the kind perfume that feels your soul after a good deed; it is this sweet pleasure that one feels every time one does good; it is the blessings of the poor that is assisted; it is the kind looks in the face of a child whose tears we stop; it is the fervent prayer of the poor mother that was given the blessing of work to take her away from her misery; in a word, it is to be content with oneself.
The hand of God is finally the serious and austere justice, dressed by mercy! The hand of God is hope that does not leave behind a person in their most cruel sufferings; that always reassures and that allows the worst criminal touched by regret to foresee a corner of the celestial dwellings from which he thought to be expelled forever!”
Familiar Spirit
“We allowed you to foresee the dawn of human regeneration. You must see the hand of God in that as with the whole march of humanity through the ages. We have said many times that everything that happens down here, as in the whole universe, follows a general law, the law of progress.
Bow before that law, you arrogant and proud ones that pretend to be above the Almighty’s designs! Look around for the cause of your miseries and delights to always find the hand of God.
But then, you will say, the hand of God is fatalism! Ah keep yourself from confounding this impious word with the laws imposed by the Providence, the Providence that gave you the free-will to give you the merit of your actions but seasoned by this so many times ignored voice that warns you of the dangers ahead. Fatalism is the denial of the duty because if our fate is determined previously there is nothing we can do to change it.
What would become of the world with such a horrible theory that leaves mankind to the perfidious suggestions of the worst passions? Where would be the objective of creation? Where the meaning of the remarkable order that reigns in the universe?
The hand of God, on the contrary, is the punishment that is always hanging above the head of the guilty one; it is the remorse that erodes their heart, censoring the crimes at every step of the way; it is the horrible nightmare that tortures the long sleepless nights; it is that bloody impression that follows everywhere as if producing the image of the errors all the time; it is the fever that torments the egotist; the perpetual anguishes of that bad rich that sees pillagers in all those that approach as if prepared to rob a badly acquired asset; it is the pain that they experience at the last hour when feel incapable of carrying along the useless treasures!
The hand of God is the peace of heart reserved to the righteous person; it is the kind perfume that feels your soul after a good deed; it is this sweet pleasure that one feels every time one does good; it is the blessings of the poor that is assisted; it is the kind looks in the face of a child whose tears we stop; it is the fervent prayer of the poor mother that was given the blessing of work to take her away from her misery; in a word, it is to be content with oneself.
The hand of God is finally the serious and austere justice, dressed by mercy! The hand of God is hope that does not leave behind a person in their most cruel sufferings; that always reassures and that allows the worst criminal touched by regret to foresee a corner of the celestial dwellings from which he thought to be expelled forever!”
Familiar Spirit
T
hionville, medium Dr. R…
“A poet said: ‘Only truth is beautiful; only truth is delightful.’
Acknowledge in this verse one of the nicest inspirations ever given to mankind. Truth is the straight line; it is the light whose splendor need not be hidden to the righteous whose souls are wonderfully predisposed to understand its huge benefits. Why is it so hard for the majority of people in our present society to notice the light? Why is the teaching of truth surrounded by so many obstacles? The answer is the fact that humanity has not made significant progresses so far since the origin of Christianity. Since Jesus that had to shroud his teachings in the form of allegories and parables, all of those who tried to propagate the truth were not more heard than the divine Master. Humanity had to wisely progress slowly so that the march would be safer. It needed a long period of novice hood to be able to walk on its own.
Rest assured though! Since long ago, the sun of regeneration is in its dawn and it will not be long before its light will shed on you its shiny clarity! The true light will come up and its beneficent influence shall extend over all social classes. How many will then be stunned for not having welcomed such a truth earlier on, a truth that comes from the highest antiquity and that pride made you always go around to not see it!
At least this time you will not have to endure any of those horrible cataclysms that seem like landmarks destined to mark the march of true light through the centuries. Better educated mankind will then understand that the mudslides that leave behind a trail of blood and fire would no longer adapt to our customs today mitigated by the practice of charity. They will finally understand the reach of the sublime words of Jesus Christ: ‘Peace to those of good will!” The only war will be that to destroy the bad passions. Everybody will join forces to send the evil Spirit away whose disastrous kingdom has only detained the advance of civilization for a long time. All will stop before the certainty that the only legitimate conquest is that of true light; the only one to be longed for, the only one that leads to happiness. Hands on then you that sustain the flag of progress! Have no fear for raising it high and strong so that people can join from all corners of the world and seeking its shelter. Ask your celestial Father for strength and energy that are indispensable to this great task and if you cannot enjoy the happiness of seeing it accomplished here on this Earth may you at least take with you after your death the conviction that your present life was useful to all and that the sweetest reward waits for you among us: the joy of having accomplished your mission for the greater glory of God.”
Familiar Spirit
“A poet said: ‘Only truth is beautiful; only truth is delightful.’
Acknowledge in this verse one of the nicest inspirations ever given to mankind. Truth is the straight line; it is the light whose splendor need not be hidden to the righteous whose souls are wonderfully predisposed to understand its huge benefits. Why is it so hard for the majority of people in our present society to notice the light? Why is the teaching of truth surrounded by so many obstacles? The answer is the fact that humanity has not made significant progresses so far since the origin of Christianity. Since Jesus that had to shroud his teachings in the form of allegories and parables, all of those who tried to propagate the truth were not more heard than the divine Master. Humanity had to wisely progress slowly so that the march would be safer. It needed a long period of novice hood to be able to walk on its own.
Rest assured though! Since long ago, the sun of regeneration is in its dawn and it will not be long before its light will shed on you its shiny clarity! The true light will come up and its beneficent influence shall extend over all social classes. How many will then be stunned for not having welcomed such a truth earlier on, a truth that comes from the highest antiquity and that pride made you always go around to not see it!
At least this time you will not have to endure any of those horrible cataclysms that seem like landmarks destined to mark the march of true light through the centuries. Better educated mankind will then understand that the mudslides that leave behind a trail of blood and fire would no longer adapt to our customs today mitigated by the practice of charity. They will finally understand the reach of the sublime words of Jesus Christ: ‘Peace to those of good will!” The only war will be that to destroy the bad passions. Everybody will join forces to send the evil Spirit away whose disastrous kingdom has only detained the advance of civilization for a long time. All will stop before the certainty that the only legitimate conquest is that of true light; the only one to be longed for, the only one that leads to happiness. Hands on then you that sustain the flag of progress! Have no fear for raising it high and strong so that people can join from all corners of the world and seeking its shelter. Ask your celestial Father for strength and energy that are indispensable to this great task and if you cannot enjoy the happiness of seeing it accomplished here on this Earth may you at least take with you after your death the conviction that your present life was useful to all and that the sweetest reward waits for you among us: the joy of having accomplished your mission for the greater glory of God.”
Familiar Spirit