General Meeting of the Spiritists of Bordeaux - October 14th, 1861Speech Given by Mr. Sabò
“Ladies and gentlemen,
Let us pay tribute to God with our sincere acknowledgement for
having cast upon us a paternal and benevolent glance, giving us the precious
favor of receiving the teachings of the good spirits who, in turn, come
every day to help us to distinguish between the truth and the mistake; to
give us assurance of future happiness; show us that the punishment is
proportional to the offense, but not eternal, helping us to understand this
fair and equitable law of reincarnation, the key to the vault of the spiritist
building, serving our purification and helping our progress towards good.
I said reincarnation! But to make it more understandable, let us give
in a moment to speak with one of our spiritual guides who out of pure
kindness will give us instructions about this serious matter and interesting
subject for our poor humanity. He says: ‘Reincarnation is hell; reincarnation
is purgatory; reincarnation is atonement; reincarnation is progress.
Finally, it is the sacred ladder that every man must climb. The steps are the
phases of the several existences to cover to get to the top, for God has said that to get there one needs to be born, die and born again until the limits of perfection
are reached and that nobody will reach it if not purified by reincarnation.’
Spiritism, being still new to science, we had only good will and enthusiasm
to propagate it. A pleased God blessed our efforts by germinating
in the hearts of some of our brothers from Bordeaux the seed of the
divine word. In fact we have been involved with the practical science since
January and we have seen a number of brothers establishing a link with
us, brothers who were doing it in isolation; others who heard about it
through the voice of the press, or the fame, this far-reaching trumpet,
which is responsible for knowing the arrival at all points of our city of this
consoling faith, indisputable testimony of God’s benevolence towards His
children.
Despite the difficulties we encountered on the way, strong of purity
and righteousness of our convictions, supported by the advices of our beloved
and venerable leader, Mr. Allan Kardec, we have the rewarding satisfaction
after nine months of apostolate and with the help of some of our
brothers to meet today in your presence to inaugurate this Society that, I
hope, will continue to bear fruits abundantly and spread like a benevolent
dew onto the hearts dried by materialism, hardened by selfishness, full of
pride, and will take the balm of resignation to those in suffering and affliction,
to the poor and disinherited of earthly goods, saying: ‘Have trust
and courage! Earthly trials are a short duration compared to the eternity of
happiness that God reserves for you.’
Yes, I confess out loud that I am happy for being the interpreter of a
large number of members of the Spiritist Society of Bordeaux, reaffirming
our fidelity in following the road that is drawn to us by our dear missionary
present here, since we understand that to be consistent, progress must
take place gradually and that fighting certain ideas that come from centuries
ago we would only send away our spiritual emancipation. It is possible
that we may find divergent opinions about it among us. We respect them.
In our opinion we must advance step by step following the wisdom of the
nations: chi va piano va sano. It is possible, we will arrive later but we will have more certainty because we will not have broken from the faith of
our ancestors, always sacred to us, whatever it may be. Let us use the light
of Spiritism not to abate but for our own betterment, for our progress.
Withstanding with courage and resignation the vicissitudes of this life in
which we are only passing through and will merit the favor at the end of
our trials, of being led by the Spirits of the Lord to enjoy immortality for
which we were created.
Allow me, dear master, in the name of the members of this Society
who surround you, to thank you for the honor of having come in person
to inaugurate this family reunion, that is a party to all of us and that will
make history, no doubt, in the archives of Spiritism. Also, may you equally
receive that this day remains stored in our hearts and in a very special
way the most sincere expression of our recognition for the paternal kindness
with which you have encouraged our feeble work. You were the one
who drawn the path which we gladly followed, convinced beforehand that
your mission is to make our beautiful France advance spiritually which at
the same time will incite other nations of on the earth, helping them to
reach happiness, little by little, through moral and intellectual progress.”
Some Considerations
about Spiritism
Read at the general session on the occasion of the visit of Allan Kardec
to Bordeaux
by Dr. Bouché de Vitray
There are certain times when an idea leads the world, preceding those
cataclysms that transform people and nations. Even more than an
idea that presides over the material interests, the religious idea also takes
part in the big picture of the social movement. Frequently absorbed by
material concerns, it happens suddenly or unnoticeably. Sometimes it is
the lightning that escapes from the clouds, sometimes, the volcano that
silently mines the mountain before crossing the crater. It affects another
type of manifestation these days. After having shown up as an almost
imperceptible point in the horizon of ideas, it ended up by invading the
atmosphere. The air is impregnated by it. It crosses the spaces, fertilizes
intelligences and touches the whole world. No, I am not using metaphors
as an expression of reality. No. It is a phenomenon that one is aware of but that is difficult to translate into words. It is like a fluid that compresses us
from all sides, something vague and fuzzy whose influence is felt by everyone,
and that impregnates the brain and frequently comes out of the mind
as if intuition, rarely formulated as a thought. The religious idea, I mean
the spiritist idea, finds its place at the office of the businessman, of the
doctor, of the lawyer, the general attorney, in the workshop of the worker,
in the fields as in the barracks. The name of our great, our dear spiritist
missionary is on everyone’s lips, as his image is in every heart and all
eyes are now staring at this pinnacle, honorable interpreter of our Lord’s
ministers. Wouldn’t this idea that spreads all over the place, that excites all
human brains, that exists even instinctively in the most obstinate incarnate
spirits, wouldn’t that be the work of this crowd of intelligences that
surrounds us, preceding and facilitating our apostolic works?
We know that the testimony of legitimacy of our Doctrine goes
back to the dawn of time; that the sacred books, fundamental basis of
Christianity, report them and that several fathers of the Church like
Tertullian and Saint Augustine, among others, attest its reality. The contemporary
books themselves mention that and I cannot resist the temptation
of citing a passage from a book published in 1843 that seems to
publically expose the whole quintessence of Spiritism: ‘Some people doubt
the existence of superior intelligences, incorporeal, the otherwise geniuses who
preside over the administration of the world, and that entertain a private
exchange with some privileged beings. The lines below are addressed to them.
I hope it helps to convince them. In all kingdoms of nature there is a law that
scales the species, from the infinitely small to the infinitely large. It is through
imperceptible levels that one transitions from the insect to the elephant; from
the grain of sand to the largest cosmic body. Such regular gradation is evident
in every sensible work of the Creator; thus it must also be present in his masterpiece
so that the scale is continual and leads to him! The prodigious distance
between inert matter and rationality seems to be occupied by the organic world
but deprived from the noble prerogative. In the infinite distance between people
and the Creator there is the dwelling of the pure spirits. Their existence is
indispensable for the accomplishment of creation in all senses. Thus, there is
also the world of the spirits whose variety is as wide as the shining stars in the
skies; there is also the universe of intelligences that through their subtleness,
service and broadness, get gradually closer to the sovereign intelligence. His
design, already manifested in the organization of the visible world, continues
up until the final completion in the invisible world. Every religion proclaims
the existence of these immaterial beings. They all represent them involved with
human matters, as their secondary agents. Denying their intervention in the
human’s incidents is evidently denying the facts upon which the beliefs of all
peoples rest, all philosophers and all wise people since ancient times.’
There is no doubt that the person who painted this image was a spiritist
from the bottom of his soul. This incomplete drawing lacks the dogma
of reincarnation as well as the moral consequences that the teaching of the
spirits has brought to the followers of Spiritism. The Doctrine existed as
intuition in the minds and hearts. You came, Sir, as the elected of God.
The Almighty added righteousness and a privileged mediumship to a vast
erudition, to an elevated spirit. All elements of the eternal truths were disseminated
in space. It was necessary to establish the Science; take conviction
to the still undecided minds; compile the inspirations coming from
the Almighty into a substantial body of doctrine. The work progressed
and the pollen escaping from that intellectual stem produced the fertilization.
Your name is the flag under which we position ourselves. Today
you come in support of the children of Spiritism who are only beginning
to pronounce the principles of this Science but to whom a large number
of benevolent spirits do not deny their favors with their celestial inspirations.
Amidst the congress of intelligences from the two worlds – and we
congratulate ourselves for that – the bad passions rebel before the works
of regeneration. The false knowledge, pride, egotism and human interests
stand up against Spiritism, in a demonstration of power, while God, the
great engine of this ascending progress towards heavenly regions, hidden
behind the clouds of hateful and chimeric theories, remains calm and
continues his work.
The work is in progress and spiritist centers are formed in all corners
of the planet. Young people abandon the illusions of infancy that entails so much deception at a later stage; more mature people learn to take life
seriously; older people who spend their emotions in the frictions of life
fulfill their immense emptiness with more realistic pleasures than those
left behind; and from all these heterogeneous elements the groups are
formed, radiating to infinity. Our beautiful city was not the last one to
take part in this intellectual movement. One of those righteous and sensible
men took the initiative. His appeal was heard by other intelligences in
harmony with his; around this luminous center the many other Spiritist
circles gravitated.
Multiple communications appear from everywhere with the seal of
the author: it is the mother that communicates with her beloved son from
glorious spheres and with a myriad of details out of her infinite kindness;
it is the father, or the grandfather, that adds the severity of the form to the
paternal love; it is Fénelon speaking about charity and showing the beautiful
hallmark of former times in the melody and prose of his language;
it is the touching spectacle of a son that becomes a happy spirit revealing
the echo of his elevated teachings to the very one who brought him to
life; it is the mother who reveals herself to her son with her head crowned
by stars, leading him from trial to trial to the place that he must occupy
by her side in God, through the eternities (sic); it is the Archbishop of
Utrecht whispering his eloquent inspirations to his protégé, submitting
them to the impediments of orthodoxy; it is a certain angel Gabriel, homonymous
of the great archangel, spontaneously taken upon him and with
God’s permission the mission of guiding his brother, following him step
by step and adding to his fraternal love the divine love of a superior spirit;
it is the pure spirits, the saints, the archangels covering their sublime instructions
with the seal of divinity; and finally the physical manifestations
after which anyone’s doubt is just absurd if not profanation. After having
raised our eyes to the superior levels of the scale of creatures, allow me
dear colleagues, to look down to the infinitely small who will still give
you lessons.
About ten years ago the clarity of Spiritism reached my eyes but it was
Spiritism in its rudimentary state, stripped from the main documentation
and without the characteristic know-how. It was a reflection, a few rays of
fine radiation. It was not light yet. Instead of using the pencil to obtain
quick communications through a simplified method, one was still resorting
to rapping’s at the table and indirect writing. The table was not but an
appendix of the hand and such means of communication were generally
rejected by superior spirits, keeping them away. Thus I only found mystification,
trivial or obscene answers, and I therefore stayed away from those
mysteries from beyond the grave, converted into things that were much
below my expectations, or even better, into something that terrified me.
Several trials were carried out leading to similar results. However, those
apparent deceptions were not but temporary tests that had the definitive
consequence of rooting my convictions. Despite all that, the positivism of
my studies had affected my philosophical beliefs. I was skeptical but not
‘pyrrhonic’ since I doubted with great sorrow, uselessly making efforts to
repel the materialism that had unexpectedly taken over my soul and my
heart. How impenetrable are God’s designs! It was precisely that moral
setting that served my transformation. I had the immortality of the soul
before my eyes presenting itself like a material fact and to establish this
new faith why bother if the manifestations would come from a superior or
an inferior spirit, as long as coming from a spirit! Didn’t I know already
that an inert body like a table can be the instrument and not the cause of
an intelligent manifestation? That it was not absolutely in the sphere of
my own ideas and that no fluid theory was good enough to explain?
Hence, I had shaken off those materialistic tendencies against which
I fought unsuccessfully with a desperate energy and would have frankly
explored those intellectual regions that were just envisaged had it not been
for the devil phobia of Mr. de Mirville and the profound impression it had
left in my soul. To counter that it was necessary to have this unbelieving
luminous, substantial work, full of reassuring truths, dictated by celestial intelligences to an incarnated spirit, but an outstanding spirit to whom his
mission on Earth has since been revealed.
Today my recognition obliges me to write on this page the name of
one of my good friends who opened my eyes to the light, Mr. Roustaing, a
distinct and particularly conscientious attorney, destined to an important
role in the history of Spiritism. I owe him this short tribute of acknowledgment
and friendship. If I were not afraid of abusing the time in this
ceremony I would certainly cite numerous communications of unquestionable
interest. However, in this purely intellectual activity and above
our unstoppable communications with the world of the spirits there are
two facts that exceptionally protest against an absolute silence. The first
one is about intimate and touching details that led us to tears; the second,
given the strange nature of the phenomenon, belongs to the clairvoyant
mediumship, constituting such a tangible proof that we would have to
deny the good faith of the mediums if we wanted to deny the reality of
that fact.
I and some eager spiritists get together weekly to study and take
broader advantage of the teachings given by the Doctrine of the spirits.
Plentiful of faith and the similarity of studies and education of the majority
of the group gave rise to a reciprocal sympathy and a communion of
thoughts, therefore leading to the most favorable moral and intellectual
dispositions to receive serious communications.
In one of those sessions someone endowed by a remarkable level of
mediumship wanted to evoke the spirit of a little girl that had died of
croup, I believe, when she was six years old. He served as the medium and
I as the evoker. The evocation had just finished when we heard some percussion
in a piece of furniture in an adjacent room; it excited our attention
leading us to question if the uncommon noise was provoked by natural
causes or if it was originated by a spiritist cause. The guides responded
that it was caused by Estelle’s (the girl’s name) companions that came to
introduce themselves to her friend. In our minds we followed that graceful
entourage floating in space. We were given the name Antonia, a young
lady among them who had just passed through Earth and whose life had
been taken by a wrongly committed murder when she had just turned
four. Predicting that they would complete their trials in a new existence,
I prayed to my guardian angel, that good mother whose kindness never
failed me, to take them under her care and to clearly show them their
heavenly protection. It did not take long for the help to arrive but God
allowed her to show up to one of them only and she chose Antonia:
• What do you see my little friend – I asked evoking the latter.
• Oh! What a beautiful lady! She is resplendent of lights!
• And what is the beautiful lady telling you?
• She says: ‘Come to me, my dear, I love you!”
That is why I represented this kind mother with a head crowned by
stars. If this touching story that belongs to the world of the spirits seems to
be a chapter of a novel to you, then one must deny every communication.
The other fact may be summarized in two words: I was with one of
my spiritist colleagues. It was eleven thirty at night and we were praying
to God for the suffering spirits when I vaguely saw a shadow moving away
from a corner of my office, following a diagonal line extending up to my
bed in the adjacent room. When the path was covered we heard a very
distinct crack and the shadow moved on to the library, forming an acute
angle with the initial direction. I was taken by emotion but given that I
was involved by emotions and mystery, I initially thought that it was hallucination
or optical illusion and said to myself that I should keep quiet
about the fantastic apparition when my companion of continuous studies
looked at me and asked if I had not seen anything. I was confused but
decided to wait for a better opportunity thus limiting myself to question
him the reason for his question. He then described the strange phenomenon
that he had also witnessed and with such accuracy that it was impossible
for me to doubt it and to let go the confirmation of the reality of that
apparition. Two days after that we had the presence of a great medium
with us. Consulting with the guides they confirmed the fact adding that
the spontaneous apparition was that of a spirit that when on Earth had the name Maria de los Angeles. We were allowed to evoke her and responding
to our questions she said that she had been born in Spain where she was
a nun; her life had been censored for a long time, but a serious mistake,
that death had not given her a chance to atone was the cause of her suffering
in the world of the spirits. A few days later by chance, or even rather,
God’s will, gave us a second observation of that strange event. A spiritist,
a young mechanic of remarkable intelligence, had spent the latter part of
the afternoon with me. While I was speaking with him I noticed that his
eyes were remarkably fixated. He did not wait for the question to explain
the situation: ‘While you were looking at me I clearly saw the silhouette of a
woman moving from the window to the couch nearby, then kneeling. She had
the appearance of twenty five years of age; she was dressed in black; her torso
was covered by a cape; her head was covered by some sort of handkerchief or
bonnet’
The description matched perfectly well with the idea I had of the
Spanish nun and the place where she kneeled was more or less the place
where I usually pray to God for the dead. To me it was Maria des los
Angeles. I have no doubt that the unbelievers and the false spiritists will
laugh at my certainty and will identify three visionaries in the event, instead
of one. As for the sincere spiritist those will believe me particularly
when I give my word for that. I give nobody the right to doubt similar
testimony.
The work of Spiritism in Bordeaux, regardless of how modest and
reserved they may be, are not less subjected to public curiosity and not a
single day goes by that I am not questioned about it. Every profane person
impressed by the spiritist phenomena insistently demands the favor
of a trial; his soul floats between his own doubts and the conviction of
followers.
I introduced one person into a serious meeting of spiritists who
showed profound worship and reverence, showing the seriousness of the
circumstance. What would be the reaction? Will an experienced medium
be able to make that person accept the message inspired by a superior
spirit? I had one of those embarrassing experiences. If the message has the
seal of a divine inspiration the person will attribute it to the merit of the
medium. If the message of God’s ministers takes the nuances of that of
the medium to whom it is revealed, it will certainly look like something
purely human.
In such a case here is my rule of conduct. It was previously outlined
by this providential man, by this missionary of ideas that we momentarily
have among us and who will from his habitual center of activities irradiate
upon us the celestial treasures that a special grace has made him the
source. To the curious one who comes to inquiry about the reality of the
facts or request an audience as a distraction or an emotion that passes
through the heart but does not stay, I limit myself to expose the seriousness
of the subject. To the pseudo-wise spirit that in my opinion represents
well those of the 8th class, 3rd order of the spiritist scale, I answer with no
intention of allowing that person in, but the one who may still be obsessed
by doubts but who foresees the truth in its germinal state, showing
a goodwill to have faith, I then advise the theoretical studies which will
soon lead to the practical studies or experimentation. Hence, as soon as a
new fact stems out of a new idea that person keeps that side by side with
the fact; then the spiritist science gradually penetrates his mind and his
heart; these are works and trials that alternate in the two existences in a
shiny eternity that takes place before the eyes of God, the source of life
and happiness!
Bouché de Vitray,
doctor in Medicine
Speech by Mr. Allan Kardec
October 14th, 1861
“Ladies and gentlemen,
It is with pleasure that I have accepted your invitation and the
warm welcome that I have received from you is one of those moral satisfactions
that leave a deep and unforgettable impression in the heart. If
I feel happy with this cordial reception it is because I see in it a tribute
to the Doctrine that we profess and to the good spirits that teach it to us
much more than to me personally who is only a mere, simple instrument
in the hands of Providence. Convinced about the truth of this Doctrine
and the good that it is destined to do, I worked towards the coordination
of its components; striving to make it clear and understandable to
all. That is all I am supposed to do and I have never considered myself
its author. The honor is entirely due to the spirits. You must then address
your testimonies of gratitude to them. I don’t accept the praises that you
in good faith address to me but only as encouragement to continue my
task with perseverance.
I was certainly helped by the spirits to do the work I had to do to
achieve the previously established objective, as they had told me themselves
several times, but without any signs outside of mediumship. Thus,
I am not a medium in the vulgar sense of the word and today I see that as
reason for celebration that it is so. With an effective mediumship, I would
have written under the same influence; I would have been led to accept as
true only what had been given to me and perhaps mistakenly, whereas in
my position it was convenient that I had absolute freedom to learn what
was good wherever it came from and regardless of its source. Therefore I
was able to make a selection among the many teachings without prevention
and with complete impartiality. I saw a lot, I studied a lot, I observed
many things but always with impassible eyes and my desire was nothing
more than to see the experience that I was able to acquire working to the
benefit of others to whom I am happy to help in avoiding the hurdles that
are inseparable of any initiation.
If I worked a lot and if I still work daily I am rewarded by the fast advancement
of the Doctrine whose progresses far beyond any expectation,
by the moral results that it produces, and I feel happy for seeing the city
of Bordeaux is not behind in this movement but prepares to progress at
the head, given the number and the quality of its followers. If we consider
the fact that Spiritism advances on its own strength without the support
of any means that normally gives good results, and despite the struggles
of a systematic opposition, or even better, due in reality to such efforts, I
cannot help it but to see the finger of God in all that. If its enemies are
dangerous but were not capable of paralyzing its development, one must
realize that Spiritism is more powerful than those and like the serpent in
the fable it is useless to apply their teeth against a steel plate.
If we say that the secret of its power rests on God’s will those who don’t
believe in God will laugh. There are also many people who don’t deny
God but consider themselves more powerful than God. Those don’t laugh
but oppose barriers that they consider impassable; nonetheless Spiritism
defeats them every day and before their eyes. Fact is that Spiritism takes
an irresistible force from its very nature, its true essence. What is then the
secret of such a force? Do we have to hide it for being afraid that once it is
revealed its enemies can defeat Spiritism like what happened to Samson?
Absolutely not. There are no mysteries in Spiritism. Everything is done
outside in day light and can be fearlessly and openly revealed. Although
I have already said that, it might not be inconvenient to repeat here so
that everyone will know that if we reveal the secret of our strength to our
adversaries it is because we also know their weak spot.
The strength of Spiritism has two fundamental causes: the first one is
that it makes people happy, those who get to know it, whom understand
and practice it; now, since there are lots of people unhappy it recruits a
true army among those in suffering. Do they want to subtract Spiritism
from such a means of propagation? They must then make people as much
happy materially and morally and they will no longer wish anything else
both in this world as well as in the next one. We don’t ask for more since
the objective would have been achieved.
The second reason is the fact that Spiritism is not founded on the
head of any person that may be knocked to the ground; that there isn’t a
single focal point to be extinguished; that its focus is everywhere for there
are mediums all over the place that can communicate with the spirits; that
there isn’t a single family that could not have them in their heart and that
may these words from Jesus become reality: ‘Your sons and your daughters
will prophesize and they will bear visions’; finally because Spiritism is an
idea and there is no impassible barrier to ideas and not even high enough
so that they cannot be transposed. Christ was killed; his apostles and
disciples were killed but Christ had issued the Christian idea to the world
and such idea triumphed over the persecution of the omnipotent Caesars.
Why then Spiritism that is no more than the development and application
of the Christian idea would not triumph over some mockers and antagonists
who, up until now and despite their efforts, were only able to oppose
a sterile reaction? Is there a chimeric pretension on that? The dream of
a reformer? There you have the facts to respond: despite everything and
against everything Spiritism spreads everywhere. Like the fecund pollen
of the flowers it is taken by the winds and set root in all corners of the world, because it finds fecund soil everywhere in the suffering and upon
which it spreads its consoling balm.
Suppose, therefore, the most absolute imaginable state that recruits
every possible means of stopping the spread of an idea; Does it prevent the
spirits from entering the premises of a home and there manifesting spontaneously?
Does it prevent the formation of mediums in the intimacy
of the families? Suppose it to be strong enough to prevent any writing,
to prohibit the reading of books; can it stop people from hearing, since
there are hearing mediums? Does it prevent the father from receiving the
consolations of his lost son? You then see that this is impossible and that
I was right by saying that Spiritism can fearlessly reveal the secret of its
strength to its enemies.
Be it, they will say. When something is unavoidable one must accept
it. However, if it is a false and bad idea, isn’t there reason to block it? To
begin with one would need to prove that it is false. Well, up until now
what do the adversaries oppose? Mockery and denial that, in good logic,
have never been taken as arguments. But a serious and solid refutation; a
categorical and evident demonstration, where can you find it? Nowhere.
Not even in the criticism of Science or elsewhere.
On another hand when an idea propagates with the speed of light;
when it finds a large number of echoes in the most educated classes of
society; when it has roots in all peoples and since there is people on Earth;
when the greatest philosophers, sacred and profane proclaim it then it is
logical to suppose that it is not only founded on lies and illusions. Every
sensible person or that is not blindfolded by passions or personal interests
will say that there must be something true about it and that it is sensible
to at least suspend one’s judgment before the denial.
Is the idea bad? If it is true, or just the application of the laws of nature
then it seems difficult that it is something bad unless one admits that
God makes bad things in creation. How can it be a bad doctrine when
it makes people who profess it better; that it consoles the afflicted, that
it appeases the effervescence of passions and precludes suicide? Some say
that it is contrary to religion. That is the big word they use to try to scare
away the timid and those who don’t know it. How can a doctrine that
makes people better; that teaches the Christian moral; that only preaches
charity, forgetfulness of offenses and submission to God’s will, how can
that be contrary to religion? It would be nonsense. Affirming such a thing
would be the same as condemning religion itself. That is why I say that
those who say such things don’t know the Doctrine. If that were the outcome
why then it would lead those who believe in nothing to religious
ideas? Why would it lead to prayer someone who had forgot it since their
infancy?
In fact there is another peremptory answer: Spiritism opposes every
dogmatic issue. To the materialistic it demonstrates the existence of the
soul; to those who believe in nothing it demonstrates the eternal life; to
those who believe that God does not get involved with people’s businesses
it demonstrates the future penalties and rewards. By destroying materialism
Spiritism destroys the most important social ulcer. That is its very
objective. With respect to particular beliefs Spiritism does not deal with
that and gives total freedom for their individual choice. Materialism is
the greatest enemy of religion. By leading people to spiritualism, Spiritism
covers three quarter parts of the way to get to the heart of the Church. It is
up to the Church to do the rest. But if people are rejected by their religion
of choice then it is not strange that another one is sought. By saying these
things, ladies and gentlemen, I am preaching to the choir and you know
that, as well as I do. But there is another point about which is useful to
say a few words.
If the external enemies cannot do anything against Spiritism, that is
not the case with those inside. I refer to those who are more spiritist by
name than in fact, not to mention those who just use the mask of spiritists.
The most beautiful side of Spiritism is the moral side. It is through
its moral consequences that it will triumph since that is the realm of its
strength and invulnerability. Its banner reads: Love and Charity and before
such palladium even more powerful than that of Minerva since it
comes from Jesus, even incredulity bends over. What can be opposed to a Doctrine that leads people to love one another like brothers? If the cause is
not admitted one must at least respect the effect. Well, the best way to test
the reality of the effect is by applying that to oneself; it is demonstrating to
the enemies of the Doctrine, by example, that it has really made you better.
But how can one convince that an instrument may produce harmonious
sounds if its sounds are dissonant? Thus, how can one persuade others
that Spiritism must lead to concord if those who profess it or supposedly
profess it which to the adversaries is the same thing throw stones on one
another? If a simple susceptibility of self-love, of hierarchy is enough to
divide them? Isn’t that a way of destroying ones’ argument? The worst
enemies of Spiritism are then those who lie to themselves, not practicing
the law that they announce. It would be puerile to create dissidence based
on nuances of opinion. Dissidence for personal reasons reveals evident
malevolence by forgetting the first duty of a true spiritist, knowing that
the exaltation of personality is the fruit of pride and selfishness.
We must not forget, ladies and gentlemen, that the enemies of
Spiritism belong to two orders. From one side you have the jokers and
the incredulous. These are contradicted daily by the facts. You must not
be afraid of them. They unwillingly serve our cause and we must thank
them for that. At the other end are those who have interest in combating
the Doctrine. Don’t expect to persuade them since they don’t seek
enlightenment. It is useless to unfold the evidence of the Sun before their
eyes. They are blind because they don’t want to see. They don’t attack you
because you are mistaken but because you are with the truth and right or
wrong they believe that Spiritism is harmful to their material interests. If
they were persuaded that it is a chimera they would leave it alone. Hence,
their bloodthirsty behavior worsens in proportion to the progress of the
Doctrine so that one can measure its importance by the violence of their
attacks. While people only saw Spiritism as pass time of turning tables
they said nothing and counted on the shortness of fashionable things.
Now that they see the insufficiency of their mockery, despite their bad
will, the try other means. Those means, whatever they are, have demonstrated
their impotence. Nonetheless one cannot muffle the voice that
becomes loud in all parts of the world and if they cannot stop this torrent
that invades them from all sides they will do everything they can to create
hurdles and if they are able to force progress to move backwards for a
single day they will still say that the game is over in their favor.
You should then expect that the terrain would be disputed inch by
inch since the material interest is the most tenacious. For that interest the
most sacred rights of humankind are nothing. You have a proof of that
in the American struggle. The union that was our glory may fall but not
our interests! That is what the proslavery say. That is what the enemies of
Spiritism say since the humanitarian question is the last of their concerns.
What can we oppose them with? A flag that makes them pale once they
know it comes from Jesus: Love and Charity, and these words are his ruling.
May all spiritists unite around this flag and they will be strong for
union is power. You will then recognize the true defenders of your cause
not by words that cost nothing but by the practice of the law of love and
charity; by the abnegation of personality. The best soldier is not the one
who raises the sword higher but the one who has the courage to sacrifice
his own life. Everyone who tries to spread among you the poison of discord
is joining the ranks of the enemy and voluntarily or involuntarily
is supplying them with weapons against you. In any case don’t count on
them more than on those bad soldiers who run away at the first shot.
However, you will say, if the opinions about some points of the
Doctrine are divided how can we know on which side is the truth? This
is the most difficult thing. To begin with have your judgment by weight
and a healthy and inflexible logic by measure. Then you will have the support
of the majority. Rest assured that the growing or decreasing number
of followers of a given idea gives a measure of its value. If it were false it
would not conquer more followers than the truth since God would not
allow it to be. He may allow the mistake here or there in order to observe
our attitudes and to teach us to recognize them. Without that where
would our merit be if there were no choices to be made? Would you like
another criterion of truth? Here you have an infallible one. Considering
that the flag of Spiritism is love and charity, you will recognize the truth by the practice of that maxim, and be sure that the one who throws stones
on someone else cannot be with the absolute truth. If there would be divergences
among you – God forbid – I tell you with sadness that I would
openly distance myself from those who had left behind the flag of fraternity
because to my eyes they could not be seen as true spiritists.
In any case don’t be concerned with some transient dissidence. You
will soon have the proof that they don’t have serious consequences. These
a trials to your faith and to your judgment; they are often means allowed
by God and the good spirits to check the right measure of sincerity and to
get to know those that they can really count on if necessary, thus avoiding
having them in the vanguard. These are little stones spread on our way so
that you can create the habit of verifying your supports.
Now, ladies and gentlemen, I still have to talk about the Society. Since
you would like to take my advices I will tell you what I said in Lyon last year.
The same reasons lead me to discourage you with all my strength from the
project of forming a single society, comprising all spiritists in town, something
that would not be practicable given the growing number of followers.
It won’t be long until you to feel the limitations of the material obstacles and
also the moral difficulties which are even greater, and all that would show
you the actual impossibility. It is better not to initiate something that you
would be forced to renounce. Every consideration that support this opinion
are thoroughly developed in the new edition of The Mediums’ Book that I
invite you to verify. I will only add a few words about that.
Something that is difficult to obtain in a session with a large number
of members is much less difficult in private groups. These are formed by
affinity of tastes, feelings and habits. Two separate groups may have different
ways of seeing some details but that is not a reason to have disagreements
whereas if they were all together the divergence of opinions would
bring unavoidable disturbances.
The system of multiplication of groups still has the advantage of stopping
the disputes for supremacy and presidency. Each group is naturally
presided by the owner of the house or by designation and everything takes
place in a family-like environment. If the high direction of Spiritism in a
given city needs someone then that person will be called by the force of
things and a tacit agreement will designate her very naturally as a consequence
of personal merit; of her conciliatory qualities; of her enthusiasm
and devotion that she must have given proof of; of the real services done
in favor of the cause. That person even not seeking it will then acquire a
moral strength that nobody will contest because it will be recognized by
everyone, whereas someone that tried to impose herself based on a private
authority or who were dragged by a lobby would find strong opposition
from all of those who did not acknowledge such moral qualities in that
person. There you have an avoidable cause of divisions. It is something
really serious to trust someone with the direction of the Doctrine. Before
doing that one must be really sure about that person from every point of
view; with wrong ideas the Society could be dragged down onto a slippery
ramp and even perhaps its ruin. In the private groups each one can demonstrate
their skills and be designated later by peers’ vote, if needed. But
nobody can become a general without the experience of the soldier. Like
the good general that is known for his courage and talents the true spiritist
is recognized by his or her qualities. Well, the first quality that must
be proven is the abnegation of personality. Hence it is more by acts than
words that such a person will be recognized. What one needs for such
direction is a true spiritist and the true spiritist is not moved by ambition
or self-love. With that respect, ladies and gentlemen, I call your attention
to the several categories of spirits whose distinctive characters are clearly
defined in The Mediums’ Book (#28).
In fact whatever the nature of the meeting, large or small, the conditions
that must be fulfilled to reach the objective are the same. There is
where we have to concentrate our attention and those who fulfill that
will be strong because they will necessarily have the support of the good
spirits. Such conditions are in The Mediums’ Book (#341). A very frequent
mistake made by the new followers is that of judging themselves masters
after a few months of study. Spiritism is a great science, you know well,
and experience in its practice cannot be acquired in a short time as with
everything else. Such pretension of not needing advice and considering themselves above everybody else is a proof of insufficiency as it runs away
from one of the first precepts of the Doctrine: modesty and humility.
When the bad spirits find similar dispositions in an individual they
always stimulate and super-excite them, persuading that person that she
is the only one with the truth. It is one of the hurdles that may be met
and against which I thought convenient to forearm you, adding that it is
not enough to be spiritist as it is not enough to call oneself Christian. It is
necessary to prove that in practice.
If by the formation of groups individual rivalries are avoided couldn’t
such rivalry exist between the groups that walking a little bit divergent
paths could produce dissent whereas in a unique society we would have
the unity of principles? I respond that such inconvenient would not be
avoided for those who did not adopt the principles of the society would
stay away from that and there would not be anything that would preclude
them from spinning off, forming another group. The groups are
other small societies that will certainly march on the same avenue if all
adopt the same flag and the foundations of the Science, consolidated by
experience. I also call your attention to item 348 of The Mediums’ Book.
As a matter of fact there is nothing precluding delegates from the several
private groups to form a central group and a direct correspondent with the
Parisian Society. Then, every year a general assembly could gather all followers
and then rendering a true party of Spiritism. I have prepared a detailed
instruction about those several points that I will have the honor of
sending you later both about the organization and the order of the works.
Those who follow it will naturally remain in the unity of principles.
Ladies and gentlemen, these are my advices to you since you were
kind enough to request them from me. I am happy to add that I found
here in Bordeaux excellent elements and a much greater progress than I
expected. I found here a large number of true and sincere spiritists and I
take away from my visit the founded hope that our Doctrine will develop
on the most ample bases and in excellent conditions. I promise you that
my support will never fail you in anything that I can do to help the efforts
of those who are sincere and consciously devoted in their hearts to this
noble cause that is the cause of humanity.
The spirit of Erastus that you already know, ladies and gentlemen, for
his remarkable dissertations that you have already read, he also wants to
give you the tribute of his advices. Before I left Paris he dictated through
his habitual medium the following communication that I have the honor
of reading to you.”
First Epistle of Erastus,
Humble Servant of God, to
the Spiritists of Bordeaux
October 14th, 1861
“May the Lord’s peace be with you my dear friends, so that nothing
may ever disturb the harmony that must rule in a center of
sincere spiritists!
I know how profound is your faith in God and how eager followers
you are of the new revelation. That is why I tell you with my warmest affection
towards you that I would be devastated, we would all be devastated
if under the auspices of the Spirit of Truth and as initiators of Spiritism
in France we saw harmony disappearing from your environment, a harmony
that you have so far demonstrated so brilliantly. Had you not given
examples of a solid fraternity and if you were not a serious and important
center of the great spiritist communion in France I would have left this
issue in the shadow of forgetfulness. However, if I have brought that issue up is for having plausible reasons to invite you to the maintenance of
union, peace and unity of the Doctrine among your several groups.
Yes, my dear disciples, I enthusiastically take this opportunity that we
ourselves prepared to show you how dismal the news of a fissure would be
for the development of Spiritism and the scandal that it would generate
among your brothers of other regions, such news about a center that up
until now has delightfully been used as an example of the spirit of fraternity
to all other already formed centers or in formation. I don’t ignore
the fact as you should not ignore either that everything will be done to
spread division among you; that traps will be prepared; that you will find
ambushes of all sorts along the way; that you will be incited one against
the other to feed division thus entailing an always regrettable rupture.
However, you can avoid all that by practicing the sublime precepts of the
law of love and charity, first to yourselves and then to everybody else. I am
convinced that you will not give the enemies of our sacred cause the satisfaction
of saying: ‘Look at those spiritists from Bordeaux, who were presented
to us as the vanguard of the march of the new believers! They cannot even
agree with themselves!’ There you have it my friends; that is what is waiting
for you and for all of us. Your excellent guides have already told you: ‘You
will have to fight not only against the proud, selfish, materialistic and all
of those unfortunate ones representing the spirit of the century, but also
and more importantly against the flock of deceiving spirits that will find
a group of mediums among you, since you have plenty of those, and soon
will come to assault you, some with wisely prepared dissertations in which
they will insinuate heresy or some acidic principle; other communications
openly hostile to the teachings given by the true messengers of the Spirit
of Truth. Ah! Believe me, don’t be afraid of unmasking the impostor that,
like new Tartuffe, mingle with you covered by the mask of religion.
Be also ruthless with the devouring wolves hidden under the skin of
sheep. With the help of God, who you must never invoke in vain and with
the assistance of the good spirits for their protection you will be unbreakable
in your faith. The bad spirits will find you invulnerable and when
they see their darts torn apart by the love and charity, the drivers of your
hearts, they will leave in astonishment after a campaign that only unveiled
their impotence and shame. You will be invariably united by looking
at any doctrine contrary to the moral of the Gospels and the general
principles of the Ten Commandments as subversive, all summarized by
this concise law: ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with
all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind and you must
love your neighbor as yourself’. In fact one must comply with the common
law in everything: nobody is supposed to subtract or impose their opinion
and feelings when they are not accepted by other members of the same
spiritist family. For that reason I strongly recommend that you mirror the
practice and regulations of the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies where
nobody, whatever his or her position, age, service rendered or acquired
authority may utilize their own initiative in place of that of the Society
to which they belong and with a greater reason engage the Society into
something through maneuvers that were not approved. Having said that
it is incontestable that the followers of the same group must show great
respect towards the acquired wisdom and experience. Experience is not an
exclusive attribute of the oldest or the wiser but of the one who has given
more time and energy to our reassuring philosophy and with more benefit
to all. As for the wisdom it is up to us to identify those among you that
follow and practice the precepts and the laws in the best way.
However, my friends, before you follow your own inspirations don’t
forget your advices and do consult with your ethereal guardians who
will never fail you whenever you invoke them with your heart and with
an objective that is of general interest. For that you need good mediums
and the ones I see here are excellent; it is just a matter of choice. I know
well that Mrs. and Ms. Cazemajoux and some others have mediumistic
faculties of the highest degree and I repeat that there isn’t any other region
better equipped than Bordeaux in that regard. I had to make some
tough comments given the great expectation that the Spirit of Truth,
the master of all of us, has on you. Remember that you are part of the
spiritist vanguard and that the vanguard, like the Joint Chiefs of Staff,
owes everybody an absolute submission to the established discipline.
Ah! Your work is not easy considering that you are assigned with the
task of holding the axe with a strong hand and take it to the somber
forests of materialism and move on to the last shelters of material interests.
New Jasons march on to conquer the real brook of gold, the
new and fecund ideas that must regenerate the world, but in that case
you no longer march with the private interest and not even with that
of the current generation but more importantly in the interest of future
generations to whom you pave the way. There is a level of abnegation
and greatness in this work that will be acknowledged by the centuries
to come and believe me God will take that into account. I had to speak
as I did because I talk to people who listen to reason; to persons who
pursue an eminently useful objective: the betterment and emancipation
of humankind; to spiritists that at the end of the day teach and preach
through example and the best way to do that is by practicing the truly
Christian virtues.
I had to tell you these things because it was necessary to show and
forewarn you against a danger. I am doing my duty. I can now look at the
future with confidence because I am convinced that my words will have
an effect on everyone and each one of you and that selfishness, pride or
vanity from now on will have no power upon your hearts where there will
only be true fraternity.
You will remember spiritists of Bordeaux that your union is the true
path to a universal union and fraternity. I feel really happy to clearly see
that Spiritism has pushed you a step forward on its own. Our congratulations
to you and I speak here in the name of all spirits that preside over
the great work of human regeneration since your initiative has opened
up a new field of exploration and a new safe mode in the studies of the
phenomena from beyond the grave, based on your request for membership,
not as isolated individuals but as a group, to the pioneering Society
of Paris. Given the importance of this step I acknowledge the great wisdom
of your main guides and I thank our kind Fenelon and his loyal
supporters Georges and Marius that together preside over your devoted
40 Greek mythology (NT)
study groups. I also take this opportunity to pay a sound tribute to the
spirits Ferdinand and Felicia that you all know. Although these honorable
co-workers have only done well for the good, you should know that
it is due to these humble pioneers, seconded by the humble Marcelin
that our sacred Doctrine has prospered so much in Bordeaux and in the
South West of France. Yes, my loyal believers, your remarkable initiative
will be followed; I know that well, by every seriously established spiritist
group. Hence, it is a huge step forward. You understood, and others
will do too, the advantages, the advancement and the propaganda that
will result from the adoption of a uniform program for the works and
studies of the Doctrine that we have revealed to you. Yet, it must be well
understood that each group will preserve their originality and particular
initiative, but outside their private works they will have to get involved
with matters of general interest, submitting themselves to the exam of
the central Society, thus resolving several difficulties whose solution have
not yet been given by the spirits for reasons that would be useless to
elaborate here.
I believe I would offend you by pointing out the consequences resulting
from simultaneous work. Then, who would dare contest one truth
when it is confirmed by unanimity or by the majority of the mediumistic
responses obtained simultaneously in Lyon, Bordeaux, Constantinople,
Metz, Brussels, Sens, Mexico City, Marseille, Toulouse, Mâcon, Sétif,
Alger, Oran, Cracow, Moscow, St. Petersburg and Paris?
I spoke to you with the same unpolished sincerity with which I do
to your brothers from Paris. Yet, I will not leave you before attesting my
sympathies legitimately conquered by this kind family where excellent
spirits in charge of your spiritual direction have had their eloquent words
heard. I mentioned the Sabò family which endured the painful trial that
God brought upon them with stability and unchangeable benevolence to
elevate them higher and bring them up to the level of their present mission.
I must also mention the dedicated support of all those who have contributed
to the propagation of our reassuring Doctrine, in their respective
spheres of action. My friends, keep up with your resolute march on the open path. It will certainly lead you to the ethereal spheres of perfect happiness
where I will certainly meet you. In the name of the Spirit of Truth
that loves you I bless you all, spiritists of Bordeaux.
Erastus
