Spiritism from Top to Bottom of Scale
We say nothing new to our brothers in belief or to our adversaries when we say that Spiritism invades every echelon of Society. The main objective of the two letters transcribed here is to point out the similarity of feelings driven by the doctrine in the extreme poles of the social scale on individuals that have no contact between them, that we have never met and nonetheless find themselves at the same place, without any other guide but the books. One is an authority of the Russian Empire and the other a simple shepherd of Touraine. Here is the first letter:
“Dear Sir,
A Spiritist group was formed in our town beginning October 23rd under the protection of St. Peter. Since you are our teacher in Spiritism it is my duty to inform you as a President of that group. Our main objective is to alleviate the pain of the suffering Spirits, incarnate and discarnate. We hold two meetings per week. We strive to reach unity of intent and for that each one of the attendees remains in profound and reverent silence and when a question is addressed to the Spirits out loud each one of us mentally ask their guardian angel for their help to obtain a true answer. In our evocation, frequently dealing with obsessing Spirits of inferior order and knowing the efficacy of a joint prayer, we almost always resource to that to obtain clarification and relief of the unfortunate creatures. Our group counts on many mediums but frequently only two or three write in every session. We have besides a hearing and clairvoyant and a magnetizing medium. We were promised a painting medium but and I cannot appreciate that faculty since I have not seen him yet. We already count on forty members. There are several other Spiritist meetings in St. Petersburg, but they have no regulation. Ours is the first one regularly organized, and we hope that God willing our example will be followed. I am pleased to let you know that the first Spiritist brochure has finally appeared in Russia, printed in St. Petersburg, with the authorization of the censorship. The article that Mr. Debolsky inserted in the journal Radougaf (the rainbow). Up until now censorship would only authorize the publication of articles against Spiritism. I thought your book Spiritism in its simplest expression was the best answer to the article and I had it published in that journal. Kindly allow me, Sir, to send you the most important communications that we obtained, in particular those that came to support the truth and the sublimity of our doctrine.
Sincerely yours,
General A. de B.”
The group’s attitude, the proposed objective of charity are the best proofs that Spiritism is understood there in its true essence and seen on its most practical and serious aspect. There is nothing there that is out of pure curiosity or futile requests but the application of the doctrine in its most elevated principle. A person that attended many of those sessions told us that people leave the place feeling enlightened with the seriousness, the reverence and the feeling of true compassion that reign there.
-o-
The letter below was not sent to us but to the President of a Spiritist group of Tours. We transcribe it literally with the exception of the spelling hat was corrected.
“Dear Mr. Rebondin and our brother in God,
Forgive me Sir if I take the liberty in writing to you. I wanted to do that long ago to thank you for your hospitality last year, allowing me to attend two of your sessions. You will surely not remember me, but I will tell you who I am. I visited you with my former boss, Mr. T… I was his Pastor for eleven years. He has just married today and his relatives when noticed that I was involved with Spiritism had him firing me. I suffered a lot with that separation, dear Sir, but I want to follow the precepts of our sacred doctrine; it is my duty to pray for the unfortunate ones that offend the divine master of all of us. Since the time I met the doctrine I do my best to attract followers. I may have found obstacles, but I also had the pleasure of leading many people to get to know Spiritism, that explains every atonement that we endure in this earth of suffering and miseries. Ah the sweetness of being a Spiritist and to practice its virtues! My only happiness. As for you, dear Sir, the most devoted to the sacred cause, I hope you will not deny me with a place in your heart. I am happy for having met you and having felt so welcomed. I have been to Tours twice in the company of my two friends that study Spiritism with the intention of attending your sessions to learn that they no longer happen on Sundays. Please let me know the time of your gathering so that I can attend it with my friends and share the spiritual benefit. It will be a great source of happiness to us. I count on your friendship and remain waiting for the day when we shall get together again to practice the law of love and charity.
Fraternally from your dear friend,
Pierre Houdée, Pastor”
As we can see one does not need a diploma to understand the doctrine. The fact is that despite its elevated reach it is so much clear and logical that it reaches every intelligence effortlessly, a condition without which no idea can spread and popularize. It touches the heart: that is its greatest secret and there is a heart in the chest of the worker as there is one in the noble man. The great, as the little one, has his pains, sufferings and moral ulcers for which requests balms and consolations that one and the other find in the certainty of the future, because one and the other are equal before the pain and the death, that hurts both the rich and the poor. We doubt very much that the doctrine of the demon and the eternal flames will ever get sufficient attraction to overcome that. That same Pastor often walked several miles to get to Tours to attend a Spiritist session and the same on the way back. When we speak of the elevated reach of the doctrine and the consolations that it entails we speak a language that is not understood by those that believe that Spiritism is entirely in the turning tables, or in a more or less authentic phenomenon that attracts curious people, but that is perfectly understood by those that in large number did not stop at the surface and were not led by rumors.
