The Gospels Explained, by Mr. Roustaing
This work contains the explanation and interpretation of the Gospels, article per article, with the help of communications dictated by the Spirits. It is a considerable work that has, to the Spiritists, the merit of not being, in any point, in contradiction with the Spiritist doctrine taught in
The Spirits’ Book and
The Mediums’ Book. The parts correspondents to those that we dealt with in the Gospels According to Spiritism are done in an analogous way. Besides, since we limited ourselves to the moral maxima that, with rare exceptions, are generally clear and could not be interpreted in several ways; thus, it had never been a matter of religious controversy. That is the reason why we started there, to be accepted without dispute, waiting for the rest that the public opinion was familiarized with the Spiritist idea.
The author of that work thought appropriate to follow another path. Instead of proceeding gradually, he wanted to reach the objective in a jump. Therefore, he treated certain questions that we do not think opportune to handle yet, and for which, consequently, we leave the responsibility to him, as to the Spirits that commented them. Consistent with our principle that consists on regulating our march by the development of the opinion, until new order we will not give his theories approval nor disapproval, allowing time to sanction or contradict them. It is therefore appropriate to consider those explanations as personal opinion of the Spirits that formulated them, opinions that may be fair or false, and that, in any case, need the sanction of the universal control, and until a more ample confirmation, they could not be considered a constituent part of the Spiritist Doctrine.
When we handle those questions, we will do it decisively. It means that we would have collected a sufficient amount of documents in the teachings given from all sides, by the same Spirits, so that we can speak affirmatively, and be sure to be in agreement with the majority. That is what we have done every time that it is about the formulation of a principle. We have said a hundred times that the opinion of a Spirit, to us, whatever the name that the Spirit may carry, has only the value of a personal opinion. Our criterion is in the universal agreement, supported by a rigorous logic, to the things that we cannot control with our own eyes. What would be the point of accepting a doctrine as the absolute truth, if it would be later fought by the generality of the Spirits?
I said that the book by Mr. Roustaing does not depart from the principles of The Spirits’ Book and The Mediums’ Book. Our observations are made about the application of those same principles to the interpretation of certain facts. That is how, for example, it gives Jesus Christ a fluidic materialized body, instead of a carnal body, with all the appearances of materiality, making it an
agenerate. To the eyes of men that could not have understood its spiritual nature, it must have passed IN APPEARANCE – this expression is incessantly repeated throughout the book – for all vicissitudes of humanity. Here is how the mystery of His birth would be explained: Mary would have had only the appearance of pregnancy. Placed as a premise and cornerstone, this point is the basis that he uses as support to the explanation of every extraordinary and miraculous facts of Jesus’ life.
Undoubtedly, there is nothing materially impossible in this, for whoever knows the properties of the perispiritual covering. Without pronouncing pro or against this theory, we say that it is at least hypothetical, and that if it is one day recognized as a mistake, for lack of foundation, the edifice would collapse. We, therefore, wait for the numerous comments that it will provoke from the part of the Spirits, and that will contribute to clarify the issue. Without pre-judging it, we say that serious objections have already been made to this theory, and that in our opinion, the facts may be perfectly explained without leaving the condition of corporeal humanity.
These observations, subordinated to the sanction of the future, does not at all diminish the importance of the work, that side by side with doubtful things, from our point of view, contains others that are incontestably good and truthful, and will be consulted by the serious Spiritists, with benefit.
If the content of a book is the principal, the form must not be neglected, since it contributes with something to the success. We believe that certain parts are developed too extensively, without benefit of clarity. To us, if it were limited to the strictly necessary, the work could have been reduced to two, or perhaps a single volume, and would have gained popularity.
[1] The Four Gospels, followed by the commandments, explained in spirit and truth by the evangelists, assisted by the apostles. Collected and ordered by J.B. Roustaing, attorney in the Imperial Court of Bordeaux, former chief of the order. 3 volumes in-12, price 10.5 francs. In Paris, Central Bookstore, Boulevard des Italiens, 24. In Bordeaux, in all bookstores.
