The Revue
Spirite of
1863
Part 5
We continue in
this issue the
study of
the Revue
Spirite corresponding
to the year of
1863. The
condensed text
of the mentioned
volume will
hereby be
presented in
sixteen parts,
based on the
translation of
Julio Abreu
Filho and
published by
EDICEL.
Issues for discussion
A. What is the main purpose of Spiritism?
B. Can the Spirit, from one life to another, go from a
brilliant position to a humble and miserable one?
C. Can we say, based on Spiritism, that man is the maker
of his own destiny?
Text for reading
42. At a meeting held on 13/2/1863, the Spiritist
Society of Paris unanimously decided not to take notice
of a request from Tonnay-Charente; he wrote a letter
with eight questions addressed directly to the Spirit of
Jesus, son of God. The questions dealt with various
dogmas of the Church. The publication of this decision
in the Revue had the purpose of showing everyone
the futility of addressing future questions on such
subjects. (Pages 81 and 82)
43. The Spiritist Society of Paris, referring to this
case, reminds the author of the letter that the main
purpose of Spiritism is man’s moral improvement and to
wipe out materialistic ideas; therefore, it is not
concerned with discussing the dogmas of each cult,
leaving their appreciation to each one's conscience. The
Society further clarifies: (1) True Spiritists’ aim is,
first of all, to devote themselves to fighting against
unbelief and selfishness, which are the true wounds of
mankind, and to make prevail - both by example and by
theory - the feeling of Charity, which should be the
foundation of every rational religion. (II) The
fundamental matters must be considered first than the
matters of form. III. The fundamental questions are
those which aim to make men better, since all social
progress can only be a consequence of the improvement of
the masses. IV) To want to act in another way is to
start the building by the roof, forgetting its
foundations; it is to sow before preparing the soil.
(Pages 82-84)
44. François-Simon Louvet, who committed suicide on
07/22/1857 in Le Havre, describes in a spontaneous
communication, received on 02/12/1863, his sufferings as
a consequence of his thoughtless gesture. As the message
shows, one of his sufferings was to always see himself
falling from the tower - from which he had thrown
himself - and hitting the stones beneath, as it had
actually occurred six years earlier, as reported by theJournal
du Havre of July 23, 1857. (Pages 84 to 86)
45. The Revue transcribes the communication which
was given in Paris by the Spirit of Clara Rivier,
disincarnated at the age of ten, four months earlier.
Sick since the age of four, Clara was a notable example
of resignation to pain. "I am not afraid of death," she
said, "because afterwards a happy life is reserved for
me". In the communication, Clara explained that it was
her guardian angel that comforted her throughout the
illness and, as her parents faced a slight obsessional
process, she added: I) the obsession will end when the
time comes. II) Prayer and faith give great strength to
dominate the obsession. III) Obsession and subjugation
are, in fact, proofs for those who suffer them, but also
a path open to new convictions. IV) Distances are to be
removed through Charity, introducing the poor in the
house, encouraging and raising him, without humiliating
him. "Have - concluded Clara, addressing her parents –
patience, charity, and love your fellows, and one day
you will be happy". (Pages 86 to 89)
46. From Clara Rivier's message, Kardec emphasized two
points: I) the information that from one existence to
another the Spirit can move from a brilliant social
position to a humble and miserable one, thus atoning the
bad use of the gifts that God gave him; and, II) the
revelation that God punishes people as He punishes
individuals. Thus, if everyone practiced the Law of
Charity, there would be no more wars, no great miseries,
and no calamities in the world. (Page 90)
47. The Courrier du Bas-Rhin, dated 01/03/1863,
revealed that in Boston, United States, Mr. William
Mumbler had inadvertently revealed the photo of deceased
persons. The first picture taken by Mr. Mumbler was from
the Spirit of a cousin. Kardec advises, however, to
accept this news with prudence, because the Americans
are also masters in the art of inventing little stories.
In addition, the Encoder mentions the incident with a
young English lord, in love with photographic art, who
thought he had obtained the photo of a deceased sister,
and yet this was nothing more than a misunderstanding. (Editor’s
Note: The issue referring to photos of Spirits is
approached in detail by Gabriel Delanne in his book "The
Spiritist Phenomenon", pages 149 to 163. Kardec's
caution is accepted and the lawsuit against the
photographer Buguet in 1875 proves that one has to be
very careful when dealing with facts supposedly
attributed to Spirits). (Pages 90 to 92)
48. The Bishop of Algiers published for Lent in 1863 a
pastoral instruction dedicated to Spiritism, in which he
accuses the devil of dictating to famous philosophers
these unhealthy doctrines that preach the existence of
two equal principles, good and evil , materialism,
skepticism, fatalism, metempsychosis, magic and the
evocation of Spirits. The document of the Church was
published in the newspaper Akbar, Algiers, on
02/10/1863. In reporting the news, the Algerian
newspaper reminded the reader that those who like to
hear the two parties in any dispute could clarify their
doubts by reading "The Book of Spirits" and "The Book of
Mediums" by Mr. Allan Kardec, found in all bookstores in
Algiers. (Pages 92 and 93)
49. In the poetry section, the Revuebrings two
poems of mediumistic origin: "Why mourn?" and "Mother
and son". In the first, the disincarnated poet says that
God has made man the author of his own destiny and
states that the path that leads to good requires
constant effort and constant work, complete vigilance
and careful research, brave instinct and a working
reason. "Work, fight, now and Heaven will be in you",
this is how the poem ends. (Pages 94 and 95)
50. The second poem speaks of a mother who lost her
child at an early age and explains why it happened. In a
distant past she had killed the baby she was going to
give birth and now, regretting what she had done, she
was punished in similar circumstances to that she caused
before. (Pages 96 and 97)
51. The April issue publishes another article by Kardec
- the fourth - about the possessions of Morzine. As we
have already seen, Mr. Constant attributed the facts to
the rickety constitution of the inhabitants and the
unhealthiness of the region, as well as the poor quality
and inadequacy of food. Mr. Arthaud, a physician in
Lyon, went to Morzine and declared the exact opposite:
the constitution of the inhabitants was good and there
was only one case of epilepsy and one of imbecility.
Kardec reproduces another report in which he also
disagrees with the diagnosis made by Mr. Constant and,
among various objections to the latter's conclusion,
says that if Mr. Constant were correct the observed
effect would be endemic rather than epidemic. The
first symptoms of the Morzine epidemic - recalls Kardec
- occurred in March 1857 in only two adolescent girls.
The following November the number of patients was 27,
and in 1861 it reached a maximum of one hundred and
twenty, much like the episode that struck Judea at the
time of Christ. (Editor’s
Note: Epidemic: disease that arises fast and
simultaneously affects a large numbers of people. Endemic:
a disease that exists constantly in a certain place). (Pages
99 to 105)(Continues
on next issue)
Answers to the proposed issues
A. What is the main purpose of Spiritism?
The main purpose of Spiritism is to improve man’s moral
and put an end to materialistic ideas; this explains why
he is not at all concerned with discussing the
particular dogmas of each cult, leaving his appreciation
to each one's conscience. (Revue Spirite, 1863,
pages 82 and 83).
B. Can the Spirit, from one life to another, go from a
brilliant position to a humble and miserable one?
B. Can the Spirit, from one life to another, go from a
brilliant position to a humble and miserable one?
Yes, as it is said in the message of Clara Rivier,
published in the Revue, in which Kardec highlighted two
points: 1 - the information that from one existence to
another the Spirit can move from a brilliant social
position to a humble and miserable one, thereby atoning
for the abuse of the gifts which God had bestowed upon
him; and 2 - the revelation that God punishes people as
punishes individuals. In this way, if everyone practiced
the Law of Charity, there would be no more wars, no
great miseries, and no calamities in the world. (Cited
above, page 90).
C. Can we say, based on Spiritism, that man is the maker
of his own destiny?
Of course. God has made man the maker of his own
destiny, and this is why the path that leads to good
requires constant effort and constant work, complete
vigilance and careful research, brave instinct and
operative reason. "Work, fight, now and Heaven will be
in you", are the words of a beautiful poem on this
subject published in the magazine. (Cited above, pages
94 and 95).
Translation:
Eleni Frangatos - eleni.moreira@uol.com.br
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