The Revue
Spirite of
1861
Part 10
We continue in
this issue the study
of the Revue
Spirite of
1861, a monthly
newspaper
focused on the
divulgation of
Spiritism,
founded and
directed by
Allan Kardec.
This study is
based on the
translation into
the Portuguese
language made by
Julio Abreu
Filho and
published by
EDICEL. The
answers to the
proposed issues
are at the end
of the text for
reading.
Issues for discussion
A. What must we, Spiritists, know?
B. Are our lives independent of each other?
C. How will we recognize the Apostles of the Third
Revelation?
Text for reading
168. After all the controversy, Erastus observed that
Buffon, Gerard de Nerval, Viscount Delaunay, Bernardin
de Saint-Pierre maintained just like Lamennais, the
tastes and literary form they used when incarnated. (P.
285)
169. This fact, says Erastus, shows that no one
instantly abandons his inclinations, customs and
passions, when he leaves his body. "On Earth, Spirits
are like prisoners that death must liberate". (P. 285)
170. Due to this, Erastus warns, we must all examine
what profit we have taken from our Spiritist studies,
and what moral improvement has resulted, because it is
not enough to say: "I am a Spiritist." "What you must
know," assures Erastus, "is whether your acts conform to
the prescriptions of your new faith, which is Love and
Charity "(P. 286)
171. The Revue examines the case of Mr. Antonio B
... who, given as dead, was eventually buried alive. (P.
286)
172. Evoked, Antonio said that in an earlier life he
buried his wife still alive in a wall in a cemetery, and
now he had suffered the penalty of Talian, which he had
had to apply to himself! - An eye for an eye, a tooth
for a tooth. (P. 287)
173. Lamennais and Erastus, commenting on the case,
confirm that the atonement of Antonio B ... was
requested by himself. With this, he will be able to rise
to a better world where he will find his victim, who had
already forgiven him. (P. 288)
174. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Erastus said
that all lives are linked; none is independent of the
others. Worries, annoyances, great pains are always
consequences of a previous life. (P. 288)
175. Jobard says in a letter to Kardec that in Metz he
found, instead of poor laborers as in Lyon, counts,
barons, colonels, engineers, soldiers, former
Polytechnic students, and wise men interested in
Spiritism. (P. 292)
176. Kardec says that Jobard did not want, with such
remarks, to despise the workers of Lyons: his aim was
only to establish that Spiritism counts on followers in
all social strata. (P. 294)
177. Letter sent by Mr. A. Sabo, of Bordeaux, informs
that the Spiritists of that city wished to create a
society dependent on that of Paris: besides the main
Society, in various parts of the city there would be
groups of 10 to 12 people, Members of the Society would
appear in time to give the necessary advice. (P. 295)
178. The Revue copies a message obtained in
Mulhouse from an ex-Israelite who claims that Spiritism
is the Law of Moses applied to the present day. The
Israelite religion, says the Spirit, was the first that
gave the idea of a spiritual God to men. (Pages
296-300)
179. Stating that Christianity was the result of the
second revelation, the same Spirit asserts: "Spiritism
is the coming of an era that will see this revolution
take place in the ideas of the peoples". "Yes: Spiritism
is the third revelation. It is revealed to a generation
of more advanced men of noblest, generous and
humanitarian aspirations, who must compete for universal
brotherhood" (Pages 303 and 304)
180. Referring to the new Apostles, the Spirit says how
to recognize them: "Recognize them by their works, and
not by the qualities that they assign to themselves.
Those who receive missions from High fulfill them, but
do not glorify themselves; because God chooses the
humble to spread His word and not the ambitious and
proud". (P. 304)
181. Taking advantage of the recess of the Spiritist
Society of Paris, Kardec visited the Spiritists of
Lyons, Sens and Macon. In Lyons, says Kardec,
“Spiritists are no longer counted by the hundred, but by
thousands”. (P. 305)
182. In the previous year there was in Lyons a single
center, Brotteaux, run by Mr. Dijou and his wife; now
there are several centers in different parts of the
city, not counting a large number of private groups. (P.
306)
183. Kardec says that from the banquet offered to him on
9/19/1861 160 people participated, representing the
various Spiritist groups (in the previous year there
were 30 guests only). (P. 309)
184. Several speeches were then pronounced. The Revue
copied those of Mr. Dijou, Mr. Courtet, Prof. Bouillant,
besides the speech made by Kardec and the epistle
addressed by Erastus to the Spiritists of Lyon. (Pages
309 to 324)
185. Kardec, opening his speech, emphasized the pleasure
he felt to be there with all of them, and not because he
was sitting at the table, since a symposium of
Spiritists would be a contradiction. (Pages 312 and 313)
186. Congratulating the Lyonians on the progress that
Spiritism had made in the city, Kardec stated that this
progress was happening everywhere and in all countries
in a proportion that surpassed all hopes. (P. 314)
(Continued on next issue).
Answers to the issues
A. What must we, Spiritists, know?
After saying that no one immediately abandons his
inclinations, customs and passions, when leaving behind
his human garments, Erasto recommends that we examine
what profit we have taken from our Spiritist studies and
what moral improvement of this resulted, because it is
not enough to say: "I am a Spiritist." "What you must
know" - said Erastus - "is whether your acts conform to
the prescriptions of your new faith, which is (…) Love
and Charity". (Revue Spirite, 1861, pages 285 and 286).
B. Are our lives independent of each other?
No. According to Erastus, all lives are connected; none
is independent of the others. Worries, annoyances, great
pains are always consequences of a previous life. He
referred to the case of a man who, in an earlier life,
had imprisoned his own wife alive in a wall in a
cemetery, and now suffered the penalty of Talian he had
had to apply to himself. Commenting on the case, Erastus
and Lamennais said that such atonement had been
requested by the Spirit himself. With this, he could
rise to a better world where he would find his victim,
who had already forgiven him.
(Ibid, pages 287 and 288).
C. How will we recognize the Apostles of the Third
Revelation?
Here is how a spiritual instructor referred to this
subject: "You shall acknowledge them by their works, and
not by the qualities that they assign to themselves.
Those who receive missions from High fulfill them, but
do not glorify themselves; because God chooses the
humble to spread His word and not the ambitious and
proud".
(Ibid, pages 303 and 304).
