The Revue Spirite of 1863

Part 15

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 special meaning of August 18, 1863, in the History of Spiritism?

B. Is it true that the ancient Prophets were inspired by Higher Spirits?

C. What does a Higher Spirit do today?

Text for reading

142. The Revue publishes Kardec's brief comment on the book "Rational Spirituality" by Mr. H. H. Love, an engineer, who set out – based on his own science and the observation of events - the demonstration of spiritual ideas. In one of the texts from the book, its author affirms "that it is impossible to be a good Spiritist without being a good man and a good citizen". And he adds: "I do not know many religions from which one can say the same". (Pages 321 and 322)

143. Kardec comments again on the brochure Sermons on Spiritism, mentioned by the Revue in September. This is the refutation made by a confrere from Metz to three sermons preached in May 1863 in the Cathedral of Metz by Father Letierce of the Society of Jesus. (Pages 322 to 324)

144. The second article written by Mr. F. Herrenschneider about the union of Philosophy and Spiritism opens the issue of November, 1863. Here are the main points contained in the study: I) the human soul is constituted in a way that it exists separately from the body as well as in its wrap. II) Spiritists are well-disposed men for the search of truth because they have renounced for themselves the worldly vanities and the official superstition of the recognized cults. III) The soul is made up of two very distinct elements, and yet indissolubly united, because these elements have never been found separately. IV) Spiritualist eclecticism recognizes three main faculties: the will, the sensation and the reason, and these faculties are distinguished of the physical body. V) God provided us with facts, circumstances and providential events that were quite shocking to lead us back to the right path. The doctrines and facts on which Spiritism is founded are in this number. (Pages 325-335)

145. Kardec copies passages from a Pastoral Letter addressed by the Bishop of Algiers on August 18, 1863 to the priests of his diocese, in which the clergyman warns about the "superstition called Spiritism”. At the end of the passages of the Pastoral the Encoder wrote his comments, beginning with the information that the circular was an excellent way to make Spiritism known in places where it was not yet known. In fact, the virulence and exaggeration in the sermons have always contributed to the increase of the number of followers, as it happened in Lyon. The Letter ends by ordering the ban of the practice of Spiritism and the evocation of the dead in the diocese of Algiers. According to Kardec, this order was the first one launched with the purpose of officially prohibiting Spiritism in a locality and, for that reason, the date 08/18/1863 should be marked in the History of Spiritism, in the same way as the date 10/09/1861, when the Act of Faith of Barcelona took place. (Pages 335 to 345)

146. The Revue transcribes two letters from readers that demonstrate the effect of the moralistic action of Spiritism. In the first, Mr. Adolphe Roussel says that the simple reading of the book "What is Spiritism?" had taken him away from the hosts of atheism and materialism. In the second, a citizen in a penitentiary reveals the good that the knowledge of Spiritism has done to him, returning to him, although imprisoned, the belief in God and His justice. (Pages 345 to 351)

147. A new success obtained by the tiptologist Spirit of Carcassone is reported by the Revue: it is the bronze medal obtained in the Nîmes contest after having won the first prize at the Academy of Flower Games in Toulouse, acting as medium to Mr. Jaubert, Vice-President of the Civil Court of Carcassone. (Pages 351 and 352)

148. The Revue transcribed an interesting passage extracted from a work published by Dr. Gelpke, in 1817, in Leipzig, in which the author mentions the existence of inhabitants on other planets. (Pages 352 and 353)

149. Closing the issue of November, the Revue publishes two communications signed by St. Louis and St. Augustine. In the first, denominated "The new tower of Babel", Saint Louis affirms that Spiritism is the Christianity of the Modern Age and must restore to the traditions its spiritualistic sense. St. Augustine says in the second message that the ancient Prophets were all inspired by Enlightened Spirits, who gave them teachings of a nature to be understood only by the elite intelligences and their meaning was not openly opposed to the knowledge of the time. Thus, it was possible to interpret them according to the intelligence of the masses, so that they would not reject them, which would certainly occur if the revelations were in a very formal opposition to the general ideas. (Page 354)

150. Today – says St. Augustine - the care of the Spirits is to make men thoroughly aware of the similarities existing between the present revelations and those of the ancients. And another task is: to fight against lies, hypocrisy and error, a very difficult and hard mission, but the end of which will be reached, because that is the will of God. (Page 355)

151. Opening the December issue, Kardec answers to a distinguished publicist who, while not contrary to the Spiritist process, judged them useless in his case. The Encoder shows, however, the usefulness of the teachings brought by the Spirits, pointing out the innumerable reasons that support his thesis. In this sense, the facts and voices from beyond the grave, being heard in their own homes, promote the necessary change that simple philosophical considerations fail to impress on the character and thought of the human creature. (Pages 357 to 360) (Continues on the next issue).

Answers to the proposed issues

A. What is the special meaning of August 18, 1863, in the History of Spiritism?

It was on this date that the Bishop of Algiers sent a Pastoral Letter to the priests of his diocese, in which, after warning about the "superstition of Spiritism," he ordered the ban on the practice of Spiritism and the evocation of the dead in the diocese of Algiers. (Revue Spirite of 1863, pages 335-345).

B. Is it true that the ancient Prophets were inspired by Higher Spirits?

Yes. According to Saint Augustine, the ancient Prophets were all inspired by Enlighted Spirits, who gave them teachings of a nature to be understood only by the elite intelligences and their meaning was not openly opposed to the knowledge of the time. Thus, it was possible to interpret them according to the intelligence of the masses, so that they would not reject them, which would certainly occur if the revelations were in a very formal opposition to the general ideas. (Quoted above, page 354)

C. What does a Higher Spirit do today?

In addition to fully enlightening men, by making them understand the similarities existing between the present revelations and those of the ancients, the Spirits have another task: to fight against lies, hypocrisy and error, a very difficult and very hard mission, but the end of which will be reached, because it is the will of God. (Quoted above, page 355)

Translation:

Eleni Frangatos - eleni.moreira@uol.com.br