Organization of Spiritism1. Up until now the spiritists have been spreading all over the
world and that is not one of the least characteristic marks of the
Doctrine. Like a seed carried by the wind it has taken root in all
corners of the globe, an evident demonstration that its propagation
is not the result of a clique or a local and personal influence.
Isolated in the beginning, the followers are now surprised by their
large numbers and since the similarity of ideas inspire the desire
for gathering, and they seek to meet and to found societies. Thus,
everywhere we are being asked to provide instructions in this regard,
manifesting within us the desire to unite the central Society
of Paris. It is now time for us to get involved with what we can
call organization of Spiritism. The Mediums’ Book (2nd Edition)
contains important observations about the subject that we refer
to those interested, asking them to give careful thought to that.
Experience daily confirms its application that we will recollect
here, adding more circumstantial instructions.
2. Let us begin by talking about the followers still amidst a hostile
population or ignorant of the new ideas. We receive letters of individuals
in that situation every day, asking what they can do in
the absence of mediums and comrades in Spiritism. They are in
the same situation as the initiators of a large number of centers
only a year ago. The number of followers multiplied gradually and there are cities where they were counted on single isolated
units but today they count on hundreds and thousands. The same
will soon happen everywhere. It is a matter of patience. As for
what they have to do that is very simple. In principle they can
work on their own and get absorbed into the study and meditation
of the special books of the Doctrine. The more they do
an in-depth study the more consoling truths they will find, confirmed
by reason. In their isolation they must feel happy for having
been the first ones to be favored. However, if they only try to
get a kind of personal satisfaction out of the Doctrine it would be
somewhat selfish. They have a beautiful and important mission
to accomplish, given their position: spread the light around them.
The ones who accept such a mission and are not stopped by difficulties
will be largely rewarded by the success and satisfaction of
having done something useful. There is no doubt that they will
find opposition. They will be cause for mockery and sarcasm by
the non-believers and even from those persons interested in combating
the Doctrine, but where would be the merit if there would
not be any obstacle to overtake? Hence, we have nothing to say,
no advice to those who would stop for the fear of what other people
might say. But to those who have the courage to stand up and
sustain their opinion, above the petty human considerations, we
say that what they have to do is to openly speak about Spiritism,
without any concern, as if speaking of something very simple and
natural, not preaching it and particularly not seeking or forcing
conviction or trying to make converts at any price. Spiritism must
not be imposed. People come to Spiritism because it is needed and
because it provides what other philosophies don’t do. It is even
convenient to avoid explanations to stubborn non-believers since
it would be to give them too much importance, leading them to
believe that they are indispensable. The very efforts employed to
attract them is in actual fact, to keep them away and they resist
in their opposition out of selfishness. That is why it is useless
to waste any time with them. When the need knocks at their
door they will come on their own. While waiting, one must leave
them alone, satisfied in their skepticism that frequently, believe
me, weighs more on their shoulders than they would like to transpire,
irrespective of what they say otherwise, because the idea
of nothing after death holds something more terrifying, or more
frightening than death itself. Besides the mockery there will be
those who will ask: What is it? You must then endeavor to satisfy
those, giving them explanations according to the dispositions that
you find. When speaking about Spiritism as a whole, one must
consider the words that are pronounced like seeds thrown in the
air. Many fall on rocks and produce nothing, but if only one seed
has fallen on fertile soil you must feel happy. Cultivate it and be
certain that this plant will be fruitful, producing offshoots. Some
followers have difficulty in responding to certain objections. The
careful study of the books will provide them with the means but
they will certainly benefit in particular from the brochure that
we will publish with that objective under the title: Refutation of
criticism against Spiritism, from the point of view of Materialism,
Science and Religion.
3. Let us now talk about the organization of Spiritism already in
many centers. Of the steady increase in followers demonstrates
the physical impossibility of constituting a single society in a
given city. Besides the number, there are also the distances that
may be an obstacle to many. On the other hand, it is a fact that
meetings with a large number of people are less favorable to good
communications and that the best are obtained in smaller groups.
It is therefore better to increase the number of small groups with
a specific focus. As we said, twenty groups of fifteen to twenty
members will obtain more and do more for the propaganda than
a single society of four hundred members. The groups are formed naturally by affinity of tastes, feelings, habits and social position.
Everyone knows everybody and since these are private meetings
one has the freedom of defining the number of people and select
who should be admitted.
4. In addition the system of multiplication of the groups has the
advantage, as we said on several occasions, to prevent conflicts
and rivalries for supremacy and presidency. Each group is naturally
presided by the head of the house, or by someone that might
have been designated for that purpose. There is not an official
figure or a president, per say, since everything takes place within
the family. The head of the house, as such, has every authority
to maintain good order. With an organized society there is the
need for a special room, administrative staff, budget, in a word, a
complication of inner workings that the ill-will of a few dissidents
with bad intentions could compromise.
5. To these considerations developed at length in The Mediums’
Book, we will add one that is of the essence. Spiritism is not seen
as a good thing for everybody. Before long it will be understood
that we have every interest in fostering a belief that makes people
better and as a guarantor of social order. But until they are convinced
of its positive influence and its moralizing effects upon
the masses, the followers must expect that embarrassments will
arise from it out of pure ignorance with respect to the true objective
of the Doctrine or due to self-serving interests. The followers
will be not only ridiculed but also scorned when the weapons of
ridicule fail. They will be accused of madness, charlatanism, irreligion,
witchery, and everything that incites fanaticism. Accused
of madness! Sublime madness that leads to the belief in God and
in the future of the soul! For those who believe in nothing, it is
really madness to believe in the communication between the dead
and the living, madness that goes around the world and reaches
the most eminent people. Charlatanism! These have a peremptory
answer: altruism, since charlatanism can never be altruistic.
Irreligion! The spiritists who deny the existence of the devil and
only acknowledge God as their Almighty Lord, sovereignly just
and good. Singular witches that would renegade their master and
would act in the name of their enemy! The problem is that the
devil might not be happy with his followers. However, the good
reasons are the least concern of those who want to undermine
discussions. When someone wants to kill a dog it is said that the
dog has rabies. Fortunately what we see is only the last sparks of
the Middle Ages in our century. Since Spiritism comes to swing
the last blow of mercy on them, their attempt of a supreme effort
comes as no surprise. Rest assured, the fight will not be long.
However, we must not become imprudent given the certainty of
victory because carelessness could otherwise compromise or at
least delay success. For the reasons above, the formation of large
societies in certain places might find obstacles whereas the same
would not happen with small groups.
6. Let us add another consideration. The societies as such are prone
to a large number of vicissitudes; a thousand dependent or not
causes beyond their control, may lead to a closure. Suppose that
a given society had gathered every follower of the same town and
that for some circumstance it no longer exists. There you have the
members disperse and disoriented. Now, if instead there are fifty
groups, if some disappear there will always be others and others
will form. These are all hardy perennial plants that will be reborn,
all the same. We must not cultivate a single tree in the field
because lightning may abate it. Have a hundred and the same
lightning will not affect them all, and the smaller they are the
lesser exposed they will be. Hence, it all conspires in favor of the
proposed system; when a given group that is formed somewhere
becomes too big you must do like the bees: swarms that leave the
mother-hive gather other hives and that in turn will form others.
These will be other centers of action, irradiating around their own
circle, more powerful for the propaganda than a single society.
7. The formation of the groups is therefore agreed in principle but
there are still several important issues to be examined. The first
of them is the uniformity of the Doctrine. Such uniformity
could not be better guaranteed by a compact society considering
that dissidents could always easily leave and form groups
aside. Be the society united or fractioned the uniformity will
be the natural consequence of the unity of the adopted foundation.
It will complete in all groups that follow the route traced
by The Spirits’ Book and The Mediums’ Book. One contains the
principles of the Philosophy of the Science; the other the rules
of the experimental and practical part. Those books were written
with great clarity to avoid giving rise to different interpretations,
an essential condition to any new doctrine. Up until now
these books have served as regulators to the immense majority
of spiritists and are welcomed everywhere with unequivocal
sympathy. Those who tried to stay away from them had to
acknowledge by their isolation and decreasing number of partisans,
that the general opinion is not on their side. Such consent
given by the majority has great value. It is a judgment that cannot
be accused of personal influence since it is spontaneous and
declared by thousands of people that are completely unknown.
A proof of that general consent is that we were asked to translate
it to several languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, German,
Italian, Polish, Russian and even Tatar. Without presumption
we can then recommend its study and practice in the several
spiritist meetings and with even more reason as they are the only
ones where the Science is up until now treated comprehensively.
Every other one that has been published about the subject has
only touched on a few isolated points. As a matter of fact, we
do not have the pretension of imposing our ideas. We just say
that because it is our right. Those who find them convenient
should then adopt them. The others have the right to reject
them. Hence, the instructions we give are naturally for those
who walk with us; for those who honor us with the title of their
spiritist leader and in no way do we wish to regulate those who
intend to follow another avenue. We deliver the Doctrine that
we profess to the general appreciation. We have in fact found
many adherents that give us confidence and reassurance before
some isolated dissidences. In reality, the future will be the final
judge. The susceptibilities of a offended egos, the ambition and
frustrations for material hopes will disappear in everyone, by
the force of things. No longer considering people, you will only
see the doctrine and the judgment will be impartial. What are
the new ideas that did not have self-serving contradictors when
they came up? Who are the propagators of those ideas that were
not targeted by the attacks of envy, particularly if crowned by
success? Let us now return to our subject.
8. The second point is the formation of the groups. One of the first
conditions is homogeneity without which there could not be a
communion of thoughts. A meeting cannot be stable or serious if
there isn’t sympathy among those who compose it and sympathy
cannot exist among people who have divergent ideas and that
have a hidden or even open opposition. Having said that, it is
far from us the idea that the discussion must be stifled because,
much on the contrary, we recommend a scrupulous examination
of every communication and all phenomena. It must be well
understood that each person can and must issue their opinion
but there are persons who discuss to impose their ideas and not
to clarify. We stand against the spirit of systematic opposition;
against preconceived ideas that don’t yield even before the evidence.
Such persons are incontestably a cause of disruption that
must be avoided. The spiritist meetings, in this respect, are in
exceptional condition; what they require above all is reverence.
Well, how can one show reverence if there is always a distraction
produced by an acrimonious controversy? If there is a bitter
feeling among the attendees and when one feels surrounded by people that are knowingly hostile and in whose faces one can read
sarcasm and disdain regarding everything that is not in agreement
with their opinion?
9. In The Mediums’ Book (#28) we described the character of the
main varieties of spiritists; since that description is important for
the current discussion we will repeat them here. The first line
contains those who only believe in the manifestations. For those,
Spiritism is just a Science of observation; a series of more or less
curious facts; Philosophy and morality are accessories to which
they don’t give much attention and whose reach does not concern
them. We call them experimental spiritists. Then come those
who see something beyond facts in Spiritism. They understand
its Philosophical reach; admire the consequent morals but do not
practice it; are ecstatic before the beauty of some communications,
as when they hear an eloquent sermon but from which they take
no advantage. The influence upon their character is null or insignificant.
They don’t change their habits and are never deprived of
any pleasure: the miser is always stingy, the proud always full of
themselves and the envious and jealous always hostile. Christian
charity to them is just a nice maxim and the assets of this world
prevail against the future world in their appreciation. These are
the imperfect spiritists. Side by side with them there are others in
larger numbers than one may think and that don’t limit themselves
to the admiration of the spiritist moral, but that practice it
and accept it in all its consequences. Convinced that the Earthly
experience is a transient trial they endeavor to take advantage of
these brief moments to advance on the path of progress, striving
to do good and suppress their bad inclinations. Their relationships
are always safe because conviction repels any bad thoughts.
Charity is always their rule of conduct. These are the true spiritists
or the Christian spiritists.
10. If the preceding is well understood then it is clear that a group
formed by elements exclusively from this last class would be in
the best conditions because it is only among those who practice
the law of love and charity that it is possible to establish a serious
fraternal connection. Unions would not be long-lasting among
people to whom moral is a mere theory, since those do not impose
any impediment to their pride, ambition, vanity and selfishness,
they do not impose more advantage to their words either; they
will want to be the first when they should diminish themselves;
will get irritated with contradictions and will not have scruples
to sow disagreement and discord. Among the true spiritists, on
the contrary, there is a feeling of mutual trust and benevolence.
One can relax in such a sympathetic environment whereas there
is stress and anxiety in a mixed environment.
11. All this is in the nature of things and there is no invention here.
Does it follow that one must require perfection in the formation
of the groups? It would be simply absurd, since it would be the
same as demanding the impossible and then nobody would be
able to take part in them. Spiritism aims at the betterment of
humanity, thus it did not come to look for perfection but for
those who strive to become better by practicing the teaching of
the spirits. The true spiritist is not the one that has achieved the
objective but the one who seriously want to achieve it. Whatever
your antecedents may be, you will be a good spiritist just by acknowledging
your imperfections and by being sincere and perseverant
in the purpose of amending yourself. Spiritism is a true
regeneration because it breaks the links with one’s past. One is
indulgent with others as, one would like others to be, and not a
single malevolent or bitter word leaves one’s mouth against anyone.
Someone that behaved in a rude way in one meeting would
be demonstrating not only lack of courtesy and civility but also
lack of charity. Someone shocked by contradiction and who tried
to impose his or her personality or ideas would give demonstrations
of pride. Well, neither one nor the other would be on the
true path of Spiritism, that is, Christian Spiritism. Anybody that believes to have a fairer opinion than another must have it accepted
through gentleness and persuasion; bitterness on one’s part
would be very wrong.
12. Hence simple logic demonstrates to anyone who knows the laws
of Spiritism what are the best elements for the composition of really
serious groups and we do not hesitate to say that these are the
ones that have the greatest influence on the propagation of the
Doctrine. By the esteem with which they control and by the example
they give of its moral consequences they prove its seriousness
and impose silence in mockery, which, when it attacks the
good, is more than ridiculous, it is hateful.. In any case, what do
you expect that an incredulous critic would think when observing
experiments whose attendees are the first ones to consider it a
game? He leaves it more incredulous than when he came in.
13. We have just indicated the best composition of groups; but perfection
is not more likely in groups than in individuals; we indicated
the objective and said that the more you approach it, the
better the results will be. It can eventually be dominated by circumstances
but one must focus every attention onto avoiding the
hurdles. Unfortunately, when a group is created, one is not very
strict in the choices because before anything else one wants to
form the center; in order to be admitted in general one just need
a simple desire or some sort of sympathy to the general ideas of
Spiritism. Later it is observed that such adhesion was too easy.
14. In a group there is always the stable element and the floating element.
The first is composed of hard-working people that form
the base; the second element is composed of those who are admitted
temporarily and accidentally. It is to the composition of
the stable element that one must pay careful attention and in
this case one must not hesitate in sacrificing quantity in favor of
quality since this is the element of impulse and regulation. The
floating element is less important because there is the freedom
of modifying it at will. One must not lose sight of the fact that
the spiritist meetings, like all other meetings in general, have the
source of their vitality in their foundations. With that respect, it
all depends on the starting point. The one who wishes to organize
a group in good conditions must, before anything, ensure that
one counts on the support of some sincere followers who take
the Doctrine seriously and are known for their conciliatory and
benevolent character. Once such a core is formed, even with three
or four people only, the rules will be established for both admission
and the realization of the session rules that must be observed
by the newcomers. These rules may be modified according to the
circumstances but there are some that are essential.
15. Since the unity of principles is one of the fundamental points it
cannot exist in those who did not study and thus cannot have
a formed opinion. The first condition to be imposed is serious
study, to avoid frequent distractions by objections and useless
questions. The second is a categorical declaration of faith and
adhesion to the doctrine of The Spirits’ Book and other special
conditions that may be considered appropriate. This with respect
to the permanent and senior members; to the observers that generally
come to acquire a little bit more of knowledge and conviction
it can be less rigorous; however since there are those who
could cause disturbance with observations that are uncalled for, it
is important to be assured of their dispositions. Before anything
else, it is necessary to keep curious people away and anybody else
that may be attracted by frivolous motives.
16. The order and regularity of the works are equally essential. We
consider eminently useful to open each session by reading some
passages of The Mediums’ Book and The Spirits’ Book. This ensures
that the principles of the Science and the means of avoiding
the hurdles often found in the practice are always fresh in everyone’s
memory. Thus, attention will be concentrated on many
points that may escape a private reading and may give rise to
instructive comments and discussions that may also count on the participation of the spirits. It is just as important to archive every
received communication according to the date with clear indication
of the medium that served as the intermediary. The latter
reference is useful for the study of the type of mediumship of each
one. It often happens that we lose sight of these communications,
which then become obsolete. This discourage the spirits who gave
them aiming at the instruction of the attendees. It is then essential
that the most instructive communications are collected and
read from time to time. It is common that such communications
are of general interest and not given by the spirits for the instruction
of a few and to be left in archives. Therefore it is useful that
they are taken to everybody through publicity. This subject will
be examined in an article in the next issue, indicating the simplest
mode, the most economical and at the same time the most
adequate to achieve the objective.
17. As you can see, our instructions are exclusively addressed to the
groups formed by serious and homogeneous elements; to those
who want to follow the route of moral Spiritism, aiming at everyone’s
progress, the essential and sole objective of the Doctrine;
finally, to those who want to accept our guidance and to take
into account the advice of our experience. It is incontestable that
a group formed according to the indicated conditions will operate
with regularity, without barriers and in an efficient way. What
can be done by a group can also be done by others. Let us then
suppose a given number of groups in a given town all formed
based on the same foundation; there will necessarily be unity of
principles since they hold the same flag; there will be a sympathetic
union for their maxim is love and charity; they are, in a
word, members of the same family among whom there could be
no rivalry of ego since all are driven by the same feelings towards
good.
18. However, it would be useful to have among them a point of connection,
a center of action. According to the circumstances and
places, the several groups leaving aside personal issues could designate
for that a center that for its position and relative importance
would be the most capable to give Spiritism a healthy impulse.
According to the case and if necessary to avoid susceptibilities a
central group, formed by delegates of all others, would take the
name of director group. Given our impossibility to correspond
with all of them, we would keep a more direct communication
with that center. We could also and in certain cases designate a
person to more specifically represent us. Without prejudice to the
relationships that will forcibly establish among the groups of the
same city that walk identical paths, an annual general assembly
could gather the spiritists of the several groups in a familiar party
that would be simultaneously the celebration of Spiritism. In such
occasion there would be speeches given and the most remarkable
communications would be read or those more appropriate to the
occasion. What is possible among the groups of a given city is also
possible among the groups of several cities as long as there is communion
of principles and feelings among them, that is, as long as
they can maintain reciprocal relationships. We will indicate the
means to reach that when we talk about means of publicity.
19. All this, as we said, is of simple execution and without complicated
engines but it all depends on the starting point, that is, of
the composition of the primitive groups. If they are formed by
good elements there will be so many other good roots that they
will give provide fruits to. If, on the contrary, they are formed by
heterogeneous and antipathetic elements; by doubtful spiritists,
more concerned with the form than the substance, who consider
the moral part as accessory and secondary, then one should expect
irritating controversies and a deadlock; personal pretensions;
shocks of susceptibility and consequently conflicts that anticipate
disorganization. Among the true spiritists as defined above,
who see the essential objective of Spiritism in its moral, which
is the same to all, there will always be sacrifice of personality, condescendence and benevolence, and consequently security and
stability in the relationships. That is why we have insisted so
much on the fundamental qualities.
20. Some may say that these severe restrictions constitute an obstacle
to the propagation; that it is a mistake. Don’t believe that by
opening the door to the first that shows up you are going to make
miracles. Experience is there to demonstrate otherwise. You will
face a swarm of curious and indifferent people that will come to
the group as if to a spectacle. Now, the curious and indifferent are
an obstacle and not a support. As for the systematic or proud unbelievers
regardless of how much you show them, they will only
see reason for ridicule because they will not understand and don’t
want to make the effort to understand. We have already said this,
and once again I repeat, that the true propagation, the one that is
really useful and fruitful, that one is done by the moral ascendant
of the serious meetings. Had everyone only known gatherings
of this kind; there would be even more serious spiritists, since it
must be said that many were deviated from the Doctrine because
they only attended futile sessions, without order and seriousness.
Thus, be serious in the true meaning of the word and serious people
will come to you. These are the best propagators because they
speak out of conviction and preach by both word and example.
21. Given the eminently serious character of the meetings it should
not be inferred that one must systematically ban the physical
manifestations. As we said in The Mediums’ Book (#326), these are
of incontestable utility from the point of view of the study of the
phenomena and for the conviction of certain people. Nevertheless,
in order to take advantage of these two aspects, one must exclude
every frivolous thought. A session that counts on a good medium
of physical effects and that would be involved with manifestations
of that kind with order, method and seriousness, whose moral
condition offers every guarantee against charlatanism and fraud
not only can obtain remarkable things from the point of view of
the phenomena, but can also do an abundant good. Hence, we
advise you not to neglect this kind of experience as long as there
are adequate mediums and that special sessions are organized
with that objective, independent of those dedicated to philosophical
and moral communications. The powerful mediums of that
category are rare but there are phenomena that although more
vulgar are not less interesting and concluding because they demonstrate
with evidence the independence of the medium. Among
those, there are the communications of alphabetical typtology
that sometimes give the most unexpected results. The theory of
these phenomena is necessary so that their mode of operation may
be understood since it rarely leads those who don’t understand
them to a profound conviction. It also has the advantage of clarifying
the normal conditions in which these phenomena may occur,
and consequently, avoiding useless attempts thus uncovering
fraud whenever it is the case. It is a mistake to believe that we are
systematically against physical manifestations. We recommend
and will always encourage the intelligent communications and
in particular those that have a moral and philosophical reach because
those are the ones which tend to the essential and definitive
objective of Spiritism. As for the others, we have never contested
their utility but we stand against their deplorable abuse or the
possible abuse it can be made; against the exploitation by charlatanism;
against the bad conditions in which they are frequently
carried out thus entailing ridicule. We have said and repeat, that
the physical manifestations are the beginning of a science and
that nobody advances by only remaining with their a-b-c’s; that if
Spiritism was not born out of the turning tables it would not grow
as it did, and that today perhaps nobody would speak about it.
That is the reason why we strive to make it enter the philosophical
avenue, certain that by addressing more the intelligence than
the eyes, it would touch the heart and no longer be a transient
trend. That is the only way through which it could go around the world and enroot as a doctrine. The result has by far surpassed
our expectation. We only give the physical manifestations a relative
importance rather than absolute. That is our mistake to the
eyes of some people that exclusively dedicate to that and cannot
see anything beyond. If we are not personally involved with them,
it is because they would not teach us anything new and because
we have more essential things to do. Far from criticizing those
involved with that, on the contrary, we encourage them as long
as they do it in beneficial conditions. Every time that we learn
about such kind of trustworthy meetings we will be the first to
recommend them to the attention of new followers. That is our
categorical declaration of faith about this issue.
22. In the beginning we said that several spiritist groups requested to
unite with the Parisian Society. They even used the word affiliation;
an explanation is needed with that respect. The Parisian
Society was the first to be formed regular and legally. For its position
and the nature of its works, it had great participation in the
development of Spiritism, and in our opinion, it justifies the title
Initiating Society that was given by certain spirits. Its moral influence
was felt far away and although numerically restricted there
is an awareness that it did more for the propagation than if it had
open its doors to the general public. It was formed with the only
objective of studying the Spiritist Science in-depth. For that it did
not need to gather in a large auditorium or with a large number
of members since it knows that the true propaganda takes place
through the influence of the principles. Since it is not moved by
any material interest an excessive number of participants would
be more damaging than useful. Thus it will gladly see multiplying
around it private groups formed in good conditions and with
whom it could establish fraternal relationships. It would not be
consistent with its principles and would not be up to its mission
if it could conceive a shadow of envy; anyone who considers the
Society capable of that, doesn’t know it. These observations are
sufficient to show that the Parisian Society could not have the
pretension of absorbing other societies that could be formed in
Paris or elsewhere and keeping the same customary procedures.
In that case the word affiliation would not be improper since it
would suppose a kind of material supremacy, something that is
not absolutely aspired by the Society and that would even have inconveniences.
As an initiating and central Society it can establish
purely scientific relationships with the other groups or societies
but its role stops there. It does not exert any control upon those
societies who have no dependency and are entirely free to form as
they wish without the need to report back anything to anybody
and without any intrusion of the Parisian Society in any kind
of business of the others. Thus, the foreign societies may form
on the same basis; declare that they abide by the same principles
and without any other relationship other than the concentration
of studies and advice that can be asked and that the Parisian
Society will give with pleasure. On the other hand, the Parisian
Society does not boast of being immune to the vicissitudes more
than the others. If, say, it had them under control and for any
reason it disappeared, then the lack of a supporting point would
result in disruption. The groups or societies must seek a supporting
point more solid than a human institution that is necessarily
fragile. They must acquire their resilience on the principles of the
Doctrine that is the same to all and one that outlives all of them
irrespective of having those principles represented by a formed
society.
23. The role of the Parisian Society was clearly defined in order to
avoid any misunderstanding or false interpretation; the relations
it establishes with foreign societies become extremely simplified,
limited to moral, scientific and exchanges of mutual benevolence,
without any hierarchy. They will exchange the results of their
observations through publications and correspondence. In order
that the Parisian Society may establish these relationships, it is necessary that it receives accurate information from the foreign
societies that are supposedly marching on the same route and
holding the same flag. They will then be included in the list of
correspondents. In the case where there are several groups in one
town, a central group as discussed above in paragraph 18 will
represent them.
24. We will now indicate a few works with which the several societies
may collaborate in a useful way; later we will indicate others.
We know that the spirits, not having any sovereign science,
can see certain principles from their personal point of view and
consequently not be always in agreement. The best criterion of
truth is naturally the agreement of the lessons in several points
by different spirits and through mediums that do not know one
another. That is how The Spirits’ Book was composed. However
there are still many important questions that can be resolved in
that way and whose solution will have more authority the more
it is obtained in its large majority. Hence, the Parisian Society
may occasionally address questions of this kind to every corresponding
group that will then request the position of their spiritual
guides through their mediums. Another task is related to the
bibliographic search. There is a large number of old and modern
books where we can find more or less direct testimonials of the
spiritist ideas. A collection of those testimonials would be a very
precious work but this is almost impossible to be carried out by a
single person. Nonetheless it becomes easier if each group is prepared
to gather a few elements out of their readings and studies,
and transmit them to the Parisian Society that will coordinate
the work.
25. In the current situation this is the only possible organization of
Spiritism. Later the circumstances may change but one must not
do anything that is untimely. It is already a lot in the short time
where followers have multiplied enough, leading to this result.
There is in this undertaking a horizon that can extend to infinity
given the simplicity of the organization. Therefore let us not complicate
it for being afraid that we will find obstacles. Those who
are kind to demonstrate some trust may be assured that we will
not leave you behind and that everything will come at the appropriate
time. It is only to those that we address our instructions, as
I said, without the pretension of imposing ourselves to those who
don’t walk with us. In order to denigrate our work they said that
we want to make a school out of Spiritism. Well, why wouldn’t
we have that right? Didn’t Mr. de Mirville try to form a devilish
school? Why would we be forced to follow the steps of this or
that? Don’t we have the right of opinion, the right to formulate,
publish and proclaim it? If that idea finds so many followers, apparently
they don’t consider it lacking common sense. But that
is our mistake in the eyes of certain people who don’t forgive us
for having arrived faster than they did and even more so, for our
triumph. Be it a school then if they wish so. For us it will be a
real honor to write on its façade: School of moral, philosophical and
Christian Spiritism. All those who hold the flag love and charity
are invited. Everyone who holds that flag has our deepest sympathies
and will never lack our support.
Allan Kardec
