Erastus’ conclusion After the literary and philosophical tournament that took place over the last sessions of your Society, followed with satisfaction by us, I find it necessary to give you some thoughts from a purely spiritist point of view, and that came to mind after that interesting debate in which I didn’t want to intervene by no means. Before anything else you must know that your animated sessions were nothing compared to the animation that surrounded the large groups of eminent spirits attracted by the academic debates. Ah! If you were a clairvoyant medium you would have been surprised and confused by that superior entourage! However, my intention today is not to unveil what took place among us. My only objective is to bring you a few words about the benefit that can be taken away from the discussion from the point of view of your spiritist instruction.
You know Lamennais very well and you certainly appreciate how much that Philosopher remains attached to abstract ideas. You know how closely and with which talent and persistence – I must say – he has been following your philosophical and religious theories. From that you must deduce that the thinking individual even beyond the grave, his studies and works, and that means that that awareness is the special prerogative of the spirits, he must remove every material element that used to obfuscate him when comparing his spiritual to his human thoughts. Behold, what is true to Lamennais is equally true to the others, each one keeping their own skills and originality in the vast domain of the spiritual world. Buffon, Gérard de Nerval, the Viscount Delaunay, Bernardin de Saint-Pierre, they all keep their remarkable tastes and literary styles as Lamennais does. It seems proper to call your attention to the fact that in our world beyond the grave, the spirits do not abandon their inclinations, tendencies and passions just because they left their human layer behind.
The spirits are like prisoners on Earth to be freed by death but similarly to someone in jail that keeps the same individuality and tendencies when freed. It is the same with the spirits regarding their personality and skills on arriving here among us, with the only exception of those who did not lead a life of work and trials but one of punishment, like the mentally challenged. For those, their intelligent faculties are kept in a latent state, awakening when they leave their Earthly prison. This, as you know, applies to the inferior or to the intermediate spiritual world but not to the more elevated spirits that are free from the influence of matter.
Take your vacation, dear members of the Society. Allow me a few friendly words before we go our own ways. I do believe that the reassuring Doctrine that we came to teach you counts on serious followers. Since it is of the essence that each and everyone be submitted to the law of progress, I advise you to search in the bottom of your hearts and inquire about the actual benefit that you personally found in our spiritist works and what kind of moral improvement has resulted from that. You must understand that it is not enough to say: ‘I am spiritist’, keeping that belief to yourself. All that you need to know is if your actions comply with the prescriptions of your new faith that is, which can never be repeated enough: love and charity. May God be with you!
Erastus
