Extract from the Progrès Colonial, newspaper of the Island of Mauritius.

To the Editor of the Progrès Colonial.

“Sir, “Knowing your liberalism and also knowing that you concern yourself with Spiritism, please do me the favor of inserting in your next issue the letter I am sending you, addressed to the abbé Régnon, leaving you free to make whatever reflections you may judge fitting in the interest of truth. “Counting on your impartiality, I venture to think that you will open the columns of your newspaper to all complaints of the kind I have the honor of sending you.

“I am, sir, your humble servant.”

C.

To the abbé Régnon.

“Port-Louis, March 26, 1864.

“Sir abbé “In your conference last Thursday (March 24), you attacked Spiritism, and I am willing to believe that you did so in good faith, although the arguments you used against it were perhaps not of entire exactitude.

“For us, convinced Spiritists, it is regrettable that you went to gather them outside the source of positive knowledge of this science. Had you studied it a little, you would have known that we reject, just as you do, all communications emanating from coarse or deceiving spirits, which with the least experience are easily recognized, and that we hold only to those that present themselves in a clear, rational manner and according to the laws of God which, you know as well as we do, in all times permitted spirit manifestations. The holy Scriptures are there to prove it. “Besides, you do not deny the existence of Spirits; on the contrary; you only admit that of the wicked ones. There is the difference that exists between us.

“We are certain that the good ones exist and that their counsels, when followed — and every true Spiritist follows them — lead more souls to God and give more proselytes to religion than you think. But to understand and practice this science, as well as all the others, one must, first of all, instruct oneself and know it thoroughly. “Thus, sir abbé, I advise you, not only in your own interest, but in the interest of all who have the happiness of hearing you, to read one of the principal works that have appeared on the subject, The Spirits’ Book, dictated by them to Mr. Allan Kardec, president of the Spiritist Society of Paris, composed of serious people and, for the most part, very well instructed. “There you will see that only the ignorant let themselves be deceived by false names and lying words, and that by the fruits it is very easy to know the tree! Besides, shall I need to remind you of the 4th epistle [The correspondent meant the 4th chapter of the 1st epistle] of Saint John, verses 1, 2 and 3, on the manner of testing the Spirits? “Yes, I agree, Spiritism is a science which, like what is best in this world, can sometimes produce great evils, when exercised by those who have not studied it and practice it at random. How, then, judge it, prudent man that you are, without knowing it? “And our beautiful Christian religion – in whose name so great a number of senseless, ignorant, and even villainous people have committed so many crimes and caused so much blood to be shed – must it also be judged by the mad or criminal actions of those wretches? “No, sir abbé, it is neither just nor rational to make a rash judgment about things of which, from the outset, we have not made ourselves certain. Leave the surface, go to the bottom through study; only then will you be able to treat them with knowledge of the cause, and we will listen to you with recollection, because, then, you will doubtless be right and we will no longer smile, saying softly: He speaks of what he is ignorant of.” A Spiritist.

If Spiritism has its detractors, it also has defenders everywhere, even in the most remote regions. The author of this letter published in serial form, in that same newspaper, a very interesting novel, the basis of which is Spiritism and which contributed powerfully to spreading these ideas in that region. We will return to this subject later. [1]

[Theodore de Regnon — La métaphysique des causes d’après Saint Thomas et Albert le Grand — Google Books and also:

Études de théologie positive sur la Sainte Trinité — Google Books.]