The Gospels explained.

This work comprises the explanation and interpretation of the Gospels, article by article, with the help of communications dictated by the Spirits. It is a considerable work, and one that has, for Spiritists, the merit of not being, on any point, in contradiction with the doctrine taught in The Spirits' Book and in The Mediums' Book. The parts corresponding to those we treated in The Gospel According to Spiritism are so in an analogous sense. Besides, since we limited ourselves to the moral maxims which, with rare exceptions, are generally clear, they could not be interpreted in various ways; for this reason they have never been the subject of religious controversies. It was for this reason that we began there, in order to be accepted without contestation, waiting, as for the rest, until general opinion was more familiar with the Spiritist idea. The author of this new work judged it his duty to follow another path; instead of proceeding by gradation, he wished to reach the end in a single leap. Thus, he treated certain questions that we had not judged it opportune to broach yet, and for which, consequently, we leave the responsibility to him, as well as to the Spirits who commented on them. Consistent with our principle, which consists in regulating our progress by the development of opinion, until further notice we shall give to his theories neither approval nor disapproval, leaving to time the care of sanctioning them or contradicting them. It is fitting, then, to consider these explanations as personal opinions of the Spirits who formulated them, opinions that may be correct or false, and that, in any case, require the sanction of the universal control, and, until fuller confirmation, could not be considered integral parts of the Spiritist Doctrine. n When we treat these questions, we shall do so categorically. But that is because we shall then have gathered documents numerous enough in the teachings given on all sides by the Spirits, in order to be able to speak affirmatively and to be sure of being in agreement with the majority; it is thus that we have done, every time it is a matter of formulating a capital principle. We have already said a hundred times: For us the opinion of a Spirit, whatever name it bears, has only the value of an individual opinion; our criterion lies in universal concordance, corroborated by rigorous logic, for the things we cannot verify with our own eyes. What good would it do us to prematurely give a doctrine as absolute truth if, later, it should be combated by the generality of the Spirits? We said that the book of Mr. Roustaing does not depart from the principles of The Spirits' Book and of The Mediums' Book. Our observations rest upon the application of these same principles to the interpretation of certain facts. It is thus, for example, that he gives to Christ, instead of a carnal body, a concretized fluidic body, having all the appearances of materiality, and makes of him an agenere. In the eyes of men who then could not have understood his spiritual nature, he must have undergone in appearance, an expression incessantly repeated throughout the whole work, all the vicissitudes of Humanity. Thus the mystery of his birth would be explained: Mary would have had only the appearances of pregnancy. This point, posited as premise and cornerstone, is the basis on which he relies for the explanation of all the extraordinary or miraculous facts of the life of Jesus. Without doubt there is nothing in this materially impossible for whoever knows the properties of the perispiritual envelope. Without pronouncing ourselves for or against this theory, we shall say that it is, at least, hypothetical, and that if one day it were recognized as erroneous, the basis being lacking, the edifice would collapse. We await, then, the numerous comments that it will not fail to provoke on the part of the Spirits, and which will contribute to elucidating the question. Without prejudging it, we shall say that serious objections have already been made to this theory, and that, in our opinion, the facts can perfectly well be explained without departing from the conditions of corporeal humanity. These observations, subordinate to the sanction of the future, in no way diminish the importance of this work, which, alongside things doubtful, from our point of view, contains others incontestably good and true, and will be consulted with profit by serious Spiritists. n If the substance of a book is the principal thing, the form is not to be disdained and also contributes something to success. We find that certain parts are developed too extensively, without profit to clarity. In our view, if the work had limited itself to what is strictly necessary, it could have been reduced to two, or even to a single volume, thereby gaining in popularity.

[1]

The Four Gospels, followed by the commandments explained in spirit and in truth by the evangelists, assisted by the apostles. Gathered and coordinated by J. B. Roustaing, lawyer at the imperial court of Bordeaux, former head of the bar. – 3 vols. In-12. – Price: 10 fr. 50. – Paris, Librairie centrale, 24, boulevard des Italiens. – Bordeaux, all booksellers.

[Spiritisme chrétien, ou Révélation de la révélation. Les quatre évangiles suivis des commandements, expliqués en esprit et en vérité par les évangélistes assistés des apôtres. - Moïse… Par J.-B. Roustaing,… - Google Books.]

[2] [On the nature of Christ see the note by Allan Kardec in the Spiritist Review of 1867: Characters of the Spiritist Revelation.]

[3] [See in the Review of September, the comments of Aurélien Scholl, on the work of Mr. Roustaing.]