Practical Instruction

It is with pleasure that we greet the appearance of this book, because it seems to us destined to render great services and to fill an important gap. As a special application, it is a summary of the most essential principles that must preside over the organization of groups, in order to ensure their vitality and to enable them to produce satisfactory results.

Mr. Allan Kardec, to whom the author, a fervent and devoted Spiritist, had entrusted his manuscript, held it in high regard and intended to publish it, simultaneously with other works of the same nature, unfortunately interrupted by his death, but which, despite the delay, are not lost, we hope, for those who knew how to appreciate the eminent logic, the clarity, and the conciseness of the author of The Spirits' Book. The author devoted himself particularly to clarifying and to making useful the propagation of Spiritism in the countryside. The modesty of his views does not prevent this work from being of incontestable usefulness, even in the great cities and in groups already organized.

Indeed, what is often lacking, not only in the countryside, but also in a certain number of our brethren in belief who dwell in the cities – we must not fear to say it – is the spirit of organization and of method, without which the best intentions become unproductive. It is generally imagined that, in order to instruct oneself and to make proselytes, it is absolutely necessary that there be mediums and that manifestations be obtained. This is an error. We may even say, and this is the result of experience, that, for the greater part of those who have not prepared themselves through the study of the works and through reasoning, the manifestations generally carry little weight; the more extraordinary they are, the more they meet with opposition, because one is naturally led to doubt something that has no rational sanction. Each one regards it from his own point of view, and skepticism, on the one hand, ignorance and superstition on the other, make the causes appear in a false light, whereas a prior explanation has the effect of combating preconceived ideas and of demonstrating, if not the reality, at least the possibility of the phenomena. One understands before having seen and, from then on, conviction is assured in three quarters of the cases. It is not always useful to force convictions. Often it is preferable to act with discretion and to leave to Providence the care of preparing favorable circumstances. The number of men of good will is greater than one thinks, and their example, multiplying, will produce more effect than words. Mr. C… examines these questions with as much logic as clarity, as well as the means that must be employed to combat the causes of divisions that may arise among the members of one and the same group. For this reason, we are persuaded that these instructions will be fruitful in satisfactory results, if each one applies himself to assimilating their spirit and to putting their precepts into practice. We owe the author thanks and congratulations for this publication which, certainly, will find its place in the library of all those who wish to cooperate actively in the development of Spiritist philosophy. Bibliography.

[August Review.]

As we had already expected, the booklet by Mr. C…, entitled: Practical Instruction for the Organization of Spiritist Groups, n was favorably received everywhere. Its aim and the interest that the author knew how to awaken will make it a work of first usefulness, not only for groups in the process of formation, but also for groups already formed and for Spiritists in isolation.

Delays independent of our will, almost always inseparable from new publications, obliged us to postpone the sale of this work, which, in reality, only appeared at the end of the first fortnight of July.

The same occurred with the remarkable work translated from the English and annotated by Mr. Camille Flammarion, The Last Days of a Philosopher. n Today we are in a position to deliver these two volumes promptly to the correspondents who request them from us.

[A. DESLIENS.]

[1] Spiritist Bookshop, 7, rue de Lille. Paris, 1 vol. in-12. Price: 1 fr. [Instruction pratique sur l’organisation des groupes spirites spécialement dans les campagnes, par M. C… - Google books.]

[2] One vol. in-12; price: 1 fr.; Spiritist Bookshop 7 rue de Lille.

[3] 1 large vol. in-12; price: 3 fr. 50. [Les derniers jours d’un philosophe - Google books.]