The Gospel According to Spiritism

320 Pages·1996·0.92 MB·English

THE GOSPEL
ACCORDING TO
SPIRITISM
Contains explanations of the moral maxims of Christ in accordance with Spiritism
and their application in various circumstances in life.
by ALLAN KARDEC
Author of THE SPIRITS’ BOOK
Unshakable faith is only that which
can meet reason face to face in
every Human epoch.
____________
This English translation is taken from the 3rd edition of the original French, as being the one
containing all of Allan Kardec’s final revisions, published in 1866.
L’ÉVANGILE
SELON
LE SPIRITISME
CONTENANT
L’EXPLICATION DES MAXIMES MORALES DU CHRIST
LEUR CONCORDANCE AVEC LE SPIRITISME
ET LEUR APPLICATION AUX DIVERSES POSITIONS DE LA VIE
PAR ALLAN KARDEC
Auteur du Livre des Esprits.
Il n’y a de foi inébranlable que celle
qui peut regarder la raison face à face,
à tous les àges de l’humanité.
_____________
T R O I S I È M E É D I T I O N
REVUÉ, CORRIGÉE ET MODIFIÉE.
_______________
P A R I S
LES ÉDITEURS DU LIVRE DES ESPRITS
35, QUAI DES AUGUSTINS
DENTU, FRÉD, HENRI, libraires, au Palais-Royal
Et au bureau de la REVUE SPIRITE, 59, rue et passage Saint-Anne
1866
Réserve de tous droits.
(Facsimile of original)
Original title ‘L’Évangile Selon le Spiritisme’ first published in France, 1864.
1st Edition of this translation 1987
TRANSLATORS COPYRIGHT © J. A. Duncan, 1987
All rights reserved.
ISBN 947823 09 3
Cover design by Helen Ann Blair
Typesetting and Artwork by Mainline Typesetting Services
Unit 2, Millside Industrial Estate, Southmill Road, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts.
Printed by Masterprint
Unit 4-5, The Maltings, Station Road, Newport, Essex.
The entire proceeds of this book are donated to the ALLAN KARDEC STUDY
GROUP, a non-profit organization whose workers are all voluntary, which has been
set up for the purpose of the dissemination of the SPIRITISM DOCTRINE, based on
the lines of the codification by Allan Kardec.
Printed in Great Britain for
THE HEADQUARTERS PUBLISHING CO LTD
5 ALEXANDRIA ROAD
LONDON W13 0NP
I
INDEX
NOTE: The numbers placed at the end of the various items in each chapter indicate the number(s) of the
paragraph, for quick location.
PUBLISHER’S FOREWORD VII
TRANSLATOR’S ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS VIII
TRANSLATOR’S PREFACE IX
PREFACE 1
INTRODUCTION 3
1. The objective of this work. - 2. The authority behind the Spiritist doctrine. The Universal control
of the Spirit teachings. - 3. Historical facts. - 4. Socrates and Plato, the forerunners of the Christian
idea and Spiritism.
Chapter 1. - I HAVE NOT COME TO DESTROY THE LAW 23
The three revelations: Moses, Christ, Spiritism: 1 - 7. - The alliance of science and religion: 8. -
Instructions from the Spirits: The new era: 9 - 11.
Chapter 2. - MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORD 31
The future life: 1 - 3. - The regality of Jesus: 4. - A point of view: 5 - 7. - Instructions from the
Spirits: An earthly regality: 8.
Chapter 3. - IN MY FATHER’S HOUSE ARE MANY MANSIONS 37
The different states of the soul in its spiritual wanderings: 1 - 2. - The different categories of
inhabited worlds: 3 - 5. - Earth’s destiny. The cause of earthly miseries: 6 - 7. - Instructions from
the Spirits: Superior and inferior worlds: 8 - 12. - Words of tests and atonements: 13 - 15. -
Regeneration worlds: 16 - 18. - The progression of the worlds: 19.
II
INDEX
Chapter 4. - EXCEPT A MAN BE BORN AGAIN HE CANNOT SEE THE 45
KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
Resurrection and reincarnation: 1 - 17. - Reincarnation strengthens family ties, whereas a single life
would destroy them: 18 - 23. - Instructions from the Spirits: Limits of incarnations: 24. - The need
for incarnation: 25 - 26.
Chapter 5. - BLESSED ARE THE AFFLICTED 55
The justice of afflictions: 1 - 3. - Causes of present-day afflictions: 4 - 5. Past causes of afflictions:
6 - 10. - Forgetfulness of the past: 11. - Motives for resignation: 12 - 13. - Suicide and madness: 14
- 17. - Instructions from the Spirits: To suffer well or badly: 18. - Evil and its remedy: 19. -
Happiness is not of this world: 20. - Losing loved ones. Premature deaths: 21. - If he had been a
good man he would have died: 22. - Voluntary torments: 23. - True misfortune: 24. - Melancholy:
25. - Voluntary trials. The true hair shirt: 26. - Should we end our neighbour’s probation?: 27. -
Would it be licit to hasten the death of someone incurably sick who is suffering?: 28. - Sacrificing
one’s own life: 29 - 30. - Making one’s own suffering useful to others: 31.
Chapter 6. - CHRIST THE CONSOLER 77
The gentle yoke: 1 - 2. - The promised consoler: 3 - 4. - Instructions from the Spirits: The advent
of the Spirit of Truth: 5 - 8.
Chapter 7. - BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT 81
What should be understood by the words ‘poor in spirit’?: 1 - 2. - He who exalts himself shall be
debased: 3 - 6. - Mysteries that are hidden from the learned and prudent: 7 - 10. - Instructions from
the Spirits: Pride and humility: 11 - 12. - Mission of the intelligent person on Earth: 13.
Chapter 8. - BLESSED ARE THE PURE IN HEART 91
Simplicity and pureness of heart: 1 - 4. - Sinning by means of thought. Adultery: 5 - 7. - True
pureness. Unwashed hands: 8 - 10. - Offences. If your hand is the cause of an offence, cut it off: 11
- 17. - Instructions from the Spirits: Let little children come unto me: 18 - 19. - Blessed are those
whose eyes are closed: 20 - 21.
Chapter 9. - BLESSED ARE THE MEEK AND THE PEACEMAKERS 99
Insults and violence: 1 - 5. - Instructions from the Spirits: Affability and mildness: 6. - Patience: 7.
- Obedience and resignation: 8. - Anger: 9 - 10.
III
INDEX
Chapter 10. - BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL 105
Forgive others so that God may forgive you: 1 - 4. - Reconciliation with your adversaries: 5 - 6. -
The sacrifice most agreeable to God: 7 - 8. - The mote and the beam in the eye: 9 - 10. - Do not
judge others if you do not wish to be judged in return. He that is without sin, let him be the first to
cast a stone: 11 - 13. - Instructions from the Spirits: The pardoning of offences: 14 - 15. -
Indulgence: 16 - 18. - Is it permitted to reprehend, observe imperfections or to comment on the evil
in others?: 19 - 21.
Chapter 11. - LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR AS YOURSELF 115
The greatest commandment. Do unto others as we would have them do unto as. The parable of the
creditors and the debtors: 1 - 4. - Give unto Caesar that which belongs to Caesar: 5 - 7. -
Instructions from the Spirits: The law of love: 8 - 10. - Selfishness: 11 - 12. - Faith and Charity: 13.
- Charity towards criminals: 14. - Should we risk our life for a criminal?: 15.
Chapter 12. - LOVE YOUR ENEMIES 125
Return goodness for evil: 1 - 4. - Discarnate enemies: 5 - 6. - Whosoever shall smite thee on they
right cheek, turn to him the other also: 7 - 8. - Instructions from the Spirits: Vengeance: 9. - Hate:
10. - Duelling: 11 - 16.
Chapter 13. - DO NOT LET YOUR LEFT HAND KNOW WHAT YOUR 135
RIGHT HAND IS DOING
Do good without ostentation: 1 - 3. - Hidden misfortunes: 4. - The widow’s mite: 5 - 6. - To invite
the poor and the lame. To give without thought of recompense: 7 - 8. - Instructions from the
Spirits: Material and moral charity: 9 - 10. - Beneficence recompensed by ingratitude: 19. -
Exclusivist beneficence: 20.
Chapter 14. - HONOUR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER 151
Filial devotion: 1 - 4. - Who is my mother and who are my brothers?: 5 - 7. - Corporeal relationship
and spiritual relationship: 8. - Instructions from the Spirits: Children’s ingratitude and family ties:
9.
Chapter 15. - WITHOUT CHARITY THERE IS NO SALVATION 159
What the spirit needs in order to be saved. The parable of the good Samaritan: 1 - 3. - The greatest
of the commandments: 4 - 5. - The need for charity, according to Saint Paul: 6 - 7. - Without the
Church there is no salvation. Without truth there is no salvation: 8 - 9. - Instructions from the
Spirits: Without charity there is no salvation: 10.
IV
INDEX
Chapter 16. - IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO SERVE BOTH GOD AND 165
MAMMON
The salvation of the rich: 1 - 2. - Preserve yourself from avarice: 3. - Jesus in the house of
Zacchaéus: 4. - The parable of the bad rich man: 5. - The parable of the talents: 6. - The
providential utility of riches. Trials of riches and misery: 7. - The inequality of riches: 8. -
Instructions from the Spirits: True property: 9 - 10. - The application of riches: 11 - 13. -
Detachment from earthly possessions: 14. - Transference of riches: 15.
Chapter 17. - BE PERFECT 179
Characteristics of perfection: 1 - 2. - The good person: 3. - The good Spiritist: 4. - The parable of
the sower: 5 - 6. - Instructions from the Spirits: Duty: 7. - Virtue 8. - Those who are superior and
those who are inferior: 9. - The worldly person: 10. - Look after both body and Spirit: 11.
Chapter 18. - MANY CALLED, BUT FEW ARE CHOSEN 191
The parable of the wedding feast: 1 - 2. - The narrow door: 3 - 5. - Not all those who say: Lord!
Lord! will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven: 6 - 9. - Much will be asked of he who receives much:
10 - 12. - Instructions from the Spirits: To those who have will be given more: 13 - 15. - A
Christian is recognised by his works: 16.
Chapter 19. - FAITH TRANSPORTS MOUNTAINS 201
The power of faith: 1 - 5. - Religious faith. The state of unshakable faith: 6 - 7. The parable of the
dry fig-tree: 8 - 10. - Instructions from the Spirits: Faith, the mother of hope and charity: 11. -
Human and Divine faith: 12.
Chapter 20. - WORKERS OF THE LAST HOUR 207
Instructions from the Spirits: The last shall be the first: 1 - 3. - Mission of the Spiritists: 4. - The
workers of the Lord: 5.
Chapter 21. - THERE WILL BE FALSE CHRISTS AND FALSE PROPHETS 211
A tree is known by its fruits: 1 - 3. - The mission of the prophets: 4. - The prodigies of the false
prophets: 5. - Do not believe all the Spirits: 6 - 7. - Instructions from the Spirits: The false
prophets: 8. - The character of the true prophet: 9. - The false prophets from the spiritual world: 10.
Jeremiah and the false prophets: 11.
V
INDEX
Chapter 22. - WHOM GOD HAS JOINED TOGETHER LET NO MAN PUT 221
APART
The indissolubility of marriage: 1 - 4. - Divorce: 5.
Chapter 23. - STRANGE MORAL 225
Hate the parents: 1 - 3. - Abandon father, mother and children: 4 - 6. - Leave to the dead the care of
burying their dead: 7 - 8. - I have not come to bring peace, but dissension: 9 - 18.
Chapter 24. - DO NOT HIDE THE LIGHT UNDER A BUSHEL 233
The light under a bushel. Why Jesus spoke in parables: 1 - 7. - Do not keep company with the
Gentiles: 8 - 10. - The healthy do not need a doctor: 11 - 12. - The courage of faith: 13 - 16. - Carry
your cross. He who will save his life, shall lose it: 17 - 19.
Chapter 25. - SEEK AND YOU WILL FIND 241
If you help yourself then heaven will come to your aid: 1 - 5. - Behold the fowls of the air: 6 - 8. -
Provide not gold in your purse: 9 - 11.
Chapter 26. - GIVE FOR FREE WHAT HAS BEEN RECEIVED 247
GRATUITOUSLY
The gift of healing: 1 - 2. - Paid prayers: 3 - 4. - The moneychangers expelled from the Temple: 5 -
6. - Gratuitous mediumship: 7 - 10.
Chapter 27. - ASK AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN 251
The quality of prayers: 1 - 4. - The efficacy of prayer: 5 - 8. - The action of prayer. Transmission of
thought: 9 - 15. - Intelligible prayers: 16 - 17. - Prayers for de dead and for suffering Spirits: 18 -
21. - Instructions from the Spirits: The way in which to pray: 22. - Happiness proportioned by
prayer: 23.
Chapter 28. - A COLLECTION OF SPIRITIST PRAYERS 261
Preamble 261
1. GENERAL PRAYERS 262
The Lord’s Prayer: 2 - 3. - Spiritist Meetings: 4 - 7. - For the Mediums: 8 - 10.
VI
INDEX
2. PRAYERS FOR THE ONE WHO PRAYS 270
To Guardian Angels and Protecting Spirits: 11 - 14. - To turn away the bad Spirits: 15 - 17. - In
order to ask that some defect within ourselves may be corrected: 18 - 19. - To ask for strength to
resist temptation: 20 - 21. - Thanksgiving for victory over a temptation: 22 - 23. - To ask for
advice: 24 - 25. - Afflictions of life: 26 - 27. - Thanksgiving for the obtaining of a favour: 28 - 29. -
An act of submission and resignation: 30 - 33. - When in imminent danger: 34 - 35. - Thanksgiving
for having escaped a danger: 36 - 37. - At bedtime: 38 - 39. - On sensing approaching death: 40 -
41.
3. PRAYERS FOR OTHERS 280
For someone who is afflicted: 42 - 43. - An act of thanksgiving for a benefit received by someone
else: 44 - 45. - For our enemies and those who wish us ill: 46 - 47. - Thanksgiving for blessings
received by our enemies: 48 - 49. - For the enemies of Spiritism: 50 - 52. - Prayer for a child that
has just been born: 53 - 56. - For one who agonizes: 57 - 58.
4. PRAYERS FOR THOSE NO LONGER ON EARTH 286
For someone who has just died: 59 - 61. - Those for whom we have affection: 62 - 63. - For
suffering Spirits who ask for prayers: 64 - 66. - For an enemy who has died: 67 - 68. - For a
criminal: 69 - 70. - For a suicide: 71 - 72. - For repentant Spirits: 73 - 74. - For hardened Spirits: 75
- 76.
5. PRAYERS FOR THE SICK AND OBSESSED 294
For those who are sick: 77 - 80. - For those who are obsessed: 81 - 84.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF SPIRIT COMMUNICATORS 301