Do not believe all spirits

Dearly beloved, do not believe all spirits, but test whether the spirits are from God, for many false prophets have appeared in the world. (I Jn. 4:1)

Spirit phenomena, far from giving credibility to false christs and false prophets – as some people love to say – have, much to the contrary, come to deal them a final blow. Do not ask Spiritism for prodigies or miracles, since it formally declares that  it  does not  perform them.  Just as physics, chemistry, astronomy and geology have revealed the laws of the physical world, Spiritism has revealed other, unknown laws that govern relations between the  corporeal and  the  spirit  world,  and which are laws of nature as much as are the laws of science. By providing an explanation for a certain order of phenomena that have been incomprehensible until now, Spiritism destroys what still remained in the realm of the extraordinary. This way, those who would be tempted to exploit such phenomena for their own profit and to pass themselves off as messiahs of God cannot abuse people’s credulity for long, and will soon be unmasked. Moreover, as has been stated, these phenomena per se prove nothing: a mission is proven by their moral effects, which are not given to just anyone to produce. This is one of the results of the development of the Spiritist science; by scrutinizing the cause of certain phenomena, it lifts the veil on many mysteries. Those who prefer the darkness to the light are the only ones interested in combating it; but the truth is like the sun: it dissipates the densest fog.

Spiritism  has  revealed another  category much  more dangerous than false christs and prophets; it is found not among humans, but among discarnates: that of deceiving, hypocritical, proud and pseudo-learned spirits who have passed from the earth to the spirit world and have adorned themselves  with venerated names in order to seek – thanks to the mask with which they have covered themselves – to give credence to the most bizarre and absurd ideas. Before mediumistic interactions were known, such spirits exerted their actions in a less ostensive way, through inspiration or through unconscious hearing or speaking mediumship. The number of those who, at various times, but especially  as of late, have presented themselves  as certain ancient prophets, as Christ, as Mary, the mother of Christ, and even as God, is considerable. John’s letter warns against them when he says, “Dearly beloved, do not believe all spirits, but test whether the spirits are from God, for many false prophets have appeared in the world.” Spiritism provides the means to test them by pointing out the characteristics by which good spirits can be recognized, characteristics that are always moral and never material.36 It is in the distinguishing between good and evil spirits that these words of Jesus can be especially applied: “The quality of a tree can be recognized by its fruit; a good tree cannot produce bad fruit and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit.” Spirits are judged by the quality of their deeds, just as a tree by the quality of its fruit.