Dear friends, be strict with yourselves but indulgent toward the weaknesses of others. Doing so is a further practice of holy charity that few observe. All of you have evil tendencies to overcome, defects to correct and habits to change. All of you have a burden that is heavier or less heavy, but which you must get rid of in order to scale the peak of the mountain of progress. Then why are you so all-seeing toward your neighbor, yet so blind regarding yourselves? When will you stop noticing the speck in your brother’s or sister’s eye while not noticing the plank that blinds you and causes you to go from downfall to downfall? Believe in your friends, the Spirits. All men and women proud enough to deem themselves superior in virtue and merit to their incarnate brothers and sisters are foolish and at fault, and God will punish them on the day of his justice. The true character of charity is modesty and humility, which consist in seeing the defects of others only on the surface and in taking an interest in valuing whatever is good and virtuous in them, for if the human heart is an abyss of corruption, there is always in a few of its hidden-most corners the seed of a few good sentiments and a live spark of spiritual essence.

O  Spiritism, consoling and blessed doctrine, happy are they who know you and take advantage of the salutary teachings of the Spirits of the Lord! The way is illuminated for them, and throughout their entire journey they can read these words that point to the means for them to reach the end: practical charity, charity of the heart, charity toward one’s neighbors and toward oneself; in other words, charity toward all and love for God above all things, because love for God summarizes all duties and it is impossible to love him truly without practicing charity, which he made into a law for all his creatures.

Dufetre, Bishop of Nevers (Bordeaux)