303. If it be unpleasant to be deceived, it is still more so to be hoaxed; happily this is one of the dangers of practical spiritism from which we may most easily preserve ourselves. The ways of confounding the tricks of knavish spirits being implied in all the instructions of the present work, it is unnecessary to enlarge upon the subject. We subjoin, however, a few of the answers received by us from spirits in conversations concerning the tricks alluded to.

1. Hoaxing is one of the most disagreeable stumbling blocks of practical spiritism; is there any method by which we may avoid being thus taken in?

"It seems to me that your question is answered by all that we have told you.

Yes, certainly, there is such a method, and a very simple one, viz., to ash from spiritism only what it can or ought to give you. Bear in mind that its sole object is the moral improvement of mankind, and you will never incur deception; for there is but one way of understanding true morality.

"Spirits come to guide you into the path of virtue, but not into that of honours, fortune, or the pampering of your pitiable passions. If you never questioned them about futilities, or about things which they are not permitted to tell you, you would give no handle to deceptive spirits; from which fact you may safely conclude that, in most cases, those who are hoaxed only get what they deserve.

"The duty of spirits is not to give you advice about earthly things, but to help you to insure your welfare in the world to come. When they speak of the things of your present life, it is because they see a necessity for doing so; but they never do so simply at your demand. If you look upon spirit-communications as a substitute for fortunetelling and sorcery, you will assuredly incur deception.

"Again, if men had only to apply to spirits in order to obtain knowledge, they would cease to use their free will, and would not advance on the road marked out for them by Providence. Man must act of himself; spirits are sent to men, not to make straight the path of their human life, but to aid them to prepare the happiness of their future."

- But there are persons who ask nothing of spirits, and who are, nevertheless, atrociously deceived by spirits whom they have not evoked, but who come spontaneously.

"If they ask no questions about their worldly affairs, they allow statements to be made to them in regard to those affairs; which amounts to the same thing. If they received with doubt and reserve every statement that oversteps the true limit of spirit communication, they would not be so easily taken in by mischievous spirits."

2. How is it that God permits sincere acceptors of spiritism to be hoaxed in this way? Are not such deceptions calculated to destroy their belief?

"If their belief could be shaken in this way, it could not have much reality; those who should renounce Spiritism on account of such deception would simply show that they (did not understand it, and that their acceptance had been only superficial. These hoaxings are permitted to try your perseverance, and to punish those who see in spiritism only a means of worldly profit or amusement.

"THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH"

Remark - The cunning of deceptive spirits sometimes passes all imagination.

The art with which they erect their batteries, and combine their attacks, would be a curious study if innocent pleasantries were their sole object; but these mystifications have very painful consequences for those who are not thoroughly on their guard. We have been fortunate enough to open the eyes of many persons who have asked our advice, in time to prevent them from compromising themselves by following absurd suggestions maliciously made to them with a view of getting them into trouble of various kinds. Among the means of deception, most frequently resorted to by malicious spirits, are pretended revelations concerning hidden treasures, predictions of legacies, inheritances, etc., the announcement of so-called scientific discoveries, and pretentious theories which explain none of the great problems of life. In general, as previously remarked, we should distrust all statements which do not come within the legitimate scope of spirit, communication. No advice that is not evidently rational should ever be followed, no matter what may be the name assumed by the spirit who gives it. We could fill a volume with most curious instances of spirit-hoaxings that have occurred within the circle of our own personal observation.