255. Few questions are more controverted among spiritists, than that of the identity of spirits; because, in point of fact, spirits do not bring us any absolute and irrefragable proof of their identity, and often appropriate to themselves names which are not theirs. For this reason, the question of identity is, next to obsession, the greatest difficulty of practical Spiritism; although it must be borne in mind that, in many cases, absolute identity is only a secondary matter, of little real importance.

It is especially difficult, and, in some cases, impossible, to establish the identity of the spirits of personages who lived in ancient times; in regard to these we are reduced to an appreciation based on moral and intellectual considerations, judging of them as we judge of men by their thoughts and their language. For example; if a spirit presenting himself under the name of Plato should say foolish or childish things, it would be very plain that he could not be Plato; but if on the contrary, all that he said were worthy of Plato, and what the spirit of Plato would have no motive for disapproving, there would be, at least, a moral probability of his being Plato himself; although we should have no absolute proof of this. It is especially in cases of this kind that absolute identity is but a secondary question, because if what a spirit says is worthy of the spirit whose name he takes, the name itself is of little importance. It will doubtless be objected that a spirit who assumes a false name, even though he only says excellent things, none the less commits a fraud by so doing, and therefore cannot be a good spirit. The reply to this objection requires an appreciation of various delicate shades not easily distinguished, but which we must nevertheless endeavour to render appreciable by the reader.

256. In proportion as spirits become purified and thereby raise themselves to higher and higher degrees of the spirit-hierarchy, the distinctive characteristics of their personality are merged, so to say, in the uniformity of their perfection, although they none the less retain their personal individuality. This remark applies to those who have attained to the rank of "Superior Spirits," and, still more, to those who have reached the yet higher rank of "Pure Spirits." To spirits who have attained these degrees of elevation, the name they bore on earth, in any one of the thousands of ephemeral corporeal existences through which they may have passed, is a very insignificant matter. It is to be remarked, still farther, that spirits are attracted to one another by similarity of qualities; and that they are thus led to form themselves into sympathetic groups of  families, all the members of which, in their intercourse with us, may take the name of any one of them who may happen to be known to its. On the other hand, if we consider the immense number of spirits who, since the beginning of time, must have reached the highest spirit-ranks, and if we compare these with the very small number of those who have left a great name behind them on the earth, we see that, among the superior spirits who may be able to communicate with us, the names of the greater number of them must necessarily be unknown to us; but, as we need names, in order to fix our ideas in regard to the spirits who communicate with us, they take the name of some personage in the past, whose character most resembles their own, in order to fix our ideas in regard to them. It is for this reason that our guardian-angels so frequently take the name of someone whom we especially venerate, and for whom we feel especial sympathy. It follows from this fact, that, if any one's guardian-angel gives himself the name of Saint Peter, for example, it is by no means certain that he is the Apostle so named; it may be he, or it may be a spirit totally unknown to us, but belonging to the family of spirits to which the Apostle Peter belongs; and it follows, still farther, that, under whatever name we invoke our guardian-angel, he will come at our call, because it is our thought that attracts him, while he is altogether indifferent as to the name we give him.

It is the same whenever a superior spirit communicates spontaneously under any well-known name, for we can have no proof that he is really the spirit of the personage whose name he takes; but, if he says nothing inconsistent with the elevated character of that personage, the presumption may be considered to be in favour of the reality of the identity claimed ; and at all events, if he be not the very spirit he claims to be, we may be sure that he is a spirit of the same degree; and, in that case, he may probably have been sent by him. To sum up; the question of names in regard to communications of a general character, is of secondary importance; for, in many cases, the name assumed by a spirit may be considered as a simple indication of the rank he occupies in the spirit-hierarchy, or of the category of spirits to which he belongs.

The case, however, is altogether different when a spirit of inferior rank assumes an honoured name to gain credit for his statements, a substitution that frequently occurs, and against which we cannot be too much on our guard; for it is by means of these borrowed names, and with the aid of fascination, that system-building spirits, with more conceit than knowledge, seek to disseminate the most erroneous ideas.

The question of identity, as we have said, is of little importance in regard to teachings of a general nature; for spirits of high degree may substitute themselves for one another, without any practical inconvenience for us, because they form a collective whole, whose individual members, with few exceptions, are completely unknown to us. What interests us is not their personal individuality, but the quality of their teachings; and if those teachings are good, it matters little whether he who gives them calls himself Peter or Paul, for we judge him by his quality and not by his name while, on the other hand, inferior communications are no more rendered acceptable by being made under the assumption of venerated names, than bad wine can be changed into good by the addition of a fine brand. But it is otherwise in regard to communications purporting to come from those whom we have loved; because, in such cases, it is precisely the individuality, the personality, of the communicating spirit that constitutes for us their interest and worth; and it is therefore with reason that, in regard to all such communications, we make a point of ascertaining, as far as such ascertainment is possible, whether the spirit who responds to our call is really the one with whom we desire to enter into relation.

257. In regard to this point, we have to remark that identity is much more easily established in the case of spirits of our own day, whose character and characteristics are known to us; for it is precisely by these characteristics, which they have not yet had time to throw off, that we are enabled to recognise them, and they, therefore, constitute one of the surest signs of identity. But it must not be forgotten that a spirit, in quitting his earthly body, does not entirely lose the sensitiveness which he felt in the earthly life; we usually find, when questions are addressed to him on a subject, or in a manner, which would not have been permitted by him when in the flesh, that he refuses to answer, or goes away. It cannot therefore be too clearly borne in mind that, in seeking to obtain proof of the identity of a disincarnate spirit, we should abstain from everything that could wound or offend him, as carefully as we should do in regard to spirits in the flesh.

258. But while disincarnate spirits generally refuse to answer indiscreet questions, such as we should scruple to put to persons in our present life, they frequently give spontaneous and unquestionable proof of their identity, by their language, by the use of words habitually employed by them, or by recalling events of their life, known to those to whom they come, but unknown to the rest of the company. Proofs of identity are often furnished, too, by many little corroborating circumstances and indications that did not appear at the first attempt of the spirit to communicate with us, but that present themselves gradually, in the course of successive sittings. It is therefore well to wait for the proofs of identity that the spirit may be able to give us, rather than to attempt to force them from him; attentively observing, meanwhile, all the indications for or against his identity that may result from the nature of the manifestations themselves (See No 70).

259. A method of assuring ourselves of the identity of a spirit that is sometimes employed with success, when the Communicating spirit is suspected of having assumed a name which is not his, consists in demanding of him to affirm, in the name of the Almighty, that he is really the spirit he declares himself to be. Though some lying spirits will brave even this test, a great number of those who do not scruple to use a borrowed name recoil from the commission of a sacrilege; and, after having written "I affirm, in the name of;"- will stop writing, make vague, unmeaning scratches on the paper, or tear it; or will break, or throw down, the pencil. A confirmed hypocrite will sometimes elude the question by a mental reservation, and will write, for example: 'I certify that I am speaking the truth" or he will perhaps write 'I affirm in the name of God, that it is really I who am speaking," etc. But as remarked above, there are many who are less scrupulous, and who will swear to anything. One of these put himself in communication with a medium, stating that he was "God" and the medium, feeling himself immensely honoured by such a favour, unhesitatingly believed him. This spirit, evoked by us, did not dare to persist in such an imposture, but said: "I am not God; but I am His son." "Do you mean to say, then, that you are Jesus? But that would hardly seem probable; for Jesus is too high to resort to a subterfuge. Do you dare to affirm, in the name of God, that you are Christ?" - "I do not say that I am Jesus;" replied the silly impostor, I call myself God's son, because I am one of His creatures."

We may safely conclude that the refusal of a spirit to affirm his identity in the name of God is always a proof that the name he has assumed is a false one; but we must bear in mind that even the affirmation of identity in the name of God is only, and in some cases, a presumption of its being true, and by no means an absolute proof of it.

260. We may also include, among the presumptive evidences of identity, the similarity of writing, signature, turns of expression, and other personal peculiarities; but, to say nothing of the fact that it is not given to every medium to obtain these similitudes, it must be remembered that they are not always of themselves a sufficient guarantee of identity; for there are mimics, sharpers, and forgers, in the world of spirits as well as in this one. Similarity of writing &c, considered as a proof of identity, is only valuable as a presumption, and when strengthened by accompanying circumstances. It is the same with all the physical signs that some persons regard as talismans not to be imitated by lying spirits. For spirits who dare to commit perjury in the name of God, or to counterfeit a signature, to physical sign can be an obstacle. The best of all proofs of identity is found in the language and tenor of the communications, and in the fortuitous circumstances by which the manifestations are accompanied.

261. It will doubtless be said, that, if a spirit can imitate a signature, he can as easily imitate the language of the person whose name he assumes. This is true; and we have met with spirits who not only assumed the name of Christ, but who imitated the evangelical style and lavished at random the well-known phrase, " Verily, verily, I say unto you" but when, instead of Christ's grand utterances, we find ridiculous puerilities, we must be thoroughly "fascinated" to be taken in by pretensions so hollow.

The style of a speaker or writer may be imitated by inferior spirits, but not the thought; ignorance can never imitate knowledge, nor vice, virtue; and, in all such attempted impersonations, the tip of the asinine ear is sure to peep out. Nevertheless, in order to distinguish between truth and falsehood, the medium and the evoker must employ all their perspicacity. They must understand that perverse spirits are capable of anything and everything; and that, the higher the name assumed by a spirit, the more suspicious should we be of his veracity. How many mediums have received false and ridiculous communications, made under the pretended sanction of the most venerated names!