262. If the identity of a spirit is, in many cases, only a secondary question of no great importance, the distinction between good and evil spirits can never be unimportant; for, although their individuality may, under certain circumstances, be indifferent to us, such can never be the case in regard to their quality, because it is their quality alone that can give us the measure of the confidence we should accord to them, whatever may be the name they assume.

 

263. As previously remarked, we must judge of spirits as we judge of men, by their language. Supposing a man receives twenty letters from persons unknown to him; by their style, by the thoughts conveyed in them, and by a multitude of other indications, he will distinguish those which are written by educated persons from those which come from ignorant ones; he will see, by the peculiarities of each letter, whether its writer is well or ill-bred, whether he is shallow or profound, whether he is proud, serious, frivolous, or sentimental. It is just the same with spirits; we must regard them as correspondents, or interlocutors, whom we have never seen, and ask ourselves what we should think of the knowledge and general character of men who should express themselves in the same way. We may lay it down as an invariable rule, admitting of no exception that the language of spirits is always in, accordance with the degree of their elevation. The communications of really superior spirits are not only excellent, but are always couched in simple and dignified language; and therefore the use of low and unsuitable language, by a spirit, always indicates inferiority on his part, no matter how good may be the intentions implied in it. We need hardly add, that any grossness of language, as of thought, is conclusive proof of a corresponding grossness in the nature of the communicating spirit. The language of a communication always shows its origin, whether by the nature of the thought conveyed, or by the form in which it is given; so that, whenever a spirit tries to deceive us by a pretended superiority, we have only to converse with him a little, in order to appraise him at his true value.

 

264. Kindness and benevolence are also essential attributes of purified spirits; they have no hatred, either for men or for other spirits; they pity the weaknesses of those who are below them, and, though they criticise their errors, they always do so with moderation, and without bitterness or animosity. If we admit that really good spirits can only desire the good of others, and can only give utterance to kind and noble sentiments, we must necessarily conclude that language, evidencing a want of kindness or nobility, cannot emanate from a good spirit.

 

265. Intelligence is far from being a sure sign of moral superiority; for intelligence and morality do not always go hand in hand. One spirit may be good and kind-hearted with scanty knowledge; while another may be intelligent and learned, and yet be very little advanced in morality.

 

People generally seem to suppose that, by questioning the spirit of a man who has been learned in some specialty on earth, they are more sure of getting at the truth in regard to it; but this supposition, though it seems a reasonable one, is not always correct. Experience shows us that scientific men as well as other people, and especially those who have not long left the earth, are still swayed by the prejudices of their terrestrial life, and that they do not immediately get rid of the ideas they have cherished, and which may have lent a halo to their names. It may even happen that, being thus under the influence of their former ideas and theoretic systems, they see less clearly than we are apt to suppose. We are far from laying down this principle as a rule; we only say that such cases have been met with, and that, consequently, a man's having possessed scientific knowledge during his human life is not always a proof of his wisdom as a spirit.

 

266. By submitting all spirit communications to a scrupulous examination, and by scrutinising and analysing the ideas and expressions of spirits as we do in judging the literary work of men, by rejecting everything that runs counter to reason and common sense, everything in contradiction with the character of the spirit who claims to be manifesting, we discourage deceptive spirits, who take themselves off when they find that they cannot deceive us. We repeat it; this method is the only one by which we can distinguish between the communications of good and of inferior spirits, but it is infallible; for no communication from the latter can stand the test of rigorous examination. Good spirits are never offended by such examination; on the contrary, they advise it, because they have nothing to fear from scrutiny. It is only bad spirits who take scrutiny amiss, and who try to dissuade us from making it, because they are sure to be losers by it; their dissuasion, therefore, proves their inferiority.

 

Here is a piece of advice on this point given by Saint Louis:

 

"Whatever may be the confidence legitimately inspired in your mind by the spirits who preside at your meetings, you must never fail to exercise your judgement in regard to every communication that you receive, and must never neglect, when any point appears obscure, suspicious, or doubtful, to ask for the necessary explanations in regard to it."

 

267. We may sum up the methods of ascertaining the quality of spirits as follows: -

 

1. Common sense is the sole criterion by which to ascertain the quality of spirits and the value of their communications. Any other criterion, though given by spirits for the attainment of this object, is absurd, and cannot have been suggested by spirits of superior elevation.

 

2. Spirits are to be judged of by their language and actions; the latter being the sentiments they inspire and the counsels they give.

 

3. It being admitted that good spirits cannot say or do anything but what is good, it follows that nothing evil can proceed from a good spirit.

 

4. The language of superior spirits is always dignified, noble, elevated, and free from the least admixture of triviality; they express themselves with simplicity and modesty; they never make a parade of their learning, nor boast of their position in the spirit-world. The language of inferior or commonplace spirits always shows some trace of human passions; every expression indicating ignorance, vulgarity, self-sufficiency, arrogance, boastfulness, or acrimony, is a characteristic of inferiority, and also of fraud, if the spirit has presented himself under an honoured or venerated name.

 

5. While carefully scrutinising the style of spirit-communications, we must also examine their meaning, weighing their statements coolly, patiently, and without prejudice. If these are illogical, unreasonable, and unwise, there can be no doubt as to the inferiority of their authors, whatever may be the names assumed by them (224).

 

6. The language of elevated spirits is always the same, in meaning, if not in form. Their thoughts are the same, whatever may be the time and place of their transmission; their communications are more or less developed, according to circumstances, needs, and facilities of communication; but they are never contradictory. If two communications, bearing the same name, are opposed to each other, one of them is evidently apocryphal, and the true one will be that in which NOTHING is in contradiction with the known character of its signer. If, for example, of two communications signed Vincent de Paul, one inculcated union and charity, and the other aimed at producing discord, no man in his senses could hesitate as to which would be the genuine one and which the sham.

 

7. Good spirits only state what they know; they are silent, or confess their ignorance, in regard to subjects with which they are unacquainted. Bad spirits talk boldly of everything, regardless of truth. Every scientific heresy, every theory opposed to common sense, betokens fraud on the part of the spirit who is communicating, if he claims to be of high degree.

 

8. We may also recognise inferior spirits by their random predictions of future events, and their minute assertions in regard to pretended facts of which we know nothing. Good spirits sometimes give us a hint or a presentiment of future events, when some useful end is to be gained by so doing; but they never, or rarely, give minute details or fix dates; the announcement of some given event, as being destined to occur at a given period, is usually a hoax.

 

9. Superior spirits express themselves simply and concisely, and their communications are clear, intelligible, and easily understood; they say much in a few words, for every word they employ has its meaning. Inferior and shallow spirits, on the contrary, often endeavour to disguise their poverty of ideas under a pompous and inflated style, and are often pretentious, ridiculous, or obscure, while trying to appear profound.

 

10. Good spirits never command, never assume airs of authority; they give us counsel, and, if we do not attend to them, they retire. Evil spirits are imperious; they give orders, try to make us obey them, and persist in staying even when bidden to go away. Every spirit who assumes a tone of command betrays his inferiority. Evil spirits are exclusive and absolute in their opinions, and pretend that they alone speak the truth. They demand a blind credence, and never appeal to reason, because they know that reason would unmask their pretensions.

 

11. Good spirits never flatter; they approve what is right, but always with moderation: evil spirits overwhelm us with exaggerated praise; they contrive to stimulate pride and vanity, even while ostensibly preaching humility; and they rarely fail to exalt the personal importance of those whom they seek to ensnare.

 

12. Superior spirits are above formalities and trifles. Only commonplace spirits attach importance to petty details, incompatible with really elevated ideas. Every petty prescription is a certain mark of inferiority on the part of a spirit, whatever may be the name he assumes.

 

13. The assumption of eccentric and ridiculous names by spirits is always to be distrusted, and those who assume them may always be set down as trying to impose on our credulity; it would be absurd to regard such extravagances with respect.

 

14. We must be equally on our guard when spirits present themselves under names held in high respect or veneration, for it is especially in such cases that critical examination is necessary; respected and venerated names being too often only a mask intended to deceive us as to the real quality of the spirits by whom they are assumed. By borrowing great names, inferior spirits often seek to flatter a medium's vanity; and they then lead him on to regrettable absurdities.

 

15. Good spirits are scrupulous of giving us advice in regard to our action in the affairs of our daily life, and only do so for the attainment of some serious and useful end. We must never act upon any spirit-advice, unless the advice thus given is entirely approved of by our reason and judgement; in all such cases, we should carefully reflect before following any such advice, or we may expose ourselves to very disagreeable and even dangerous hoaxings.

 

16. Good spirits may also be recognised by their prudent reserve in regard to all that could compromise individuals; to unveil evil is repugnant to them, while foolish and malicious spirits delight in bringing it into view. While good spirits endeavour to extenuate, and exhort to indulgence, evil ones exaggerate, blame, and excite discord by perfidious insinuations.

 

17. Good spirits only prescribe what is good; no counsel which is not in strict conformity with the purest evangelical charity can proceed from them.

 

18. Good spirits never make statements that are not in perfect accordance with reason; every suggestion which is opposed to common sense, or to the laws of nature, betrays the inferiority of its origin, and is consequently not to be trusted.

 

19. Spirits who are evil, or merely imperfect, betray themselves also by physical indications which cannot be mistaken. Their action on the medium is sometimes violent, producing in him a feverish or convulsive agitation, or causing him to make abrupt and jerking motions; results which offer a marked contrast to the calmness and gentleness produced by the action of good spirits.

 

20. Imperfect spirits frequently take advantage of the means of communication at their disposal for giving perfidious counsels, excite distrust and animosity against those whom they dislike, and direct their animadversions especially against those who are able to detect their inferiority.

 

They seek out the weak in order to lead them astray; employing, by turns, sophistry, sarcasm, abuse, and even physical violence, as proof of their occult power; they do their utmost to turn them from the path of truth.

 

21. The spirits of men who have busied themselves with one single idea or pursuit during their earthly life often remain, for long periods, under the sway of their terrestrial ideas, and retain many of the prejudices, predilections, and even manias, of their earthly life; a fact easily seen in their manifestations.

 

22. The knowledge of which some spirits ostentatiously boast is no proof of their real superiority; the unvarying purity of their moral sentiments is the only proof of their elevation.

 

23. We cannot arrive at truth simply by questioning a spirit. In the first place, we must know to whom we are addressing our questions; for inferior spirits, no matter how ignorant they may be, are often quick to reply, even in regard to the most serious subjects, in spite of their ignorance. Moreover, even if the spirit who replies was learned in earthly science, while in the corporeal life, it does not follow that he is possessed of high scientific knowledge in the world of spirits. It is only through moral purity that a spirit draws nearer to God, and thus extends the circle of his knowledge.

 

24. The pleasantry of superior spirits is often subtle and keen, but never undignified. The satire of spirits of lower degree, who, without being rude, are sometimes fond of bantering, is often both sharp and perfectly to the point.

 

25. By a careful study of the characteristics of the spirits who present themselves, especially as regards their morality, we ascertain their nature, and the degree of confidence we may safely place in them. People who habitually make use of their common sense are rarely deceived, in regard to spirits, as in regard to men.

 

26. In order to judge of spirits, as in order to judge of men, we must have learned to judge ourselves. Many persons take their own personal opinions as the sole standard of right and wrong, of truth and falsehood, and condemn whatever contradicts their way of looking at things, their ideas, and the theories they have invented or adopted. Such persons are evidently deficient in the rectitude of judgement which is the first condition of a sound appreciation of any subject, but they are not aware of their deficiency, this defect being the one in regard to which illusion is the most frequent and tenacious.

 

The foregoing directions are derived from experience and from spirit-teachings; we will complete them by giving the answers of spirits to questions addressed to them, by us, in reference to the most important points previously touched upon.