Allan Kardec-THE Spirit's Book_ The Principles of Spiritist Doctrine (1989)

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ALLAN KARDEC
see in man only matter, only an organised machine; we are there-fore justified in asserting
that the facts of Spiritism have given the death-blow to materialism. Had Spiritism done
nothing more than this, it would be entitled to the gratitude of all the friends of social order;
but it does much more than this, for it shows the inevitable results of evil, and, consequently,
the necessity of goodness. The number of those whom it has brought back to better
sentiments, whose evil tendencies it has neutralised, and whom it has turned from wrongdoing,
is already larger than is usually supposed, and is becoming still more considerable
every day; because the future is no longer for them a vague imagining, a mere hope, but a
fact, the reality of which is felt and understood when they see and hear those who have left us
lamenting or rejoicing over what they did when they were upon the earth. Whoever witnesses
these communications begins to reflect on the reality thus brought home to him, and to feel
the need of self-examination, self-judgement, and self-amendment.
IX
The fact that differences of opinion exist among spiritists in regard to certain points of
doctrine has been used by opponents as a handle against it. It is not surprising that, in the
beginning of a new science, when the observations on which it is based are still incomplete,
the subjects of which it treats should have been regarded by its various adherents from their
own point of view, and that contradictory theories should thus have been put forth. But a
deeper study of the facts in question has already overthrown most of those theories, and,
among others, that which attributed all spirit-communications to evil spirits, as though it were
impossible for God to send good spirits to men; a supposition that is at once absurd, because
it is opposition to the facts of the case, and impious, because it is a denial of the power and
goodness of the Creator. Our spirit-guides have always advised us not to trouble ourselves
about divergences of opinion among spiritists, assuring us that unity of doctrine will
eventually be established; and we accordingly see that this unity has already been arrived at in
regard to the major part of the points at issue, and that divergences of opinion, in regard to the
others, are disappearing day by day.