Text
The Spiritist Hierarchy
is, in some way, the key
of the Spiritist science
1.
There are different
orders of Spirits,
according to their
degree of perfection
they have reached. As
there is no limitation
as to their orders, they
are countless.
Considering, though, the
main characteristics of
Spirits, we may classify
them into three orders:
FIRST ORDER-PURE SPIRITS:
The influence of matter
null; a superiority,
both intellectual and
moral, so absolute as to
constitute what, in
comparison with the
spirits of all the other
orders, may be termed
perfection.
SECOND ORDER-GOOD
SPIRITS:
Predominance of spirit
over matter; desire of
excellence.
THIRD ORDER-IMPERFECT
SPIRITS:
Predominant influence of
matter over spirit.
Propension to
evil. Ignorance, pride,
selfishness, and all the
evil passions which
result from these.
2. This classification,
however, is by no means
absolute. It is only in
its totality that the
character of each
category is distinctly
marked, for each
category merges in the
one above it by
imperceptible
gradations, the
peculiarities of the
successive categories
shading off into one
another at their
extremities, as is the
case in the various
reigns of nature, in the
colors of the rainbow,
in the phases of a human
life. The power of
determining these points
may be said to
constitute the key to
Spiritist investigation;
for it alone, by
enlightening us in
regard to the
intellectual and moral
inequalities of spirits,
can explain the
anomalies presented by
spirit-communications.
3. Based on these
considerations, Kardec
divided the orders
aforementioned into ten
classes, as it follows.
Imperfect Spirits cannot
understand God
4. General
Characteristics.-Predominant
influence of matter over
spirit. Pretension to
evil. Ignorance, pride,
selfishness, and all the
evil passions which
result from these. They
have the intuition of
the existence of God,
but they have no
comprehension of Him.
Tenth Class-Impure
Spirits:
They are inclined to
evil, and make it the
object of all their
thoughts and activities.
Ninth Class - Frivolous
Spirits:
They are ignorant,
mischievous,
unreasonable, and
addicted to mockery.
They meddle with
everything, and reply to
every question without
paying any attention to
truth.
Eighth Class-Spirits who
pretend to more Science
than they Possess:
Their knowledge is often
considerable, hut they
imagine themselves to
know a good deal more
than they know in
reality. Having made a
certain amount of
progress from various
points of view, their
language has an air of
gravity that may easily
give a false impression
as to their capacities
and enlightenment; but
their ideas are
generally nothing more
than the reflection of
the prejudices and false
reasoning of their
terrestrial life.
Seventh Class-Neutral
Spirits:
They are not
sufficiently advanced to
take an active part in
doing well, nor are they
bad enough to be active
in doing wrong.
Sixth Class-Noisy and
Boisterous Spirits:
They often manifest
their presence by the
production of phenomena
perceptible by the
senses, such as raps,
the movement and
abnormal displacing of
solid bodies, the
agitation of the air,
etc.; all spirits are
able to produce physical
phenomena; but spirits
of elevated degree
usually leave them to
those of a lower order,
more apt for action upon
matter.
Good Spirits have as a
characteristic to desire
to do well
5. General
Characteristics.-Predominance
of spirit over matter;
desire of excellence.
Their qualities and
their power for good are
proportionate to the
degree at which they
have arrived. Some of
them possess scientific
knowledge, others have
acquired wisdom and
charity; the more
advanced among them
combine knowledge with
moral excellence. Not
being yet completely
dematerialized, they
preserve the traces of
their corporeal
existence, more or less
strongly marked,
according to their
rank-traces which are
seen either in their
mode of expressing
themselves, in their
habits, or even, in some
cases, in the
characteristic
eccentricities and
hobbies still retained
by them. But for these
weaknesses and
imperfections they would
be able to pass into the
category of spirits of
the first order:
Fifth Class-Benevolent
Spirits:
Their dominant quality
is kindness.
Fourth Class - Learned
Spirits:
They are less interested
in moral questions than
in scientific
investigation, for which
they have a greater
aptitude.
Third Class-Wise Spirits:
The most elevated moral
qualities form their
distinctive
characteristics. They
have reached a
development of
intellectual capacity
that enables them to
judge correctly of men
and of things.
Second Class-High
Spirits:
They unite, in a very
high degree, scientific
knowledge, wisdom, and
goodness. They willingly
enter into communication
with those who seek for
truth in simplicity and
sincerity, and who are
sufficiently freed from
the bonds of materiality
to be capable of
understanding it. When,
under exceptional
circumstances, they
incarnate themselves in
this earth, it is always
for the accomplishment
of a mission of
progress; and they thus
show us the highest type
of perfection to which
we can aspire in the
present world.
FIRST ORDER-PURE SPIRITS
-The influence of matter
null; a superiority,
both intellectual and
moral, so absolute as to
constitute what, in
comparison with the
spirits of all the other
orders, may be termed
perfection:
First and only Class–:
-They have passed up
through every degree of
the scale of progress,
and have freed
themselves from all the
impurities of
materiality. Having
attained the sum of
perfection of which
created beings are
susceptible, they have
no longer to undergo
either trials or
expiations.