August 1st, 1915
Received by James Padgett.
Washington D.C.
I am here, John Brown:
I was the man who gave his life for the freedom of the slaves and the purification of the nation. So I come to you as a spirit who in the long years since my death has seen the principles for which I fought and died established in the laws of my country, and the principles of freedom and political equality made a part of the economy of your land.
I am now a spirit fighting still for truth and liberty, but now my fight is for the liberty of all mankind from the slavery which sin and the greed of men impose upon their fellow men. No man has the right, because of superiority in position or greatness in wealth to make his fellow man a slave or keep him from enjoying the God given things of earth. Of course, some men must rule and some must possess the greater riches, but these facts do not justify the ruling ones or the wealthy in treating the subordinate or the poor in a way to make them unhappy, or to prevent them from receiving their just dues in the working of the affairs of their relationship of employer and employee or of governor and governed.
Right is right, and the machinations of men will not much longer make the poor and dependent a slave to the rich and independent. Men are awakening to their rights and to the object of their creation by a just God who is no respecter of persons; and soon men will come into their own and peace will reign on earth. I am not what is called a socialist, but a lover of mankind without regard to environments or opportunities. Let the rich treat the poor as brothers, and let the laws be administered for all alike.
Religion is a mighty power in the world, and as men come to see that the golden rule of the Master is the only one that should govern their actions, one towards the other, peace and prosperity and happiness will come to the inhabitants of the earth.
What I say is not a mere dream of an enthusiast, but is the result of what I see will follow the workings of the great spiritual forces which are now combined and working for the salvation of men as never before in the history of the world.
And in this great work love will be the mainstay of the principles that will activate men in their dealings with one another, and when this love shall flow to men with all its fullness and irresistible force, as will do, men will realize a new existence, and the brotherhood of men will become a thing of reality. So I say, let men prepare themselves for this great inflowing of love, for it is coming and will sweep away the evils and trifles that now are influencing the great crime of the centuries. I mean the great barbarous and inexcusable war that is now devastating the whole of Europe.
Men may think that the end of the war will see a peace that, because of the horrors and great losses and depletion of men and means, will last for many years, but if peace should depend upon these causes, war would rear its ugly head again before many generations have passed. While the war shall end, the causes of the war will only slumber, and when new generations come, and the ambition and desire for aggrandizement and power shall again work their evil influences upon the hearts and minds of the rulers of the new generations, war will come again.
But we hope, and are working to that end, that the love of one for another and the great feeling and realization of the brotherhood of man will so fill the souls of men that those things which cause wars will entirely disappear, and peace will become the lasting condition of both individuals and nations. Liberty and freedom are the great possessions of men even as they are now possessed, with all these feelings of envy and hatred and ambition, but peace and love are the greatest things in all the world, and when men learn this, war will never rear its ugly head again. I must stop now.
I am living in the fourth sphere and am comparatively happy, and am much interested in any country's welfare and in the welfare of humanity the world over. I am a worshiper of God and am trying to follow His precepts as I learned them on earth. I am not the possessor of what you call the Divine Love but I have a love for my fellow men which enables me to try to help them in every way in my power.
I never have troubled myself about the love that you speak of. I know that there are spirits who live in higher spheres than I do, and they seem more beautiful than do I, but I have never sought the reason or troubled myself with knowing why.
But as you put the proposition I will talk to some of these spirits and ask them about this love that you speak of.
So I thank you for the opportunity of writing my sentiments on the subject that is so dear to me now, and was when I was on earth.
With all my love I will say,
Goodnight,
John Brown