October 22nd, 1916.
Received by James Padgett.
Washington D.C.
I am here, Elias.
I come tonight to say a few words on the sermon of the preacher and also because I was an early spiritualist and all down the ages have had knowledge of the communications between spirits and mortals. Tonight at the church there were many spirits present and as the preacher said "every particle of space in the building was occupied by spirits" - some of the higher order and others of the lower planes where conditions are dark, but there were many there and interested, for nearly every person in the audience had some spirit friend or guardian angel with him, and as the nervous (various) members of the congregation differed in their condition of soul development or spiritual enlightenment, so they attracted considerable spirits. But in addition to these who were attracted by their respective mortal friends or relatives, there were a number of spirits from the higher spheres who were interested in the occasion. For it is not often that an orthodox congregation has the opportunity or takes the opportunity to listen to a sermon upon the theme that the preacher dealt with tonight, and if you could have seen the difference in the workings of the minds and understandings and the effect upon the preconceived beliefs of the several members of the congregation, you would have been surprised and realized more fully the powers that belief has upon the consciousness of mortals.
I do not intend to analyze the sermon, but must say that the same was a surprise to many of the orthodox as well as to some who are spiritualists. The preacher declared many truths that were repugnant to a number of his congregation because in their blind belief in their creeds and dogmas they had not the right, that any real orthodox minister could have believed and proclaimed such doctrines as the preacher declared. He is a true spiritualist so far as the propositions of continuous life and inter-communication are concerned, but he hardly dares announce his beliefs in the language of spiritualism and he may have been wise in not doing so as the effect would not be very desirable upon many of his hearers.
He is not very well versed in the truths of spiritualism, in matters which deal with its philosophy or religion and consequently he does not understand the great importance of searching for and finding the truths which these means afford of learning these truths. But the seeds of truth are in his mind and conviction and he is in that condition which renders him susceptible to receiving the truths, should they be presented to him in such a manner as to appeal to his beliefs and to his reason. And as he has a great deal of the soul development by reason of his possession of the Divine Love, the higher truths which have been revealed to you will appeal to him, more especially to his soul sense than to the sense of his mind conditions.
I know it would at first be a shock to him to learn that his intellectual belief in the doctrines of the trinity and the vicarious atonement and kindred portions of the creed of his church are all untrue and short of any basis in fact but nevertheless should he learn of the great truths of the plan of God for man's salvation, he would not hesitate to embrace these truths and even dare to proclaim them.
In a way he will prove to be a kind of pioneer in the work of spreading the true religion that must ultimately become known to and received by mankind and tonight's sermon may cause many of his hearers to regard spiritualism in a little different light, not as the creature of devils and evil spirits, but on the manifestation of the natural as I may say the reasonable workings of the laws of God upon the actual and normal relationship of spirits and mortals.
The preacher's sermon will do the cause of truth much good, because it will tend to open up the minds of many to gain a respectful hearing to any attempts that may be made to enlighten them as to the reality of the truths of spiritualism. One thing he said and that is that very few mediums can be depended upon in conjunction with the prejudice that exists in the minds of the orthodox, against everything that has the flavor of spiritualism, may tend to prevent the conversion of these people to its truths or even to attempt even if mere curiosity may be the moving cause.
We are pleased that the preacher took the position that he did in declaring his belief that spiritual communion is a fact and in giving the illustration of its several phases although he left the results or causes of such manifestation in a rather uncertain meaning. His hearers may infer that he meant that God, as contradistinguished from spirits was the voices or the cause of the visions or manifestations that he referred to in some mysterious or super-natural way in the exercise of His omniscience.
I merely wanted to write these few things to give you an idea of how important the teachings of the preacher may be proved to be in opening up the minds of many of his hearers. And as I close let me say that all down the ages spiritualism has existed and been demonstrated and prophets and apostles and mediums and men have heard the voices of spirits and seen the materialized spirits and received the inspirations of spirits of good and evil. I will not write more tonight and I hope you are not disappointed that I wrote instead of John, for we intended that you should be surprised somewhat in the writer, that is, the personality of the writer for we saw that you rather expected that John might write.
Many of your spirit friends have been with you tonight and they accompanied you to the rooms where you and your friend sat and discussed the sermon and the preacher and things connected with us and our messages. I will not write more tonight. With our love and blessings, I will say that we are
Your brother in Christ.
Elias.