John Writes about "What should a man do who is not satisfied with any of the churches?"

October 19, 1916
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, John.

I was with you tonight and heard the preacher answer the questions, and some of his answers were very satisfactory, but there was one that did not exactly satisfy the true longings of the man who is in search of truth - I mean the one that asks: "What should a man do who is not satisfied with any of the churches?"

Well, if he can find no church that provides truths that satisfy that man's inquiring soul, then that man can never feel that he should go to any church for information as to those things which he has no knowledge of or which he has grave doubts about.

The churches, of course, can give no information of truths that the churches themselves do not know, and if the truths that these churches teach fall short of what the man is seeking for, then these churches cannot possibly be satisfactory to him. While the churches differ in their creed and government and, perhaps, in some particular construction or interpretation of the Bible, yet, they - the orthodox churches - are all founded upon the teachings of the Bible, and they cannot teach greater or other truths than that Book contains and, hence, if a man is seeking for truths that are not in the Bible, his inquiries cannot be answered by those whose knowledge is confined to the Bible teachings.

And the non-orthodox churches cannot give forth the truths of the spiritual kingdom of God for they, to a large degree, reject the Bible and depend very largely upon ethical and moral doctrines, and the results of the works of mere conscience in determining the right and wrong of things. The spiritual things are not known or taught by these churches and, consequently, the inquiring mind cannot get from them the information or help that it is calling for.

I know that in such a condition and want of knowledge of truth on the part of the churches, such a man is without the privilege of having his cravings for the truth and his cravings for spiritual things satisfied. And, as a consequence, he must seek further to get the information which he may consider so necessary, and when he comes to so seek, he will find no place where such knowledge may be found.

The mere intellectual acquirements of students and philosophers will not supply what the man is seeking and he is without any possibility of obtaining what he seeks for. And so the preacher's suggestion, that he and two others form a church of their own, would have some force were it not for the fact that any church that might be so formed would have no greater possession of the truth than the churches that he has failed to find any satisfaction in.

There are many men on earth today in the condition of the man spoken of, and many who refuse to seek in the churches for the truth, are without any recourse to other means or places or teachers of whom they can learn the things that they are searching for.

The spirits have known of this condition of men for these many centuries and have been trying to supply a way or create a medium through which the great spiritual truths of God could be made known to men. And for that very purpose, we are now using you to receive our messages of truth and make them known to mankind and provide a church, may I say, where the seeking man may find answers to his inquiries.

We shall complete our delivery of these truths through you and then the man, who cannot find a church where his searchings can be satisfied, will find a reservoir of truth opened up to him that will not require any preacher or church to explain it. As you proceed in your experience with the churches and teachers of the old truths, as they call them, you will more fully realize the necessity for our work and your work.

I will not write more tonight, but will come soon and deliver a formal message. With my love and blessings, I will say good night.

John

Martin Luther Writes About the Futility of Religious Ceremonies as Redemption from Sin

June 29, 1916
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, Luther.

I desire to write a short message tonight on the subject of: "The observance of the ceremonies which my church still uses in its worship is not approved by God or Jesus." I will not detain you very long and will try to express myself as succinctly as possible.

Well, as you may not know the church of which I am the founder believes and teaches the necessity of infant baptism and the observance of the Lord's Supper as necessary parts of its church doctrine, and of such very great importance that without them it is difficult to become an accepted member of the invisible church of Christ. Nothing is further from the truth than these doctrines for the baptism of infants, for they have no virtue to save one from his sins or to make him in atonement with the Father, and the mere fact that water is sprinkled on an infant's head and some blessing pronounced by the preacher does not in any way bring that infant in unison with the Father.

Baptism is of man's creation and to God it means nothing more than an outward ceremony that affects the infant merely as regards its connection with the established earthly church. It is not possible for this baptism to have any effect upon the soul of the infant and neither does it open up the soul faculties to the inflowing of the Divine Love. God cares not for these ceremonies, and rather looks upon them with disapproval, for their tendency is to make men and women neglectful of the great truth that will bring them in harmony with God's Laws of Love and redemption. And the same thing may be said of any and all kinds of baptism, whether the subject thereof be an infant or a grown man or woman.

As to the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, it has no part in God's plan for the redemption of mankind and it is merely a reminder of the association of Jesus with his disciples. It cannot affect the condition or development of the soul and, as now understood and practiced, this sacrament is of no importance for Jesus does not want to be remembered in the way of recalling to him the tragedy on the cross, which was only the result of the malice and envy of the Jews; and the blood spilt is not an element that enters into the plan of the salvation of men. And besides, with this sacrament there is always more or less worshiping of Jesus as God, which he, Jesus, abhors and looks upon as blasphemy.

So you see, the celebration of the Last Supper is a thing which is not acceptable to God or to Jesus. He does not want men to believe that they can be saved by any sacrifice of him or by any blood which he may have shed as a result of his crucifixion.

Of course, you will remember that the question, of what the wine and bread of the sacrament really were, was one that engendered much controversy and even hatred and ill-feeling on the part of those who were assisting me in the great Reformation. If I had known then what I do now, no such question would have been debated or believed in by me and taught for many years. The blood of Jesus was no more than any other man's blood, and the commemoration of the last supper that Jesus gave his disciples before his death is a useless ceremony and brings no help to those who indulge in this sacrament.

I see that you are tired and sleepy and I will not write more now. So with my love and wishes for an increase in you of the Divine Love, I am

Your brother in Christ,
Luther

Lillian Summer Writes Her Testimony So It May Help Other Women Turn to Things Spiritual

June 6, 1916
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, the woman who lost her soul to preserve her standing in society while on earth. I was a woman who never thought of things spiritual or of the future life, but lived only for the pleasures of the present.

I had everything that money could buy and never knew what trouble in the way of desiring and not getting meant. I had an indulgent husband and lovely children, who made my home very happy, and who loved me with all the love of their natures and, of course, I loved them; but I did not feel the necessity of any other love, nor did I really know of any greater or higher love.

Of course, I attended church and listened to the sermons of the preachers and enjoyed them as intellectual treats, but as to appealing to my soul, I never once, as I can remember, experienced any sensation other than what came from the exaltation of my mind. My children were sent to Sunday school and learned what the teachers tried to instruct them in, but at home they had no religious teachings, as I never had any religious experience myself.

My husband was not an attendant at church and knew nothing of the higher things of life and was satisfied to make money so that his family could have all the comforts of home. We had a happy home in our love and associations and never felt that there was any other happiness that might be ours other than that which we had.

Now I realize the want of this spiritual conception of my being and the great joy that I am deprived of because of my want of knowledge of the things of the soul. I had a love nature, and I loved most people with whom I came in contact in a society way, yet this love was more or less unconsciously given, and my great ambition was to become a society leader, and the admiration, and possibly envy, of my friends.

Now, I see the falsity of it all, and how little of the ambitions of life, in the particulars mentioned, weighed in the standing and happiness of the spirits in this world of revelation and nakedness, for I am naked as regards all the thoughts and acts of my life, and very seldom do I see anything that helps my present condition.

I merely write you this that possibly someone who is living the life that I lived may read it, and turn her thoughts to the essentials, and let all these things of the earthly become secondary and of minor importance. My name was Lillian Summer, and I lived in Richmond, Virginia, and died in 1902.

I thank you for permitting me to write, as it has made me feel better and more at home.

I will say good night.

Lillian Summer

Martin Luther Writes a Short Note About the Necessity of Correcting Many of the Principles of Belief of His Followers

May 16, 1916
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, Luther.

I come to tell you that I desire very much to write you before a great time shall elapse, as I have a subject that is important to me to reveal to mankind, and especially my followers in the Church which bears my name. I see the necessity of correcting many of the principles of belief which now hold my followers to bondage and prevent them from learning the truths as I now know them to be.

So soon let me write, if you can possibly find the opportunity. I am very happy in my condition of love and living, and so want to help all others to learn the truth and become happy.

So, with my love and best wishes, I am

Your brother in Christ,
Luther

White Eagle and Helen Write About Mr. Lipscomb Who Wasn't Allowed to Write a Message

March 19, 1916
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, White Eagle.

Lipscomb tried to write and I would not let him because he was drunk and I know you did not want him to write.

**********

Helen writes that poor Lipscomb imagined he was intoxicated.

I am here, Helen:

Well, you have had some of your old lawyer friends write you, and I was glad of it, for they seemed to be happy in doing so. The last one was poor Lipscomb, and he imagined that he was intoxicated but, of course, he was not. He thought so himself; and as you have heard, "thoughts are things."

Well, I am very sorry for him. I have tried once or twice to help him, but I am afraid that I will have to wait some time before I can make any impression on him. He is so earthbound, and that accursed appetite seems to have such a hold on him that he is completely dominated by it. But time, as you say, will help him.

Well my own dear, I was with you tonight at church and you realized it while the choir was singing, for I could see and feel that your love was flowing to me, and I was very happy.

The preacher was very entertaining and his argument on the negative of the proposition was all right, for God's Love is open and waiting for everyone who may seek it, and no one will be deprived of it because of any supposed unpardonable sin. And his second proposition was, in a way, true also; but the conclusion that any man may by his own will and shutting of his soul desires to the influence of the spirit damn himself eternally is wrong. All will be saved either in the spirit world or the Celestial Heavens ultimately. Such sermons, while not expositions of the full truth, yet may do some good by awakening the hearers to a realization of their actual condition and need for the things of the spirit.

Well sweetheart, I must not write longer tonight as it is late. So with all my love, I will say, believe that I love you and am with you in all your worries and enjoyments.

Your own true and loving,
Helen

E.R. Hay, a Brother Lawyer of James E. Padgett, Writes that He is Now a Spirit and Happy that He Can Communicate with Him

March 19, 1916
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, E. R. Hay.

Yes, I am, and I am so glad that I can write you. I learned only recently that spirits could write through mortals. When I came to make inquiries, I found that you are the mortal through whom they write and I was surprised. Why, my dear fellow, you certainly are favored to have such a power, and I know that many spirits are very thankful that you permitted them to write.

Well, let me see, what shall I say. Well, well, what a wonderful thing, and I am right here to participate myself. I know you don't care to hear from a spirit like myself, as you have so many of the beautiful and bright spirits write you. But say, old fellow, I have met your wife here and she is a beautiful spirit, and so loving and kind. I have talked to her, and she has tried to help me, and she has. Oh, what a favored man you are to have such a wife! Not only so beautiful, but so powerful and majestic! She comes from the Celestial Spheres and is so filled with what she calls the Divine Love, that I can scarcely look at her at times.

What does all this mean, anyhow? It has not been long since we were both on earth, and yet there is such a difference between her and me. I was a church member and attended to my duties very conscientiously, and I don't know that she did more, and yet, the great difference. I wonder if going to church and conforming to its creeds and ceremonies amount to anything. There must be something else.

She has told me the cause of the difference, but I don't quite comprehend, and I find it hard to turn my thoughts to the things that she has told me of; for the beliefs of my earth life cling to me and hold me just where I was on earth.

Of course, when I died, I did not go to Heaven, and I have not seen God or his throne and the angels that we used to sing about, and it causes me to think that there must be some mistake in what I believed with regard to these things; yet I am afraid to let go my beliefs.

I have seen other spirits than your wife who have told me of what they call this Divine Love, and the necessity of having it in my soul in order to progress, but, yet, I doubt, and can't make up my mind to seek for it. It certainly is strange. I wonder what the church is for, if its believers find no more realization of their expectations than I have found.

I am in what is called the earth sphere and not happy, although I try to make the best of it, there is considerable darkness and some suffering, and I don't appear to find any associates, except those who are unhappy, too. I know that if I were on earth, I would not associate with such people, but here I can't help it and don't seem to be able to find any other kind. And I tell you, when your wife and several others who are bright and beautiful come to me, it gives me the greatest joy imaginable.

Yes, I have seen a number of our old lawyer friends, but they are just about as I am; some may be a little happier, but the most of them are just in my condition; and some, I am sorry to say, are in greater darkness and seem to be suffering intensely. There is one who killed himself. He is in a terrible condition, and I believe that he would like to kill himself again if it would put him out of his misery. I feel sorry for him, and wish that I could help him, but what can I do? I can't tell him of the consolation of my church creeds, for I have not found any consolation in them myself.

Well, I have listened to your advice, and I must say that in some particulars, you astonish me; but as you say it is all true, I must try to follow it, at least, until I find that it is not true. It certainly is wonderful that some of the spirits that you name could get in the condition of happiness that you speak of. I will try to do as you say, and as I understand the first thing is an open mind, I will try.

Yes, I see some bright spirits and among them your wife, and she is smiling at me and now comes to me and says, believe what you have told me; and now she says, "Here is an old acquaintance of yours," and brings Mr. Riddle to me, and my stars, what a beautiful man he has gotten to be and so bright and lovely. Well, I am astonished!

He says he remembers me and is glad that he can be with me, and says, that he has some things to tell me which are true and vital to my happiness and invites me to go with him. And notwithstanding I feel such happiness in being with you and writing to you, I will have to go with him, for I may find what you have told me I can find, if I will only follow the advice that may be given me.

Well, I am certainly glad for this opportunity to write, and I thank you for your talk. I will go now, but I should like to come again sometime and write.

With my kind regards, I will say goodbye.

E.R. Hay

St. Stephen Writes About the Invisible Church, Which is Composed of the Soul Worship of Men and Women Who Have Received Divine Love in Their Souls

January 17, 1916
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, St. Stephen.

I merely want to say a word on the importance of the subject which Paul has written on the resurrection. This is one of the most vital truths in all the plan of God for the redemption of mankind, and for the preservation and existence of the church; and when I say church, I do not mean any church which claims to be the only Church of Christ, but that invisible church which is composed of the soul worship of men and women, who have received the Divine Love in their souls. It is not necessary that there be any formation of congregations and ceremonies of church worship as men understand it, but the true, sincere worship of men founded on a knowledge of the Divine Love and its possession in their souls.

While men on earth may never form large congregations and erect magnificent churches in which to worship the Father with the true soul worship and aspirations, yet when they come into the spirit world, they will find that the Master has established his church in the eternal Heavens, where none but the truly Christian can enter and partake of its glories and happiness.

Jesus is the head of that church here in our Celestial Heavens, as he should be of the church on earth. And as he must be when that church has for its members only those who have had the resurrection from sin and error and death of the soul into the knowledge of the Divine Love and the life everlasting. Jesus referred to this resurrection when he said: "I am the resurrection and the life," and not the resurrection of the body either physical or spiritual.

I see that you are anxious to have these truths come and I am also anxious and a coworker. I will now say good night and in doing so say with all my love, God Bless you and keep you in His care now and always.

Your brother in Christ,
St. Stephen

Helen Writes That She Was With James E. Padgett at the Church and the Medium Saw the Spirits She Described

November 7, 1915 
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C. 

I am here, Helen.

Dear old Ned,* of course, when you call me I must come. I see you are tired and I will not write much.

I was with you at the church and the medium saw the spirits she described for they were present. The Sarah was Cousin Sally, as you call her, and she showed the medium her funeral at the little town where she lived.

The child was a stranger, but seemed to be attracted to you, and wanted to talk and tell you something. She was very young and very lovely. Her name was Rosebud, and she was a bud, because when she came to the spirit world she was only a few days old. We have all petted and loved her since she came to you, and I expect that she will be with you often for she seems to be drawn to you.

The James was a spirit that I never knew, but he says he was your uncle, your father's brother, and that he was anxious to make his presence known to you. He is not a very bright nor yet a very dark spirit.

Well, you must remember that the band of attraction between your father and him has died, for they are in altogether different spheres and, as I have told you before, that fact that spirits were related on earth does not bind them together in the spirit world. When a spirit first comes into the spirit world, the relatives, unless they live in a very high sphere, generally meets it, but after a little time that attraction ceases and they seldom meet and so it is that I never met your uncle. Of course, your father knows many spirits here that I don't know. So you see, the spirit world in that particular is not very different from the earth world. You have cousins whom you have never met and do not know the existence of, and so we spirits here have many relatives that we never see or know. I know this may seem strange, but it is a fact.

I will write a long letter soon, but I must stop now. You are tired. So with all my love, I am

Your own true and loving,
Helen

*James E. Padgett's nickname

Helen Writes a Short Note About Attending the Church Service With James Padgett

September 19, 1915
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, Helen.

I went to church with you this morning and saw that you were sleepy and I can't blame you for the sermon was not very interesting. Of course, he preached some truths when he spoke of trusting God to sustain you in your attempts to do His will and uphold the right. The three Hebrew children, who passed through the fiery furnace, merely illustrated the care which God has over His children and it is just as true today as it was in any past age.

Your own true and loving,
Helen

St. Paul Writes About the Truth of Perfection

August 31, 1915
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, St. Paul.

I was with you tonight at the meeting, and heard what the young man said about perfection, and I agree entirely with his ideas and the application of the truth to the lives of human beings.

He had the correct conception of what perfection means, and when he said that perfection is a relative term, he spoke the exact truth. No man can expect to have the perfection of the Father in quantity, but he may in quality; for the spirit of truth that enters into the soul of a man in response to prayer and faith is a part of the Divine Nature of the Father, and the essence is the same, and the quality must be the same; but, of course, no man can obtain it to the extent of making him pure and holy as the Father is pure and holy.

Even we, who live in the high Celestial Heavens, have not that perfection which the Father has. But let men know that even while on earth they can obtain this inflowing of the Holy Spirit in their hearts to such an extent that sin and error will be entirely eradicated. This, I say, is possible, but few men attain to such a state of perfection, because the worldly affairs and natural appetites which belong to mortals are always interfering to prevent the makings of the spirit in men's souls so that perfection of this kind may take possession of them. But notwithstanding this great difficulty, and material desires of men, they should have this perfect ideal before them always and strive to obtain the possession of it.

I was much interested in the discourse not only because it was founded on a text attributed to me, but because of the right conception and the explanation made by the young man. I could see his soul and its workings, and I was glad to know that he possessed this Divine Love to an unusual degree and was fitted almost for a home in the Celestial Spheres.

You were benefited by what he said, and you felt the influence of the presence of the Holy Spirit at the meeting.

If the people of this church would understand that there is only one thing that saves them from their sins and makes them at-one with the Father, and that is the inflowing of the Divine Love into their souls, which was what Jesus meant when he told Nicodemus that he must be Born Again, they would easily see that their doctrine of holiness is not only a reasonable doctrine but one in accord with the truths of God; for as this Divine Love fills their souls, all sin and error must disappear.

Of course, this is a relative matter, for it depends upon how much of this Divine Love is in their souls to determine how much of sin or error exists. The more of the Divine Love, the less of sin, and on the contrary, the more of sin the less of the Divine Love. But I want to say with all the emphasis that I am capable of, that it is possible for a human being to obtain such a quantity of this Divine Love in his soul that sin will be entirely eradicated. This was the doctrine taught by Jesus, and this is the truth of God's Law of Love.

I know that the great majority of mankind do not believe this truth and think it foolishness, and that those who claim that they have received this Divine Love to a great degree are enthusiastic fanatics, and not worthy of credence, but I want to tell you that no greater truth was ever proclaimed by the Master; and sometime, in the not far distant future, many men who are now merely intellectual Christians will believe and embrace and experience this great truth.

You will find yourself much benefited by attending these meetings, and while there are some things in their creed to which you do not subscribe, yet, they have the foundation truth that the Divine Love of the Father can clear their souls from all sins, and make them perfect, to the extent that they receive that Love in their souls.

I will not write more tonight, but will say that the Holy Spirit, which conveys God's Love to man, is with these people in great power and fullness and manifests its workings in a real and irresistible manner, and God is blessing them and giving them that faith, which enables them to become overcomers and inheritors of immortality and homes in the Celestial Heavens.

So without taking up more of your time, I will say goodnight and God bless you.

Your brother in Christ,
St. Paul

St. Salatia, a former Catholic, Writes That She is in the Celestial Heavens and is a Follower of the Master Jesus

August 31, 1915
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, Saint Salatia.

I was a woman of Italy when on earth. I was a great worker for the church and was at the head of some of its institutions, and after I died, I mean after I had been dead for a number of years, I was canonized. I died in 1689 in Milan. My name is among the saints of the Romish church.

I came merely to tell you that I am now in the Celestial Heavens and a follower of the Master. But I have to say that when I first came to the spirit world, I was in darkness and suffering, because of my false beliefs, and false life as a teacher. It was only after I became an inhabitant of the spirit world that I learned the truths.

Oh, the false teachings of the church and its priests. There are many of them here in the spirit world who are still in darkness and torment, and who lived when I did on earth. The reason is that they were so firm in their belief in the doctrines of the church that they have never been able to open their minds to the truth and, in fact, many of them will not listen to any teachings, but those which they were taught on earth.

Yes, I have tried to convince them of their errors but they would not listen to me, thinking that I had been deceived and proselyted and was lost.

Well, I am now very happy and I thank you for the opportunity of writing to you as it is the first time that I have ever written to mortal man. I need not take up more of your time now and so will say goodnight.

St. Salatia

My name was Victorina Salatia, the daughter of an Italian nobleman. I was a single woman.

St. Clement Writes that the Truths of God Will Prevail

August 29, 1915
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I, St. Clement, want to write a few lines.

I have written you once before and told you of some of the evils and errors of the church of which I was a member, and now I want to tell you that in the distant future that church will lose its power over the hearts of men, and then it will go into decay and finally disappear from the face of the earth. It can never be reformed from within because those who govern and control it know nothing about the real truths of salvation,and will never learn.

The dogmas of the church are too firmly fixed in their minds to ever permit the truths to enter and, consequently, as these dogmas must be destroyed, with their destruction, the church will cease to exist as a church. I am sorry that this will have to be, but the truths of God will prevail, and everything that is not in accord with them must be destroyed and cease to exist. I know that it will make a desperate effort to preserve its power and existence, but in vain.

I am now working to bring about that consummation and so are all the redeemed Christian spirits, because we see that it is a mighty stumbling block to the reception of God's truths by men, and men must be taught these truths and be saved from their sins.

Yes, there will be a church established, and it will be a church of Christ, and all mankind in time will come to unite with it and worship the one true God, and believe on Jesus as His great messenger and teacher, and not as God. The name of that church I don't know, but it will be one in which faith in spiritualism will obtain, and all members will believe that spirit and mortal can commune.

I will write no more now, but say goodnight.

Your brother in Christ,
St. Clement

St. Jerome Writes That the Bible Contains Many Errors and the Truths of Jesus are Not in His Writings

August 17, 1915
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

St. Jerome.

I came to tell you that I am an inhabitant of that Kingdom which Samuel has so inadequately described, and that is the Kingdom of Jesus and, of course, of the Father.

You may not know anything about me, but I was canonized many centuries ago by the church, because it thought that I had done the church so much good by my writings and discourses on things religious. But I must confess now, that when I wrote, I expressed as truths many things which I now see were not true, and I would like to be able to correct all these errors in my writings, but I cannot.

So I will tell you in a few words that the truths of the Master, which are the truths of God, must not be sought for in my writings, or even in those of his disciples as contained in the Bible, because of the many errors that therein exist - not because the disciples and those to whom they conveyed these truths did not write them correctly, but because the Bible, as now written, is not the same in many important particulars, as what the disciples wrote. And, hence, Jesus, knowing this, is so anxious that the world shall receive these great truths again through his written messages.

I am trying my best to help the cause which he is advocating, and am one of the spirits behind you who are trying with all their spirit powers to direct you aright and enable you to receive the truths.

I am in a Celestial Sphere very high up in the Heavens. I cannot otherwise describe its location. These spheres are not numbered after the first few, because then they interblend so that there is no lines of demarcation.

But I am not so high up as are the disciples and many others who are followers of the Master. The ancient spirits, such as Moses and Abraham and Isaac and Jacob are in higher spheres; but they are not so exalted as are Jesus' apostles and disciples and, as I am informed, many spirits who came to the spirit world since Jesus came.

I will not write more tonight, but will thank you, and say goodnight.

Your brother in Christ,
St. Jerome

Grover Cleveland Writes That He is in Darkness and Seeks to Find a Way to the Light

August 13, 1915
Received by James Padgett
Washington D.C.

I am here, Grover Cleveland.

Let me write just a line. I am a man who when on earth was prominent in the affairs of the nation, and who when I became a spirit, realized that my prominence on earth did not help me one particle in my soul's happiness, or in finding a home where goodness and congenial spirits live.

I was not a very religious man in the sense of soul development, although I attended church quite regularly and gave the appearance of being a Christian. But I realize now that something more than mere attendance in church is necessary to the development of the true Christian character or to fit a spirit to inhabit the heavenly places in the spirit world.

I was Grover Cleveland, and it is not necessary to tell you what my official position was, as I passed over so recently that all the citizens of my country know. But I do want to say that had I served God in spirit and truth, as I tried to serve my country and its interests, I would not now be in such an unhappy condition as I am. I am in the earth plane, and am in darkness and suffering, and am very unhappy.

I am led to believe by my training when a boy that I must stay where I am, but when I think on the matter in a reasoning way, it does not seem to me that a just God would impose eternal punishment upon me for the sins I committed in the short earth life that I lived.

I am surrounded by many spirits who are in a similar condition to my own, and who were not especially wicked men when on earth, and yet the recollections of the sins and evil deeds which they committed while on earth seem to be sufficient to keep them in this darkened condition with accompanying suffering.

Yes, I find among these darkened spirits a great many of my old political friends as well as my political enemies; and sometimes we talk over the affairs and life of the past, and unanimously conclude that the lives we led were not worth the fame or prominence that we attained to - that it was all vanity, and that we sacrificed our future happiness for the enjoyment of the moment. What a farce it all was, except as we did some good to our country.

But it is too late now to wish to undo these things and what we are now doing and what we may do in the future are the things that interest us now. Some of us say that our condition is not fixed and that in the future we will be relieved of this darkness and suffering, and see the light of a happier life among better surroundings and in the association of better spirits. But none of us know the way to find this relief or to bring ourselves to this light.

Of course, most of us know what the Bible teaches on this subject, but most of us believe that it teaches us that our time of probation was while we were on earth, and that now we must remain as we are until the great judgement day.

Well, as you say, it does seem strange that we should have such belief, but let me tell you that when the mortal becomes a spirit, he finds that all the importance of his earth life and the self-conceit and self-independence leave him; and he realizes that he is a very insignificant person, and that his self-independence is a myth and that he is the most helpless creature in all the universe. Such is my experience, and having nothing upon which I can stand as a fixed foundation of truth, I naturally go back to my childhood beliefs and they become a part of my existence.

I have met some spirits who claim that there is redemption for me and a way to get out of my present condition, but I did not think that they knew any more about it than I do, and hence I never paid much attention to them.

But as you remind me, if Jesus went into the hells to preach to the lost souls in prison, he would not have gone there for that purpose unless he could have done them some good by his preaching. I had not thought of this before, and I will think of it now and attempt to find some consolation in it.

But, you also say that you know that there is just as much probation for me in my present condition as there was for me when on earth. Now how do you know this? Of course, you can speculate but that will not satisfy me, as I can speculate also. I want facts. Do you know of any spirits who were in my condition and who have been relieved of their darkness and sufferings? If you can show me that you do, then I will commence to hope.

I remember hearing of Mr. Riddle while I lived in Washington, and I should like to meet him as a spirit, especially in view of what you say his condition and experience as a spirit were.

I see some spirits here who are very beautiful, and they say that they are of your band, and they are working for the redemption of spirits who are in darkness and suffering. One is especially glorious in her beauty and brightness, and she says that she is your grandmother, and that she has heard what I have written and is willing and anxious to show me the way to light and happiness, if I will permit her to do so. And why should I not? What a glorious beauty hers is, and how love seems to flow from her very being! I will accept her invitation and not wait longer to find relief. So I want to thank you for your kindness.

I will go with your grandmother, and will come to you again, and if I find the relief that I so much need I will thank you with all my heart for your kindness in having permitted me to write to you. I will say good night.

Your friend,
Grover Cleveland

St. Celestia Writes About the Great Gift of Divine Love and That Jesus Did Not Come as a Sacrifice for our Sins

August 8, 1915
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, St. Celestia.

I was a Christian woman who was martyred by the fanatic Church of Rome. I lived in Italy and was a follower of Jesus, but not a believer in the doctrines of the Romish Church.

It was long years after my death I was canonized by the very church, which killed me. Of course, the Pope and officials who canonized me were different from those who killed me.

I want to tell you that I am interested in your mission and am trying to help you do the work of the Master. He is the saviour of mankind and it must be taught what manner he is their saviour - not as the Jesus who died on the cross, not because his blood was spilled by the Roman soldiers, not because of any vicarious atonement, but because he brought to the light and knowledge of men the fact that the Father had after long centuries when He had withdrawn the Great Gift of the Divine Love rebestowed it and taught the way in which men might become partakers of that Love even by prayers and faith.

The soul of man is the one thing that enables him to become like the Father and is the most important part of man's creation. If men will understand this and learn that this soul is capable of receiving this Divine Love and becoming a part of God's Divinity, they will fully realize the mission of the Master in coming to earth.

Let man abandon the idea that Jesus came as a sacrifice for their sins. He came as a messenger from God, bringing the Divine Gift and the knowledge as to how men might obtain that gift. He did not come to pay any debt, which man owed the Father or to appease any wrath of the Father, because man owed no debt and God had no wrath towards him. He came as a mediator in the sense that he was a messenger of light and truth and a shower of the way. Why will men continue to cling to the old damnable doctrine of sacrifice?

Even in the days of Abraham, God never required a sacrifice for sin and no sin of man was ever removed by shedding the blood of a goat or any other animal. To teach and believe such a dogma places God on the plane of an angry and jealous God and makes Him satisfied with the trifling thing of having the blood of an animal shed to appease his anger and remove his jealousy.

God is now and has been from the beginning a God of Love and man is and has been the object of that Love. But unless man seeks that Love and opens up his soul to the inflowing of that Love, he can never become reconciled to God. Love cannot be obtained in the soul of man by anything other than the desire and will of man to have it come into his soul. God wants only the love of man not his fear or dread of consequence because of disobedience. So I say let men know that there is only one thing in all the universe that will reconcile him to God. And that is the opening up of the soul of man to the inflowing of the Divine Love and the prayer to God that such Love may come into his soul.

I do not know that I can say more tonight and will stop, but sometime I will come again and write further.

My home is in the Celestial Heavens far above the spiritual world. Well, we are all working with the Master and where he leads we follow and work, also. If you will pray and believe you will most assuredly.

Yes, we all pray for you and our prayers ascend to the Father with all earnestness and faith. You would be surprised to know the number of Celestial Spirits who are interested in and are praying for you. I will surely tell him, but as you say, he knows it already, but as you wish me to do so, I will and I know that he loves you, too, and wants you to become his true disciple.

I will say goodnight.

Your friend and Sister in Christ,
St. Celestia

St. Augustine Writes About That the Bible is Not to be Relied Upon and is Not the True Teachings of Jesus

August 7, 1915
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, St. Augustine.

I merely want to say that I am the St. Augustine who lived after the death of Jesus and was well acquainted with his teachings as they were preserved by the Church. At that time I never knew exactly what became of the manuscripts that were in existence when I lived, but the ones that are supposed to furnish the origin of many of the Biblical writings were not the ones that I was acquainted with. Those that I used were all written in Greek and were written by the disciples of Jesus, and by those of his followers to whom the disciples had communicated the teachings of the Master; and they were the genuine ones and were written from the actual communications of the disciples.

Of course, the teachings of Jesus were never recorded at the time of his teachings, but were merely the recollections possessed by the disciples of what they thought he really said and, consequently, as you may realize, they were imperfect and could not be relied on implicitly.

I know that great controversies have arisen in the church as to what portions of these writings should be accepted as genuine, and many needless disputes have caused the officials of that church to differ as to what were really the writings of the disciples, and what were not. I, when on earth, joined in these disputes and maintained that certain of these writings were genuine and certain were not, but I was as likely to be mistaken as any of the others.

But even the ones that I thought genuine were more or less flavored by the spiritual knowledge and beliefs of those who wrote them. So I tell you that you cannot depend on these writings as a whole to learn what the Master actually did teach.

He is now in condition to give you the genuine truths, and whenever what he may say conflicts with what is contained in the Bible, you must consider what he now writes as the truth and discard the Bible account as unreliable. I tell you this, because I am interested in having the world learn the truths which he came on earth to declare.

I am a spirit of the Celestial Spheres and am a follower of the Master, and am trying to help in having these truths come to the world again. I did not always believe, as I do now in many particulars, and my comments on the Bible should not always be taken as correct. So if you will pardon my intrusion I will repeat, pay attention to what Jesus may say now and do not let the Bible statements, which do not agree with what he may write you, disturb you or cause you to doubt what you may receive.

Sometime I shall come and give you my ideas of some of these spiritual truths and how necessary it is that men should know them. I certainly believe in the New Birth, and I want most emphatically to say that it is one of the most important truths of the spiritual world. It has not heretofore been very often understood, and its exact meaning is somewhat in doubt by even the best students of the Bible.

I will not write more tonight, but will say that you are my brother in the good work of showing to mankind the truths that are so important to their future happiness and salvation. So with a love that is in Christ,

I am your brother,
St. Augustine

St. Chrysostom, Called Saint John and Archbishop of Constantinople, is a Follower of Jesus and a Celestial Spirit

July 22, 1915
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, St. Chrysostom.

I come because I want to tell you that you have entered upon a work that will bring much happiness to mankind and much glory to the cause of the Master.

When alive, I was a teacher of the truths of the Master and lived a great many years among a people who believed with their intellects, but who knew very little of the soul religion. I, myself, was not a great believer in the truths having reference to the soul's development, but I taught those truths which appealed more to my intellect, and which were of a character suited more to instill merely moral principles than to cause men to receive and understand the real spirit and real meaning of these teachings. But yet such teachings accomplished some good among the people of those times. I was a great student of the Bible, as it was then written, and my studies enabled me to teach and explain these truths in an intellectual way.

It seems strange to me now, but it is a fact, that I never understood the inner depths of these truths, and when I came to die, I had not the consolation of knowing that the Divine Love was the great desideratum in order for men to become at-one with the Father and to become a partaker of His Divinity.

I learned these great soul truths after I became a spirit, and met those spirits who had received this Great Love, and showed by their wonderful appearances and happiness that they possessed it. So you see that while I was sainted for what I was supposed to have done for the good of the church and for mankind, I was not a saint at all, but a very great sinner without the essentials to make me a saint.

Many a saint of the church was, when on earth, anything but a saint, and the church in making such person a saint only does what a nation may do in making its prominent warriors and statesmen heroes in marble or bronze. We, who were saints of the church only as we were believers in the Christ, but we were not saints as to the perfection of our soul condition.

In my time on earth, I sought to correct abuses in conduct among those people who outwardly, as clergymen, were carrying on the work of Jesus, yet, in character, were lax in obtaining from modes of conduct which were contrary to the laws of God as proclaimed in the writings of Moses and preached by the Master.

So no church can make a man a saint by merely declaring and recognizing him as such. On earth the sins and evil deeds of men may be hidden by the glamour which the church casts over and around them, but in the spirit world these sins and blemishes appear in all the nakedness which the glare of the noonday sun may develop.

Character cannot be hidden and defects cannot be hidden, and unless the soul of a spirit is pure and spotless, it will have to occupy that place and take that station which its soul development determines are suited for it. So how futile are all these canonizing and worshippings of men as saints when there is nothing of the saint about them. The poorest peasant may be more of a saint in the spirit world, than the greatest and most exalted saint according to the creation of the churches.

I do not remember if Vespasian was a Christian at the time, but he is a Christian now and an inhabitant of the Father's Kingdom. So you must not let the doubts that you may have about his writing to you cause you to disbelieve what he said. I saw him write and I know it was he, and no other.

With the love of a brother, I will say goodnight.

Your brother and friend, Chrysostom,
Called Saint John A.D. 347-407
Archbishop of Constantinople

Samuel R. Phillips, a Fellow Lawyer and Church Member, Writes That He is in Darkness and He Does Not Understand Why

March 19, 1915
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, Samuel R. Phillips.

I was an acquaintance of yours and a lawyer as you will remember, and I desire to ask you to give me some assistance in getting out of this condition of darkness in which I am now living.

Well, I have heard other spirits say that you have helped them, and so I came, and remembering that I was your brother lawyer on earth and had an acquaintance with you, I presumed that you would not refuse to assist me. Yes, R., that is correct.

I don't know why I am in darkness, except that I did not develop my spiritual nature when on earth. I did not understand very much about spiritual things or the soul and, hence, when I came to the spirit world I was a very unenlightened spirit. I cannot explain this thing. All I know is that I am in darkness and need light.

Well, I was a member of the church but that did not mean that I knew anything of the truths of the spiritual things. I read the Bible and understood what it said, but I did not understand what it meant in the inner and spiritual sense. My religion was purely intellectual and now I find that is not sufficient to relieve me from the darkness, which I am now experiencing.

Yes, I believed in God, but not in Jesus as a God, but thought him to be a very good and wonderful teacher.

Well, as to prayer, I never gave much thought of it. Of course, as the people prayed in response to what the minister might read, I read, too, but I never really prayed. It was all formal and not the longing of my heart as some have said a prayer should be. But I do not understand what prayer has to do with my present condition of darkness.

Well, as I don't understand, I don't seem to appreciate what you say. Tell me more fully what you mean, so that I may make the effort to comprehend your meaning.

Well, I am happy in a way, but not as I expected. I believed that God was all goodness and that all His children would be happy in the spirit world, but I find that I am not so. I am somewhat disappointed and also very much at a loss to understand.

No, I have had no remorse or realization that I committed any very great sin on earth for which I should suffer here. Of course, I was, I suppose, very much like other men who are not very immoral. I never indulged in immorality to any extent and tried to do the right thing towards my neighbor and, hence, do not understand why I should have remorse or lashings of conscience.

No, I never have tried to examine myself very much to learn how I compare with the ideal Christian as portrayed by the teachings of Jesus, but I will do so. There may be something in what you say, and it may be that I have not sought the truth as to the cause of my darkness. Yes, I see a number of spirits who seem to be in darkness also, and who say that they are anxious and waiting to talk to you.

Well, I do see some bright spirits and they certainly are beautiful and seem so loving. Why they look at me with great eyes of love and sympathy, as if they would like to help me.

Well, I am surprised, for there is Riddle my old friend and brother lawyer. Why is he so bright and beautiful? He thought, when on earth, very much as I did about the things of the spiritual world. He says that he is glad to see me and invites me to go with him for a talk, and I will go.

So my dear friend, I will say to you goodnight and good luck.

Helen Writes of an Experience in Trying to Show a Spirit the Way to God's Love and Stresses the Importance of Learning the Truths While on Earth

March 17, 1915
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, Helen.

I want to tell you of my experience in trying to show a spirit the way to God's Love, which I had a short time ago.

Well, I talked to this spirit of this Love and told her that the only way to happiness and to the Celestial Kingdom was through prayer and faith, and that all spirits who were inhabitants of those spheres had received this Great Love of the Father only through prayer and faith; and if she wanted to become an inhabitant of these Heavens she must seek for this Love in that way.

She said that she was told when on earth that if she only observed rules and regulations of the church, and devoted herself to doing church work and looking after the interest of the church, so that it might be sustained and fostered, she would go to Heaven just as soon as she had left the earth life - that that would be all that would be required of her, and that no other seeking or striving after God's Love would be necessary to enable her to get into the Heavens where God and all His Angels are.

I told her that she must now realize that such performance, of what she considered to be her duty, had not been sufficient to carry her into these Heavens, and that she must realize that something more was necessary. But she still persisted, that her belief in what she had been taught in the church could not be changed, and that very soon she would become an inhabitant of these higher spheres. So I left her, because I saw that at this time her belief had so fastened itself upon her convictions, that it was useless to try to convince her that she was laboring under an absolutely false belief.

So I find that in this spirit plane there are many spirits in darkness and bigotry, which prevents them from seeing the truth and progressing to the higher spheres. I do not think that mortals, when they become spirits, have any better opportunity, for sometime at least, to realize and accept these truths than they had when on earth, and the men or women who teach these things have a great sin to answer for, as Jesus said, "Cursed is he who believes and teaches these false doctrines." And I think he must have laid especial emphasis on the teaching as it affected not only the teacher, but many others who had faith in and accepted these teachings as true.

I am so glad that I, when on earth, was never fully convinced of these church dogmas, as I consequently found it so much easier when I came to the spirit world to believe the truths as they are. Of course, I was exceptionally blessed in having your mother and grandmother, who are so well versed in these things, to show me the way, and then when Jesus came to me and corroborated what they had said, I could not help from believing.

So you see the importance of learning these truths while on earth, for the greater our comprehension of them as mortals, the more easily will be our progression to the higher things of the spiritual life. Well, I thought I would tell you of this little incident as it shows you a great and necessary truth, and one which all men should know.

So with all my love, I am your own true loving
Helen

Ann Rollins confirms that Jesus wrote and he is the True Christ of the Scriptures

September 14, 1914
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, your Grandmother.

I am exceedingly happy and am glad that you are seeing the truth as it is in Christ. He is the truest son of God as I have found in my life here. He is not a saviour of the merely churchman but of them who have received the New Birth of the Spirit. Do not let the thought that you must be a member of any church keep you from seeking his help and love for he is the saviour of the individual and not of the aggregate of people who happen to belong to a church.

He was with you on Saturday night and he talked to you. I am well acquainted with him and often see and converse with him, so I know that he was the true Christ of the Scriptures. He was only trying to let you feel that he is interested in your spiritual welfare, and you must believe that he was with you.

I know the spirit that Mr. Colburn referred to and he is not a good spirit. He is a spirit that has an inordinate amount of vanity and often impersonates Jesus and other spirits of high station. He is not to be believed when he makes the assertion that he is the Christ. Let him alone and he will not trouble you or your friend in the way of impersonating the true Christ.

Give my love to your friend and tell him that I am very much interested in his spiritual welfare and will try to help him and lead him to the realization of the truth as I know it in the spirit world. He is only a little way from the Kingdom and he will soon see the truth in all its beauty and purity. Tell him to have faith in his God and pray to Him for light and he will get it more abundantly. He is a very good and loving man in his spiritual life and he will soon feel that God is his true and loving saviour.

Goodnight and may the love of God rest with you and keep you from all sin and unhappiness forever.

Your grandmother, Ann Rollins