ng themselves about getting
forgiveness and settling their heavenly debts for a cent on the
dollar. Their belief does not make then mean or miserable.

They do not persecute their neighbors. They ask no one to have
faith or to believe without evidence. They ask all to investigate,
and then to make up their minds from the evidence. Hundreds and
thousands of well-educated, intelligent people are satisfied with
the evidence and firmly believe in the existence of spirits. For
all I know, they may be right--but----

_Question_. The Spiritualists have indirectly claimed, that you
were in many respects almost one of them. Have you given them
reason to believe so?

_Answer_. I am not a Spiritualist, and have never pretended to
be. The Spiritualists believe in free thought, in freedom of
speech, and they are willing to hear the other side--willing to
hear me. The best thing about the Spiritualists is that they
believe in intellectual hospitality.

_Question_. Is Spiritualism a religion or a truth?

_Answer_. I think that Spiritualism may properly be called a
religion. It deals with two worlds--teaches the duty of man to
his fellows--the relation that this life bears to the next. It
claims to be founded on facts. It insists that the "dead" converse
with the living, and that information is received from those who
once lived in this world. Of the truth of these claims I have no
sufficient evidence.

_Question_. Are all mediums impostors?

_Answer_. I will not say that all mediums are impostors, because
I do not know. I do not believe that these mediums get any
information or help from "spirits." I know that for thousands of
years people have believed in mediums--in Spiritualism. A spirit
in the form of a man appeared to Samson's mother, and afterward to
his father.

Spirits, or angels, called on Abraham. The witch of Endor raised
the ghost of Samuel. An angel appeared with three men in the
furnace. The handwriting on the wall was done by a spirit. A
spirit appeared to Joseph in a dream, to the wise men and to Joseph
again.

So a spirit, an angel or a god, spoke to Saul, and the same happened
to Mary Magdalene.

The religious literature of the world is filled with such things.
Take Spiritualism from Christianity and the whole edifice crumbles.
All religions, so far as I know, are based on Spiritualism--on
communications received from angels, from spirits.

I do not say that all the mediums,