"When, therefore, I heard those mysterious sounds for the first time at your house, it produced a thrill of joy, as being the strongest evidence of a future life that I had ever met with; and though I was satisfied that there was no trick, no collusion in the sounds, yet I have not been so certain that it might not be some newly developed or newly elaborated electrical effect; yet the evidence is in favor of its Spirituality. It is the most natural solution of the whole subject, and I should regret, as much as any one, to have it prove otherwise. "I am satisfied that the mediums are honest and unconscious of the primary cause of the phenomena. I am somewhat acquainted with Swedenborg's writings, and very well acquainted with A. J. Davis and his writings. I consider Davis and his writings among the greatest wonders of the world. That a young man, without education, without even having read books, should have given to the world such far-reaching thought and profound philosophy, upon the most abstruse and metaphysical subjects, is a marvel indeed! The history of mankind cannot produce a parallel fact. And yet we do not suppose he has no errors. He does not claim infallibility. In 'Nature's Divine Revelations' he says, 'Let then what I am impressed to state, be received as true or rejected as false, as it addresses itself to your judgment, or according to its appeals to your reason.' "The highest angel in the universe could not give the whole philosophy of the universe, because that Spirit does not possess a perfect knowledge of _all things_; and I have seen many criticisms of Mr. Davis's writings, but they generally show that the writers of them do not comprehend him; and although some strictures may be just, the great majority of them evince a real misapprehension on the part of their authors. "Le Roy Sunderland has made two: one upon Mr. Davis's recent work, 'The Philosophy of Spiritual Intercourse.' In both of Mr. Sunderland's criticisms he shows his own want of discrimination. Dr. Gridley has another article in _The Spirit World_ as a criticism of Davis. It darkens knowledge with words. They do not take a very comprehensive view of Davis's philosophy. They seem to forget that Davis uses language figuratively. "I am somewhat acquainted with Mr. Sunderland, have been at his house recently, and heard the rappings in presence of his daughter, Mrs. Cooper, as a medium. The rappings are obscure--not more than one-quarter as loud or as distinct as I have heard them at your house--much of the time so light as scarcely to be heard; yet I was satisfied at the time that they were the same kind of sounds. I have been before several other mediums; the sounds are all much smaller than at your house.