AFFIDAVIT OF JOHN LAMB



 

 

SUPREME COURT: New York County VERINDA BROWN, etc., Plaintiff, against

FATHER DIVINE, et al, Defendants STATE OF NEW YORK, COUNTY OF NEW YORK, SS:

Mr. John Lamb speaking to FATHER DIVINE

Mr. John Lamb speaking to FATHER DIVINE

JOHN LAMB, being duly sworn, deposes and says:

That late in the year 1930 or early in 1931, being somewhat familiar with the Works and Teachings of FATHER DIVINE, I went to Sayville, long Island, New York, to interview HIM Personally.

That I was made welcome at the Banquet Table with many others.

That I saw the numbers of destitute persons He was feeding, clothing and housing, and I heard them testify of how they had come to HIM in sickness and poverty and HE had taken them in and healed and supported them for months and years without the cost of a penny.

That I saw hundreds of people instantly healed of so-called incurable diseases, and even blindness and deformity from birth, cancer, consumption, etcetera.

That I saw many offer FATHER DIVINE money and property in return for the blessings they had received, but HE always refused it and said HE was a Free Gift to mankind. People of wealth came, whom I personally met, and seeing the good work, they offered large sums to help carry it on, but FATHER always graciously and appreciatively declined it, saying that HE was independent of any man and did not accept contributions or donations in any form.

That I myself had in my possession at the time, more than two thousand dollars in cash, and a good deal of personal property of value. I visited FATHER one day in the early Spring of 1931 and obtained a private interview. I told HIM I desired to become a member of HIS Household and surrender all to HIM, and that I wanted to give HIM two thousand dollars that day, as I wanted to be used in HIS Work.

FATHER replied that so far as the money was concerned HE could not accept it, as HE was entirely Independent and never accepted contributions, donations, or love offerings from anyone. HE further said that it was not necessary for me to be with HIM Personally to cooperate in HIS Work, that if I wished to cooperate in such Work I could do it independently and use what means I had for such a purpose, and HIS blessing would be with me wherever I might go.

 

NOT NECESSARY TO CONTACT FATHER PERSONALLY

Following this I left New York on a long trip and was gone about five months. During my absence I corresponded with FATHER frequently, and I quote below excerpts from HIS letters to me:

It is not that one must necessarily contact ME from a Personal standpoint of view to be abundantly blessed, healed and saved, but that they come to this State in Consciousness, being governed by the Spirit of the Consciousness of the Presence of GOD within themselves, for GOD is Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent, hence a present help in every need. . . . However, if you will live exactly as stated, you are ever indeed welcome to come and partake of the Bread of Life freely here with ME, whenever you so may desire to come and visit, as your closest contact is always for your highest good.

March 27, 1931.

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And if you will abide in ME and let MY Word abide in You, living exactly according to the Life and Teachings of CHRIST as recorded by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, you will continue to grow in Grace and in Strength and you will indeed be abundantly blessed, and a blessing to those whom you may come in contact with. . . . Not that one must necessarily contact ME from a Personal standpoint of view to be abundantly blessed, but that they come to this State in Consciousness, as GOD is Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent, hence a present help in every need. However, as long as you are lost in MY Will, you are always welcome to come Home here in America when you so may desire to do, as your closest contact is always for your highest good. For this leaves ME Well, Healthy, joyful, Peaceful, Lively, Loving, Successful, Prosperous and Happy, in Spirit, Body and Mind.

June 19, 1931.

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For it is not that one must come to ME as a Person to be abundantly Blessed, as I AM here and I AM there and I AM everywhere. But that you reach ME by Faith, from your mental and spiritual contact and even as you were here under MY Personal Jurisdiction, so can you be wheresoever you are, as GOD is Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent, hence a present help in every need. . . . Nevertheless, if you are lost in MY Will, you are always welcome to come Home here with ME, as your closest contact is always for your highest good, that is whensoever you so may desire to come.

June 2nd, 1931.

 

NO ORGANIZED BODY - INDIVIDUALS ACT INDEPENDENTLY

These letters were on the letterheads of Reverend M. J. DIVINE, 72 Macon Street, Sayville, New York, and they completely refute the claim of the complainant that FATHER'S Home was the headquarters of a cult but she was not made aware of it. These letters indicate the full extent of any organized activity. There was not then and there is not now, any organized body, group, or association incorporated or unincorporated, known as FATHER DIVINE'S Peace Mission. This term, as the apostrophe 's' implies, refers merely to the Mission and Purpose of FATHER DIVNE on earth.

All followers of FATHER DIVNE are as free as these letters indicate, to come or go without obligations, fees, dues, memberships, or even making themselves known by name. Anything they do is done independently as individuals, though they may cooperate with other individuals at times for the purpose of assisting each other as individuals, all of their activities of course being in accord with their religious conviction, and FATHER'S Teaching. If two or more get together to buy a piece of property, and one wishes to contribute the major portion of the purchase price, yet give his partners equal shares in the title, and if these partners wish to allow others who are believers in FATHER DIVNE like themselves to come and share the benefits of the property with them, it is still their individual affair; it has not become an organization nor an association.

But returning to Sayville, when I arrived there again in the fall of 1931 I stayed in the village near FATHER'S Home. While there I purchased a Ford Town Car, which I endeavored to present to FATHER, but HE would not accept it. HE told me I should use it myself, which I did.

During all this time I had been taking shorthand records of FATHER'S Addresses for my own personal use, as HE spoke at the Banquet Table daily. I transcribed these and sent copies to various friends of my own who were interested. Soon however, there was a demand for them from a number of publications, and with FATHER'S approval they were forwarded to them gratis. In this way records were made of everything FATHER spoke in public, and many things HE spoke in private, and records were also made of testimonials of followers and visitors, for the benefit of any who might find use for them.

 

FATHER ACCEPTED NO MONEY

Records of the testimonials of Veranda Brown may be submitted at a later date, but the time allowed to prepare an answer in this Complaint has been too short to permit reproduction of them at this time. However, to refute the charges of the complainant that FATHER DIVINE accepted money from her or anyone else for any purpose, the following excerpts are quoted from hitherto unpublished Lectures given by FATHER DIVINE in public meetings at that time. These were recorded by me in shorthand and transcribed as follows:

 

Delivered March 25th, 1932, 72 Macon Street, Sayville

'Now someone may want to carry out another lie, and say I have asked someone for money. But that will not be a blessing to you. It will be just to the reverse. Some have come to ME who have money, and have said they wanted to help ME and such as that, and I have said, the only way I could accept anything would be for you to take this property over, if I accepted of it. . -- If you want to take this property over that is all free and clear, then I could use that means . . . or, a committee could take it over, not giving ME one penny but rather MY giving you, giving you this property for less than it is worth . . .

'I have condescended to live in this home here, and when I put the addition on to this home here, it was for the advancement of the assembly because it had advanced so that we did not have material or personal accommodation to accommodate them all. So then I put the addition on. Then it was not room, for more came - those that were poverty stricken and those that were not, also. Those of you that have money, those of you that have had money, those of you that have jobs and positions and could maintain yourselves, you are here and you are welcome, so long as you are worthy, and GOD is able to supply your every need. It is Wonderful!

'Now I mentioned it some time ago to the different ones. They have come to ME and said they had money and wanted to help ME, and such as that, and I said the only way they could have the appearance of helping ME - if you want to take this property over for less than it is worth . . '

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Delivered February 20th, 1932, 72 Macon Street, Sayville

'The love of money is the root of all evil. Even the lack of money, the fancy for money, when it grows up it will be a love for money. I have never done a greater work than to cast out of MY own Consciousness that I have sent out on the earth plane, the love of money, for the love of money is the root of all evil. And you cannot abolish the love of money until you cast out of your consciousness the lacks, the fancies, and even the care for money. Anything that you care for and keep about, you will come to care for it.'

* * *

 

Delivered Saturday, April 2nd, 1932, 72 Macon Street, Sayville

'So remember, I AM a Free Gift, and I say thou shalt not take the Name of the LORD thy GOD in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh HIS Name in vain. It is Wonderful! They tried to hide from ME. They tried to take MY Name and speculate on it. I know when Billy Sunday some years ago used to come through, and when he would have a meeting he would take up a collection of thirty or forty thousand dollars, but what is thirty or forty thousand dollars in MY Sight? It is Wonderful! listen dear ones! I would not sell MY Spirit and MY life for thirty or forty or a hundred million dollars.

'There are others should have brought forth the CHRIST to fruition in their lives had they not allowed materialism to creep in and the love of money, speculation and graft to creep in them.

They could have brought forth the CHRIST to manifestation in their lives, but they sold the Spirit, they sold it for money, and therefore they never materialized, they never developed the CHRIST. It is Wonderful! . . . Verily, verily, I say unto you, they have their reward. They have their reward when they have taken a nickel, when they have taken a dime for it. They have sold their birthright . . . I AM a Free Gift to the world, for GOD so loved the world that HE gave HIS Son. Take these thoughts in, dear ones.'

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Delivered August 3rd, 1932, Banquet Table, Brighton Theater, Orange, New jersey

'Now it will be like this all over, and everyone that will live in MY Spirit and in MY Mind and stay in this state of consciousness, they shall lack for nothing for the Mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. It is Wonderful! CHRIST, the Great Love Master in the Name called Jesus said, 'No man has left father and mother, and all of those things, houses and lands, and sacrificed all of those things, lest he don't gain an hundredfold more in this present time, and in the World to come life Everlasting.'

'Every penny I spend rightfully and righteously, unselfishly and lovingly, with Love for MY fellowman as a free gift to them with no thoughts of return, I gain a hundred pennies for that one penny. There it is, $1.00 for every penny, and $100 for every dollar, and $10,000 for every hundred dollars. and $1.000.000 for every ten thousand dollars.

'This is the great multiplicand of Salvation brought into expression through your conscious contact with HIM that liveth forever and ever. You can do it as well as I, for GOD is no respecter of persons; neither has GOD any respect unto person or persons. It is free for you, it is free for all, and it is just as operative there as here. It is a Principle, Dear ones, free for all, and it is just the same as a broadcast message over a great, powerful broadcasting station and everyone that has a radio that is qualified, equipped, and charged, and ready to tune in on this Message that is being sent out, each one can receive it.'

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Delivered Friday, September 9th, 1932. New York City

'That is just a little thought as a conveyance of what one must do to receive and maintain the Infinite blessings of GOD. Now that does not say that I want you or anyone else to give ME anything. As the thought was conveyed by some that claim to be followers of MINE, some that have been out to Sayville, commonly known as the Kingdom, and stayed, and were fed and housed for many months, and coming to ME - one did - claiming that they had money and they wanted to utilize the money for MY cause, I told them the only way they could do it would be to buy that piece of property, or one of the pieces of property there in Sayville, or if they wanted ME to take anything from them to give ME a mortgage on that property, as I was planning to sell, and I could not sell so readily without a mortgage, and I was planning to leave.

'Some carried out the report that they gave ME some money. Now you know you did not give ME a penny. Now the very one that talked like that was the very one, no doubt, that would not want to give anybody a penny on their tintype. Now that one knows that they were lying. They have not given ME a penny, and have not actually offered ME a penny, but when they talk along that line, pretending to say that they gave ME money, I said, 'Now if you all, since this Movement is started and I want to sell, I will sell you this piece of property, or I will give you a mortgage on this piece of property,' or something like that. It is Wonderful!

'You see, that is the way the mortal mind always wants to carry something, and the very one that wants you. to carry them. And that is why I do not take collections or any kind of foolishness like that. That is why everyone, if they want to do anything for ME I always have heretofore, and even now, I have always arranged it, I say, 'If you want to do something, I have property here, and the only way I could accept anything would be on that. . . .'

'Now candidly and frankly I can say that - not even apparently gave ME anything - because you cannot give GOD anything anyway. . . . But you have not even humanly, mortal mindedly, given ME a penny. The very one that said that, has not even apparently done it, and they talk about representing truth - representing lies. It is Wonderful! I do not even bear record of the party changing a dime for ME to call up over the telephone in a public phone booth. It is Wonderful!

'They talked about they had money and they wanted to help ME, they had been out there so long and all like that, and they wanted to help ME and so on, and I said, 'I am after selling this place and getting a mortgage on it, and that is the only way I could use your money, because the property stands for the money you see, and that is not taking anything from you. It is immaterial to ME.' And so far as that was concerned, I did sell the place. It is Wonderful! But it was not anybody giving ME anything. When they got the place, they were getting their money's worth, unless I would have sold it for more than it was worth, but that was for them to find out . .

'That is the reason I have heretofore, up until here recently, not even allowed anyone to sweep a rug, to sweep and beat a rug on the line, unless I paid them for it. Those that were staying in the home, some stayed there for months and some stayed there for years. Now there is one that can verify that statement of his own experience. He used to go out there before he was employed in the Kingdom, for several years. He used to go out there every summer and stay in the summer, and his laundry, his meals, and everything was fixed, and he would go out and do work at his regular occupation, making five or six dollars a day, and he did not have to get a newspaper. Newspapers were bought and placed there in the home that he could read. His hair was trimmed and everything, and even sandwiches for his lunch, and did not charge for anything, did not ask for anything, not a penny. Some of them did not give even the waitresses and the cooks a pocket handkerchief, and their meals were fixed every day, and they had a chance to save four or five hundred dollars in the season.. . . 'There were ten cleansed, but where are the nine?''

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Delivered Thursday, July 14th, 1932, 72 Macon Street, Sayville

'People came to Sayville; they did not know and they could not understand how these things could be. It was beyond the comprehension of the human mind. Therefore they could not, did not, know how these things could be, that GOD could set, as though a man, a table spread free for one and for all and not allow any soliciting to be done, and not allow anyone to contribute anything, and yet the abundance of the fullness of the consciousness of good, no space was vacant of the fullness thereof. They could not understand how these things could be, when I emphatically refused to allow contributions, volunteer offerings, or anything of that kind, and stood out in the liberty wherewith CHRIST hath set you free, knowing that all good gifts and blessings come from GOD anyway.'

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Excerpt from a more recent Message, Given by FATHER DIVINE
August 19, 1936, Published, The Spoken Word September 5, 1936 .

'We have no record of the thousands of dollars universally that are turned in daily, of lost and found money throughout the Universe, through MY Spirit of Righteousness, Truth and justice as I have exemplified it in others through transmission and through reincarnation. We have no record of how much we are saving the welfare throughout the Universe by taking thousands and thousands and millions off of the welfare. This we have endeavored to do, even though it is detrimental to you apparently, for you at times will have to sacrifice yourselves of some limited pleasure, or blessing, or necessity apparently, for Righteousness, Truth and justice; therefore it may work as if though a hardship upon those of MY followers to a certain degree, and would apparently work it or enact it indirectly upon ME, but for Righteousness, Truth and Justice's sake we stand and lift up this Righteous Government Platform for each and everyone to stand upon.

'Then I say, if we ourselves as individuals do not first be partakers of the fruit, others will see and know we are not endeavoring to do what we are requesting others to do, but as we endeavor to do it we are willing to sacrifice. . . . as I said years ago, if it costs ME a million dollars a day, I shall elect CHRIST JESUS as LORD of Lords and KING of Kings. I venture to say of this Righteous Government Platform and this Righteous Government Movement throughout the Universe, we are sacrificing not less than a million dollars a day for Righteousness, Truth and justice, especially in these ways. I mean as ways, or in other words, this way of sacrificing all chances and opportunities for receiving charity through the welfare, receiving pensions and receiving insurances and other ways and means whereby we would have a right to receive. . . . we are sacrificing them, a million dollars worth a day, although I did say I would refrain from telling it.'

 

SACRIFICES FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS

If all of the money FATHER DIVINE could have received in collections, gifts and donations had been received and accumulated by HIM, it would have amounted to many millions of dollars. If HE would ask for a dollar donation from each of HIS followers, HE would receive millions of dollars immediately. But HE has sacrificed all of this for Righteousness' sake. Is it likely then, that HE would concern HIMSELF with the few thousands Veranda Brown claims HE received from her when HE could have millions at HIS Command?

In sacrificing this and accepting not one penny, HE is the Sample of Righteousness, Truth and justice to HIS followers, who are also learning to make similar sacrifices. They are sacrificing by not being on the relief and paying up old bills, but especially by not participating in insurances. In one recent fire they sacrificed twenty five thousand dollars by not carrying insurance, when one of the buildings on their Ulster County properties burned down. Others are sacrificing by returning money received from insurance companies in the past on account of fires, accidents, and damages to properties, etcetera. Others are constantly sacrificing by not carrying automobile insurance. In one case a $7,800 judgment was paid when less than a thousand dollars paid in insurance premiums over a number of years would have saved such a loss. Another returned about fifteen hundred dollars received for injuries under the Workmen's Compensation Law, because insurance was against his religious conviction. Others have given up their occupation rather than come under the provisions of the Social Security Act with its Unemployment Insurance and Old Age Pension features.

All of these sacrifices have been made for Righteousness, Truth and Justice's sake, and this is the Spirit of FATHER DIVINE and HIS followers. Is it likely then that either FATHER DIVINE Personally or any of HIS followers, who would sacrifice thousands and even millions without a second thought, for the sake of Righteousness, Truth and Justice, would defraud a person out of a few paltry dollars to invest in land or other scheme as the complainant alleges?

Wherefore, deponent respectfully joins in requesting that this Motion be denied, with costs.

Sworn to before me, JOHN LAMB this 25th day of May, 1937 John W. Walker, Notary Public New York County.

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