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Prophecies from 1798, till the 1801, from year to year, and a true Prophecy of himself, which they thought by persuading him to burn, would preserve his honour, and stifle his conscience, forgetting there was a GOD THAT KNEW ALL THINGS; forgetting I had witnesses, that copied off the letters that were sent to him, and that I had the original by me in my own hand writing, except one, that I would not lose for a million of money, and that is a letter I put in Mr. Pomeroy's hand in 1797, three sheets of paper, foretelling the events of that year, and succeeding years, what would be at the end of the war, of the destiny of England, France, and Spain, the destiny of individuals as well as the world at large, and the destruction of Satan. For he said, if he must be my Judge I ought to put the TRUTHS in his hands, and he would bring them forward, for me, or against me. But this letter being so long, I did not stay to have two copies, as I was ordered to put it in my own writing when the year was at an end; and I went to him to read the letter, he abused me for putting it in my own hand-writing, which he could not read; but I said I was come to read the letter to him. He said you may read what you please, but how do I know it is true, as I cannot read your hand-writing; therefore you may read what you please. Would not the world judge me a rascal, if I was to put writings in their hands that no one could read but myself? Would they not say I wanted to deceive them? I answered, true, sir, if you was to do it, they might say it, because you can write better, but I cannot; you can write as any one may read, and must disguise your hand, to put it as they cannot read; but mine is in my own hand, and I cannot write any other; and I would, not read a false word to you, sir, for the world. He repeated again you might read what you like, as I cannot read your hand-writing. I then rose up in a passion, threw my hand with fury on his table, and said, sir, you judge me worse

woman.

than the Witch of Endor, to think I would mock God, and deceive man, to put letters in your hands, to say the Lord saith, and then if the truth does not come, to prove the Lord hath spoken; for me to read lies, to deceive you, and to deceive myself. To mock God, and trifle with eternity, you must judge me as bad as the devil. He saw my passion, he saw my fury; he said, No, he did not judge me a bad woman; he judged me a very sober, religious woman, and he would appeal to my friend. Here I was glad I had my friend, Miss Bird,with me; he called her for a witness, that he had always told her he believed me a religious, good woman. Miss Bird rose and took his part, and said, he had always said to her, that he believed me to be a religious, good I answered, he could not believe me a religious woman, if he thought I would read to him false. He then desired me to sit down; saying, if he believed it that I would read him the truth, others might not; it was not what he believed; it was what others believed; but as he did believe I would read him the truth, I should come the following week and read it to him, as it was then too late, as he had engaged himself to go out to tea, and could not stop that evening; it was not for his own sake, it was for the sake of others, that he wished the writings had been as they could be read; for he was mortified, that when the year was at an end he brought down the seals to read it to gentlemen, but he could not read a word of my hand-writing. I told him, he had every truth in his hand. He said he wished for the sake of others it had been in a hand writing that he could read; but he consented for me to come the next week and read it to him; and I said I would come. He mentioned to me a chapter in the Revelations, which I shall hereafter mention, and how it was then explained. The following week I promised to come and read the letter to him; but when I came home I was ordered not

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to go, as I had proposed; but to write to Mr. Pomeroy, and tell him to send back the letter, and write upon every leaf, that I might not be able to deceive him, and he should have it copied off word for word and the original sent back, and also the copy, that he might compare them both together: forthis was the WISDOM OF A GOD-" And the wisdom of a God Pomeroy shall find it. For if thou hast roasted him first, thou shalt put him on the spit at last, that shall run through every soul that blamed him, and through every soul that condemned him, for putting his hand to the Gospel Plough, and then persuading him to fall back; for I tell ' them there came the hornets' nest that stung Pomeroy. But now let thy Brother, now let thy younger Brother act like thy elder Brother-put the fire over the hornets' nest, and destroy the hornets that stung him. For though Pomeroy hath been like Ephraim, a silly* dove, a cake that is not baken, and the pride of the Assyrians testify against him, he hath followed after wind, he hath followed after the east wind, and the pride of the Assyrians testifieth against him: but how shall I give thee up? Oh, Ephraim ! my heart is turned within me, my bowels yearned together! now if thou returnest unto ME, I will return unto thee; I will heal thy backslidings; I will love thee freely; if thou returnest unto ME, I will return unto thee: Oh, how many times have I said unto thee in thy writings-I have said it before, and I now say it again, let him turn unto ME, and I will turn unto him!".

"I Joseph Southcott, Brother of Joanna Southcott, who thought her Prophecies in the beginning to be a religious frenzy; but when she came into my house, in 1798, and read to me many wondrous things; I said unto her, God knows from whence your Prophecies are; but I shall leave them to time,

*Hosea, vii. 11.

+ Hosca, vii. 8.

C

Hosca, xii. 1.

for I cannot tell; but there is no corner that a man can drive you up in, but the Spirit finds a gutterhole to creep out. So I confess, I tried to make a corner to drive her up the closer, and that corner made the gutter-hole the greater. And I remember my Sister said to me, her Father had five wise children, and one foolish one; or he had five foolish 'children and one wise one. My answer was, I'll never say that, for if your calling be of God I shall say you was kept by his power, that no man could overturn; but not by your own wisdom; for I do not think your own wisdom a bit better than Sister Carter's; but if you stand, it is by the power of God, that men have tried to overturn, but cannot. In i803, when I saw her books, and reflected on all she had told me before, I was convinced her calling was of God; and now the world, in calling her an impostor, is dealing with my Sister as they would deal with a harlot; but let them be circumcised according to the Scriptures in heart and life, then I will go forth with courage to meet them; and they may take my Sister to wife if they have not made themselves sore. The 34th chapter of Genesis, which you must read through, then you will see you made yourselves sore by returning the letters. Solook on me as Dinah's Brother; for you shall not deal with my Sister as you would deal with a harlot; for she laid her cause open before me, and I see my Sister's innocence; and her innocence I'll protect. So now let us reason together; bring forth your arguments, and shew your strong reasons, why you call my Sister an impostor and an adulteress ?

JOSEPH SOUTHCOTT."

FROM MISS TOWNLEY TO MR. SHARP.

Sunday Morning, July 8, 1804. After this letter, which was written for Mr. Foley, it would astonish every man to see in what a wonderful manner the devil broke in upon Joanna, concerning her Brother, which made the devil appear

1

worse than the fire.

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So to

Joanna was ordered to have co-. pied off his words and parables, and the answer of the Lord that was given to them; for the devil had said it was not justice in the Lord to bring forth all his Parables against the devil, and the devil not allowed to bring forth any Parables himself, to see if he could not conquer by Parables, as well as the Lord convince by Parables. do justice to men and devils, that all might bring forth their arguments, all might bring forth their strong reasons, and all might try their wisdom to the utmost, to see if the wisdom of men or devils would overthrow the WISDOM of the MOST HIGH, the Lord hath permitted all to act in their own wisdom and as the Serpent was permitted to come and try Eve in the Old Creation, so he is permitted to come and try the Woman in the New Creation; for the New Creation is now begun, man to be born anew, and to be taught of God. The Woman as his helpmate; for his good now standeth in the Woman, the first in Joanna, then followeth my Mother and my Sister.

Now to the first will Satan burst,

And so he may appear;

But I'll go on my Bible strong

The Esther first is here:

That she did free, you all may see,
Her brethren at that time,-

But her I leave, though there I cleave,
To shew the WORK DIVINE.
It was not she; No, it was ME
That did her wisdom place;
A Haman's gallows to prepare,
And free the fallen race:
That then did fall, I tell you all,
And Haman's pride did swell;

Because they would not worship he,
He swell'd in pride from hell;

And so the gallows did prepare,
By cursed empty pride,

Till Esther's wisdom brought him near,
That on her bed he lied.

Her pardon then he thought to gain,

Which did the King provoke,

And brought on him, it plain was seen,
His just deserving stroke.

But now I'll tell my every mind,
Too late they'll wait to see