in June 3, 1796; the other in 1797. Thus hath the Lord dealt with you, as he did with Thomas, that in seeing you might see, and in hearing you might understand. When you see the seals broken, and the truth before your eyes, will you say, my Lord and my God has thus wisely done, to remove your doubts? or will you say it is the wisdom of a simple woman; to foreknow what will come upon the earth? If the former, it is now high time to know what the Lord hath said, and what he hath spoken concerning us, that ye may not do despite to the Spirit of God, and say we want not the knowledge of the Most High; if you judge the latter, bring forth your arguments, shew your strong reasons, why you believe the Lord will suffer a woman's words to come true, to say the Lord saith, when he hath not spoken, and seal up in his name what are his decrees concerning every nation upon earth. If I do these things of myself, my sins must be of the blackest dye and will no minister search out the truth, to know whether it be right or wrong? Does not this plainly prove that professors of religion are like the Laodiceans, neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm? Can you blame the sheep for being dead hearers, while the shepherds are like the deaf adder, that stoppeth his ear and will not hearken to the voice of the charmer, charm he ever so wisely? I have written to six ministers; four have remained silent. This verifies the truth of my writings, as well as the truth of the nation; as I was foretold before ever I sent you a letter, that they must be convinced by you; now I find it true, and marvellous in my eyes, how ministers can read the letters I have sent them and never concern theirselves whether it be true or not, but pass judgment on what they know not. Is it not written, the Lord will be clear when he judgeth? Then can man be clear, to judge a thing he is ig 19 norant of? This neither the Law nor Gospel will allow ; yet so I find man. Therefore I must appeal to you; for unto you it is given to know the mysteries; but from them it is hid. I remain, with the greatest respect, Your humble servant, JOANNA SOUTHCOTT. A Letter sent to the Reverend Archdeacon Moore, June 19th, 1798. Rev. Sir, You may be surprised to receive a letter from one that you have treated with scorn and contempt; and were I to act in a spirit of my own, I should never trouble you more, but leave it to other ministers to search out the truth; as I am ordered to go to Bristol, and publish the things that are hastening on. As you and the Rev, Chancellor Nutcombe have refused to hear me, to know what foundation I have for my faith and fears, I am now commanded to go to Bristol, and there make public the letters I have sent to you both. If you find your conduct blamed abroad, as it is at home, do not blame me, but blame yourselves; for I am told, in my writings, that my being disobedient to the commands of the Lord will be more fatal than it was to Eve. If Paradise was lost by the woman's disobedience, it must be regained by her perfect obedience. It is explained to me in the following manner: "MAN with his MAKER may contend, Close to her breast, in ME to trust, And make the serpent lick the dust, Say no more, that the woman beguiled you, and ye did eat, and cast the blame on your Maker, for the woman, when ye were ready to copy after her in disobedience; but now she is brought to true obedience, ye will not copy one step after her. If you judge me a lost sheep, judge how many sheep are going astray after me, as the truth of my writings hath drawn many believers; and as every year fulfils my writings, so every day believers increase. The reason why I have troubled you with this letter is to let you know, if you find yourselves blamed by other ministers abroad, that you had not searched out the truth, blame yourselves and not me; for I assure you, I do not go in one step of my own. You may marvel, as Adam did, why the Lord had given him the woman, that caused his fall, and cast the blame on his Maker, for copying after her: and will you now cast the blame on your Maker, for chusing you to judge for yourself, and you refuse to obey Then bring forth your arguments, and shew your strong reasons, why you would not obey, if you judge it from the Lord; and why you did not try to put a stop to it, if you judged it the disorder of a confused brain : For tainted blood will always spread, You ought to stop the flame. Judge for yourself, that ye be not judged of the Lord: would you not blame a shepherd, to let his sheep be lost for want of his care? But now your care is too late for me; by the time this reaches your hand, I hope to be in Bristol: and whatever is the effect of my going, as you never 21 tried to prevent it, you have no one to blame but yourself. Yet my soul feels for you, knowing the threatenings pronounced against the carelessness of the ministers: for I shall conclude my letter with the words I put in the hands of the Rev. Mr. Pomeroy, in 1796. "Is this the way my sheep are watch'd, Left to the shepherd's care? The wolf to drag them in the pit, And left to perish there? Then now my anger who could blame, And, like the Gospel, say to all— The Gospel it was taken from was the chapter read in the Fast-"Think not these Galileans sinners above all, because they have done these things." I am sorry to trouble you with this letter; but must leave it to your serious reflection, now can you blame yourself, or me? I remain, with due respect, Your humble servant, JOANNA SOUTHCOTT. A Letter sent to the Rev Chancellor Nutcombe, in 1799. Rev. Sir, You may be surprised to receive a letter from one you have judged too much beneath your notice to answer the former I sent you; but as I see mankind so bold with my character, as to say I am out of my senses, I must be bold to answer for myself, and intreat the favour of your proving your words; not as a blind man judges of colours that they never see, or like the mad, confused world, that is throwing the law and gospel out of doors; and as they are filled with their own opinions, without knowing what they judge, which neither the law of God or man will allow to convince mankind of this error, the Lord said I will go down and see whether these things are as they are come up before me. The Lord did not want wisdom to know, but it was spoken as a pattern for man to walk by. Therefore was it said of Mr. Pomeroy, two years before ever I sent him a letter, that the laws of the Lord were written on his heart; and I will prove, in the presence of all the learned, that he hath acted thus far as though they were; which is an honour to the church; for were it not for his conduct, all other religions would cry shame on the church, as Sir Egerton Lee did, who asked me if I had been writing in this manner for seven years, and not written to the ministers? I said I had; but they judged me out of my senses, and refused to answer my letters. He said, that was harsh judging, and unchristian-like and had he the pleasure of knowing the gentlemen, he would wait on them himself; as he judged it a duty for ministers to prove by what Spirit I wrote; and stop my hand, if not of God. Here his observation is just; and of the same opinions are all other religions, and condemn the church for not doing justice, to search out the truth; as many judge it of God, and marvel how it came to pass, if not so; others judge it from the devil, and that chance makes it true; others judge it from myself, that have given up my mind more to learning than ever any minister upon earth did; but Sir Egerton did not judge so weakly; he knew it was too wonderful for a woman's head. Now, Sir, if you and the Rev. Archdeacon Moore will prove your Bibles true, and my writings not of God, in the presence of two or three ministers, I will ask both your pardons in the public papers, as all is now made public, for troubling your honours with such letters; but if |