THE TRIAL OF

JOANNA SOUTHCOTT,

DURING SEVEN DAYS, WHICH COMMENCED ON THE

FIFTH, AND ENDED ON THE ELEVENTH OF DECEMBER, 1804.

AT THE

NECKINGER HOUSE, BERMONDSEY, NEAR LONDON.

"There shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were."-2 Peter iii. 3.

"We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory."-1 Cor. ii. 7.

INTRODUCTION

THE world at large has raised a variety of false reports, and drawn many wrong judgments, concerning the publications of Joanna Southcott. Some have gone so far as to say, that they are the works of men with her signature put to them. Others have affirmed, that their contents are made up of falsehoods, and not truth. Again, among a variety of the like tales, it has lately been boldly asserted, "that she makes a scribbling on some papers, and delivers them to some of her followers, and then, when any remarkable occurrence happened in the world, from her being possessed of a great degree of head knowledge, with a retentive memory, she has occasionally gone to these papers and pretended to read what has happened, in the same manner as if it had been in them; and then it is added, that there is a person who writes down what she pretends to read, and then it is published." This erroneous and false assertion has even been put in print against her.

But all these things being known to the Lord, before Joanna could have any notice of them; she therefore sees his unbounded wisdom, in ordering that every truth should be tried and regularly proved by the testimony of credible witnesses.

And in order to ascertain the truth or falsity of her writings, all ranks of men have been invited, by a variety of applications, to come forward to examine fairly into them. The bishops, and clergy in general, were particularly invited to search into these matters; and she then expressed her willingness on every truth being laid before any twenty-four whom they might appoint from among themselves, that if they could prove the calling to be from the Devil, she would then consent for everything to be given up to their judgment, as may be seen in "Letters on various Subjects, from Joanna Southcott to Miss Townley, published in June, 1804"; but they declined coming forward to judge the cause.

After this it was offered to be given up to the judgment of the Rev. Mr. Pomeroy, in like manner, if he could bring twenty-four to prove her calling from an evil Spirit; for he had written private letters to her friends, to insinuate to them that she had published falsehoods against him. But her friends being above deceit, they sent her his letters, which she put in print, at the same time offering to give up all to him, if he came forward and proved his assertions, as the reader may see more fully in her "Explanations of the Bible," Part 1, p. 44, published towards the end of the same year; but well knowing that he could not do so, he likewise refused to attend to her invitation to do justice to her character.

And to show the reader the last steps which were taken, respecting that gentleman, previous to her Trial, the following particulars are inserted-

Directions from the Spirit.

Wednesday, Nov. 28, 1804.

"Now, Joanna, I shall give thee directions. Know all men, my Gospel was penned by my disciples; my friends and followers bore record of the truth: for what truth could come from my enemies? Now I tell thee, it is my friends and believers that must bear record of every truth the same. Now, as the days of thy departure draw near, I have ordered thee to call all thy witnesses and friends together, to make every truth clear before them, and to convince the unbelieving world, they have not built their faith on a sandy foundation; they have not listened to any cunningly devised fables; they have not taken thy bare word and record; but have faithfully searched into every truth. The witnesses must be called and their evidence given in and penned, as though it was a thing on life and death. All must be penned, and all particulars looked into, to prove to the world there is no deceit in thee or thy friends. For I now tell thee, if thy friends believe every truth thou hast told them, without bringing forward every evidence to prove it, the world will not; for clear proofs must be made manifest, to prove a thing to an unbelieving world. My disciples penned in what a public manner my miracles were wrought, and in what a public manner I appeared to them after my decease; and in what manner I arose again; but could this be done by the keepers, who were bribed to conceal the truth?  I tell thee, No; so let the unbelieving world say the truth of all is proved by thy friends and believers: for the truth of my Gospel was penned the same, and the truth of my Bible was penned the same. Now let the world be convinced from Pomeroy, what truth can you know from him? Does he not use every art to conceal the truth, as much as the keepers did to conceal the truth of my resurrection? Then know, vain man, no truth can come from an enemy. See my Gospel; see my Bible; see how Jehoiakim went to conceal and destroy the words of Jeremiah; and see through my Bible how it was penned by the prophets, and made public by those who believed. But was ever my Bible affirmed by an enemy? Let reason take possession of every heart; and now see from Pomeroy's conduct, how he would sooner lose his own honour, and bear the scandalous reproach of the whole world, than come forward to acknowledge the truth. Now let this be a convincing proof to all men, that truth cannot be made known by an enemy; truth must be made known by a believer, who will not blind his own eyes, nor the eyes of others, but will do justice towards God and man, which the enemies of my Cross never would do; neither will the enemies of my Crown do it now: for where Satan hath the advantage over men, to fill them up with unbelief, he will have the advantage to work in them deceit. Now let the world see from Pomeroy, and thy friends, where the art and deceit lie; who is ready to come forward with every truth but the believers? and who is ready to keep back the truth and deny it but an unbeliever? This was done at my first coming, and this is done at my second coming. Now let all men judge for themselves; for I shall go on to make every thing clear to men of reason and to men of sense.

"Now I shall answer thee: Pomeroy hath done like the Jews of old; he hath concealed the truth, and will not appear to own the truth; then go out into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in. Let the witnesses' words be taken; and let any opposers come that will come, that have not returned the letters; or, let the halting Jacobs appear, that are now halting between two opinions; let them come forward to the number that is mentioned.

"Now I shall come to Pomeroy's words: he saith let the truth be tried, but leave him out of the question. Now let Pomeroy answer me, which way the truth is to be tried to leave him out of the question? Is not that a thing impossible? In thy heart thou sayest, Yes, it is a thing impossible; then I answer, he will find it in the end as much impossible for him to regain his lost honour: for his name must ever stand with the name of the keepers that were bribed to conceal the truth. So whether he will hear, or whether he will forbear, write thou the words unto him this day, and tell him to call to his remembrance-

"The eleven days are still in store,

To stay my heavy hand;

But if he sleep till this be o'er,

Then he may still sleep on

Till all my threatened judgments come upon him. Now tell him, for his sake I have deferred thy Trial to the last day; for seven days before November is out, by the Old Style, thy Trial must begin; and if he is not present then, or sends no friends to appear in his behalf, he must trust to the judgment of them that are present; but as to his conduct, from first to last, it will all go in print with the witnesses' names; and let him know what an impossibility he hath required; and the letter thou sendest him must go in print."

Here follows a copy of the Letter-

London, Nov. 28, 1804.

Rev. Sir,

In your letter to the Rev. Mr. Foley, you write desiring to have the truth of my writings cleared up, and tried by the test of Scripture, but leaving your name out of the question; then what truth can be cleared up? What an impossibility do you require? What sense and nonsense have you blended together? Doth not your own handwriting prove your senses more deranged than mine? You say, it must be tried by the test of Scripture truth, and by that let it stand or fall. Now, Sir, if we leave out the truth of the Scriptures they must fall, and if I leave out the truths that were put in your hands I must fall; for what use was it of my putting events in your hands, from 1796 to 1801, if all these things were to die and never to be named? Then you might judge I was led by a knave or a fool; but you will find in the end, I am not led by either; but that the Devil hath completely drowned your senses. Yet still the Lord is waiting to be gracious, if you appear to clear up the truth at the eleventh hour; therefore I must call to your remembrance the words I read to you in 1798, that by the dates being different with God and man, it was said-

"Eleven days are still in store,

To stay my heavy hand;

And if you sleep till this be o'er,

Then you may still sleep on"

till heavier storms come upon the nation, which followed in 1799 and 1800. Now these eleven days have been kept in store for you, that for your sake my Trial is put off, to the last seven days of November, by the Old Style, so the mercies of God endure to the end; but not one day longer will it be deferred. My witnesses from Exeter are now in London, and every truth concerning you, and me, will be given in to the attorney, and all put in public print. Now I must call to your remembrance the letter I sent you-

"Will you, like the Jews of old,

Keep seals upon the tomb?

Or will you bribe the keepers here,

That truth should not be known?

Then sure to others I'll appear,

In the highways I'll go;

And Pomeroy's words, without delay,

I bid thee hasty show."

And now your words, without delay, I shall put hastily in execution, to have every truth tried and proved; but you shall no longer make me an offering for a word, to sign to subtilty, arts, and deceits; the naked truth shall now appear. I am sorry to tell you, that your conscience hath been bribed like the keepers, that when they saw the angels appear, and the stone rolled away, and they fled for fear, they were bribed to say the disciples stole him away while they were asleep. Here, like you, they contradict themselves, for what man could tell what was done when they were asleep? and what man can tell which is right, you or I, if I leave your name out of the question, and do not call my witnesses to clear every truth? In this, your senses appear no more acute than mine; for I am sorry to tell you, that there is such sense and nonsense blended together in your letters, that my senses are not so much deranged but I can discern the depth of the whole. I do not, like you, boast of good sense, that the polite world boast of, to drown common sense; but common sense teaches me reason and religion, that in an affair like mine, justice, equity, and truth, must take place, and none of the truth be kept back. And now I shall come to the purport of my letter: your hiding yourself showeth yourself guilty, and you are your own murderer. My Trial is prolonged on your account, that you may have no excuse to plead; but as I know conscious guilt keeps you back from appearing yourself, you are at liberty to send any friend you think proper, to appear in your behalf. You know the last day is mentioned; my Trial cannot be deferred longer than the last seven days in November, by Old Style; and if you appear you may claim my promise in the letter that was sent you in print, by the command of the Lord; but if you do not appear, you prove yourself guilty and must say as Adonibezek did, as I have done to others, so the Lord hath requited me. Now, Sir, I shall conclude with saying, this letter with all the others that have been sent you, will be put in print, if you are absent; and you must say, the judgments of God have now overtaken you; but I wish you to call reason to your assistance, before reason comes too late. If I do not receive an answer by return of post, your silence proves you would sooner have your character lost for ever, by your ill conduct, than acknowledge your fault towards God and me, and clear your conscience by acknowledging that wherein you had done wrong you would do so no more. One thing I must observe, in your letter to Mr. Foley, you say, after a full and patient investigation into my writings, you are of opinion they proceed from a deceived imagination or spiritual delusion; then I must ask you, why, Sir, after having the writings a fortnight in your hands, to pass your judgment thereon, before they were put in print, that you delivered them into my hands to put them in print, and said, you could not blame me? then why did you deceive me, and not tell me your judgment then?  So out of your own mouth, you have tried every way to deceive me, and now in the end you are deceived yourself.

So, I am, your much injured,

Joanna Southcott.

P.S. Please to direct to Mr. Sharp, No. 50, Titchfield Street, Oxford Street, London.

When the Rev. Gentleman paid no attention to this offer, the following directions were given-

"Go into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in. Now they are at liberty to invite any twenty-four they choose, to stand in their stead, that the house may be filled with the appointed number that is mentioned; therefore, I ordered my friends to come before the time, that the witnesses might be examined, their evidence taken, and all laid before the public. So opposers that wish to be present let them be present, for the complete number must be made up. I choose no man; but let them be invited and come by their own choice; and whether Pomeroy come or send, there shall not be one turned back that cometh by invitation to make up the twenty-four. If they had not been warned by letters, had not been invited, had not been threatened, they would have said, all was unjust to call forward all the witnesses to appear against them, if they had not notice to answer for themselves; and the world would have said, as was said at Stockton, that all was invented lies. Every truth shall be cleared up by evidence and by witnesses, before thou goest hence to be no more seen; then where is the man who can contend with believers, when every truth is proved and tried? where are the clergy who can condemn them, when every offer hath been so freely made them?

"Or where hath Satan room to plead,

When justice is so clear?

No; I shall strike the rebel dead,

And make thy foes to fear."

As Joanna's enemies have been busy in spreading false reports against her and all those who have been invited to examine into the truth or falsity of what she hath published, have also declined to interfere; she was still ordered to come forward and call her witnesses together, who came from distant parts; and also the twenty-four persons who had before judged her calling to be of God; and they were to procure other twenty-four, who believed the Bible to be of divine authority, to join with them, for the purpose of examining every evidence regularly; and this was to be conducted by an attorney, who was appointed to act in the strictest and most impartial manner in the examination of the witnesses, during her absence; and he was desired to act in every thing, as though he had been commissioned by his king and country, or by the bishops and clergy, to act faithfully with God and man.

In consequence of this arrangement, the twenty-four, who had before judged the truth of Joanna's mission, endeavoured by every means of persuasion to induce individuals, among the clergy and others, to come forward to examine into her calling; but all that were opposers, or unbelievers, of what she published to the world, refused to listen to her friends. Many of them added insult and abuse to their refusal to search into the truth, as may be seen by the different answers, as given by several of them to the gentlemen who made the applications to them.

Being then commanded to go into the highways and hedges, accordingly the Rev. Mr. Webster waited on three clergymen; these were, the Rev. Mr. Hodgkins, minister of St. Thomas's, in the Borough, who declined attending, not caring to have anything to do with it; the Rev. Mr. Grose, curate of St. Gabriel, Fenchurch, who declined, fearing his abilities were not sufficient for such an undertaking; and a third was the Rev. Mr. Draper, lecturer of St. George's, in the Borough. He declared his decided opinion, and believed that he spoke the sentiments of the clergy at large, when he said, that her writings were blasphemous; and added, that he could see but one place where she was spoken of in Scripture, and that was by the appellation of Jezebel; for she was a Jezebel in the church; and as to prophets and prophetesses, in the present day, he did not believe that there were now any such characters; though he must say thus much in her favour, this was a proof of the near approach of the latter day; for that we were taught previous to that period to look for false Christs and false prophets. She was evidently an instrument in the hands of the enemy, to collect together a number of people and promote a rebellion against the government; and we should not be allowed to meet at the time fixed on, for our assembling was known to them.

The reader will fix his attention to the fairness of Joanna's intentions, in applying to the church ministers, for them to examine into every thing; for they are part of the government of England, and ought to stand between the king and his people, to prevent a Jezebel from being imposed on them.

The above Remarks were thus Answered by

the Spirit.

"Now, Joanna, I shall answer thee from these three men. The first is what I said in the Revelations, neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm; therefore I will spue such out of my mouth; for no more than thou canst digest thy meat, and that only one meal a day, no more can I digest such men, to have them settled in heart with me.

"And now I shall come to the second, whom I call a prudent man, that boasts of his infirmities, fearing of his wisdom to judge in so weighty a cause; and here let the prudent men, whose understanding is hid, keep silence; let them not think of themselves more highly than they ought to think, but wait till they are clear in judging before they condemn.

"And now I shall come to the other, who said thou wert the Jezebel. Out of his own mouth will I condemn him, for breaking the laws of God and man; the laws of his king, the laws of his country; and turning the laws of a civilized nation into rebellion. Hast thou not appealed to thy king, and to thy country to have the laws of the nation put in force against thee? And if twenty-four can come forward against thee, and prove thy calling not of God, hast thou not promised to give up the whole? Then will he throw the laws of your nation aside, and bring in laws of rebellion without justice, equity, or truth? Is he going to bring in the laws of the French, to be a traitor to his king and country, to bring in what laws he pleases? When law-makers are law-breakers, where are the laws of your land? Is not his heart joined with the Devil against all righteous and religious laws? Then how dare he say my just decrees shall be prevented, that men may be clear in judging before they condemn? When they have refused to try thee by the laws of the country, I have commanded thee to be tried by the laws of my Gospel; I have ordered thee to put every truth into their hands; I have ordained so many witnesses to copy off thy books, that it may be plainly proved to the world that there is no art nor deceit in thee; I ordered thy pen to be thrown aside in the end, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word might be established, and that without books, or without inventions; for thy words flow faster than they can pen them. How dare such a minister go into the pulpit, who puts all my Gospel at defiance? Is it not written, be clear in judging before you condemn? For who art thou, O man, that judgest another? Thou art no doer of the law but a judger: but let him know the judge stands at the door, to condemn him out of his own mouth, for breaking the laws of God and man, and bringing the laws of other nations into this kingdom; then like other nations this kingdom must fall. He that is a traitor to his God, is a traitor to his country; the laws of God command him to be clear in judging before he condemn; the laws of your country command a clear judgment, by judge and jury, before any criminal is cast. Then how dare he say, without the laws of his country, he will take the law in hand without acting according to the law? Though the Jews unjustly put me to death, yet they pretended to do it by the law, and gained false witnesses to prove it was done according to the law; but now this man says they will put a stop without the law, when they refused to appear according to justice, equity and truth; then is not justice fallen in your streets, and equity cannot enter? Will men judge as blind men in the dark, when I have given them eyes to see if they will see? Will they judge without hearing, when I have given them ears to hear if they will hear? Now let him come to a court of justice: where is the person cast without evidence? Now where is his evidence to appear? Where is his indictment to prove that thou hast spoken against thy God, or against thy king? And is not my command given to be peaceable with all men, as far as in you lies? Is there a word of rebellion in thy writings that I have ordered or commanded? Have I not ordered the truth to be laid before the public? Did I not invite them to come forward and judge for themselves? Then where is your justice, O vain men? Have I not rightly spoken of the shepherds, that they will neither enter themselves, nor suffer those that are entering to go in? Are they not blind leaders of the blind? Do they not judge of things they know nothing about themselves? and do they not teach others to do the same? Where can they bring my Bible to justify them? Can they deny my just judgments upon the land? Are not they the Jezebels themselves, who cover with a covering, but not of my Spirit, who deny the truth of my Gospel, that promised my Spirit should be sent, and the Holy Ghost the Comforter should come? Now if man answer, 'Yes; we know this is the Gospel of Christ, and we believe him to be the God of truth, that what he hath said he will accomplish; but we will not receive it from the hand of a Woman.' Then let man answer me, why he took the evil fruit from the hand of a Woman, when I forbade it? Why he cast the blame on his maker for giving him the Woman?

"Here let man answer for man,

Why he obeyed at first,

But now the Trial will not stand

To have the evil cast;

Then blasphemy in men I see,

My Name they do blaspheme;

And so from hell their hearts do swell,

To keep on Satan's reign.

So they are come, to me 'tis known,

So tainted by the Fall,

My Bible now they do disown;

But I do tell you all,

In Spirit strong I now am come,

Man cast the blame on me;

Back on their heads, it shall be shown,

The blame is cast by me;

For I'll cast back the every stroke

Man cast on me at first.

Though now the Woman you do mock

In love to you she'th burst,

The Promise clear for to appear

To free you of the Fall;

And if you loved your maker here

In love you now would fall

These words to say-'We wish, like she,

To have it so appear;

And if she simply is deceived

By any spirit here,

We all must say another way,

By ignorance she is cast.'

For if her writings through you weigh

And mark how all is placed,

In love to me they surely be,

If now you judge her hand,

'Tis all against the enemy

Her writings now do stand;

On Satan's head is all her plead,

To have the curse stand there,

And me to be the living head,

And Man's redemption clear.

And will you say, 'tis blasphemy?

Then you must plead for hell.

I tell you men, no other way

You Jezebels can fall,

Only to say the blasphemy

Is against the tempter here;

And you like Jezebels would be

Her prophets for to clear.

She saw them slain, I tell you men,

And so her rage did burn;

And now like she you shepherds be-

Look deep and now discern:

Against your king you cannot bring

The lines that she hath spoke;

Against your God, it must be known,

Then how dare men to mock,

These words to say that blasphemy

Did e'er come from her tongue;

Or she like Jezebel can be

To do my prophets wrong?

"And now I shall answer thee in plain words. Thy petition and request is, to destroy all the works of the Devil, as my prophet destroyed the sons of Belial,  who led men to worship strange gods, and not to worship me, the true and living God, which enraged the heart of Jezebel against him, though she had seen the judgments I had sent before; and just like her are all thy enemies. Now where is there a woman that would run the hazard thou hast, to plead for the glory of God and the good of mankind? or where is the woman that could stand as thou hast stood to hold a controversy with all men, if I the Lord was not with her? Can they blame the Jews, for saying I cast out Devils through the prince of Devils, when they say thou art pleading Satan's destruction by the spirit of the Devil? Did I not truly prophesy of you, blind shepherds, that ye were blind leaders of the blind? Did I not truly prophesy of the End, that ye would hear my Gospel and keep it not? that your houses were built on the sand, and great would be the fall thereof? But how could the Fall be so great, if blind guides did not appear to blind their flock when it came to the end, that they might not know the days of their visitation, nor be able to stand in the evil day? Now as he saith, false prophets are a type of the last day, and that thou appearest as a type unto him, out of his own mouth will I condemn him, if he doth not faithfully warn his flock that my Kingdom is at hand, as he confesses from thee my words are true. So he that will not see from the sunshine and the daylight, because it is too strong for his senses, let him come to the night and see by the moonlight, and say, from the dark, my Kingdom is at hand; for my Gospel stands every way to confound men in their own discourse, that they might have no excuse to plead, that no signs, nor warnings, were given them. So let him take the sign the way he hath placed it; and let all such shepherds take the sign the same, that place it this way, to warn men to flee from the wrath to come, lest the day come that shall burn like an oven, and they are consumed and burnt up like stubble. So he hath no excuse to plead; and now let him try to save his flock, by warning them that my words are fulfilled, my Kingdom is at hand, or their blood will be on his head; for I shall require them by the way he hath pleaded. And now I shall come to those who see from the sunshine, that the sun of righteousness must arise with healing in his wings, to heal the Fall of the Woman, before man's redemption can take place. Let them rejoice in the God of their Salvation, and join with her in the PROMISE made in the Fall to destroy the evil, as Adam joined with her to take the evil. And now let the world see, how lively and how zealous these are to go through every thing, and to be obedient in every thing, who believe from the truth of my Promise that stands on record; but how careless are these shepherds, who say they believe the time is at hand, from false prophets and false Christs! Let the world judge of the different men by their different conduct, who is for me, and who is against me, who are the faithful servants waiting the coming of the Lord.

"And now come to the other."

The Rev. Mr. Foley, accompanied by Mr. Scott, the solicitor, waited upon the Rev. Mr. Robson, of Whitechapel. On his being asked, if he would attend Joanna's Trial, as an opposer (for the object of it was to find out if there was any spiritual delusion, or whether her calling was from the Spirit of the living God), he said, that he had destroyed the letter he had received from Miss Townley to the clergy; and added, that there was no occasion for such an examination, as she had described herself as the second Eve, and that there was nothing to warrant such an assertion. The discourse then turned upon the bruising of Satan's head; and he said, that that was accomplished at the death of our Saviour. He then indignantly broke off, saying that he was sorry Mr. Foley was of the church, for he was no Christian: and further told him to go home and get some water gruel.

The Answer of the Spirit.

"Now I shall answer thee of the other, who said he had destroyed the letter: and I answer he hath as much destroyed my Bible, and wrested it to his own condemnation. Might I not well say blind leaders of the blind? Was Satan's head bruised at my Death? Who then worked in the hearts of the people to destroy my disciples? Who worked in the hearts of the Jews to harden them in unbelief? See what followed my Death: were not people as envious against my disciples as against me? Had they not greater persecution after my Death than before? Then how will he prove Satan's head was bruised, and his power taken off from his tempting men to sin, and hardening their hearts through unbelief? In this he is become an advocate for the Devil, that no sin and blasphemy proceed from him; but all proceeds from man's own evil heart. After I had come to bruise Satan's head and redeem them from the Fall, they went on as bad as before; then to what purpose were my Death and Sufferings? only to bring the greater condemnation on man; for if I then bruised Satan's head and destroyed all the works of the Devil, as it is written I died to destroy; then what is Man?-A Devil by nature, and a Devil by practice. Then to what purpose did my disciples warn men to flee from the temptation of the Devil? Why did they say, draw nigh to Christ, and he will draw nigh unto you; resist the Devil and he will flee from you? But if his head is bruised, and his power destroyed, ye have no Devil to resist; and so if Satan be in men's own hearts, that they themselves are these Devils, what are they redeemed from? You cannot say they are redeemed from sin, when sin so strongly abounds; you cannot say my followers were redeemed from sorrow, when in every age of the world they went through persecution, tried and tempted within and without; then what redemption has man obtained? Will you say they are redeemed from the law of Moses, or the law of the prophets? Then the Jews stand as a witness against you, and with truth can give you the lie; for they are under the law, and not the Gospel. Then where are they redeemed? Will you say men are redeemed from worshipping other gods? Then look abroad in foreign nations and see what they worship: but all souls are mine saith the Lord; and is this the way you will say I have redeemed them? Then for what purpose is the redemption? Will you say I have poured out my Spirit upon all flesh? Then what do you make of my Spirit? Will you say they all know me from the greatest to the least? Then why are so many false gods worshipped? Oh, weak, foolish man! thou that sayest another wants water, thou thyself wantest wine to make thy head stronger. But what hast thou profited by my Blood? by the wine thou drinkest in remembrance of me? what merit dost thou make of my Death and Sufferings? or my coming to redeem man, and destroy the holy city where the Lord was worshipped, and give it to the heathen that called not upon my Name? What do you make of such Redemption? Then you make your God another such as yourselves: and is this the shepherd to teach my flock of the promises made in my Gospel, that I died to reconcile the world unto God, and yet in the wretched wicked state, when men have been drinking iniquity as the ox drinketh water, will they say God and man are reconciled? Is this all the travail of my soul, that I am to see to be satisfied? my Name mocked, my Gospel despised, the heathen worshipping any thing but the true and living God? and do you call this the Redemption of Man? Then to what purpose hath the Redemption of Man taken place? If so you must place all the evil in me, that I have redeemed them to sin against me. Oh! ye blind shepherds leading your flocks into a ditch; leading your flocks as sheep for the slaughter; calling them the redeemed of the Lord, and Satan's power destroyed, while sin is running with so high a hand, and my Name is despised amongst them! Oh ye blind, open your eyes. Oh ye fools, that reject knowledge, and make me reject you! like the Jews of old, ye perish for want of knowledge! and worse is your faith in my Gospel than the Jews'; for the Jews do not believe my Death tended to the Redemption of Man; and they know themselves they are not redeemed; but ye profess to believe, through my Gospel, that Satan's head was bruised, and man was redeemed, while every sin, strife, and malice, bitterness and contention, hardness of heart, and cruelty, are amongst you; then now see what you make of me! for know that the servant must be like the master; and know that I said, his servants ye are to whom ye yield yourselves to obey: but if Satan's head was bruised, and your redemption took place, and my Spirit was poured out upon all flesh, you have but one master to obey: and to what purpose did I tell you to pray for my kingdom to come? For when my kingdom is established on earth, then my kingdom is come; then ye need not ask for a thing to be done, when it has been done. To what purpose did I say unto them of the signs that should take place, then they should lift up their heads, for their Redemption drew near, if their Redemption was then?

"So now see men, how they are come,

As I did say before,

Blind leaders of the blind, 'tis known,

And so the ditch is near.

Such ignorant shepherds well I knew

There would be in the end;

When I did bring all to their view,

I knew the way they'd bend.

Like water here doth he appear-

His gruel let him see;

Though for my shepherd pointed here,

It is more fit for he.

Had Foley's head so weak been laid

I ne'er should choose the man;

And Satan would him soon betrayed,

Had he so weak discerned

My Bible here for to appear;

But from his words now see,

He said his Bible he could not clear,

Thou know'st he said to thee,

Nor understand for to command

The mysteries there were penned.

So in my wisdom he doth stand,

They'll all find in the end;

Self-confidence gives all offence,

In every age that's past,

And now the same they're surely come,

Self-confidence is cast:

My Gospel here they cannot clear,

Like children to become,

If in their wisdom they'll appear,

My Gospel to condemn;

In Spirit here I now appear

My Gospel I'll make good,

And every thing was spoken there

I'll now to man allude.

So Foley see was blamed by he;

But I shall blame that man

And from my Gospel all may see

He in no way can stand.

Did he condemn an upright man,

My Gospel for to name?

Then how a shepherd dare he stand?

I'll put him now to shame:

The words from he to Foley see,

Back on his head I'll turn;

As thou didst say by Pomeroy,

The end shall make him mourn;

For sick like thee he'll surely be

When I've gone through the whole;

And then the gruel he may see

For his own self to call.

A preacher here he cannot clear

He's worthy of that name,

No; Foley's passions did appear,

And so the end I'll shame,

I say, the man, he cannot stand;

The blind men now you see,

How I have mocked them from their hand,

And all like fools did flee.

The wicked here, you now see clear,

Do flee when none pursue;

For the righteous like the lions are,

That now believe me true;

Because that here I shall appear

Their faith doth judge them right,

And in the end I all shall clear,

And make them men of might.

Now for the Foe, I tell them so,

That six they sure must meet,

That have no eyes the truth to know

The calling here is great.

But now I'll clear the mystery there,

No company was found

When the six men to thee were seen-

Let all men judge the sound;

Thou know'st that one his sight was strong-

Let men in sight appear!

Bring me the answer of six men,

That have no eyes to clear

Their Bibles true before their view,

And then I'll clear the whole;

The mysteries in the end they'll know

Why I did this conceal;

For Satan's head in arts is laid,

If he did know the way

I should go on to prove thy hand,

I knew what arts he'd lay:

But the blind men to thee were seen,

Waiting to hear thy call?

No man, thou'st know, to thee did show

That he would leave his room,

Until the truth that he did know,

And then they'd know their doom.

So for the six I now shall fix,

For Pomeroy he is gone;

They've strove to win, by all 'tis seen.

But know his eyes are gone;

And so five here must now appear,

For them to try the same;

But know, with thee they never were,

But waiting for my Name,

The truth to see if 'twas from me;

But as to eyes they've none;

And from my Gospel you may see

The way the blind go on.

But know that one to thee was known,

Had eyes for to discern,

And said again at thy return

That he should see thee come;

But know the blind were all confined,

Waiting to see the end,

No step to go, thou well dost know,

They had no eyes to see-

Then now discern how I do warn-

The blind confined must be,

Till at the last the light doth burst;

But thy friends now see clear,

That blind they be, they cannot see-

Thy guide hath brought thee here,

To see the whole before them fall,

And so the blind must come.

I do not tell thee to appear;

But their words must be known.

So I'll end here, and say no more

Till I their judgment see;

But let thy dream to them appear-

Forgotten it may be."-

The dream is thus related by Joanna: In the fall of 1802, when at Mr. Bruce's at Paddington by myself, I dreamt that I felt an arm round my neck, and knew I was in bed by myself; I turned round in the bed to see who was there, and saw a well looking youth spring off the bed in blue clothes, and a child was with him. I arose to follow him; he went into Mr. B.'s dining-room, but still opened door after door till he brought me to a room where there were six blind men, who seemed to have no eyes in their heads; but one man was there who had his perfect sight, and said, "These men are blind, and so they will continue till the truth of your writings is proved." One of the blind men spoke to me, and said, "When your writings are proved to be true we shall receive our sight." The man that had eyes said, they would not see before, but he should see me again. The youth that came with me was my guide to conduct me, and he was waiting to convey me back. I thought he stood as a footboy behind me, but did not convey me back the way I came.

On an application made by Mr. Wilson to the minister of Clerkenwell and Long Acre Chapel, for him to attend the Trial, he received the following note-

Sir,

As I consider Joanna Southcott a deluded impostor, I shall have nothing to do with her; and I am very sorry that you, Sir, are carried away with her nonsense.

I am, Sir, yours, &c.

H. Foster.

Wilderness Row, Dec. 3, 1804.

On Saturday, Dec. 1, 1804, an application was made by the Rev. Stanhope Bruce, to the Rev. Basil Woodd, of Bentinck Chapel, Lisson Green. He shook his head and cried out with anger and contempt, "Stuff! stuff!" he would have nothing at all to do with it, and was very sorry a gentleman like him should countenance such a cause as this.

The Answer of the Spirit.

"Now I shall answer thee from Woodd. What stuff is his religion? where is his love to God or man? Hath he not seen the thing once proved already, by what one of his own brethren said-there were three and twenty mad fools?  and from his own words, he judges them the same; then where is his wisdom? where is his religion, not to step forward when invited, that he may point out the errors to them, and not let it go out in the world again, by three and twenty more mad fools? So out of his own mouth will I condemn him, as a blind man without eyes; for if he had eyes to see, or a heart to understand, believing a thing gone out in the world in my name, that he believed I had not spoken, he ought to come forward in love to me, to try to convince those that are in errors; and if he could prove it not of God, he ought to publish to the world against it for the glory of God and the good of mankind. So here is his wisdom perished, his understanding hid, his love for me gone. But he is boasting like Jehu-see my zeal for the Lord of Hosts! while his eye is to his own honour, that he may be exalted and worshipped for his wisdom and preaching; but where is his wisdom to judge of a thing without examining into it. This is the-

Proud boasting Pharisee-

For wisdom he hath none,

To judge the calling not from me,

And say he will not come

For to confound, in every sound,

The blind-men's names are here.

And perfect blind themselves they'll find,

When I have proved all clear.

So I'll begin-thy thoughts within,

Call former things to mind,

What Parable I first did name,

And now the end you'll find;

So let the Parable be penned

That thou hast penned before,

And all shall find it in the end,

That say I shall appear,

As they judge wrong what thou hast done,

I'll prove that love they've none;

So let the Parable be penned,

I'll answer thee again."

The following is the parable, that was penned in Joanna's writings years ago: "Supposing a nobleman of great family and fortune went abroad into a foreign country; and a harlot, an impostor, was to forge his name and title, and to say that she was his wife. His friends not believing she was his wife, but that she had done it by arts in his absence, thinking if he did never return she might lay some claim to his estate. Now what must that nobleman's friends be, if they believed the woman to be an impostor, and would not call her forward and make her prove in what manner she was honourably married, and by whom, before she dared to make that public assertion to disgrace a gentleman and his noble family? Would not this be done by men of the world? Would they give it up to be proved by her own friends, and from them claim her right and title, without his friends examining into the truth? What would the nobleman say on his return? that he had not a friend to search into the truth. Would he not blame them? Would he not condemn them? But if, on the contrary, her report was true, and his friends had inquired into the truth, saying they could not believe such a gentleman as he would have been united with one so much his inferior; therefore they tried her to prove her marriage with him, before they would own her, that they might have some evidence of the truth; could he then blame them? He could only say, their judgment and his own were not alike: it was his choice, if not theirs."

The Answer of the Spirit.

"Now thus to man I here shall come:

The Parable is plain,

That thou hast given out to man,

And I shall here maintain,

Was such a thing now done by man,

His friends the cause would try;

They'd say his honour must be gone,

If they should let it die,

To let her say this perfect way

She doth his title claim;

And so her friends they may agree

To vindicate the same-

"It unto them shall never come,

Nor will we thus submit;

No, no; the truth shall be made known,

Her honour may be great;

If friends appear the whole to clear,

Then blinded they may be;

No; we ourselves will now see clear,

His absence we will see;

Then as his friends we'll now contend

To know if it be so;

For unto others we'll not bend

Till we the truth do know."

Doth she appear to offer here,

To say she will it claim,

To say her marriage it is clear

If she can't prove it plain,

And bring the man by whom 'twas joined

To make her marriage good?

Would you not say that you would come

And see if so it stood?

I tell you plain, ye sons of men,

You'd do this for a man,

And for his honour you'd contend,

Or he might you condemn,

When he appeared the truth to clear-

"Why did you let it go

From words from her, that you did hear,

Ne'er sought the truth to know?"

Could you confound, in any sound,

If you ne'er had sought it out?

Then on her friends you must depend,

Though you say you did doubt

The truth was so, yet you'd not go

To see if it was clear.

Then now, my friends, I tell you so

My answer must appear;

No love for me was seen by ye,

My friends may say the same;

For if I never had returned,

My title she might claim.

So if deceit, and full of cheat,

You would not try to know-

But here the mystery lieth great:

You could not overthrow

The words of she; now answer me,

If absence aught can clear?

But now to man I bold shall come,

They'd not keep silence here;

To try the thing they'd soon begin,

What is of man, I know;

But what's of God (fear ye my rod!),

This love you will not show!

So now, vain man, I must condemn,

You'd act so for a friend-

Why not for me? I now do see

Your hearts will never bend!

For to the man I now shall come

To place a different way:

Had he been bound in wedlock's bands,

And children gained that way;

And absent gone, to all unknown,

And she the truth could clear,

His every friend he must disown,

That had denied her here,

If they'd not come and see her hand,

To know if it was so;

But let her children bastards stand,

And she a begging go,

To seek relief, and full of grief,

While I had gold in store,

And you her heart filled full of grief,

To say she was a whore,

And her oppressed, and wounded her breast,

While she did offer free

Her marriage here she'd make it clear,

And prove it true to be;

For every hand she could command

Was witness to the deed;

That though she was too mean for him,

Yet with her he did wed.

"Then where's the friend that can pretend

In love for to appear,

To see my wife, and children go

In grief and deep despair?"

Because that they would all deny,

Refuse to see her hand;

To search the truth they'd not comply,

Then her own friends must stand

The whole to clear, I tell you here-

But when he did return,

Against his friends he'd then appear

In anger for to burn-

"She offered free," the man would say,

"To prove to you the whole;

Unjustly you turned her away;

Must she a begging fall?

When raised by me to such degree

And justice you forbid,

To fill her heart with misery

A wife that I had wed;

And offspring here from me appear,

You all filled with distress.

Then how your presence can I bear

When you refused redress,

Her cause to see, and her to free,

If innocent she's found?

This thing you ought to've done for me,

That justice might abound;

For if abroad, it must be known,

I'd died and never come,

My wife and children you'd disown,

The truth might not be known."

So from such men, I tell you plain,

No justice can appear;

You see the laws of God and man

Together I compare-

And from the law I now shall go;

Thousands have lost their right,

That had not friends the truth to show

And bring the truth to light.

So I'll end here, and say no more-

But few friends I do see,

That wish the truth in all to clear,

And show their love to me."

Mr. Sharp waited on another clergyman of great literary talents, who declared Joanna to be a foolish, ignorant woman; and by what he had read from her books, he could not understand them; and had no opinion of a Holy Spirit that could not write grammar. But he further said, if he were a younger man he might come forward; and he added, that this world would always go on as it was; and by the death of Christ we should be made happy hereafter.

His Remarks were thus Answered to Joanna.

"Now I shall answer thee of his saying, a foolish ignorant Woman: if Adam had refused to listen to a foolish, ignorant Woman at the first, then Man might refuse to listen to a foolish, ignorant Woman at the last; but as Man did not refuse at first, but as soon as he had listened, cast the blame on me for giving him the Woman, because he had listened to her; then now I shall cast the blame on Man for not listening to you. Know, Pilate refused to listen to his foolish wife, and so by man my death came; the Jews refused to listen to the words of my Mother, and so I was judged an impostor. But know, Ahasuerus did not refuse to listen to the words of Esther; and by a foolish woman her people were saved. Then where is your wisdom, ye foolish men? and where is your wisdom in my Bible? Is it not written, with the simple I shall deal simply? Then how could my Gospel be true if I should deal any other than simply with a simple Woman? Should I speak in language unknown to her, how could she understand? Were you to bring Latin and tell a child unlearned to read it, and pick it out, and explain the sense, would not men laugh at your folly, to expect a child to understand what he had never learnt? Then how shall a simple woman, unlearned, yea, even in her own tongue, learn things she never understood? Is this your boasted wisdom, vain man, to teach people things they do not understand? Yet this folly I see in the church, teaching people fine speeches, and learning, that the poor do not understand; but the plain truth of the Gospel is thrown aside by men's learning; the visitation of my Spirit is mockery; the influence of my Spirit is thought nothing of; the power of the Holy Ghost is despised; the Revelation of my Spirit is set at nought; my Spirit is quenched; Prophecies are despised; and despite is done to the Spirit of God! Then where is your boasted grammar? where is your boasted learning, to teach men the wisdom of this world, that I have said should perish and come to nothing? Is my wisdom counted foolishness unto you? then be assured it is my wisdom; for know that it is written by my Apostles, the wisdom of God is foolishness with men; and so my wisdom appeareth foolish to the worldly wise; but now tell me, O vain men, if your wisdom is not foolishness to me, when you say a thing is not of God, and your friends are imposed upon, for want of judgment and you boast of your wisdom and judgment? Then why not appear to point out to them where their errors are, and see the truth cleared up? You say, you do not understand the Books, then why do you exercise yourself in things too high for you? Never judge of a thing you cannot understand.-Now, simple man, you say you are too old to come forward in the work of the Lord; for if her calling be not of God you cannot be a friend to the Lord, if you do not come forward to oppose it; and if it be of God, you ought to come forward to support it, that you may bring your grey hairs with honour to the grave; for with what confidence can you come before him, to say you have digged in the earth and hid away your money, and never improved the talents that are given you? Is this the way you wish to appear before me?

"So thus to all is now my call,

Blind shepherds you are come;

When the good shepherd doth appear,

My Gospel all discern;

I said that I alone must be

The shepherd that was good,

And now my words I bid you see,

Let this be understood;

As four here do now appear

Wise shepherds for to be,

And wish the truth in all to clear,

In Spirit drawn by me;

Then know, from them my word must come

To prove the truth I spoke;

I said the three a Type of me,

The fourth you know not,

That now appears the whole to clear,

And joined with the third;

For Pomeroy's letters must appear,

Or from his written word

Call thou to mind he was behind,

For two did write before;

And so from he the shadow see,

He did the third appear.

And Eyre did come with him to join-

The mystery there goes deep.

Another day I'll tell my mind,

How God and Man must break

In unity in heart to be-

All shadows I place first,

But in the end, you all will see,

The substance so will burst.

So thus to Man the shadows come,

The substance lieth behind.

I know the shepherds that are mine,

And in the end you'll find

They'll burst the same to know my Name,

When I have all gone through;

But those that boast of empty fame

They'll never wish to know;

Because their pride will throw aside

The teaching of their God;

Wiser than me they judge they be,

And so my words are trod

Beneath their feet-the mystery's deep,

As none do understand

These blind men here, how they appear

To bring all to your land;

Thousands the same, I know they're come

And judge themselves as wise,

And think that knowledge they want none,

And so they blind your eyes.

But I'll appear to answer here,

That knowledge men have none;

'Tis faith in me, the wise do see

What is before them come:

No simple maid, the wise have said,

Could bring such mysteries round,

If not from Heaven the lines were given,

Men's learning they'll confound,

That do begin just like the man,

The Woman's folly see,

They'll say-'That Adam so should stand,

If she condemned must be:

If Man at first on her did burst,

And blamed his maker there;

Then at the last Man might be cast

If he this way appear.

So God is just, and now we trust,

If he began with Man,

Upon the Serpent now he'll burst,

And so fulfil his plan;

Though weakness here doth all appear,

And sown so at the first,

The Lord in honour all can clear,

And raise it at the last.' "

After meeting with a general refusal among unbelievers, the twenty-four, who at first came forward to prove Joanna's calling, were then obliged to get the like number of friends to join with them; and many of these were such as had come from distant parts of the kingdom to hear her Trial, not knowing but it might be carried on by the clergy. Thus, by the refusal of the clergy and others, the other twenty-four friends, thus chosen, who came from different parts of the country, obtained an additional opportunity to examine the truth of her mission, by being present as judges at her trial.

"Now pen how many men came, that wish to be clear in every truth, and took their journeys to see the truth of thy visitation cleared up"-

The Rev. Mr. Eyre, from Bristol.

Mr. Nisbet, from Kent.

Mr. Hirst, from Leeds.

Mr. Senior, from Leeds.

Mr. Grimshaw, from Leeds.

Mr. Laskey, from Devonshire.

Mr. Chanter, from Devonshire.

"Now, Joanna, I shall answer thee: Seven wise men from different counties went first to Exeter, to inquire into the truth; and now seven wise men from different counties are come to see the truth cleared up; so now thy seven stars are come to fourteen; and they may stand with the other twenty-four; their labour of love shall not be in vain. I have called the great; I have called the learned; but my invitation they have all refused; and now I shall come to the simple and unlearned, to fulfil my Gospel, that the pride of the great may fall, and be confounded by the simple and foolish, that are so judged in their eyes: and he that speaketh against this judgment speaketh against the truth of my Gospel. And now remember what I said-I thank thee, Father, that thou hast concealed these things from the wise men, from the learned and prudent men, and revealed them unto babes. Now the wise men have been warned; and the learned, and the prudent, all have been warned; the wise men trusted to their wisdom, the learned men trusted to their learning, and the prudent men trusted to their prudence, thinking, if they kept silence, all would die away, while the simple and foolish men, as the worldly wise men judged them, became as babes, or as little children, teachable, willing to learn what they did not understand: for the mystery of the Fall was never understood by man; so they, like children, are come teachable to learn what they never understood. Now let them see how my Gospel was brought in by poor men and fishermen; men unlearned in the world; and by such my Kingdom will be brought in: for now is coming the fulfilment of the whole; the meek shall be exalted; the proud shall be abased; and the meek shall inherit the earth. Now weigh the whole with my Gospel: Are not many called? Are there but few chosen? Have not the wise and learned men resigned their crowns to babes and children? For such they are judged by the bishops; but know, such are judged by my Gospel to become as children to possess my Kingdom, or how could my Gospel be fulfilled? How could the wisdom of the wise men perish, if this was brought forward by the wise and learned? How could the understanding of the prudent men be hid, if they had understood all these things; the mystery of the Fall; and the manner my Gospel must be fulfilled, to bring in your redemption?

"Now, Joanna, speak the word,

Dost thou my Promise claim,

That I have left upon record,

The Woman to redeem?"

'Oh, my God! with tears of joy, with tears of thanksgiving, with tears of humiliation, if I am now permitted, I claim the Promise, that Satan's head may now be bruised, and his curse be above every living creature. He first seduced the Woman, and by arts betrayed her to fall from that happiness for which thou created her; and by his arts to disobey her God; and by the same arts he hath been working in men to this day, to be at enmity against their God. Oh, merciful Lord! let that enemy be destroyed according to thy Promise, that the world may be reconciled unto the Lord. As thy dear Son died to reconcile the whole world unto God, may we ask and receive that our joys may be full, to see thy blessed Name run and be glorified, Satan confounded and destroyed, and thou be justified in the works of thy hands, by man whom thou hast created for thy own honour and glory. This is my petition, and this is my request, if it be thy blessed will to grant me, O thou Lord God of heaven and earth! Then blessing, honour, praise, and power, be unto the Lamb for ever! and all the earth shall praise thy Name!'

At the time when the twenty-four persons, including the seven before mentioned, were chosen, meetings were held for several days, according to orders, for the regular examination of the different witnesses.

Tuesday, Dec. 4, 1804.

A letter was received by Joanna from Mr. Wilson, respecting some words spoken by a woman who is one of those that call themselves the elect, belonging to Orange Street Chapel, where Mr. Townshend preaches-"that the friends of Joanna will give her a dose in order to put her to sleep and deceive the public."

These words provoked Joanna to the highest; and she said, if she had such wicked, deceitful, artful people around her as that woman, she had not a doubt but they would do it, and be her complete murderers. If they were to mock God in this manner to deceive man, they would soon deceive her, and make her sleep the sleep of death: for if any one was to give her any thing to draw her to sleep, she is convinced they would close her eyes for ever, that she should never awake more. So when she meditates on all the arts, deceit, and lies, that are in unbelievers, she is truly convinced they are of the Devil; and from such wretches no truth could come. Here is the answer of the Spirit given to Joanna.

"Now, Joanna, I shall answer thee from this woman. The language of her heart is the language of thousands, that would say it, and would do it; and would affirm they had acted as she said: for as I told thee before, I now tell thee again, nothing will convince an unbelieving mind; therefore it is written, they perish through unbelief. And now to convince the world that all was open, fair, and just, I ordered every letter to go out as stated; but I well knew that nothing would convince such unbelievers; they would say, like the woman, thou hadst designed it; thou and thy friends had agreed, without reason, in a thing that need not be mentioned, if it was from herself, to say she should be in a Trance at all; for then her writings would have as clearly been proved without it. But as this is now the report of the world, and what I perfectly knew before, from the trial of men in past ages, I permitted this thing to go out in the world to see what judgment men would draw. Now they have drawn their judgment; and to prevent their future judgment, no one shall know the time of thy trance, no one shall know the manner of thy trance, nor thou thyself shalt form any judgment how, or when it shall be, before I come upon thee unawares; for all my visitation to thee in this Trial shall be suddenly and unexpectedly, like my visitation to thee at Bristol, that I never warned thee of before it came, that no man might say thou appearest in the power of my Spirit to fulfil thy prophecies; and now I shall come upon thee unawares the same, in all the working of my Spirit unknown to thee or to them. So they may be like my disciples of old, expecting things to come to their own judgment, in a different manner than I appeared: but had I told them every particular, and all had come perfectly like it, the world would have said they deceived them, to say I came as I told them before; but when I come in a different manner to them, in a way they never expected, and they themselves confessed it so, no man could say they did it by deceit, when they themselves confessed they were deceived. And perfectly so it will be by thy Trial: the day, the hour, the time, or the manner of my strong visitation to thee, during thy Trial, will not be known till my power appears. But I shall make all things so clear to them, that they shall never need of a Trial any more, to know from whence thy visitation is; but shall know it is I the Lord have spoken by thee. And now I shall tell thee, though I knew thee and proved by thy witnesses that no deceit is in thee, and called thee abroad in the world to prove it to others; yet, as the unbelieving Jews did not believe in me, the unbelieving world will not believe in thee, if I tell thee beforehand every particular of what will happen. But thou sayest in thy heart, were not the particulars of the days foretold? To this I answer, they were foretold, if proved by thy enemies; but now thou knowest it is proved by thy friends: and if I act a different way, to show the unbelieving world that it did not come as they expected, yet in a different manner and more clear than they expected, let them not be disappointed; for I tell thee, if all things come in a regular line without opposers, the world will say, there is deceit in thee and thy friends. Therefore it is my wisdom now to conceal from all in what manner I shall clear up the truth, to make thy light break forth as the morning, and the truth as clear as the noonday sun; and so clear shall the truth be now made; for the water shall now be made wine: and let them not grieve if the best wine is reserved for the last.

"Upon conditions all my Bible stands,

And on conditions I have placed thy hand,

And on conditions you will see the end,

The way that I shall make the blind men bend,

That by the letters they have sent to thee,

They will confess they had no eyes to see;

So all their words thou must with safety keep,

To show the blind men how their eyes were sunk

Deep in their heads, where thou didst see the holes;

And full as blind they'll find their naked souls:

So in their stead their letters must appear.

Then what impostor canst thou be to man?

Let them discern and judge thy written hand,

If an impostor would the whole reveal,

And from their knowledge nothing would conceal.-

I know thy nature daily doth decay,

And so your nation now I say doth lay;

They are decaying, as I said at first,

By dearth and burdens so upon them cast;

And if by thy decaying thou dost fall,

By their decaying they may tremble all;

Because thy heart they have so wounded here,

And back on them will surely come the spear.

But now believers boldly they may stand,

And now my kingdom they may all command;

For if they live on earth they will it gain,

And if they die, with me they sure shall reign,

That now in heart and soul give up to me,

Their only wish my kingdom for to see.-

"Let men begin from my Gospel and show how close every word is brought to my Gospel, of the Parables I mentioned of the Kingdom of Heaven, and that not one that were bidden should taste of my supper. They have been bidden to come forward and search out the truth; and as they have refused, I have refused them; and those of the highways and hedges are compelled to come in. Now I shall tell thee what is meant by the highways and hedges: those that work in the highways, and those that work by the hedges, are labourers; so let the believers come in as labourers, that my house may be filled; and that my visitation may be made manifest; for now I tell thee, by thy Master thou must stand or fall; and now thou art judged by men, whose faith is like thine; then by one Master you all stand or fall."

In Joanna's sealed writings, written in the years 1796 and 1800, are found these words: "I will provoke them to anger and jealousy; but when this jealousy alarms the unbelievers, and they have not judgment enough of their own, to know from whence the writings come, but wish to be clear themselves, if they will call forward the Trial, as the Lord hath done, to see if every thing be true, as it is put in print, and by their unbelief cannot be clear, from whence it came, when friends and foes meet together to clear up the whole, this sign is set before them: By righteous and just judgment I have fixed the Trial, and by the truth it shall be proved; so righteousness and truth will meet together, love and peace will kiss each other; that is, love will kindle in every heart; and those that are now angry will then be as loving friends: so-

"Perfect harmony will take place,

And every truth they'll then embrace;

For I shall throw thee in a Trance,

And every truth I'll then advance.

So Adams here you'll all appear-

This is the Fall of Man:

And paler than the whited wall

Will every member stand;

Then Satan's fall, be it known to all,

Will surely follow next;

For Man's Redemption now I call,

My standard so I fixed

It more secure for to endure

Than 'twas before he fell;

For all his foes I'll so secure

And triumph over hell.

So men may see their destiny-

These are the first redeemed;

Then follows on (for fast 'twill come)

The pure and living stream;

For thou'lt return, and man will mourn,

And tears of joy 'twill be.

The standard here will so appear,

That tears of joy they'll see.

So now at last my word at first

I surely shall complete:

The Woman ne'er brought on the curse,

But did the Serpent cheat.

A Mystery, that man shall see,

Will come so in the End;

For the good fruit was on the tree-

And Satan here must bend:

Plucked by her hand let Satan stand,

And the good fruit appear;

The evil first, and Man was cast,

And Satan must stop here.

Then she must bring again to Man

The knowledge of the good;

Then Satan's arts must feel the dart,

When I fulfil his word:

To be as Gods it was his word-

His word I'll now fulfil;

Then he must fall, be it known to all-

But now I say, stand still,

And in the end, mark what is penned,

The mysteries will come round.

There's always Hell where Satan dwells,

And there he must be bound:

My ways are just, let sinners trust,

And judge me in the end.

So on the Tree look all to me,

I died the sinner's friend;

For now the Comforter will come,

I tell them, like a Ghost

And tell the simple sons of men

How Paradise was lost,

And how they may it all regain,

Wrought by a Woman's hand;

For Paradise they shall obtain,

That now like men will stand,

And the whole armour now put on-

The breastplate goeth before,

Then fast the deluge down will come-

This is the mentioned war.

I made the Woman at the first

For to complete Man's bliss;

Then now by her it shall be done,

And make your jarring cease."

Since the conclusion of her Trial, Joanna received one of the books published against her at Stourbridge, which was announced some months since. After reading it she spoke of it thus: 'I see the unbounded wisdom of God, in ordering me to proceed as I have done; for I could not have thought there had been so black a heart in man, as to judge, that in spiritual things, any one could have acted so deceitfully with God and man, as the wretched author, who printed this book against me hath done; but whatever may be the blackness of his heart, my soul come not thou into his secrets! The Lord is my judge, and is witness against him. And I admire the wisdom of the Lord, in having the truth cleared, in the manner it follows here, from the depositions of the witnesses.'

THE TRIAL

OF

JOANNA SOUTHCOTT

THE FIRST DAY

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1804.

The Trial of Joanna Southcott commenced at the hour of eleven this morning, by calling over the forty-eight names of the persons appointed to carry on the proceedings.

According to the directions laid down, the letters sent by Miss Townley to the clergy, and by them returned, were laid before the meeting; and also such letters as accompanied them from several clergymen, containing their sentiments thereon. These letters were read and examined, whence it appeared, that their general tendency was mockery against the mission of Joanna, and also a condemnation of prophecy. But it is likewise necessary to mention, that among the letters thus sent by clergymen, several of them were of that indecent description, that delicacy prevents their being at all brought forward to public notice.

The next point brought under consideration was, the conduct of the Rev. Mr. Pomeroy to Joanna.

After this the evidence, to prove her statement of the conduct of Mr. Pomeroy, and of her life and character in general, and also the truth of her writings, were here entered upon and verified, in the following order-

Q. Are you acquainted with Joanna Southcott?

A. I am.

Q. How long have you been acquainted with her?

A. About ten years.

Q. Were you ever employed by Joanna Southcott to copy letters, which she read to you from her own writings, and which were addressed to Mr. Pomeroy?

A. Yes, many different ones.

Q. Were you in the habit of copying from papers of Joanna's handwriting, and read by her to you, and which were afterwards published?

A. Yes, a great quantity.

Q. Were not the whole of those writings, which you copied, comprised in four volumes, or books, when published?

A. Yes, the first four of Mrs. Southcott's works.

Q. Did you not do all that with an unwilling mind?

A. In many respects I did.

Q. What were your particular reasons for being unwilling to copy them?

A. I did not at that time believe them the works of the Lord, and it was perfectly indifferent to me.

Q. Did you write a letter to any minister, at the request of Joanna Southcott?

A. Yes, many; but one in particular to Chancellor Nutcombe.

Q. Do you know the contents of that letter?

A. I cannot recollect a sentence; but I know in substance it was to request Chancellor Nutcombe to search into Joanna Southcott's writings, and to judge, whether or not they were from the Spirit of the living God.

Q. What is your opinion of the general character of Joanna Southcott?

A. Her character in general is unblameable.

Q. Did you, in any transactions that you have seen or known of Joanna Southcott, see anything of deceit in her?

A. Never.

Q. Did you, Sir, at any time have any general conversation with Mr. Pomeroy, as to the writings of Joanna Southcott?

A. Yes, several times.

Q. I think you say, you have asked him several times his opinion of Mrs. Southcott's works?

A. Yes, in many conversations.

Q. Generally, Sir, what were his answers to your questions, and his own opinions at that time, concerning Joanna?

A. Many and several times, in our shop at Exeter, he has told me not to be afraid, for certainly her works were very good, and from the Lord; and likewise he said, that no evil spirit would certainly work against himself.

Q. At what period did Mr. Pomeroy hold that opinion?

A. At different periods in the year 1801, when her first four books were printed.

Q. At what time did he change that opinion?

A. About November 1803, when I copied a bill from Mr. G. Turner, of Leeds, and had it printed at Exeter, and carried one of them to Mr. Pomeroy. I found Mr. Pomeroy at home, and he read the bill and laughed at it, and told me I had better have nothing more to do with that mad woman. He thought, he said, we had troubles enough in our family already, without believing in such nonsense, meaning the accidental deaths of my two sisters in one week. He at that time (and never before in my presence) said her works were wrong, or were from the devil. I asked him why, if they were from the devil, he had first deluded me and many others to believe in her? He seemed very angry and told me he wanted to get her to her senses. Before I went, he still in greater anger said that it would be better for me to believe in the Church of England, and that only, and burn all the bills that I had printed. I told him I should not; he first instilled the idea, and I retained it.

Q. Pray, Sir, did you know that Joanna Southcott had said anything of the death of your sisters before it happened?

A. Not directly, but only indirectly.

Q. What sort of indirect evidence had you?

A. About ten months before the death of my sisters, Joanna had attended the funeral of my brother: she said, she was afraid this was not the only calamity that would happen in our house, in the course of twelve months.

J. T. Symons.

John Scott.

Q. You are the brother of Joanna Southcott?

A. Yes, Sir.

Q. Of course you have known Joanna Southcott from her childhood?

A. Certainly I have.

Q. Of what age is Joanna?

A. About 52.

Q. Of what age are you?

A. About 47.

Q. When in your childhood, what were your thoughts of the disposition of your Sister?

A. I always thought her of a mild, placid disposition; and, as she grew up, of a religious turn.

Q. Did you in your youthful infancy find any disposition of your Sister to falsehood, want of charity, or inattention to her God?

A. No.

Q. Did you, in those youthful follies which are incident to youth, find anything in her which was contrary to moral or religious precepts?

A. I did not.

Q. Did you, Sir, ever remark whether she was of a cheerful or melancholy disposition?

A. I found her to possess an even temper, and a regular turn of mind.

Q. In her discharge of those duties, which belong to all persons in a moral and temporal point of view, was she, or was she not, attentive to them?

A. She was so in the strictest terms.

Q. Did you and Joanna ever live together when grown up, and in full possession of your reasoning faculties?

A. Yes.

Q. Now, Sir, when you did arrive at that period, do you think you were capable of judging her natural character?

A. I do.

Q. Now, possessing that judgment, what were your general thoughts, or your opinions, respecting your Sister?

A. I at that time thought my Sister so far possessed of Methodism, from her very strong propensities for reading and perusing the Bible, that I was afraid her intellect might be hurt.

Q. Was she, or was she not, at that time attentive and careful to what we generally call our worldly, or temporal concerns?

A. Yes, she was particularly so.

Q. Was she at any time concerned for you in any individual capacity?

A. Yes, she was concerned for me, and kept my house at Musbury, in Devonshire.

Q. Was she at your house in the year 1798?

A. She was.

Q. Did she at that time tell you of any of her prophecies?

A. She did.

Q. Did you, Sir, at that time say, you knew not from what spirit her prophecies came?

A. I did at that time say, I believed they did not come from the Lord.

Q. Did you also say, you would leave it to time to say from what spirit they came?

A. Yes, I did.

Q. Do you recollect your Sister reading to you the events of the harvests of 1799 and 1800?

A. I do not recollect, though possibly she might; for she read a great many papers, that I forget the contents of; amongst the number of things she read that might be included; at that time having no belief, they made no impression on my memory.

Q. Were you ever in the habit of being angry with your Sister, when she read those communications to you?

A. I was, because I wished to dissuade her from it.

Q. Were you ever asked by your Sister to copy any letters, for the purpose of sending them to Exeter?

A. Yes, I was.

Q. Do you recollect being informed by your Sister for whom those letters were designed?

A. Yes, Sir.

Q. For whom?

A. One in particular I recollect was for Mr. Pomeroy: it related to the harvests that were to ensue the following years, if the people continued in the unbelief of her writings, which letter I refused to copy.

Q. What were your particular reasons for not copying that letter?

A. Because I thought she spoke in too harsh and positive a manner of what was to follow, thinking her too insignificant a character to send such a letter to Mr. Pomeroy, as I understood that letter was to be made public to the citizens of Exeter.

Q. Where did you live, before you went to the city of Bristol?

A. At Whitehall, about a mile from Bristol.

Q. Did your Sister ever tell you, that you should be settled in the city of Bristol?

A. She did.

Q. Had you, Sir, any expectations at that time of being settled in the city of Bristol?

A. No, Sir, I had not.

Q. Have you become settled in the city of Bristol, according to what your Sister told you?

A. Yes, I have.

Q. Did you believe then that your Sister knew you were to be settled in the city of Bristol?

A. No, I did not.

Q. Did you ever attempt intentionally to deceive your Sister, for the purpose of discovering by what spirit she was led?

A. Yes, Sir, I did.

Q. Were you ever successful in that attempt?

A. I did succeed so far by telling her that I had got an appointment to the West Indies, in which I persisted until I had got an appointment, and was absolutely sworn into the custom house at Bristol. Upon showing my Sister my appointment, and still assuring her it was for the West Indies, my Sister then replied, "Well, brother, if you do go to the West Indies, I shall destroy all my writings; for I am told by the Spirit, you should settle in Bristol, and do very well."

Q. Pray, Sir, what effect had this prophecy of your Sister upon your mind?

A. It staggered me a little; but I said I would leave the event to time.

Q. Did your Sister ever tell you, that you might be present when her writings were proved?

A. Yes, she has.

Q. Did you, Sir, or have you ever tried to deceive her in the confidence of the Spirit, which she professed to have been led by?

A. Not since the West India affair.

Q. Did your Sister ever tell you, that a number of people should be gathered together, for the purpose of proving her writings?

A. Yes, Sir, she has.

Q. Did you, Sir, ever believe that a number of people should be collected together, for that express purpose?

A. I did not believe it prior to 1803.

Q. I believe, Sir, for a long continuance of time, you did not believe your Sister was visited by the spirit of prophecy; but that you conceived she was misled, either by derangement of mind, or by some evil spirit?

A. Yes, Sir, I did.

Q. At what time was it that you first began to think your Sister was visited by the Spirit of the living God?

A. In June 1803, Mrs. Foley and my Sister came to my house in Bristol, and informed me what had passed at the time she was at High House, Paddington; when hearing the extraordinary things she related, and of the very respectable characters engaged in the work with her, I was induced to read and peruse her writings with attention, and on comparing them with the Scriptures, I had no doubt but they were from the Spirit of the living God.

Q. Before that information, had you ever read the books published by your Sister?

A. I never had.

Q. Was that your first inducement for reading them?

A. It was. I had never seen them before.

Q. Did you, Sir, ever tell your Sister, or did you believe, that a number of persons should never be collected together, for the purpose of proving, or searching into her writings?

A. I believe I did tell my Sister so, and prior to 1803, I never thought they would.

Q. Now, Sir, generally from your mutual childhood up to the present day, what is your opinion of your Sister as to her character, for truth, justice, morality, and charity; and for possessing a sound mind, and general virtue?

A. Unexceptionable in all those characters.

Q. Do you believe she is particularly distinguished in those characters?

A. I have every reason to think so, never having heard her character traduced by her greatest enemies.

Q. Now, Sir, there is an old observation, and a scriptural one, that a prophet has no honour in his own country; do you, Sir, in the face of that observation, and with all the prejudices, which you formerly had against your Sister, now believe that she is visited by the Spirit of the living God?

A. Yes, I do.

Joseph Southcott.

John Scott.

Q. Do you know Joanna Southcott?

A. Yes, Sir.

Q. How long have you known her?

A. About five years.

Q. During the time that you have known her, what is your opinion of her moral character?

A. That of a good, faithful, and honest Christian.

Q. In the year 1800 did you know that Joanna Southcott was in the habit of prophesying?

A. Very well, and before the harvest of that year.

Q. In the beginning of the year 1800, do you recollect Joanna's reading to you from a paper what would be the event of the harvest of that year?

A. Very well, and before the harvest.

Q. At the time that Joanna read to you the prophecy, was it not the opinion of the people in general, that the harvest would be very good?

A. Yes, Sir, not only in Exeter, but in all the counties I passed through with the Mail Coach.

Q. Did the event of that harvest turn out as Joanna had foretold?

A. Exactly.

Q. Did you take from Joanna a copy of that prophecy?

A. No.

Q. Have you been at other times in the habit of writing copies of Joanna's prophecies from her mouth?

A. Yes, Sir, I have.

Q. Do you recollect going at the request of Joanna to Mr. Pomeroy?

A. Yes, Sir, I went to satisfy my own opinion, as well as at the request of Joanna.

Q. For what particular purpose did you go?

A. I went in person to receive an answer from Mr. Pomeroy to a letter, which I had written to him.

Q. What passed between Mr. Pomeroy and yourself, when you saw him?

A. I began with begging his pardon for the liberty I had taken in writing to him the day before; he asked me to come in. I went into his back parlour, and had a great deal of conversation concerning Joanna, the principal features of which related to Joanna's Mission. He asked me, if I was a believer? I answered, how could I be otherwise, since I find what she says comes true. Mr. Pomeroy told me, Joanna had a great deal of shrewd sense. My answer was, she knows no more of herself than this table.-His answers were so ambiguous that I did not understand his meaning; so I came away dissatisfied.

Q. Do you recollect being present at Mr. Symons's, when the papers of Joanna were opened?

A. Very well.

Q. Did you, with others, write your name on the leaves?

A. Yes, Sir, I did.

Q. Were those signatures by Joanna's request?

A. It was by her desire.

Q. Did you copy any of those papers?

A. I copied some, as well as some letters to the Ministers, which are published.

Q. Do you recollect having possession of a letter, in the year 1801, which was afterwards taken out of your hands by Joanna to give to Mr. Pomeroy?

A. I had a letter in my possession, in 1801, which I afterwards gave up to Mrs. Southcott, to put into the hands of Mr. Pomeroy; but before I gave it up, I signed my name and dated it, the day I parted with it, that I might know it was the same letter which had been in my hands.

Q. Did you ever put any other letters in Mr. Pomeroy's hands?

A. I had another letter for him, and saw him in the street at Bodmin; I told him I should be glad to speak to him. We went into a narrow court; I told him I hoped he would excuse the liberty I was taking with him, but I had got a letter for him. He answered, What? Is it from that mad woman at Exeter? He spoke so loud that one or two people stopped to hear. He said she was as mad as a March hare. I then replied, that cannot be; there are so many persons of respectability who support her. He then replied, they are all mad. I did not like to say anything more to him for fear of a mob. I made an apology on his finding fault; to which he replied, I know you do not mean to offend me; if I thought that I would not speak to you. I afterwards made up that letter in a parcel, and sent it to him; about six weeks afterwards he sent for me, and returned the letter to me, which appeared to me to have been opened; and he desired me not to trouble him with such things again.

Q. Do you recollect copying, from Joanna's reading from her own writings, any books, which were afterwards printed and published?

A. Yes, certainly.

J. Jones.

John Scott.

Q. Did you, Sir, write any books for Joanna Southcott?

A. Yes.

Q. In what manner, Sir, did you write those books?

A. She read them to me from her own manuscripts, and I wrote from her reading.

Q. How many of those books did you write, which were afterwards published?

A. The first which I wrote was the conclusion of the book entitled "Dispute with the Powers of Darkness," published in the year 1802; then the book entitled "The Answer of the Lord to the Dispute with the Powers of Darkness," published in 1802; part of the "Second Book of Letters," published in 1802; part of the book entitled "A Warning to the World," published in 1804; were all taken by me from Joanna's reading to me from her manuscripts. The book entitled "Letters on Various Subjects, written by Joanna to Miss Townley," published in June, 1804; the book entitled "Letters and Communications," beginning with the parable of the Little Flock of Sheep, published in June, 1804; also the book of "Mr. Joseph Southcott, being a Vindication of his Sister," published in August, 1804; were all received by post from Miss Townley, and published by me. 

William Sharp.

John Scott.

Q. Did you, Sir, write any books for Joanna Southcott?

A. I did.

Q. In what manner, Sir, did you write those books?

A. I wrote from her reading them to me from her own writings.

Q. How many of those books did you write, which were afterwards published?

A. I wrote part of the "First" and part of the "Second Book of Letters," which I copied from the original ones sent to me, published in the year 1801 and 1802; the book entitled "The Eighth Book," published in 1802; the book entitled "An Answer to Mr. Brothers' last Book," published in the year 1802; the book entitled "Disputes with the Powers of Darkness," published in 1802; the book entitled "The Sealed Prophecies," published in 1803; two books of Visions, published in 1803; and the book entitled "A Word to the Wise," published in August, 1803; the book entitled "Sound an Alarm," published in 1804; were all respectively copied by me, from the words which she read to me from her own manuscripts. 

Thos. P. Foley.

John Scott.

Here the examination of evidence closed for this day; and then the directions were resorted to, and a general discussion took place, upon the proceedings of the day, wherein more particularly the conduct of the clergy was again resumed.

THE SECOND DAY

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1804

The assembly having met about the hour of ten this morning, near the house, received a message, that Joanna was in great agitation, waiting for an interview. The three clergymen and four other gentlemen, who had been at Exeter first to examine into the truth of her mission, followed by the rest of the forty-eight, as their names were called over, repaired immediately to the room where Joanna and her female friends were seated. After some time passed in mutual congratulations, Joanna got up and spoke until twelve o'clock precisely, at which time the box of sealed writings was put upon the table, and the different parcels of sealed papers taken out of it.

It is necessary here to introduce a general account of the beginning of these writings, as delivered to the assembly: From the time of Joanna's visitation by the Spirit, in 1792, different papers were sealed up, year after year, and deposited with her friends; and the whole of these were put into a box together, at the end of 1794, after having been first sealed up by her friends. The communications given in the subsequent years were added to the former, at the end of each year, and put into the box, and thus remained in the possession of her friends, until the year 1800. The writings were first cut open, by the desire of the Rev. Mr. Pomeroy, at the end of the year 1800, in the house of Mr. Symons, at Exeter, and in the presence of twelve witnesses, five of whom were present this day, some of whose names were signed on every sheet of the writings; and some of the writings, thus signed, were delivered into the hands of Joanna, in order to be copied and deposited with the Rev. Mr. Pomeroy. They were again sealed up in the presence of six witnesses, about two months after the opening of them, or in the spring of 1801, and were left in the care of Mr. Symons, of Exeter. Having been after that committed to the possession of Mr. Sharp, of Titchfield Street, London, they were cut open a second time at Paddington, on January 12, 1803, in the presence of forty-nine persons in all, twenty-three of whom acted under the denomination of judges and jury. The writings were again verified there, leaf by leaf, generally by the signature of three of those denominated judges and jury. Some parts were read to the audience, and others were given to be copied, from which the book called "The Sealed Prophecies" was printed. At six o'clock in the evening of May 2, 1803, the writings were sealed up again, in the presence of six of the judges, Joanna, and four or five others. Each of these judges affixed their seals and signed their names on each parcel, and Joanna put her seal thereon. The bundles thus signed and sealed, being six in number, were exhibited this day, December 6, 1804, and the signatures and seals on them were acknowledged, by the Rev. Stanhope Bruce, Rev. Thomas Philip Foley, Rev. Thomas Webster, John Wilson, Elias Carpenter, and William Sharp, as their own respective signatures and seals. At the conclusion of thus identifying the bundles of writings, taken out of the box, agreeably to the directions of Joanna, that is about one o'clock, she became very faint, and was helped out of the room, after signifying that the writings were not to be cut open till she had strength to be present.

About three o'clock the evidence of the female witnesses was entered upon, and verified in the following order-

The Evidence of Mrs. Taylor, of Exeter.

Q. Do you know Joanna Southcott?

A. Yes.

Q. How long have you known her?

A. About twenty years or more.

Q. Was she in the service of any one, when you knew her first?

A. She was in the service of Mr. Wills, of Exeter, upholsterer.

Q. What situation was she in?

A. She worked in his business.

Q. How long did you know her before she left Mr. Wills?

A. About one or two years.

Q. After she left Mr. Wills, how long was it before you saw her?

A. It might be about a year.

Q. What circumstance was it, that led you again to know Joanna?

A. By her coming to our shop to purchase something; Mr. Taylor then asked her, whether she had not once lived at Wills's? She answered, she had once lived with them, but was now with Mr. Woolland, at Heavitree, near Exeter; Mr. Taylor then asked her, if she meant again to go out to work at her business? She replied, if she could get a place she liked, she would.

Q. Well, Madam, what further conversation passed?

A. I certainly had a great prejudice against Joanna (because she had lived with Mrs. Wills), and did not wish Mr. Taylor to hire her.

Q. Did Mr. Taylor hire her immediately?

A. He immediately hired her; and I said, you have hired a person I shall never like.

Q. Did Mr. Taylor make any reply to your observation?

A. Mr. Taylor replied, we want such a person, and I dare say you will like her in time.

Q. Then, Madam, how soon did she enter into your service?

A. In a few days she entered into our service.

Q. Was she completely a domestic servant?

A. She was.

Q. Then, Madam, after she came into your service, did you observe anything in her manner or conduct, which led you to suppose she was deranged in her mind?

A. Not in the least.

Q. Were you in the habit of seeing Joanna doing her duty in the business in which she was employed?

A. In the constant habit of working with her.

Q. How long did she continue in your house, after the first hiring?

A. About a year.

Q. Then, Madam, during that time had you a sufficient opportunity of judging, whether or not, she was in possession of a sound mind?

A. During that time, she seemed to be in more complete possession of her intellect than any person I ever met with, and more industrious than any one person I ever met with.

Q. Then she left your service?

A. Yes.

Q. Did Joanna assign any particular reason for leaving your service?

A. No; but all our family were sorry to part with her.

Q. Then, Madam, after she left you, what situation did she get into?

A. She was an upper servant to Mr. Burrow.

Q. Did she ever come back into your service?

A. She came back about two years afterwards, and worked with us as a daily servant.

Q. Did you observe, when Joanna came back into your service, any change in her character or conduct?

A. Just the same person for honesty, sobriety, and a cheerful disposition.

Q. Pray, Madam, how long did Joanna continue in your service, before you observed any material change in her character or conduct?

A. About a year or two.

Q. What was the nature of the change, which you observed in her character or conduct?

A. She was not so cheerful, but seemed rather melancholy, and not so attentive to her business.

Q. Did she at that time make any pretensions to prophecy?

A. She did not; but I thought the reason of Joanna's lowness arose from the circumstance of our having hired another person to accompany her in the work.

Q. How long after that, Madam, did you observe any symptoms in Joanna, of her pretensions to prophecy?

A. Between one and two years.

Q. Before you knew she assumed the character of a prophetess, was she in the habit of communicating to you any dreams that she had?

A. She was, and told me several.

Q. At what period was it that she left you?

A. About the beginning of the year 1792.

Q. Did she come back again into your service?

A. She did, about the latter end of the same year.

Q. Did she, upon her coming back into your service, tell you immediately that she had been visited by any Spirit?

A. She did not immediately; but told me that there were troublesome times approaching; and though the necessaries of life were now cheap, everything would be dearer than ever was known in the memory of man; and advised Mr. Taylor to lay in a store; for that she had wonderful writings at Plymtree. Mr. Taylor then said, "Joanna, you are a prophetess?" to which she immediately replied, with great spirit and apparent sincerity, "So I am"; which was the first information I ever had, that she assumed the character of a prophetess.

Q. Did she, Madam, inform you of any particular circumstance, that afterwards took place, according to her predictions?

A. There was scarce anything happened to the nation, or to particular families, or individuals, with whom she was acquainted, that she, Joanna, did not inform me would happen before it did, and all were fulfilled as Joanna predicted; and this continued for two or three years.

Q. Did you believe Joanna was visited by the Spirit of the living God?

A. I did; I believed Joanna to be so good a creature that she would not have said those things of herself.

Q. Do you know the Rev. Mr. Pomeroy, formerly of Exeter?

A. I do.

Q. Do you know, Madam, whether Joanna thought it necessary to consult Mr. Pomeroy, as a minister of the Church of England, and to take his advice as to what Spirit she was visited by?

A. About 1796, Joanna said, she was ordered to write to Mr. Pomeroy upon the subject of her visitation, and to inform him of the approaching awful period.

Q. Did Joanna do so?

A. She did.

Q. How do you know that she did so?

A. Because part of my family wrote letters and communications to Mr. Pomeroy, and they were sent to his house, and conveyed to his hands.

Q. Do you know, of your own knowledge, these letters, &c., &c., came into Mr. Pomeroy's hands?

A. I do; because he came to our house in consequence of the letters.

Q. What did Mr. Pomeroy say to the contents of the letters, &c., &c.?

A. He came to our house to inquire about the character of one Joanna Southcott, from whom he had, he said, received a letter, and inquired particularly as to her character, and whether I thought her in the possession of a sound mind and understanding.

Q. When you told Mr. Pomeroy your opinion of Joanna's character, did he make any observations upon the contents of the letters, &c., he had received?

A. Mr. Pomeroy said, a man had told him that Joanna had prophesied lies. I replied, I was sure she had not, for she prophesied nothing but truth. Mr. Pomeroy then said, "I should be glad to see her"; and I accordingly sent for her.

Q. Did Joanna then come?

A. She did.

Q. What passed upon the meeting of Joanna and Mr. Pomeroy, in your presence?

A. She read to Mr. Pomeroy communications; and after Joanna left Mr. Pomeroy, he said to me, "She will be out of her mind soon; I should not wonder if it was in a few weeks; but that he should be very happy if he could do any thing for her." We then parted.

Q. How long after the last interview did any other letters or meeting take place, between Joanna and Mr. Pomeroy?

A. About two or three months, when Joanna requested an interview with Mr. Pomeroy, at Mr. Taylor's house, which accordingly took place.

Q. Were you present at that meeting?

A. Yes, I was; for Joanna had requested of me, that I should not leave the room whilst Mr Pomeroy was there, and if I would not do so she would not go into the room; for she said, she was ordered not to see him without a witness. I accordingly did so, and Joanna ordered our family not to call me out while Mr. Pomeroy stopped; I accordingly remained the whole of the time that Mr. Pomeroy and Joanna were together.

Q. Do you recollect what particularly happened at that meeting?

A. Yes; Joanna told Mr. Pomeroy of what would speedily happen in the world, and read to him some of her communications; and at that meeting told Mr. Pomeroy, that she was the Bride mentioned in the Scripture, and particularly mentioned to him about Judas betraying our Lord.

Q. Was there anything in the previous part of the conversation, that led to the observation of Joanna concerning Judas betraying his Lord?

A. I do not know that there was.

Q. Was there any particular comment, made by Joanna, concerning Judas betraying his Lord?

A. There was a great deal said, but I do not recollect what.

Q. Was there any observation, in your recollection, that was made by Joanna, that such a character as Judas would again be found upon the earth?

A. No, there was not; but Joanna particularly described the character of Judas, to which Mr. Pomeroy replied, "I never understood it so." Joanna then said (and looked at him with particular earnestness), "I was ordered to tell you so, Sir." Mr. Pomeroy then said, "Joanna, you have advanced things which make me shudder, and I do not know but that it is bordering upon blasphemy." She again repeated those words, "I was ordered to tell you so, Sir." And in the course of the conversation repeated the same several times, and said, "I know what blasphemy is, but I was ordered to tell you these things." In reply to some observations made by Joanna, Mr. Pomeroy replied, "It is impossible for me to tell that all your writings come from the Spirit of God; I cannot do it; but a great part of them, I am sure, are; and I beg that you will make yourself happy, for I do not believe, that one word of yours is from the spirit of the Devil; and I shall always be happy to see you, Joanna, or to receive anything from you." He did not say one word about Joanna being out of her mind. I do not recollect any thing more that happened at this meeting.

Q. Will you inform us, what you know of papers and letters put into the hands of Mr. Pomeroy from Joanna?

A. I know that my children have copied the letters of Joanna, and that they have been conveyed into the hands of Mr. Pomeroy by Mrs. Bird and our two apprentices.

Q. Have you any reason to believe, that these letters and papers were safely conveyed into the hands of Mr. Pomeroy?

A. I am certain, from the conversations that passed between Mr. Pomeroy and Joanna, that Mr. Pomeroy was in the constant habit of receiving safely the letters sent to him; and that was an almost constant correspondence, which passed between Joanna and Mr. Pomeroy, up to the period of her going to Bristol, in the year 1798; and from there she wrote to me, that she would not return to Exeter, unless Mr. Pomeroy would come forward to examine the truth of her writings.

Q. Did you apply to Mr. Pomeroy?

A. I sent to him through Mrs. Bird, who returned me for answer, that he was willing to meet any, to prove Joanna's writings. I wrote to Joanna, and in consequence she came to Exeter; but before she came I received two letters from her, as to the harvests of 1799 and 1800, written in her own hand; and after she came home, she read me the two letters she wrote from Bristol, which were literally fulfilled in those two years.

Q. Do you know what particularly happened after Joanna's return from Bristol, in 1798?

A. She was in the habit of writing to Mr. Pomeroy more frequently than before; and he was in the habit of coming to our house to see Joanna.

Q. Do you know of any disagreement, between Joanna and Mr. Pomeroy, about putting his name in print?

A. I do.

Q. Describe, as nearly as you can, the cause of that disagreement.

A. It was on account of his name being introduced in print, in the writings of Joanna; and he frequently expressed great anger at Joanna for having so done, and said, he would rather have done anything than she should have done so, "and if you had set my house on fire, I would rather have forgiven you than for doing this." Joanna then replied, "I was ordered to do so." Mr. Pomeroy then replied, "The Devil ordered you! and I believe you were born for my ruin." Mr. Pomeroy seemed very agitated and faint; so much so, that Mr. Taylor requested me to go in and give Mr. Pomeroy something. I heard Mr. Pomeroy repeatedly say, "My dear Joanna, do whatever you like, but leave my name out of the question." Upon another visit he used soothing language to Joanna, and told her, "You have injured me greatly in the opinion of the world." And he pulled a paper out of his pocket, and said, "I wish you to sign this paper, for the satisfaction of my friends." But he never said it was to be put in print. Joanna said, "I am sure I am willing to make you any satisfaction, if I have injured you." Mr. Pomeroy said, "You know, Joanna, I said, that when you put my name in print, it was from the Devil." Joanna replied, "I know you did; but you never told me my writings were from the Devil." Upon which Mr. Pomeroy read the paper, taken from his pocket, and asked Joanna and me to sign it, which we did, considering it only to be an acknowledgment, that Mr. Pomeroy had said, "That the putting his name in print was from the Devil." I did not read the paper over before I signed it, because Mr. Pomeroy seemed confused; I was so also. I do not believe that Joanna read it before she signed it. She seemed in the utmost confusion, from the conduct of Mr. Pomeroy; and considered the paper as an acknowledgment only, that Mr. Pomeroy had said, "The putting his name in print was from the Devil."

Q. Had you any reason to doubt the truth of the prophecies of Joanna Southcott, in the autumn of 1801?

A. I had, in October, 1801, because her father did not die at the time she predicted; I then asked Joanna, why she had written to her friends, in London, of the time of her father's death? She replied, "I write to them as it was given to me, and let it come as it will, I will deceive no man-my God, I will deceive no man!" I also had doubts, at other times, when things did not come according to my judgment.

Q. After you had signed the paper of Mr. Pomeroy's, what did you say to him?

A. I said, "Joanna's writings from the Devil, Sir? I never heard you say such a thing; but you always said, they came from a good Spirit." Mr. Pomeroy then took me by the arm and said, "Do not make yourself unhappy for this, others have." I replied, "I never heard you say so, Sir." That night I could not sleep, I was so unhappy at what I had done. The next morning I was preparing to go to Mr. Pomeroy, when Joanna came and said, she had received orders to send a letter to Mr. Pomeroy, which was accordingly sent down by my nephew, which letter contained a reflection upon his ungenerous behaviour, in taking an advantage of them, by obtaining their signatures through unjust representations.

Q. Have you, since that time, had any reason to think the mission of Joanna Southcott not to be from the Spirit of the living God?

A. Not in the least.

Q. Were you ever acquainted with any request of Mr. Pomeroy, to have the events of the year 1797 put into his hands?

A. Yes.

Q. Were you present when the request was made?

A. Yes.

Q. What was the consequence of it?

A. He said, "In days of old, when people wanted to inquire of the Lord, they went to the prophets, and they would tell them what would happen. Now, Joanna, if you will tell me what will happen, in Italy, England, or Spain, say in three months, or six months, then I will be your believer." She replied, "I cannot tell that; I cannot tell you."  Upon which I said to Joanna (after he was gone), "He gives you a great deal of trouble, to have so much writing from you, and if I was in your place, Joanna, I would not write to him any more." I saw her two or three days after, and asked her if anything was given to her for Mr. Pomeroy? She said, No, nothing had been given. Some days after this, she brought me several sheets, with a great deal of writing, for Mr. Pomeroy, in answer to the inquiries he had made.

Q. To your knowledge, were those papers or writings deposited in the hands of Mr. Pomeroy?

A. They certainly were sent there.

Q. How do you know they were sent to him?

A. Because Mr. Pomeroy acknowledged to have received them, I think about two years ago.

Q. Did you ever hear Joanna say to Mr. Pomeroy, that she had put the events of nations, and particularly of England, Italy, France, and Spain, into his hands?

A. Joanna and Mr. Pomeroy were disputing of the truth she had put into his hands; they were then talking of the events which Joanna had put into his hands. She then said to him, that she had put certain papers into Mr. Jones's hands. He said, "Joanna, if I am to be your judge, why not put them into my hands? why into Mr. Jones's?"

Q. What was the consequence of the observation that Mr. Pomeroy had made to Joanna?

A. She got them from Mr. Jones, with an intention to deposit them with Mr. Pomeroy. I desired her not to take them from Mr. Jones, and said, "If I were you, Joanna, I never would put any more in his hands." At the very hour that she proposed going with the papers to Mr. Pomeroy, such a heavy storm of thunder, lightning, and rain took place as I never remembered before or since, and the waters ran down into the cellars of our house, which never happened at any other time or since. About the same time Mr. Pomeroy said to Joanna, "So you say there will be a revolution in Spain?" Joanna said, "So I say now, before my writings are ended." At other times she answered him so quick to what he said, that he replied, "You have got your Bible at your finger's end; you make the Bible your study." She again replied, "I have not studied the Bible these nine years." "How so?" says Mr. Pomeroy. She said, "She had her living to get, and in all the spare time she was writing."

Q. Do you recollect Joanna Southcott's having written a letter to Mr. Pomeroy, in 1796, respecting the bishop of Exeter's death, that was to happen in that year?

A. Indirectly, he had acknowledged to have received a letter from Joanna, respecting the bishop's death, which he said, "was of trifling consequence to the nation."

Q. Do you know, that Mr. Pomeroy sent back letters and writings, in Joanna's own hand, to be copied off for him, and each leaf with his signature upon it?

A. Yes, Sir, I do know it.

Q. Do you know the contents of those papers or writings, which were sent back to Joanna to be copied off for him?

A. They contained the events of what was to happen to France, Italy, and Spain.

Q. Have any of those events been fulfilled, which were contained in those writings?

A. Many of those events happened that year, particularly in Italy; and in England, the triple taxes were first put on.

Q. Do you recollect, that Joanna ever told you, that Mr. Pomeroy disputed with her, that her foreknowledge of her prophecies came from herself? or did you ever hear of yourself, from Mr. Pomeroy, that he entertained the same doubt?

A. I have heard it from both.

Q. Did you ever, when you heard him say so, say also, "Why do you not put it in print?"

A. I have heard him say so, and I have also heard him say, at the same time, "You will wait until you bring the sword, the plague, and the famine upon the land; and if I was sure it was from the Lord, I would fear no man." He further said, "If she could not get twelve to prove her writings, she should get six; I will meet with twelve or six." This was said in 1796, in Mr. Taylor's dining parlour, in her presence, and at the end of 1796 he repeated the same words in Mr. Taylor's parlour.

Q. Do you recollect, that Mr. Pomeroy, or Joanna, told you, that she (Joanna) was to give in the names of them that should appear to prove the truth of her writings?

A. Yes, Sir, I do recollect that Joanna told me so.

Q. Did she say, that a cross was to be put to them that would not appear, and that he (Mr. Pomeroy) would try to supply their places by the ministers?

A. Yes, Sir, very well.

Q. Were those names put down, to your knowledge?

A. Copies were made, and their names put down to send to him.

Q. Do you recollect the names of those put down?

A. I recollect the Rev. Chancellor Nutcombe, Archdeacon Moore, Revs. Marshall and Pomeroy, Mr. Taylor, Mr. Woolland, Mr. Kidney, Mr. Thompson, Mr. Mozey, Mr. Tucker, and Mr. Mannering.

Q. Do you recollect, in April 1800, that Mr. Pomeroy desired Joanna to give him, in a short compass, what the harvest would be of 1800, if the unbelief of the clergy did abound?

A. I recollect it perfectly.

Q. Do you recollect any letter being put in the newspaper, in 1801, mentioning the fulfilment of the prediction of the truth of the harvest, in 1800, spoken to Joanna in April, preceding?

A. I do remember: it was put in the newspaper then.

Q. Do you recollect Joanna's telling Mr. Pomeroy, that a person had said, her writings were from the Devil?

A. Yes.

Q. Do you recollect Mr. Pomeroy's observation?

A. I do.

Q. What was the nature of the observation?

A. She should make herself perfectly easy; there was nothing in her writings likely to come from the Devil. I have heard him say so several times.

(Signed) Lucy Taylor.

John Scott.

The first time Joanna spoke to Mr. Pomeroy was at my house,  where he came and inquired her character, and had some conversation with her, and parted friendly. This happened about ten years ago. In 1797, I went with Joanna to Mr. Pomeroy's to hear some writings read, which Joanna had put in his hands before; but he disputed with her, that she might read anything to him, as he could not read it himself, which threw Joanna into a passion, saying he must judge her worse than the witch of Endor, if she was to put writings in his hands to deceive him. Mr. Pomeroy immediately appealed to me, saying, he always judged Joanna to be a religious good woman; but if he believed her others would not. He then gave consent for Joanna to come the following week to read her writings to him. Joanna, instead of going to him, desired him to sign his name on some sheets which were in his hands, of her writing, and send them to have them copied off, which he accordingly did, and I brought them to my house, and Miss Fanny Taylor copied them off, and they were sent back to Mr. Pomeroy again. I have also repeatedly carried letters from Joanna to Mr. Pomeroy, and he always received them kindly, and in general, asked how Joanna was.

When Joanna was in Bristol, I went to Mr. Pomeroy, and said, that Joanna's friends were all willing for her to come home to Exeter; I asked him, if he was willing to come forward, with others, to examine Joanna's writings, whether they were from the Lord or not? Mr. Pomeroy said, he was willing to meet those she had written to, and if she had not sufficient, he would get two or three, and he would do anything for her; for he thought it much better for her to come home, as it was the wish of her friends. At another time he said, he would receive any letters or papers from her at any time. I have likewise been to Mr. Pomeroy's, from Joanna, to know when it was agreeable for him to see her and talk with her, and he appointed the time, and said, "Let her come, and I will talk with her." This hath happened many times; but Joanna was ordered, for years, not to see him without witnesses. I have been with Joanna many times, and never heard him say, at any time, or even hint, that her writings were from the Devil; but always treated her with civility.

(Signed) Mary Bird.

Witnesses to the above, and to Mary Bird's signing it,

J. Jones, Lucy Taylor,

Sarah Dewdney, Frances Taylor,

Robert Taylor, jun., Edw. Laskey.

I, Sarah Dewdney, of Exeter, am authorized by Mary Bird to say, that this evidence is true, 6th January, 1804.

Sarah Dewdney.

The Evidence of Miss Frances Taylor.

Q. Do you know Mrs. Southcott?

A. Yes, Sir.

Q. Were you in the habit of copying any letters to Mr. Pomeroy?

A. Yes, Sir.

Q. Do you recollect a particular letter, written in the year 1797, to Mr. Pomeroy?

A. Yes.

Q. Do you recollect anything of the contents of that letter?

A. I cannot say I can recollect the contents; I was very young at the time; but I have often heard it mentioned.

Q. Who have you heard mentioning the contents of that letter?

A. My mother and Mrs. Southcott.

Q. From them, what have you known to be the contents of it?

A. I have heard the events of Italy, in particular, France, and other places. The events of Italy were speedily fulfilled, of which I took particular notice.

Q. Was there any particular event immediately fulfilled?

A. Yes, there was.

Q. What was that particular event?

A. The conquest of Italy by France.

Q. Do you know anything further of the particular contents of that letter?

A. I only recollect, that generally, it referred to the events of other nations.

Q. Did you copy that particular letter, written to Mr. Pomeroy, in 1797?

A. Yes, I did; I am certain of it.

Q. Do you know, that the original and the copy you made were sent to Mr. Pomeroy?

A. They certainly were.

Q. How do you know that they were sent to Mr. Pomeroy?

A. I know that some of my father's apprentices carried them.

Q. Did you ever hear Mr. Pomeroy afterwards speak of that letter?

A. My mother would not permit me, being so young, always to be present.

Q. Do you recollect a particular letter of Joanna's, that your mother said should not be sent to Mr. Pomeroy?

A. Yes, I do.

Q. Do you recollect any observation, made by Joanna, at the time your mother said the letter should not be sent?

A. Yes, I do.

Q. What was the particular observation?

A. I recollect, I had begun to copy the letter, and my mother came into the room and said, "Joanna, you are going to send this letter then?" And she said, "Yes." And my mother said, "I wonder that you should send him so harsh a letter, when he has been so kind to you." Joanna replied, "I am ordered to send it, and I must." In that letter I recollect it was said, if Mr. Pomeroy sought out the truth and acted right, that every blessing would attend him; but if otherwise-

"A Judas he would be to me,

If he do me deny;

No comfort in this world he'd have,

And tremble for to die."

I further recollect these words-

"He will be found an empty sound,

And hollow all within;

I ask you how the Lord will look,

On such deceitful men?"

Q. Do you recollect copying other letters?

A. I do, but not the contents; they were sent not only to Mr. Pomeroy, but to other clergymen.

Q. Do you recollect any further observations, made by Joanna, respecting Mr. Pomeroy?

A. Yes, Sir, I have heard Joanna say, "He would be a great man in her writings"; and my mother used to answer, "Why then do you send him that letter?"

(Signed) Frances Taylor.

John Scott.

Q. Do you know Joanna Southcott?

A. Perfectly well.

Q. How long have you known her?

A. Between ten and eleven years; I am sure it is ten years at least.

Q. Did she work at your house?

A. She came an entire stranger to my house; she was recommended to me to be a faithful, Christian, honest woman; and as such I found her.

Q. Did she foretell to you the events of the harvests of 1799 and 1800?

A. I do recollect it perfectly well.

Q. Were these harvests fulfilled as she had predicted?

A. They were.

Q. Do you recollect any conversation with Mr. Pomeroy, in his church at Exeter, respecting Joann