grow jealous in thy heart, whether there was a God in that power as is mentioned in the scriptures; and as I have revealed to thee this, thou didst grow jealous of; because my absence had been so long, without feeling the powerful visitation of my Spirit; and taking my wisdom and power in question, it sunk thy spirits low; and then know, in a powerful manner came my visitation to thee, to shew thee there was a God in wisdom and power, to fulfil the words I have spoken, and to raise thee up in that strength of faith, that will remove mountains from thee. For thou hast seen nothing yet but by an eye of faith, all as shadows without substance; but thou sayest in thy heart, all is so strongly implanted in thy mind and heart, that I shall fulfil what I have said to thee, that it cannot be a shadow; but when thou seest the substance appear, and all fulfilled according to my promises; then thou wilt say, "I now see face to face what I saw before but through a glass darkly: I knew but in part; I saw but in part; but when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away; when I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away all childish things; for now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even also as I am known and now abideth faith, hope, and charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity." And it is charity that hath led thee on in bye paths, to make crooked paths straight before them; and in foolish things to make men wise; which those who boast of their wisdom would never be led as thou hast been led; because they would not judge it was the wisdom of God, by foolishness to confound the wisdom of man ; and by weakness to confound the strength of man.

115

Here I shall leave thee to bring forward the other scripture that I have told thee."

Proverbs i. 24-30. "Because I have called, and ye refused, I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; but ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh; when your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: for that they hated knowledge, and did not chuse the fear of the Lord. They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproofs."

"Because I have called, and no one answered, now they shall call, and I will not answer, any other way than I have directed thee. Know the pains thou hast taken, and the pains thy friends have taken, to call forward the ministers; but all refused; and the letters were returned with contempt. Know the language that was written back: I tell thee, from such men, Satan formeth a part of their hearts; and in Satan's form men would come to thee now, when this book goeth out in the world, if I were not to lay my strict command to thee, that when this book is finished and gone to the press, thou must refuse seeing any man, to converse with; even thine own friends. No man must have permission to come to thee, unless it be him whom thou hast chused for thy judge, or any of the Bishops: for, as they are empowered in church and state, they may judge it prudent to know some particulars of thy assurance, that thy visitation is from the Lord, to be clear in what they are doing, before they call their clergy together. For thou wilt surely find the Centurion amongst the Bishops. There

fore, if any call upon thee, thou shalt not refuse seeing them: but they can bring no ministers with them, but Pomeroy. For, was I to permit thee to see one that is not named to have permission, then all would say the same; that they might be permitted; and therefore, to guard thee from all dangers, I must here condemn the innocent with the guilty, and the just with the unjust, all alike as forbidden fruit to thee; and thou standest as forbidden fruit to them, before they have agreed together to call, thee forward, in the manner I have directed; and then thou shalt appear, to answer for thyself before them all. And if they be willing and obedient, they shall eat the good of the land: but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

"Thou must forbid any letter being sent to thee: for this is my strict command; neither by letter, or person, shalt thou correspond with any man, but in the manner I have directed. And should letters be sent to the house for thee, my strict command to Townley and Underwood is, that they never read them or mention them to thee; neither shall they return an answer to any letters that are sent on thy account. For, now I have placed the sword both ways, to guide and guard thee, till I give thee into the hands of him who I know will protect thee safely, when empowered so to do.”

The contents of this Book taken from Joanna Southcott's mouth, by me,

Witness, JANE TOWNLEY.

October 11, 1813.

ANN UNDERWOOD.

Printed by W. Marchant, Ingram-Court, Fenchurch-Street, London.

LETTERS

SENT TO THE

CLERGY OF EXETER,

From 1796 to 1800,

WITH

COMMUNICATIONS and PROPHECIES

Put in the Newspapers in 1813.

BY JOANNA SOUTHCOTT.

LONDON:

Printed by Marchant and Galibin, Ingram-Court; and sold by W. TOZER, Chapel-Place, Duke-Street, Westminster-Road, Southwark; also by the Miss EVELEIGHS, St. Sidwell's, Exeter; S. HIRST, Leeds; W. WADMAN, York; JAMES LIGHT, Coventry-Street, Stourbridge; EDMUND BAKER, Ilminster; C. BRADLEY, Digbeth, Birmingham; JOHN NESBIT, Gravesend; and T. TURPIN, Greenwich.

1813.

ENTERED AT STATIONERS' HALL.