Jesus Christ, or whether on the other hand tens of millions, through unbelief and ignorance of this visitation, were going to destruction, and the day of the Lord came upon them unawares to cut them off, like a thief in the night, or like the days of Noah and Lot, to fall upon them, it is all one to the bishops and clergy,while they are fed as fat horses at the full; and while they can have the fleece they care not what becomes of the sheep. This is Joanna Southcott's opinion of the clergy; and by experience can prove it true; for I now speak boldly to the whole world, never such wondrous things came to any woman upon earth, nor such wondrous truths ever followed without coming from the Lord of Life and Glory; and he that denieth them must deny his Bible. But the Jews never, with more confidence, rejected the Gospel and our Saviour's coming in the Body, than the clergy now reject the fulfilment of the Gospel and his coming again in the Spirit. The letters were returned by the ministers with such infamous and blasphemous language, as though the devil had either guided their hands or hearts. For such letters, from men that were worthy the name of men, I should think could never be penned; for many of the expressions are so low, illiterate, and indecent, that it appears to me what we call in Devonshire Billingsgate Language. Then has not our nation reason to tremble, when their teachers are blind guides, their priests are polluters of the sanctuary? Woe unto them that go in to them! Are they not weighed in the balance and found wanting? Are not my writings true? Were they not from a God who searcheth the heart and trieth the reins of the children of men, who shewed me in 1792, what a black veil was round the ministers' hearts? Are they not as our Saviour said, dumb dogs that cannot bark; blind leaders of the blind? Then have you not all the ditch to fear? Are they not hirelings that care not for the sheep? Then come

Joseph Southeotts Book

( 41 )

to the truth of the gospel, and confess the words of our Saviour to be true, when he saith, he alone is the good Shepherd that careth for his sheep; and his sheep know his voice, and they follow him wheresoever he goeth, but a stranger they will not follow: And what a stranger must I be to the Gospel, to follow such men, whose hearts appear to me as black as the coats they wear! And well they might be ashamed to sign their names; but how scandalous and ridiculous in ministers to do things they are ashamed to own? I have done nothing I am ashamed to own; but publicly sign my name to all I say and do; and have strong grounds for all I say and do. If there are any noble-spirited ministers that are ashamed of such conduct in the clergy, and judge with me it is not becoming ministers of the Gospel of Christ, I will not condemn the innocent with the guilty, nor the just with the unjust. I hope there are some who have not bowed their knees to Baal.

JANE TOWNLEY,
FRANCES TAYLOR,
ANN UNDERWOOD.

We three, who have signed our names, are witnesses that this came from the mouth of Joanna Southcott.

Thursday, July the 19th, 1804.

As soon as Joanna's opinion and sufferings of the ministers were written, she was told she should not be answered till they were sealed up to send to the press to be printed; and when they were sealing, shie said she felt as though something was bursting within her, which threw her into tears, and threw all her bowels into pain.

"Now Joanna, thou hast ended,
Then to reason I'll begin:
Every dagger thou hast mention'd
In my heart is plac'd by men.
F

At the first the Jews did burst,
Like Pomeroy to appear;
For many Jews came at the first,
And did me follow there,
Till other men with them began
To make them mock my word;
And so by Pilate this was seen;
He first believ'd his Lord

Was in the sound, that did abound,
What he from ME did hear;
And now to Pomeroy I shall come,
And fix the likeness there.
He said from hell no man could tell
Thy Writings ever came;
But if it was not from thyself,

From heaven he said't must come
Can he deny this is a lie,

And stand before his God?

I tell him, no: the words are true;
His words to me are know'd;
For standing by, I now do say,
I always heard the man;

And much like, Pilate, now I say,
His conduct here hath been.
Striv'd to release, if 'twas in peace,
His conduct sure hath been.
Mark how to Nutcombe he did go;
His ways to me were seen;
And after there he did appear
To try the Priest once more;
But then they all refus'd to hear,
And bolted every door.
Against me then they did begin,
And Pomeroy sought in vain :
So like the Jews they heard the news.
Ye stubborn sons of men,
When my disciples did appear

Who truly love MY NAME,

Your hearts by hell then bolted were,

And set your rage in flame;

Against the man you did begin

Your fury for to shew,

And when your tumult it was seen,

Then Pomeroy's heart, I know,

Did soon begin, to ME was seen,
Like Pilate to appear,
Because no courage in the mau,

His God the most to fear;

No, 'twas to man, by ME was seen,
He surely fear'd them most;

And though I warn'd him in a dream,
My murderer he was plac'd,

If he went on for to trepan,
A Judas to deny,

A Pilate here for to appear--
Men-pleasers now must die;

( 43 )

For though the first in him did burst
Like Pilate to appear,

They now must see the man is cast,
Though thou like death art here.
How can I free the Type in thee
The likeness all to place?
Without a sick-bed it cannot be→
Awake ye fallen race!

Her murderers here you do appear,
Her wounds you've open'd new;
And every dart that's in her heart,
They're plac'd, vain men, by you.
The shepherds here must all appear,
Confess their every guilt;

Her murderers see, you shepherds be:
I know what she hath felt.
And now this day, to all I say,
Her spirits I sink low,

That you may see the agony,
What I for men went through;
But now I'm come in Spirit strong,
In Spirit I do groan;

But if my passions you awake,
I'll make you all to mourn.
I said at first it so should burst,
Upon the shepherds here *;
And perfect true, you all shall know,
I'll now turn back the spear.
Ten thousand daggers you have plac'd
Here in a heart that's mine;

Ten thousand daggers you shall taste
In my appointed time;

If you don't turn, in sorrows mourn,
Like harlots you must be,

That have no honour in your name,

Your characters to free.

It is not she, I now tell ye,

That you're call'd forth to clear,

It is your titles now as men,
What shepherds ye are here:

And now from one I shall begin,
A shepherd in thy view;
Write thou the Fable of the man,

And then I'll prove it true."

This was a Mr. Follard, a gentleman at Sidmouth, whose shepherd was called both the hind and the shepherd. As most of his ground was occupied in sheep, the shepherd was allowed a horse to ride about and see the sheep every day with his dogs, as he had no other employment. I have been in my Brother's ground weeding, and have seen him ride into the fields, • After these words Joanna felt as if she was dying.

with his dogs, and call round the sheep that were there present in the field; at the same time I have known many sheep were in the ditch groaning and eat out with the maggots. I have seen him ride out of the field without taking notice of the sheep that were missing, or taking one step after them. This enraged me against him, and made me tell it to others, who told me he did the same at every place. At Bullwarton Hill his sheep lay dead under the bushes and hedges, eat out with the maggots, and he never took one thought about them; for as long as he could spend his time in idleness and drinking with any that would entertain him, it was all that he cared for; his master's flock might all perish. So this is the shepherd I compare with the ministers.

On Thursday evening, July 19th, Joanna went to sleep for about a quarter of an hour, and awaked with a dream, and desired us to pen these lines: but the dream she cannot recollect

The world in all its various charms
May prove its just deceit,

Then Christ will take me to HIS ARMS,
And prove his justice great,

To bring on man what is at hand,

The judgments he'th decreed.
His wisdom there's no man can scan,
To make me first to bleed,

In sickness lie like one to die,
The shadow he plac'd here;

But when he turns the other way,
Oh, Shepherds all take care!
"My hand you'll see in fury be
If you'll not rise and fall,'
Just as this Woman doth appear→→
No, no, I tell you all,

The shadow's past, the die is cast,
And you may mourn too late;
If you stand out longer in doubt
You'll see your every fate.
So I'll end here and say no more:
But every fine goes deep;
The shadow doth to her appear
How all the end will break.
The shadow first in her is plac'd:

My friends may rise and fall