Close to her breast, in ME to trust,
And so to free the score,

And make the serpent lick the dust,
And hell's infusion roar."

Say no more, that the woman beguiled you, and ye did eat, and cast the blame on your Maker, for the woman, when ye were ready to copy after her in disobedience; but now she is brought to true obedience, ye will not copy one step after her. If you judge me a lost sheep, judge how many sheep are going astray after nie, as the truth of my writings hath drawn many believers; and as every year fulfils my writings, so every day believers increase. The reason why I have troubled you with this letter is to let you know, if you find yourselves blamed by other ministers abroad, that you had not searched out the truth, blame yourselves and not me; for I assure you, I do not go in one step of my own. You may

marvel, as Adam did, why the Lord had given him the woman, that caused his fall, and cast the blame on his Maker, for copying after her: and will you now cast the blame on your Maker, for chusing you to judge for yourself, and you refuse to obey? Then bring forth your arguments, and shew your strong reasons, why you would not obey, if you judge it from the Lord; and why you did not try to put a stop to it, if you judged it the disorder of a confused brain:

For tainted blood will always spread,
And tainted brains the same;
If wrong disorder's in the head,

You ought to stop the flame.

Judge for yourself, that ye be not judged of the Lord: would you not blame a shepherd, to let his sheep be lost for want of his care? But now your care is too late for me; by the time this reaches your hand, I hope to be in Bristol: and whatever is the effect of my going, as you never

tried to prevent it, you have no one to blame but yourself. Yet my soul feels for you, knowing the threatenings pronounced against the carelessness of the ministers: for I shall conclude my letter with the words I put in the hands of the Rev. Mr. Pomeroy, in 1796.

"Is this the way my sheep are watch'd,

Left to the shepherd's care?

The wolf to drag them in the pit,
And left to perish there?

Then now my anger who could blame,
If it should heat and burn,

And, like the Gospel, say to all—
To England I shall turn?"

The Gospel it was taken from was the chapter read in the Fast-" Think not these Galileans sinners above all, because they have done these things." I am sorry to trouble you with this letter; but must leave it to your serious reflection, now can you blame yourself, or me? I remain, with due respect,

Your humble servant,

JOANNA SOUTHCOTT.

A Letter sent to the Rec Chancellor Nutcombe, in 1799.

Rev. Sir,

You may be surprised to receive a letter from one you have judged too much beneath your notice to answer the former I sent you; but as I see mankind so bold with my character, as to say I am out of my senses, I must be bold to answer for myself, and intreat the favour of your proving your words; not as a blind man judges of colours that they never see, or like the mad, confused world, that is throwing the law and gospel out of doors; and as they are filled with their own opinions, without knowing what they judge,

which neither the law of God or man will allow to convince mankind of this error, the Lord said I will go down and see whether these things are as they are come up before me. The Lord did not want wisdom to know, but it was spoken as a pattern for man to walk by.

Therefore was it said of Mr. Pomeroy, two years before ever I sent him a letter, that the laws of the Lord were written on his heart; and I will prove, in the presence of all the learned, that he hath acted thus far as though they were; which is an honour to the church; for were it not for his conduct, all other religions would cry shame on the church, as Sir Egerton Lee did, who asked me if I had been writing in this manner for seven years, and not written to the ministers? I said I had; but they judged me out of my senses, and refused to answer my letters. He said, that was harsh judging, and unchristian-like: and had he the pleasure of knowing the gentlemen, he would wait on them himself; as he judged it a duty for ministers to prove by what Spirit I wrote; and stop my hand, if not of God. Here his observation is just; and of the same opinions are all other religions, and condemn the church for not doing justice, to search out the truth; as many judge it of God, and marvel how it came to pass, if not so; others judge it from the devil, and that chance makes it true; others judge it from myself, that have given up my mind more to learning than ever any minister upon earth did; but Sir Egerton did not judge so weakly; he knew it was too wonderful for a woman's head.

Now, Sir, if you and the Rev. Archdeacon Moore will prove your Bibles true, and my writings not of God, in the presence of two or three ministers, I will ask both your pardons in the public papers, as all is now made public, for troubling your honours with such letters; but if

you cannot, you must say, "the Lord hath chastised us, and we are chastised like bullocks unaccustomed to the yoke; we cannot answer one word of a thousand,”-neither do I believe you can, out of ten thousand.

Now, Sir, if you condemn my writings, when you have seen them, I will give up all to your superior judgment; and wherein you will blame me, I will blame myself; but if you persevere to judge a cause unheard, and murder my character, which you do not know, by saying I am out of my senses, marvel not if I' persevere to clear my inno

Will you say as Felix did to Paul, too much learning made thee mad? Then, like Paul, I answer most noble Sir, I am not mad-and now I tell you what will in the end be the language of your hearts:

"We judg'd her senses to be gone;

"But surely ours were lost:
""Twas but the sand we built upon;

""Tis she the rock can boast."

On what rock do you judge I build, to have my enemies to be my judges? I must intreat an answer to this letter.

A Letter sent to the Rev. Mr. Pomeroy, in De

Rev. Sir,

cember, 1799.

As I have received no answer from you, I suppose you mean to run the hazard of another year

if so, I mean to go abroad, which I was ordered not to do, till I received your answer; and your silence is an answer, that you mean to see further events; which I cannot blame in you, Sir. As I see and hear the ministers are so careless, that they do not concern theirselves to know whether the Lord hath spoken or not; but another year will convince them, if the Lord hath spoken by me.

I am now ordered to send to you a copy of the letter I put last spring in the hand of the Reverend Archdeacon Moore. As half is not yet fulfilled, you will see more of it in the 1800. I have sealed it up with three seals, as I sent it to him; but it is copied out as you can read it: but I must beg the favour of you, Sir, not to break the seals till the end of the year, unless you judge it prudent to shew it to the Archdeacon Moore.

I have sent in some of my letters what is hastening on the ensuing year, as unbelief is so likely to abound. I must beg the favour of you to take care of all my letters; for you will find it the Lord's doing, however marvellous it may appear in your eyes. If I stay two years, as Mr. Taylor hath engaged for me by that time, I believe the writings I have put in your hands will truly convince you it is of God, and no enthusiasm of a disordered brain: for now mockers are begun, and they will bring down the judgments that are threatened. So let no man complain of the times; but let all men consider that they have been mockers and our bands are made strong; the judgments of the Lord will be carried into victory over

us.

I have sent you these letters, as I was ordered to send to you the copy of the other; and if you judge prudent to wait longer, you must have the truth in your own hand, to see it plain if it be of God.

I hope I shall not be called to trouble you any