THE TRUE EXPLANATION OF THE BIBLE, REVEALED BY DIVINE COMMUNICATIONS ΤΟ JOANNA SOUTHCOTT. PART THE FIRST. TO WHICH ARE ADDED LETTERS TO AND FROM THE REV. Mr. POMEROY, No Prophecy of the Scripture is of any private Interpretation. 2 Peter, i. 20. LONDON: PRINTED BY S. ROUSSEAU, WOOD STREET, SPA FIELDS; AND SOLD BY E. J. FIELD, NO. 2, HIGH STREET, ST. GILES'S, TWO DOORS FROM THE ANGEL INN; AND THE MISS EVELEIGH S, ST. SIDWELL'S, EXETER. 1804. [Price Eighteen Pence.] to prove PREFACE. JOANNA SOUTHCOTT now affirms to the World, that she has the full Consent of the Bishops to publish that her Calling is of GOD; but if the Bishops should say nay, this is her answer to them: The Lord commanded me to send printed Letters to all the Bishops, that if they would bring forward twenty-four of the Clergy, that my Visitation was not from the Lord, I would give up to their judgment whenever the cause was fairly tried and examined by them; but as they have kept silence to this Letter, their consciences must tell them, that the Calling is of God. And now I shall ask them, if a man were printing a Book, that was blasphemy against the Bible, and the world condemned that Book; suppose that man should appeal to the Bishops, and say, " If the Bishops will come forward and examine my Book, and prove before my face it is blasphemy, I will give up to their judgment, and destroy the whole."What must be their answer? Conscience must tell them-"We should be unworthy the name of Christians, and much more unworthy the name of Bishops, to be the heads and guides of the Church, if we did not immediately come forward to put a stop to this man's blasphemy; we must despise the MASTER we profess to serve; and shew no regard for his HONOUR and GREAT NAME; neither can we have any regard for the people, by whose bounty our livings are supported, knowing that many weak minds might be hurt by such blasphemy." Therefore for the glory of God, for the good of mankind, and for their own honour, and a good conscience, they would say they should immediately come forward, if they saw that the man had written blasphemy. Now the same must be their answer to my Books. If they believed they were written from the Spirit of the Devil, in the name of the Lord, they would immediately come forward to put a stop to them, as they were offered for their judgment. So their silence gives full Consent, that my Calling is from the Lord. And this I now testify and affirm to the world, that there is no Bishop who can come forward against me.—“ And as the Bishops are silent, let all the Clergy be silent; and know it is I the Lord that works in the heart of my people, to will and to do of my good pleasure." Therefore 'tis I, who dwell on High, PREFACE That as the Bishops silent lie, And so the end I'll clear.- If that from Hell the whole did swell, If they judge thine is blasphemy, "As long as we in grandeur be, Then they shall see the MIND of me, Because no love they so can prove, If thou should'st here draw back; |