The National Register. — London, England, 1814-09-25 00:00:00

CR •N EXPOSITION 07 THE PROPHETESS AND HER CONFEDERATES. •" I TELL THEE, SATAN If ANGRY; THE JEST Is c.tnnirn TOO r.tn Salmis Frit nd, to Joanna Evers, reflecting man is surprised and grieved at the im punity with which Joanna Southcott and her Confederate. are still permitted to keep up their shameless farce of anti christian blawhemy. It is painful to review the origin of this dreadful delusion, together with the history of nums .bens who have already been the victims of it ; but its con tinuance is really as wonderful as any of the wretched wonf tiers that hare been propagated by the " spiritual mother" o the idolatrnus pandzmonium of Duke street.* October 14- l 8 i 3, was the day of the prophetess's " pretended annuncia tion," and the faith of her followers " ought not to have outlived the 14th of July last ; yet they suffer it to be post poned till the harvest, and, when that is closed, it will be further deferred," declares Mr. Carpenter, " till Christmas!" If the Prophetess does " labour under a strong mental de lusion," as Dr. Sims will have it, why, in the name of common sense, is she not prohibited from communicating her reveries to mankind at large ? Joanna "is no impostor," according to this gentleman, and Dr Reece assures U 3 that Miss Town- Icy " seems a good smt of woman ;" but the mischief is that, between Joanna Southcott and Jane Townley, an awful nui • sance is occasioned in the I eligious world, by which thou sands are in danger of becoming dupes here, and sufferers to all eel nits', Mark what Mr. Carpenter himself asseverates on this head. Speaking of the increase that has taken place in her household of faith, he informs .us that " 40,000 wow fully believe in her wonderful pregnanea ;" while "man,/ of her mistaken votaries threaten that, if she has nut a child, as declared, they rill turn both her books and the Bible .1" Such is the infatuation of the human mind ; and so absolute is the ascendancy which the Prophetess thus possesses over the thousands who believe in her. Satan, who (according to the writing . : of the prophetess,) appears to be perfectly acquainted, as well he may be, with the origin of her supposed call, has informed her, twelve years ago, that "an Evil Spirit loved her from her youth Up ;" hut " finding there was no may to make access to her heart, except under the pretence of religion. he began that way, and formed himself in the form of God's angels f" This seems the conclosion to which Mr. Carpenter has now ccine. Suppose a 'Child is produced ?' said an enquirer to bim, in the first instance 1 shell believe it smuggled,' replied he. Suppose,' rejoined the enquirer she gives evidence that it is hers ?" In that case,' answered Mr, Carpenter, shall believe the Devil is its Father ! ' Such is the opinion of one whose acquaintance with her, and her teachings, commenced twelve years ago ; and who describes * " A more impious assemblage of persons than those who meet a t their Pankemonium, in Duke street, under pretensions of religion, is mo where to be found." Cal pviitcr% Explanation of Joanna Soullicott's Mission t " Fe nort," continues Satan'. Friend, still addressing Joanna, 41 WllO thou knowtat, told thee, if thou wonkiest at have him, he should die for thy sake, and a fey years after he did die, it is his spirit hath intercourse with thy spirit r J oa nn a ' s Dispute with the Powers of Darkness, when she had entered upon her l'rivate Lngdings,at M.New berry's, Milk-Man, Paddington Monday, August 3, 189%. SEPT. .25. • hi:nself as being in possession of information, which none el , e can give. Hasty as these answers were, on the first in timat ion of the child, M. Carpenter has felt no cause for re calling them ; but think ' , on the contrary, that he shall be able so support them from her own writings. The authority which the Prophetess has assnmed over those who believe in her, for some years past, is not the least retnatkable part of her religious code. Submission is the watch-word of the Southcottians. "At the commencement of her persecution against me," continues Mr. Carpenter, I wrote to one of them, a dignified Clelgnman in the Est d - Vic/uncut. lie took fourteen days to answer my letter ; and then candidly acknowledged, that the delay was occasioned by having asked counsel of her ! Even a medical man, whose profession bespoke him a man uf education, meeting me in a friend's house, bowed, and observed he was glad to see me ; yet, when, on his salutation, I offered him my hand, he drew back, and said, he did not know whether he might go so far ! My own daughter, when confined, in 180, bad some partiality for a inuse belonging to their party, and would have hired her, but the poor woman dared not engage till she had asked permission; and afterwards she declared, she was not allowed to attend her ! What chance can a person stand," says Mr. C., 46 with such shackled slaves ?"t Although she is commended for "possessing strong faith," the prophetess is allowed to be " much wanting" in the more available qualities of " diligence and tenderness ;" and that " those by whom she has conceived herself once offended, experience no mercy." Like the vindictive Idol of India, therefore, she moves heavily along, and crushes even her worshippers beneath her weight ! ' Believe in the Woman,' and only her, is, nevertheless, the alpha and omega of her followers. " The damage she has done to the minds of the weak,' " In the year 1805," observes Mr. Carpenter, Jourum. " had an unaccountable fit of being invested with SLIRC supreme authority; and directed certain proceedings against me, for supposed acts of disobedience! 'file charges were laid before her Grand Jury, for she had men actually bearim4 that denomination. They, with no other evidence than hers, without hesitation, found a true Intl ; and I had notice af trial, on a given day. The Judges assembled in the seeond floor of a lenking.house in Holborn ! How many we're ou the bench, cannot say ; nor yet in what office they all acted—l suppose, as judges and jury and evidence! ! ! The eharge was for holding inter course with Satan, through the medium of the youth Joseph Pres cott, who was visited with Tishman/ tOjeets; contrary to the sove reign authority of this kV-exalted female," the spiritual mother of the revelation chinch! " Twelve outer persons were implicated as abettors in this treasonable act. Anxious to remove every thing which might he an impediment in the way of others, we all went to the house, punctually at the hour fixed; when, strange to say, our would be judges would not meet us. They had previously de. mauled a river, which, in 1804, She delivered to ine, with (as she declared to me) a Command from the Lard to seal it up, and never let it be opened, till what she called her awful trial ! And time contents of this paper they now wanted to deny. I refused to resign it; contending, that God was unchangeable. Ether she had im posed on me in the commaad, therefore, or she wanted to make me disobedient. They now sent three of their company to the bottom stairs, to prevent us from ascending; one of these was a military hero (Colonel H.ow"d, the reported. son-in law of the hake( Haien& !) on whose honour and veracity it may be pro fitable for tis hereafter to comment. It might be natural to sup pose, that the rctilsal to resign the paper would have furnished a flesh charge. Instead of this, however, it stopped the trial altoge titer, yet prevented not sentence from being passed ! The whole twenty-five (SPlurruir. JUGGLERS!) unanimously agreed —that we were Ananiases and &whims. although there was no female amongst us. Our sentence, like all legal deeds, was long and wordy. Miserable farce! Of all the wretched attempts at nit iturekry, thi3, surely, exceeded all." tl Carpenter's Explanation of Joanna's Alist:ion. THE NATIONAL REGISTER.