g is of God,
and my writings are indited by His Spirit, as it is impossible that
any spirit but an all-wise God that is wondrous in working, wondrous
in wisdom, wondrous in power, wondrous in truth, could have brought
round such mysteries so full of truth as in my writings; so I am
clear in whom I believed, that all my writings came from the Spirit
of the Most High God.

"JOANNA SOUTHCOTT."

One of her means of making money and increasing her influence was the
sealing of such as signed their names to a declaration intimating a
desire for Christ's kingdom to be established upon earth, and the
destruction of that of the devil. Whoever signed his or her name
received a sealed letter containing these words:--"The sealed of the Lord
the elect. Precious man's redemption to inherit the tree of life, to be
made heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ." To this document
Joanna's name was appended. In December, 1813, she declared her
pregnancy, and prophesied that she should have a son that year by the
power of the Most High. Her followers now increased rapidly, and chapels
were opened for promulgating her doctrines. As the time drew nigh
presents of all descriptions, it was said, came in unasked. There was a
magnificent cot for the expected Messiah, manufactured by Seddons. All
the articles used on such occasions--as laced caps, bibs, robes,
papboats, caudle cups, &c.,--were lavishly supplied; and when it appeared
that the poor woman had died, asking pardon for her late blasphemous
doctrines and past sins, the delusion was still kept up, and her
followers believed that she would reappear. It was only after a
_post-mortem_ examination that the fiction of a miraculous conception was
dispelled. Joanna was sixty years old at the time of her death, and was
buried privately in Marylebone Upper Burying-ground, near Kilburn.

The present leader is John Whatmore, formerly a smith, but who has been
led in a marvellous way, according to his own confession, to believe in
Joanna. He is an open-air preacher, and may be met with in London
Fields, Somers Town, and elsewhere pursuing his calling, which apparently
is not very lucrative. He has two boards joined together, on which some
unintelligible jargon is printed, which he calls his two sticks. These
he holds up to view, at the same time calling out, "Britannia! Ephraim!
Judah!" Then he comme