Denham objects to a second Messiah
retrospective response
On: if they receive as their Prophet, Priest, and King
Source quotation · G. Denham
Again, on the day of Pentecost, when our Lord’s disciples were met together, waiting for the promised Comforter, the Holy Spirit, when they felt his divine, quickening, and comforting influence on their hearts, Peter’s mouth and heart was opened to speak of the Saviour of the Gentiles; but the audience that Peter addressed at that time were professing Jews from all parts of the known world; and that blessed gospel which Peter was enabled by the power of the Holy Spirit to preach, was blest at that time to no less than three thousand souls. Now, if Joanna’s Writings are dictated by the Spirit of God, and that the true Shiloh is not come into the world before she brings forth the Comforter, the Prince of Peace, and the Saviour of the Jews, whom she says she is pregnant with, how can the writings of the Old and New Testament be correct? For if her works her true, as she and her followers declare, (which I beg leave to deny,) then Peter and all the rest of the apostles who preached salvation and remission of sins to the Jews, by and through the Saviour of elect sinners, led them all into a delusion, by causing them to embrace a Saviour that was never designed for any of them. Peter ought, according to her ideas, to have directed them to the Shiloh that Joanna was to be the mother of, and not to Jesus of Nazareth; but Peter tells us, (and I am sure he knew what he said to be true, because he spake as he was actuated by the Holy Spirit) Acts. iv. 12. Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. If Joanna considers that little, but significant pronoun we, in the foregoing passage I have quoted from the Acts, which includes Jews and Gentiles, and if there is no other name under heaven given among men, but that of the Lord Jesus Christ, as Peter under divine inspiration tells us, to obtain life and salvation by, I hope she will discover that it will be in vain for the Jews to look to that Shiloh and Prince of Peace which is to be born and suckled by her.
The apostle Paul, in his writings to the church at Ephesus, tells the believing Ephesians in the second chapter and 14 verse, that Christ is their “peace:” For he is our peace who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; that is, believing Jews and believing Gentiles are made by the power of divine grace, one spirit in the Lord; and sure I am they will unite together in owning salvation by one Shiloh, who hath loved them, and washed them from their sins in his own blood. It will not be the Messiah of the Gentiles begetting the Jews’ Messiah, and each party praising a different Saviour; no! no! there is no such inconsistent work among the true worshippers of the only living and true God.
Remarks on the Writings and Prophecies of Joanna Southcott · G. Denham, Remarks on the Writings and Prophecies of Joanna Southcott, London: Dean and Munday, undated title page (catalogued 1815). Printed pp.21–22, complete consecutive arguments from Acts and Ephesians, before Joanna appears.... Visually collated PDF pages 20–21; line-end hyphenation joined, spacing normalized, italic emphasis rendered plain. Printed wording works her true retained.
Source reuse and transcription
Historical early-nineteenth-century English text, public domain; scan-host apparatus excluded.
Community response to this revision: 0
Published revision history
2026-09-21T02:03:32+00:00
Again, on the day of Pentecost, when our Lord’s disciples were met together, waiting for the promised Comforter, the Holy Spirit, when they felt his divine, quickening, and comforting influence on their hearts, Peter’s mouth and heart was opened to speak of the Saviour of the Gentiles; but the audience that Peter addressed at that time were professing Jews from all parts of the known world; and that blessed gospel which Peter was enabled by the power of the Holy Spirit to preach, was blest at that time to no less than three thousand souls. Now, if Joanna’s Writings are dictated by the Spirit of God, and that the true Shiloh is not come into the world before she brings forth the Comforter, the Prince of Peace, and the Saviour of the Jews, whom she says she is pregnant with, how can the writings of the Old and New Testament be correct? For if her works her true, as she and her followers declare, (which I beg leave to deny,) then Peter and all the rest of the apostles who preached salvation and remission of sins to the Jews, by and through the Saviour of elect sinners, led them all into a delusion, by causing them to embrace a Saviour that was never designed for any of them. Peter ought, according to her ideas, to have directed them to the Shiloh that Joanna was to be the mother of, and not to Jesus of Nazareth; but Peter tells us, (and I am sure he knew what he said to be true, because he spake as he was actuated by the Holy Spirit) Acts. iv. 12. Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. If Joanna considers that little, but significant pronoun we, in the foregoing passage I have quoted from the Acts, which includes Jews and Gentiles, and if there is no other name under heaven given among men, but that of the Lord Jesus Christ, as Peter under divine inspiration tells us, to obtain life and salvation by, I hope she will discover that it will be in vain for the Jews to look to that Shiloh and Prince of Peace which is to be born and suckled by her.
The apostle Paul, in his writings to the church at Ephesus, tells the believing Ephesians in the second chapter and 14 verse, that Christ is their “peace:” For he is our peace who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; that is, believing Jews and believing Gentiles are made by the power of divine grace, one spirit in the Lord; and sure I am they will unite together in owning salvation by one Shiloh, who hath loved them, and washed them from their sins in his own blood. It will not be the Messiah of the Gentiles begetting the Jews’ Messiah, and each party praising a different Saviour; no! no! there is no such inconsistent work among the true worshippers of the only living and true God.
Reece’s account of the postmortem examination
retrospective response
On: thou shalt have a Son by the power of the Most High
Source quotation · Richard Reece · 1815 account
On exposing the belly, it appeared much distended with air, which was evidently the consequence of putrefaction after death, for previous to that the abdomen, as has been already mentioned, was in a flaccid state. On dividing the teguments there was a considerable escape of putrid air, after which the contents of the cavity came into view. The first organ that immediately claimed attention was the womb, which contrary to all expectation was hid in the pelvis, and instead of being enlarged, appeared smaller than in the natural state. It was so small, I was obliged to introduce my hand into the pelvis, and to remove the whole contents, in order to bring it out for inspection. It was of the size of a small pear. It was considered by the medical gentlemen present, as uncommonly small, but I thought not more so than what it ought to be in a virgin of sixty. On examining its substance, there appeared no mark of disease. An invidious report having been spread, that Mrs. S. had formerly had children, Mr. Want and I next examined the ovaria, but there appeared no traces to confirm this slander. During the examination of the womb, a most interesting scene was presented. The believers were all on tiptoe to see Shiloh appear, and those who could not have a view themselves, were most anxiously making inquiries of the others. No promised child, however, appeared, which so confounded the rest that they gradually left the room abashed and dismayed.
A Correct Statement of the Circumstances That Attended the Last Illness and Death of Mrs. Southcott · Richard Reece, A Correct Statement of the Circumstances That Attended the Last Illness and Death of Mrs. Southcott (1815), pp.90–91: complete examination of the womb and account of the followers’ response, before the examination of the stomach. Visually collated PDF pages 96–97; line-end hyphenation joined, spacing normalized, italic emphasis rendered plain.
Source reuse and transcription
Original 1815 English account, public domain; scan-host apparatus excluded.
Community response to this revision: 0
Published revision history
2026-09-21T02:03:32+00:00
On exposing the belly, it appeared much distended with air, which was evidently the consequence of putrefaction after death, for previous to that the abdomen, as has been already mentioned, was in a flaccid state. On dividing the teguments there was a considerable escape of putrid air, after which the contents of the cavity came into view. The first organ that immediately claimed attention was the womb, which contrary to all expectation was hid in the pelvis, and instead of being enlarged, appeared smaller than in the natural state. It was so small, I was obliged to introduce my hand into the pelvis, and to remove the whole contents, in order to bring it out for inspection. It was of the size of a small pear. It was considered by the medical gentlemen present, as uncommonly small, but I thought not more so than what it ought to be in a virgin of sixty. On examining its substance, there appeared no mark of disease. An invidious report having been spread, that Mrs. S. had formerly had children, Mr. Want and I next examined the ovaria, but there appeared no traces to confirm this slander. During the examination of the womb, a most interesting scene was presented. The believers were all on tiptoe to see Shiloh appear, and those who could not have a view themselves, were most anxiously making inquiries of the others. No promised child, however, appeared, which so confounded the rest that they gradually left the room abashed and dismayed.