OCR Text |
Show OLD PROPHECIES IE CHSillTEfflT By Joanna Southcott and Relate to the Second Coming of Christ. CONTAINED IN BOXES Request Is Made That Canon Can-on of Westminster Open the Receptacles. By International News Service. LONDON', Sept, 1. Certain sections or the population are much excited over the century-old sealed prophecies of Joan mi Southcott, relating to the "second coming com-ing of Christ. " The box containing these prophecies has never been opened since it was closed over a hundred years ago. To quiet credulous persons, some of the English clergy are considering carrying but ' the ceremonies prescribed for the opening of the box and so getting the matter out of the way. The box or boxes (according to some versions there- are twenty -four) are not to be opened, members of the Joanna Southcott sect say. iU?tll they are "sent for by the bishops suuuenly and unaware, in a time of national danger." Twenty-four bishops or their chaplains, or other, appointed clergy, are required to be present when the box of sealed writings writ-ings is opened. Joanna Southcott, a farmer's daughter, born in Devonshire in 1750, became convinced con-vinced in 1792 that she had supernatural powers and that the spirit of truth had visited her. Written in Rhyme. , She began to write and dictate prophecies prophe-cies in rhyme. She declared herself the woman spoken of in Revelations Xll: . "And there appeared a great wonder in heaven a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a-crown of twelve stars. And she brought forth a man child, who was' to rule all the nations-with a rod of iron,, and her child was caught up unto God and to His throne." . Joanna appeared in London and began to gain disciples. She x "sealed" 144,000 elect at charges varying between 42.50 and $4.25 each. When , she was more than 60 years of age she announced that she would give birth to' the Shiloh of the prophecy on October 19, 1S14 . Of course- the delivery did not take place. It was announced she was. id a trance and she died of brain fever ten days later. Great precautions were necessary to prevent a riot at her funeral. Opening Date Fixed. According to the best accounts, she left a box containing a snuff box, a roll of prophecies and a gorgeous robe for the Messianic babe Shiloh, whose expected birth did not occur. This box was to be opened on January 12, 1915. but nothing was heard of It on that date. Now "believers" have requested Bishop Boyd Carpenter, canon of Westminster and formerly bishop of Ripon, to gather Die necessary bishops or clergy round him so that the claims of the prophetess may be tried. The bishop, in an interview, said he did not know where the box is. "I have met some of these good people," peo-ple," he said, "and have asked them where it is, and they have replied, 'It shall be produced at the time.' I think the box should be opened in order to allay the excited interest in the matter." One of the boxes Is in the possession of Miss Alice Seymour, who lives in Devonshire. Dev-onshire. The other is owned by Mrs. Kenyon,, Sr., to whom it came from her grandfather, Richard Hill Norrte, of Birmingham. Bir-mingham. He was a believer of the Joanna Southcott sect. Bdxes Are Still Held. "It came to me as the eldest of the family," said Mrs. Kenyon, "but what is in the box I do not know, nor whether there is anything in It at all. "The conditions -under which I hold it are that tt shall not be opened except at the request of the bishops or the govern-ment- "I am quite prepared to go on waiting another hundred years until the conditions condi-tions with regard to the opening are fulfilled." ful-filled." J. SE. Catley of Bedford place, Bootle, states that his wife has a Joanna Southcott South-cott box which she received some years ago with an elderly lady in Liverpool, since dead, and1 which was only to be opened under exceptional circumstances. There were, she thinks, twenty-four boxes made at the time of the deoosit of the prophecies, and these were givvm to special persons to be "handed on to posterity." Mrs. Catley does not know what her box contains, for it has never been opened. There is, however, something some-thing In It, as there is a distinct sound when it is shaken. |