LIFE & JOURNAL - Christian Israelite Church

1819-1822
five shillings. When I got home there was Abraham Holmes’
wife at my house, and I took out the five shillings to let them
see that the Lord had not returned me empty.
On the 8 th of August, 1820, George Turner was at Bradford
(the man whom the Lord had placed as his standard to lead and
direct his children after the death of Joanna Southcott), and
John Wroe went to see him, and spoke with him, but as there
was a command that the Lord’s children should receive no
visitation to be led and directed by but his (George Turner’s), he
judged it wrong for John to speak of his, and said he ought not
to do it in the presence of the believers, and said he would not
hear him. John said he did not want the believers to receive his
visions, for he knew that they were not for them, but for the
world.
George Turner then left the room, but afterwards returned
and shook hands with John in a friendly manner.
John relates that as he was going home, it was revealed to
him that George Turner was not the man that would lead the
people till the kingdom was established, for he would die before
the time, and that the believers had made more of him than they
ought to have done. But it was not made known to him that he
himself was the man. This he told to his cousin, Joseph Wroe,
of Little Horton, about the same time. The believers were at
that time expecting Shiloh to appear, and to go round the
country with him: it was expected that Shiloh would appear on
the 14 th of October, that year.
One Wednesday night in September, John Wroe went to the
meeting of the believers, in Bradford, and when they concluded
he asked them to let him speak a few words amongst them,
which, after being opposed by some of them, it was granted,
and he said, “Friends, you are looking for great things, and you
are looking for Shiloh to appear, and be amongst you on such a
day, but I will tell you he will not appear at that time, and many
of the believers will fall off. It is not one or two in a body that
will fall, but whole bodies will fall; not that I am doubting
George Turner’s visitation, and as a testimony of it I’ll give my
name amongst you”, which he did. He continued from that time