1020 
according to Apollyon’s account of 
heaven, could have been no great 
evil. ‘* Thou knowest,” he says, 
“¢ it is written of God, he is a con- 
suming fire, and who can dwell in 
everlasting burnings? Our backs are 
not brass, nor our sinews iron, to 
dwell with God in heaven.” The 
heaven therefore which men mis- 
takingly desire, is in its nature 
the very hell of which they are so 
much afraid; and it is sufficient 
proof of the truth of all this, that 
the devil invites them to make them. 
selves happy and lead a gay life, 
agreeably to his own cheerful dispo- 
silion, whereas religion enjoins self- 
denial, penitence, and all things 
which are contrary to our natural 
inclinations. Satan accounted to 
Joanna for her inspiration by this 
solution: an evil spirit had loved 
her from her yonth up, he found 
there was no other access to her 
heart than by means of religion ; 
and, being himself able to foresee 
future events, imparted this know- 
ledge to her in the character of a 
good spirit. ‘This spirit, he said, 
was one which she had been well 
acquainted with ; it was that of one 
Mr. Follart, who had told her if 
she would not have him for a hus- 
band he should die for her sake, 
and accordingly he had died. But 
this deception had now been carricd 
so far that Satan was angry, and 
threatened, untess she broke her 
seals and destroyed her writings, he 
would tear her in pieces. 
The conference terminated like 
most theological disputes. Both 
parties grew warm. Apollyon in- 
terfered, and endeavoured ty ac- 
commodate matters, but without ef- 
fect, and Joanna talked Satan out 
of all patience. She gave him, as 
he truly complained, ten words for 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1806. 
one, and allowed him no time to. 
speak. All men, he said, were 
tired of her tongue already, and 
now slie had tired the devil. This 
was not unreasonable ; but he pro- 
ceeded to abuse the whole sex, 
which would have been ungracious 
in any one, and in him was un- 
grateful. He said no man could 
tame a woman’s tongue—the sands © 
of an hour-glass did not run faster 
—it was better to dispute with a- 
theusand men than with one woman. — 
After this dispute she fasted forty | 
days; but this fast, which is ree | 
garded by her believers as so mira- 
culeus, was merely a catholic lent, 
in which she abstained trom fish as 
wellas flesh. 
Fhe moon which is under her feet 
in the Revelations, typifies the devil: 
for the moon, it seems, having power 
to give light by night but not by 
day, is Satan’s kinglom, and his 
dwelling-place; he, | conclude, be- 
ing the very person commonly called 
the man in the moon, a conjecture 
of my own, which, you must al- 
low, is strongly confirmed by his 
horns. Once, when the Lord made 
her the same promise as Herod had 
done to Herodias, she requested 
that Satan might be cut off from the 
face of the earth, as John the Bap- 
tist had been. This petition she was 
instructed to write, aud seal it with 
three seals, and carry it to the altar 
when she received the sacrament! 
and a promise was returned that it 
should be granted. Her dreams are 
usually of the devil. Once she saw . 
him like a pig with his mouth tied, 
at another time skinned his face with 
her nails after a fierce battle; once 
she bit off his fingers, and thought 
the blood sweet.—and once she 
dreamt she had fairly killed him. 
But neither has the promise of his 
destruction 
