A Revealed Knowledge of Some Things that will speedily be fulfilled in the World : Communicated to a number of Christians, brought together at Avignon, by the Power of the Spirit of God, from all Nations [WITH] Remarkable Prophecies [1789]

Wright, John (Carpenter)

Published by n.p., London, 1794

About this Item

1st ed., octavo, half-leather dark green boards with gilt stamp to spine,"Wright's Revealed Knowledge", marbled endpapers, all edges marbled, pp 64. No publisher stated. Previous owner's bookplate (Claude Toby) front endpaper. Some scuffing to corners and light rubbing to small areas at fore-edge, head and foot of spine. Inscription on blank endpaper at rear, which refers to citations of Wright in 1907 and 1909. Very good condition. The title page continues "now published By his Divine Command for the good of all Men. by John Wright, His Servant, and one of the Brethren." John Wright was a carpenter from Leeds, who heard preachers speak of "wonderful light [.] of which Baron Swedenborg was the forerunner". In April 1788 Wright felt called to travel through London then (with William Bryan) through France to the society at Avignon (European Illuminists) where they met a group of disciples of the mystic Emanuel Swedenborg returning to London in September 1789. Much of the book is an account of "Remarkable Prophecies revealed to the Spiritual Society at Avignon, relative to the Present Times, and approaching Latter Days", published here in the form of a letter from Richard Brothers. (Richard Brothers (1757-1824) who called himself 'the Nephew of the Almighty' and probably best known for his influence on the poetry of William Blake) became a self-declared prophet: Wright, Bryan, and the engraver William Sharp were among his disciples. There are still believers in his teachings of British Israelism). Brothers's prophecies are followed by "A Collection of Wonderful Sentences, Quotations, Questions, and Prophecies. selected from the Spiritual Society", and then "Sentences, Moral Maxims, and Spiritual Instructions, extracted out of Answers from Heaven". Wright's "Revealed Knopwledge" has a Swedenborgian tone, and it is possible that the Society was part of the Swedenborg Rite: a society of such was founded in Avignon in 1773, modelled on Freemasonry and based on Swedenborg's teachings. Wright's society may well have been part of the hermetic teachings of the Benedictine Monk Dom Antoine Joseph Pernety. Although he is not named in the text, Pernety founded an initiate society called the Illumines d'Avignon ("Illuminated Ones of Avignon"). The group is said to have taught occult philosophies and meta-physical rituals drawing on alchemy and Swedenborgian ideas. The second part 'Remarkable Prophecies' mentions the prophecies of Jeremiah, death of King of Prussia and the Mahometans. Wright's publication is scarce, and a fascinating glimpse into the some of the spiritual and hermetic ideas of the time. From the library of New Churchman Claude Toby.

Seller Inventory # 104292

Bibliographic Details

• Title: A Revealed Knowledge of Some Things that will speedily be fulfilled in the World : Communicated to a number of Christians, brought together at Avignon, by the Power of the Spirit of God, from all Nations [WITH] Remarkable Prophecies [1789]
• Publisher: n.p., London
• Publication Date: 1794
• Binding: Half leather
• Edition: 1st Edition.