"New-Year's Day arriving, and the ministers, to whom I wrote, remaining silent, I consider their silence as evidence, that they cannot prove what I said not to be from the Lord, and have therefore published as I was directed"

Joanna Southcott, a self-proclaimed prophetess in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, authored this quote reviewing the New Year and her continuous religious discourse. The passage catches her action to the silence from ministers she had formerly written to, looking for recognition or refutation of her revelations, which she claimed were divinely inspired.

At the heart of Southcott's message is the assertion that the lack of action, especially from spiritual authorities, works as implicit recognition of her prophetic claims. This aligns with a more comprehensive pattern during her life, as she frequently interpreted silence, suspicion, or opposition as indirect affirmation of her spiritual legitimacy. In this context, silence is transformed from possibly dismissive passiveness into a tacit approval that her messages may certainly bear divine origin. By underscoring that the ministers "can not show what I stated not to be from the Lord", she is positioning herself as an undisputed authority on spiritual matters, recommending that her insights hold up against examination by standard spiritual management.

The expression "I have actually ... released as I was directed" indicates a sense of magnificent compulsion. Her use of passive building and construction suggests that she views herself as an instrument through which divine will is revealed, highlighting her belief in her role as a lorry for God's interaction with humankind.

Southcott's declaration on New-Year's Day also carries symbolic weight. The day marks a time for reflection and renewal, suitable for reaffirming her statements and signaling the continuation of her objective into the new year. It is a decisive minute where she resolves to move on with her publications confidently, based on the perceived acquiescence of others.

In essence, the quote encapsulates Southcott's technique of utilizing institutional silence as a rhetorical device to augment her authority while furthering her religious objective. Her message challenges the existing spiritual structure by asserting her independent connection to divine revelation, unproven yet unchallenged by officialdom.