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A41274 A few words to Nath. Coleman's late epistle directed to be read in the assemblies of Gods people. Shewing the falseness and unsoundness of his doctrines therein contained. Presented unto the view and perusal of him, and them that are the encouragers and spreaders thereof, or any others, to whose hands they have come, with a copy of his own condemnation, &c. Unto which is added, An answer to T. Crisp's sixth part of Babels Builders. Field, John, 1652-1723.; Richardson, Richard, 1623?-1689. 1683 (1683) Wing F863B; ESTC R215433 17,874 22

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lays them upon thee though in p. 2. thou saist These things lay upon me from God c. And thou writes thus My glory saith the Lord God will not I give unto another but will put a hook into the Nostrils of all that go from him c into any Imaginations c. And in the same page thou saist as you act for him i. e. God you will reach Gods witness in all Consciences Now I do declare thy Epistle and Doctrin therein doth not reach nor answer to Gods witness in my Conscience nor in his faithsul Peoples But contrary wise I testify that the witness or Spirit of the pure unchangeable God in me I do find to raise a Testimony in my heart against not only thy Epistle and Doctrin therein but the Spirit by which thou wast led to write it not to be of God but the same that in many Ages under the pretence and mask of truth and with some of the words of it would draw People from the Truth and True foundation Christ Jesus and the order of his Gospel of peace life and Salvation into ranting Airy notions vain Imaginations and confusion And consider how thou N. C. hast said that God will put a hook into the Nostrils of any that go from him into any Imaginations c. Oh N. C. that there might be if it be the will of God an Eye open'd in thee and kept open by the power of the Lord whereby thou mightest see what Imaginations thou hast run into and new Doctrines thou under pretence of a motion from God which greatly aggravates thy crime hath brought forth and published to the world some of which I have in brief hinted at and may give thee a hint of more § 2. Thou saist speaking to thy dear friends and Brethren This is to put you in mind how graciously God hath dealt and is dealing with his People c. In leading them out of Egypts land c. That in this our Journey none may be drawn out from the Guideance of God's good Spirit within them to joyn to any form of likeness or appearance though never so beautiful but as you are led by the Pillar of the Cloud by day and the Pillar of fire by night which shines in all your hearts and Consciences c. Come Nat. Let me have Scripture to prove that that Pillar of the Cloud by day and that Pillar of fire by night which went before old Israel shines in all Gods peoples hearts and Consciences in this day of the Lords inward and spiritual appearance in the hearts and Consciences of his People by his divine light holy Spirit and grace in his new Covenant for was not that day and night there spoken of outward and that Pillar and cloud which old Israel saw visible unto the outward eye but if thou meanest that the light or Spirit of Christ is that Pillar of Clond by Day and Pillnr of fire by night which shines in all his Peoples hearts let 's have a Scripture to prove this new Doctrin Again in postscript p. 6. thou speaking of the knowledg of God saith for want of that the People perisht in all generations Now I will grant that this complaint was made by the Lord through his Prophet i.e. my People are destroyed for lack of knowledg but it was under that dispensation wherein the Priests lips should keep the Peoples knowledg and when the Priests had rejected knowledg and forgot the law of God see Hos 4.6 c. But I desire thee to consider whether many in our day and generation have and do not perish not for want of knowledg but for want of obedience to what they did know for doth not God by his divine light Spirit and grace which he enlightens all with which he pours upon all and appears to all and not by that Pillar old Israel followed and beheld with their visible eyes so far shine into all mens hearts as to shew them what is good and what he requires at their hands And if so as I suppose thou wilt not deny what thinkest thou if these men that have this knowledg given them of God and yet for want of doing good and what the Lord requires at their hands should perish will it be for want of knowledg or want of obedience Oh! N. C. Consider whilst thou hast time what god moved thee to publish this Doctrin surely it was the god of this world the Prince of the power of the Air the Spirit that works in the hearts of the Children of disobedience that moved led and guided thee to write these Airy imaginations and fals● Doctrines and deludedly to father them upon God and not the Spirit of the pure God therefore repent of them call them in and condemn that Spirit now as formerly and that Spirit that hath led thee to write and publish them lest thy own Sentence p. 6. of perishing from the knowledge of God become thy portion for thou certainly hast gone into the practice or performance of that which by the guidance of his Spirit thou wast not led into in publishing these unsound or false Doctrines in the name of God c. And I further observe in thy 6. p. thou saist they that sow to the flesh or orders of other mens prescribing shall certainly reap a crop of Corruption This thou writes unto the flock of God And what meanest thou by other mens prescribing dost mean they may sow to the flesh or orders of their own or own mens prescribing and not to other mens explain this also let 's know what those mens orders are that some among the flock of God which as thou saist have turned from the truth and way of the Lord and committed abomination in following Come let 's have a Catalogue of these mens orders and let 's know whether any of the flock of God gave them forth for here hath been a great cry and noise against orders Comely orders modes forms ceremonies times of prayer without distinction outward gatherings Church-fellowship external membership witness a book call'd bright shining light by Phil. Ang. before thine came publick by loose ranting Spirits such who dwell in the land of darkness that is without any order Job 10.22 And I would have thee examine whether thou art an inhabitant in that land under the rule government of him that is Prince of darkness or under Christ's government of the increase of whose government and peace the Prophet said There shall be no end upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom to order it and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this And the Apostle said God was the God of order and not of confusion in all the Churches of the Saints And he gave order to the Churches see Cor. 16.1 he also rejoyced in their order that truth had led them into saying to the Saints at Coloss for
though I be absent in the flesh yet I am with you in the spirit joying and beholding your order and stedfastness of your faith in Christ Also in 1. Cor. 11. and last he tells the Believers after he had reprehended them for several disorders that the rest will I set in order when I come by which it appears that Paul that man of God was for order and left Titus in Crete to set in order the things that were wanting among the believers And what dost think N. C. that those things that were set in order amongst the believers by this man of God was a seed of Corruption sown by him and a crop of corruption reaped by them if thou so believest thou art to be pitied for thy ignorance And I query whether thou believest by the same Spirit of God some among the Children of light in our Age have not been made instrumental to set in order some things that were wanting among the believers in the light of Christ within yea or nay And come N C. let me and all whose hands thy Epistle hath come to know what orders these are that have proved so satal as to the flock of God and who they are that have followed them as aforesaid also who made these orders that so knowing both the makers and the orders we may be capable to judge for to cry against Orders Orders Orders and not tell what Orders is but like mens beating the Air strikeing at their shaddows or quarelling with their own imaginations or like the clamorous woman that pulls down her house with her hands So having hinted at some of thy new Doctrines c. and given thee the judgment of Truth both upon thy Epistle and Postscript and the spirit thou writ them in I shall at present conclude and in plainness tell thee that they surely were thy true friends in the judgment of Truth that stopt thy Epistle from coming out sooner though thou defirest the Lord may not lay it to their charge for it 's come soon enough to manifest thy weakness if not wickedness to deliver such things in the name of the Lord and expose them in publick and direct them to the flock of God and to be read in the Assemblies of Gods People but blessed be God who hath given that good understanding unto his People that live in his holy fear that they try Spirits and not receive nor have unity with nor suffer except imposed upon the reading of those things in their Meetings that proceed not from that Spirit and power in which their unity and fellowship stands tho to their grief and exercise they too often have in their Meetings the forced Testimonies or speeches of some such as N. C. imposed upon them that they have not unity with who are unruly and vain talkers whose mouths I believe the Lord in his due time will stop I am thy Friend that have shewed or endeavourjd to shew thee thy mistake and errours that thou maist not go on in the fault which thou art overtaken in in falsly pre●ending a motion from God therefore hear what John Pennyman saith in his book of Letters Printed in 1680. viz. That it is the greatest blasphemy or forgery under heaven to say things in the name of the Lord or that they are moved of the Lord to speak or do and are not Tho he can like thee cry against order and forms yea the very form of sound words which the Apostle exhorted to i. e thee and thou in the aforsaid book in his letter to G. F. says Away with your set form of words of thee and thou tho to manifest that he allows himself in that he condemns in others he uses them in the said Letter to G. F. about 20. times This I have hinted at to shew the confusion of him that hath cryed against orders as T. Crisp thee and many others have as also that thou mightest read his sentence against such as speak things in the name of the Lord and as moved by him and are not John Field Jun. POSTSCRIPT THere is one passage or two more that I may take a little notice of as p. 2. N. C. faith The kingdom of God cometh not in outward observations but is felt and known within therefore all gather in from that that would draw out the mind from God to observe days or times or months or years concerning any matter or business but as you are inwardly drawn or required by the Truth in your own particulars What then may the flock and People of God to whom thou saist thou art moved of God to write have their minds by the Truth in their own particulars inwardly drawn from God to observe Days Times Months and years c. What strange confused Babylonish ranting Doctrin is here delivered or aserted that the Truth of which there is no lye and and in which here is no contradiction may draw God's People's minds of from him who is the God of Truth Oh the Lord if it be his will open thy eyes that thou maist see thy gross errour and give thee a heart to repent of the same before it 's too late And now from hence also observe he counsels or warns the flock of God all togather in from that that would draw out the mind from God to observe ●●●s or times or months or years concerning any matter oribusiness but as you are inwardly drawn or required by the Truth in your own particulars by which he plainly grants that the flock of God may be drawn or required by the truth in their own particulars to observe days or times or months or years Now let N. C. shew what those days times months and years are that he would not have them observe also what days times months and years they may be required by the Truth in their own particulars to observe for his Brother F. Bugg in his ungodly Book makes a great cry and calling for express scripture for meeting once amonth at the tenth hour of the day c. Again in p. 4. speaking to thy dear Friends and Brethren c. That God saist thou hath visited with a high hand c. that in this your Journey none may be drawn out from the guidance of Gods good Spirit within them to joyn to any form or likeness or apparance although never so beautiful but as you are led by the Pillar of the Cloud by day and the Pillar of fire by night which guideth the footsteps of the flock of his Companions out of all transgression and Rebellion c. Come let 's examine this new Doctrin and see whether this man while he would seem to be knowing and wise is not become a fool and a novice thus to preach up the Pillar of the Cloud c. To lead out of all transgression which is the work of Christ in this Gospel day And pretend a motion from God to warn and counsel his flock that none be drawn out from the guidance
of God's good Spirit within them to joyn to any form or likeness or appearance Oh! Nat. I think thou hast too much followed this counsel of not joyning unto any form that thou hast not kept the form of some words which the Apostle that was truly moved of God exhorted to but thou pre tends a motion from God to warn and councel Gods flock not to joyn to any form which though the Apostle exhorted to turn from them that had the form of Godliness and not the power yet I never read he exhorted the saints or flock of God not to joyn to any form but contrary wise he thanked that the Romans had obey'd from the heart that form of Doctrin delivered unto them see Rom. 6.17 And observe after thou hast exhorted or councel'd the flock of God not to be drawn from the guidance of God's good Spirit within them to joyn to any form likeness or appearance c. thou comes with a but as you are led by the Pillar of fire by night and the Pillar of a cloud by day What then may they by this Pillar be drawn from the guidance of Gods good spirit within them into a form likeness and appearance pray was not the Pillar of fire an appearance and doth appearance draw into appearance What new strange confused Doctrine is here to drop from the pen of one moved of God to warn and cousel his flock as he saith but the confusion thereof shews it 's not of God for he is not the Author of confusion And thou seems to make the Spirit of God and the Pillar of fire by night c. two different things where thou counsels or exhorts saying that none may be drawn out from the Guidance of Gods good Spirit with in them to joyn to any form likeness or appearance mark but as you are led by the Pillar of a Cloud by day and the Pillar of fire by night Nat. Dost thou believe that this Pillar of fire by night doth or will lead from the Spirit of God within into forms likeness and appearances if thou so believest how darest thou so commend this to the flock of God for a leader and guide is not this like preaching another Gospel then that which the Apostles preached for if it lead from the Spirit of God within into forms c. sure those forms likenesses or appearances cannot be good but why dost thou direct or councel the pretious Sons or Citizens of Sion who are comparable to fine God to follow the Pillar of fire by night for the Apostle Paul said unto the Saints in light Yea are all Children of the light and of the day ye are not of the night nor of darkness And John said unto such the darkness is past and the true light now shineth and were not the Saint in light translated out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of his dear Son and we do not read of a Pillar of fire by night in this Kingdom for out of Sion the perfection of beauty God doth shine and Christ reigns in new Jerusalem where there is no night but the glory of God did lighten it and the lamb is the light thereof and the gates stand open by day and there is no night see Rev. 21.23.24 Therefore consider Nat. whether herein thou hast not darkned counsel by uttering words without divine knowledge tho thou pretends thou wast moved of God to counsel his flock and also saist God is feeding his People with the bread of knowledge But if thee means by this Pillar of fire c. The Spirit of God or light of Christ because thou saist it shines in all their hearts c. and guides out af all transgression then thy doctrin is thus That the flock of God must not be drawn from the guidance of God's good Spirit within c. But as they are led by his good Spirit within or the light that shines in all their Consciences what is this but Ranterism or Blasphemy to render the Spirit to contradict the Spirit And yet this is the more the pity the absurdity confusion and Ranterism that Spirit that hath entered and beguiled N. C. and too to many leads into tho they pretend unto and highly preach up in words the light and Spirit of God yet they are as certainly in a great measure gone out of the unity and fellowship thereof and from the guidance of the same as them that run and God never sent them and in the Spirit they are now in can no more profit the People then those in that day did The Lord God Almighty who hath opened the ear in his People that can truly try words as the pallat tasteth meat keep it open and grant that they may never lend an ear unto any but the true Shepherds voice that the sheep of his fold and flock of his Pasture them may be and know Jesus to put them forth of all that 's contrary unto his mind and Testimony and give unto them Eternal life that in life and peace and the word of God's patience they may possess their souls and not regard them that may seem to be somewhat but add nothing unto the refreshing of them that are truly born of God And such like there were in the Apostles days who were vain talkers and puffed up in their minds concerning whom the Apostle said he would not know the Speech of them but the power but some that cannot truly discern between things that differ may be liable if they keep not their minds unto the Lord and live in his fear to be beguiled by the feigned words and fine speeches of them that are out of the unity and life of Truth and in a Spirit that would cause the offence of the cross to cease and give liberty under the profession of the truth to pay Tythes Marry by a Priest say you to a single person cry against forms yet run into and plead for swearing and the form thereof as one of T. Crisps's company lately hath by which it's clearly manifest what Spirit they are guided by brings forth and leads into and yet these will plead for the Christian Quaker and falsly pretend unto the Truth as it was in the beginning I. F. The Copy of N. C's Condemnation I N. C. The last summer hearing that George Fox through divers Countys had encouraged the setting up of Womens Meetings and that he intended to come into Wiltshire and not having a clear understanding in the work of Restoration in which Women are meet helps to the men did secretly desire of the Lord that he would shew me whether the thing was well pleasing to him but I not waiting low in the Counsel of the Lord God for wisdom to do his will being at a Meeting at Shattenford where George Fox was intending to advise the setting up a Womans-Meeting in this County being sent for before the Meeting did with some other Friends reason with G. F. and opposed him very