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science, that purifies the heart, and this is within. And here again thou hast showed thy spirit to be that that went into the world, which was reprobated concerning the faith held in a pure conscience, without which men are not justified. And so ye are broke into heaps, into sects, and opinions, who are out of this faith which is a mystery held in a pure conscience, by which people have access unto God, through which faith they are justified, in which is unity; and it gives victory over sin, which you plead for while you be upon the earth.

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As for all the rest of thy stuff in thy book, it will be thy own garment, and a heavy load and a burthen thou wilt feel it, whose nakedness might have been covered by thy silence, but thy spirit must be tried. I say, the Lord forgive thee, for a heavy charge is come upon thee, and you: for instead of seeking the peace of all men, you have made yourselves manifest to be neither ministers, nor fathers, nor elders, nor sober christians, but wolves, that tear and rend to pieces. Indeed, the ragged righteousness of men, the world's clothing which hangs on your back, ye may have; but the elect, and the saints, and the Lamb's clothing, the righteousness of the saints, ye cannot touch, but the lambs are lain down in the fold.

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Magnus Byne's book, called, The Scornful Quakers Answered.' His principles follow.

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P. HE saith, Beware of false prophets that come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. Believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they be of God, because many false spirits are gone out into the world.'

A. Must thou show thy ignorance of the letter? so much a man unlike to divide the word aright? For Christ saith, false prophets should come, and antichrists, that should be inwardly ravening wolves, that had the sheep's clothing; these John saw were come before the apostles' decease; which went forth from them, and all the world went after them. And they could not have deceived the world, if the wolf had not had the sheep's clothing upon him. You may read in the Revelations, how they ravened and devoured, and drunk the blood of the martyrs, saints, and prophets; and so you that are crying to the world, 'they are come but now,' are the deceivers of the world, as you may read Matt. vii. and 1 John ii. 4. Revel. chap. xiii. xiv. xvii. xviii. and are not dividing the word aright. For now are people come from them, and coming to Christ the rock, the foundation of God, and to that spirit which you have ravened from; which stands sure, before the world

was made, out of the waters. For the nations are as waters, and the false spirits, the false prophets, and the mother of harlots have ruled, and with the sheep's clothing have deceived the nations; but now the Lamb and the saints shall rule: for ye have confessed that ye have not the infallible spirit, as the prophets, Christ, and the apostles had: so we say you are ravened from it, and only have the sheep's clothing. The prophets, Christ, and the apostles, had an infallible spirit, out of which the false prophets, antichrists, devils, and deceivers always were; and the mother of harlots, and Babylon, though they might get the sheep's clothing.

P. He saith, It is filthy blasphemy to say, the spirit of Christ that dwells in the son, dwells in man, and he must be infallible, and he must be perfect, and sinless:' and saith, Let them alone to their father the devil,' &c. See his epistle to the reader.

A. He that hath not the spirit of Christ is none of his;' and who hath the spirit of Christ hath that which is infallible, and this is out of the spirit the devil is in. And they that were not in the spirit, and are not in the spirit that dwells in the son, though they have all the scriptures, are in the spirit of blasphemy, that will blaspheme against the son: and there thou art. And the false spirits that are in the world are on heaps about the son's, the prophets', and apostles' words, out of the infallible spirit of those that gave them forth, who were perfect and , sinless, as in Rom. vi. they were made free from sin.' The apostle said they were perfect, and he spoke wisdom among them that were perfect.' And this you deny who are ravened from the spirit of God, and the one offering which 'perfects for ever them that are sanctified;' and so are the unsanctified.

P. He saith,There are many ways to Sion.'

A. There is but one way to God, out of the fall, into the paradise, to the tree of life, out of the condemnation, and that is Christ the light, the covenant of God. Now with the light the way to the Father is seen. In the first Adam are many ways, fighting about their ways, and destroying one another about their ways; but Christ the light, the way to the Father, teacheth otherwise, to love enemies and to do good to them, and to overcome evil with good,' and 'heap coals of fire upon their heads; which way is but one, which you who deny the light are out of, in the many ways, and names, horns, and heads, and images, which is the beast's number, ravened from the spirit of God, and from the one way, Christ the light, in which is unity.

P. He saith, The scripture may be understood by the help of tongues,' page 12.

A. All scripture was given forth by inspiration; and so without the same inspiration it is not understood again. Pilate had the tongues, and VOL. III.

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yet did not understand the scripture, nor Christ the substance of it. And these your tongues, you have set up since the apostacy, ye raveners from the spirit.

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P. He saith, Tithes is not his infirmity, the Lord hath given him tithes: and he doth take them as the Lord giving him maintenance, and it is his liberty.'

A. Tithes to the first priesthood were allotted by God; but Christ, the second priesthood, ended that priesthood and tithes, and the priests that took them, made by God's law, and disannuled the commandment that gave them. And Christ is come, the everlasting priesthood, not after the order of Aaron, but after the order of Melchisedeck, the similitude, in whom the similitude ends, Christ the end, the substance, the end of war. So thou that takest tithes art (out of the substance of Melchisedeck and the first priesthood that took tithes) in the transgression, and in the imitation, and the veil is over thy heart, and thy liberty is bondage, in the unsanctified state. But the sanctification is in the son of God, who ends types and similitudes. And he it is that sanctifies, and who preacheth the gospel, lives of the gospel. And the pope hath given thee thy tithes by his command, and not by the command of the Lord, for Christ and his apostles established them not.

P. He saith, that the scriptures are the sure word of God: and that the scriptures are a precious light,' page 17. Again he saith, "The son of God is the first principle of the pure religion.'

A. The fulness of the godhead dwells in the son, and he is in the Father, and he is the author of the first principle, and the end of the law, for he is all and in all; for many have something from him, yet cannot say he is come; but he that hath him, hath life eternal, hath the substance, the end of things. And the scripture declares and testifies of the light, which is Christ; but many may have the scriptures, and stand against the light, for they are they that testify of me,' the light. So Christ is the precious light, and the scriptures are the words of God; but Christ the word was before they were given forth, the word in whom these words of God end. So thou mayst see thy ignorance.

P. He saith, While we stay in Sodom, we crucify the Lord of glory. And Christ is buried in us,' &c.

A. And John Bunyan, a teacher there, fights against him; and thus they are not only against the truth, but one against another. But he must know the suffering of Christ in the spiritual Sodom in him, and see the seed that suffers there, before it reign, and he reign with Christ in glory.

P. He saith,

It comprehends our suffering in the flesh after his example.' Page 21.

A. At this do the priests of Newcastle, and John Bunyan, and many

others of the teachers of the nation, rage; and here you are one against another; but Christ said, why persecutest thou me?' And he was in prison, and it is your work to put him in prison.

P. He saith, he hath the tithes of two parishes; and it is the old man that minds the earthly things,' page 23. Again he saith, ‘And those that take tithes are not antichrist. And the scripture is a choice vessel of the Lord's sanctuary,' and it is the letter and the history,' &c. page 25.

A. Well may people be all in confusion, when ye say the scripture is a history, a declaration, the letter, a vessel, the choice vessel of the Lord's sanctuary, a light, and yet the word of God! Now is not this to break people to pieces? The scriptures of truth are the words of God, and they are called a declaration, and a treatise. And the choice. vessels were those that gave them forth, vessels of mercy, and of honour. And they that take tithes, and pay them, are out of the substance, Christ, who is the end of tithes; for he is the sum of tithes, and all other figures that pertained to the first priesthood, first covenant, and of all similitudes. So thou taking tithes of two parishes, hast the mark of the old man. For the apostles preached up and down in many synagogues where the priest were, yet they did not seek for the tithes that belonged to them that pertained to the first priesthood. They preached the gospel, and lived of the gospel, and said, 'they were evil beasts, that minded earthly things;' of whose spirit ye are found, judged by the word, which is Christ.

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P. He saith, He is called of men master through man's courtesy,' and calls them, blind and sinful, and in error, that speak against it.' Again, it is not oppression in him to take tithes of two parishes,' &c. page 28. 30.

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A. Here under the wo of Christ art thou come; who said, ' Wo unto them that were called of men master;' and said to his disciples, It shall not be so among you, for ye have all one master, which is Christ,' and they abode in his doctrine. And we do not read of Mr. Paul, Mr. Peter, Timothy, or Titus, or Mr. James or John; but among you, the apostates, we read of such titles. And you set up that which Christ, (him by whom the world was made, before it was made,) came to fulfil and end, in the world, which typed him forth, Christ the way to the Father out of the world. And tithes in the first priesthood are not the way, they are oppressors that cry them up, and builders up of that which Christ ended, so transgressors; not having the son nor the Father. And they bring not the glad tidings, for the jails may witnessin the nation, that glad tidings are not brought; and the courts, and the oppressed parishes, in which ye take treble damages of many people

that ye do not work for, and cast into prison; and so this is not the gospel, this is not the glad tidings.

P. He saith, I find not this power of binding kings with chains, and nobles with fetters of iron, which is the honour of the saints; this scripture I find not fulfilled,' &c. page 35. Again he saith, 'A saint may be found in that which is sinful, though this man (the Quaker) will not allow of sin.' Again, 'The people of God are more than conquerors in the Lord, which gives them rest and peace in the midst of their wars.' Again, Hope keeps the soul groaning and waiting all the while in the earthly tabernacle,' &c.

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A. I know the power, and spirit, and sword of the saints that executes the judgments, to bind, and chain, and fetter kings and nobles; thou art out of it, but it is now among the saints; and that scripture is fulfilled, yea in England, among the saints. And such as are more than conquerors, see the end of wars, and that which causeth wars. He that is a conqueror may be in the war; but he that is more than a conqueror, is in that which takes away the occasion of wars, and is come to that which was before wars were. And he that hath this hope, (which is Christ,) hath that which purifies himself, even as he is pure, and comes to witness the kingdom of God that stands in joy, peace, and righteousness, and so is not always groaning in the earth, under the earthly tabernacle, while he is upon the earth, but comes to know the body of sin put off, and a being made free from the body of sin. And a saint is not sinful, neither do the saints ever allow or approve of sin; he that allows and approves of that is out of the sanctified state.

P. Notwithstanding thy passing the first and second resurrection, (as thou sayst,) there remains a torment for thee at the last day, and wo,' page 42.

A. They are blessed that have part in the first resurrection, the second death hath no power over them; but are made free from wrath that is to come, and are passed from death to life, and are translated into the kingdom of the son of God, and are in unity with the son of God and the Father both; and so thou utterest forth lies.

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P. He saith, To declare against such as are called of men master, is a matter of his faith.'

A. They had not faith that were called of men master, whom Christ cried wo against; nor the Jews; neither have you who break his commands.

P. He saith, 'The spirit that declares in the letter, keeps me from vanity, frees me from the law of sin.and condemnation.'

A. The spirit that was in the saints that gave forth the letter, freed them from the law of sin and condemnation, and kept them from vanity. The spirit is not in the letter, for many may have that, and

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