THE Sword of the Lord DRAWN, And furbished against the man of sin: OR Something in answer to a Paper set forth by three of the chief Priests of London, whose names are Thomas Goodwin, and one Nye, and Sydr●ch Sympson, which they have put forth to the prepagating of the Gospel, signed by him that is the Clerk of the Parl. whose name is Henry Scobell, with their deceits and deceitful actings laid open and cleared from Scripture, that they have no example in Scripture for their practice.  
Therefore I was moved by the Lord God of life to lay open their deceit By the Spirit of Truth, as it was made manifest in me from the Lord, that the simple might not be deceived by them, but might have the knowledge of the Truth, from that which is for ever, and shall not change nor fade away.  
By one whose Name in the flesh is, Christopher Atkinson, who am one that the world doth scornfully call a Quaker.  
London Printed, and are to be sold by Giles Calvert, at the Sign of the Black-spread-Eagle at the west end of Paul's. 1654.   

The Sword of the Lord drawn and furbished against the Man of sin.  
THere coming a paper unto my hands, put forth by three of the Chief Priests of London, whose names are Tho. Goodwin, one Nye, and Sydrack Simson, called the Principles of Faith, put forth to the Committee of Parliament, for the propagating the Gospel, as they call it, and finding them out of the Apostles rule, and the Prophet's rule, acting those things which they have no example for, therefore am I moved of the Lord to lay open their deceits, and to declare the living truth of God, as it is made manifest in me, and to declare what faith we own and practise, and what we do deny, to that end, that the simple may be informed, and the way of truth cleared, from such deceivers, who are perverters of the Scriptures, who would constrain people to follow their imaginations instead of truth, as these men have done, whose names are subscribed: and now a few words in answer to that you call your first Principle.  
First Principle: That the Scriptures is the rule of knowing God, and living unto him, which who so doth not believe, but betakes himself to any other way of discovering God instead thereof, cannot be saved.  
Answ. The Scriptures are not the Saints rule of knowing God, and living unto him, but that which was before the Scriptures were written, by which all the holy men of God knew him; and here ye have made yourselves manifest, that ye have not the rule which Moses had, which is the Spirit of light, by which he made himself known unto the sons of men; and ye that teach people to walk in another rule, are those, that put light for darkness, and darkness for light, showing forth the spirit of error: and here ye pervert the Scriptures, and Moses words, which prophesied of Christ: Moses bade not the people walk by the Scripture, neither did he tell them, that living therein was the rule of knowing God, but he directed them to the Life, without which all their profession was abominable: but ye are not come to walk in the letter, whose lips and practice doth not concord with it, who are found acting those things which it declares against, Math. 23. who are called of men Master, stand praying in the Synagogues, which our Lord Jesus Christ cried woe against, and here your Faith, and your Principle is also that the rule whereby the Saints are guided, is that which was before the Scripture was: (first, it is professed generally in this Nation, that believing in the Scriptures is the knowledge of God, and that the Scriptures is the rule of knowing God; this have you preached for doctrine among the people, and yet the way of God is hidden from their eyes, who are found acting in the abominations of the Heathen, as doth plainly appear by the sins of this people, nay, what sin is there that is not committed amongst this people, which have professed the Scripture to be their rule, and you that pretend to be their Teachers, are the greatest examples of their wicked practices, crying peace, peace unto them, when there is no peace, one building a wall, and another daubing it with untempered mortar, but ye shall proceed no further, but your folly shall be made manifest to all men) our rule is that which Moses walked in, and Abraham, and David, and all the Prophets, which is Christ Jesus the light of the world, which whosoever believeth not in him hath not God; Moses walked in him, Abraham believed in him, and David delighted in his Law which is perfect; and here we deny you, who deny that rule in which the holy men of God walked in.  
Second Principle: That there is a God, who is the Creator, and Judge, and Governor of the world, and is to be known by Faith.  
Answ. The Saints God ye are ignorant of (who put light for darkness, and darkness for light) and before him ye cannot stand in judgement, who are found working wickedness, making people believe, that believing in a thing without them will bring them to the knowledge of God, which none can know or understand but through death, and if ever ye come to know this God whom the Saints worship in spirit and truth, ye must witness a day of vengeance to pass through; therefore stop your mouths ye proud and lustful ones, the day of recompense is come, in which ye shall receive double for all your wickedness: The Lord is our Judge, our Lawgiver, and our King, and this we witness, though we had never seen the Scripture; and here we deny you and your Principles, which is no more than that which the world professeth; therefore be ye ashamed ye wicked and ungodly ones, who live in the beastly nature, who knows no more of God than what you have without you in the Scriptures, which they spoke forth that witnessed him before the Scriptures were written, him we own and witness to be our King, and by him are we redeemed out of your generation, glory to his name for ever, who hath made himself manifest in us, and hath brought us to that which was before the Scripture was.  
Third Principle: That this God, who is Creator, is eternally distinct from all other creatures in his being and blessedness.  
Answ. God ye know not, neither can ye see him, but are found persecutors of him, who would divide him from what he is by your heathenish inventions, which ariseth out of the corrupt, sensual part, which never shall inherit the Kingdom (the being of God is not distinct from them that are begotten by him, for as the Father and the Son are one without distinction, so are they that are begotten by him; and here you perverters of the truth are shut forth from God, with all your distinctions and imaginations, which ariseth out of the dark mind, by which ye have all this while deceived the people: woe unto you ye enemies of God, your foundation, your compass, and your end is made manifest unto the children of light, who would divide God from his children, whom he hath begotten unto himself through the word of faith, in which we live and abide for ever: and here I challenge you before the Lord to produce one Scripture, which speaks of God being distinct from them that are begotten by him, and if you cannot prove your words by plain Scripture, let shame cover your faces, and stop your mouths for ever.)  
And for your fourth thing, that God is three persons or substances, this is also another of your lies, never such a word is declared of in Scripture, and thus have you made your folly manifest to all men, and have cleared yourselves from the Scriptures: God is a mystery, in whom the foundation of all things stands, and he is but one in all, though ten thousand times ten thousand. Woe unto ye, you perverters of the truth, who blinds the eyes of the simple, making them believe your imaginations and conceivings instead of truth, and this you run to the powers of the earth to propagate, ye men of sin, did ever the Prophets declare of such Gospel as this, or did ever the Apostles preach any such Doctrine as this, which ye would compel people to believe, and would have the powers of the earth to propagate; here I challenge you again to prove your example by Scripture, and where ever the holy men of God did divide him into three substances, and if ye refuse to prove the same, I proclaim, as in the presence of the Lord, that ye are perverters of the Scripture, and of the right way of the Lord, and your propagating the Gospel, and your principles, are accursed from God, having no example in Scripture.  
Fifth Principle. The fift is, That Christ is the Mediator between God and Man, without the knowledge of whom there is no salvation.  
Answ. Him we witness made manifest in us, who is the Mediator, but what have you to do to speak of his Name, or to profess his words, who are found in the steps of the Scribes and Pharisees that put him to death, who are called of Men Master, have uppermost rooms at Feasts, stand praying in the Synagogues, as they did that Christ cried woe against, Math. 23. Thus you are separated from Christ, who are not found in his Doctrine, and are found among the Heathen, whom the condemnation of God is upon, and the Scripture bare testimony against you, that you are not in the Doctrine of Christ, but are found to be liars, 1 John 2.22. and the acts of your father you are found acting.  
And in the sixth you say that Christ is the true God, here you be witnesses against yourselves, that you divide the Father from the Son, who you say, is three distinct substances, but the Lord will make you manifest, ye that blindfold the simple, by your subtlety and witchcraft, making them believe lies instead of Truth, and would divide that in which there is no division, for he that hath th● So●●●th the Father also: This Man Christ Jesus who was made with an Oath, the everlasting Covenant, the Oath of God is not divided from him in whom the foundations stands; for without this man Jesus was nothing made, and as he was, so he is, he that hath an ear to hear let him hear, and here sottish minds, your imagined God beyond the stars, and your carnal Christ which you would make appear through your heathenish Philosophy, is utterly denied and testified against by the Light which comes from Christ, which ye resist as your forefather's have done. And in your seventh Principle ye are laid open, 1 John 4.2. Hereby know we the Spirit of God, every Spirit that confesseth Christ come in the flesh, is of God, and this is he that is one with the Father, even Jesus Christ, the Man of God who was given for a Covenant, but him ye are enemies unto. And whereas you say, in the eighth, that this Christ the man of God, is God and Man in one Person; it is a lie, he is not divided from what he was before the foundations of the hi●s were laid, but him ye knew not, but as ye do imagine, and the Heathens do, and here you are shut forth from the Scriptures, and from Christ, and the new Man, which is witnessed in the Sons of God; therefore stop your mouths for ever, who would make people believe that believing in those words which are declared from the Life without the same Spirit, as they had that spoke them forth, will bring them to the same knowledge of God: And thus in your ninth you have also shown forth your Ignorance, and telling people that Christ hath paid a ransom for sin, this is witnessed by the children of Light, but what have you to do to take these words into your mouths that never yet came to repentance for sin; and if ever you witnese him a Redeemer, you must witness the vengeance of God which is upon the Man of Sin, but you Men of sin, who live in your filthiness, shall receive your recompense from the hand of the Lord, and this ye shall eternally witness, whether you will hear or forbear. And as for the eleventh, that Christ being the only God, and Man in one Person, remains for ever a dictinct person from all Saints, and Angels, notwithstanding their union and communion with him: your words are utterly denied, and detested, and your distinctions are abominable; I challenge you from the Lord to prove such a thing in Scripture, or else stop your mouths for ever, for Christ Jesus is but one in all, and not distinct, and you that would divide him, and them that are begotten by him are enemies unto him. As for the the twelfth, That all men by nature are dead in trespasses and sins, this is fulfilled in you, and ye shall receive the wages of it, the Men of sin whose ungodly practices are laid open and discovered to the children of Light, who have obtained the victory, and I tell you plainly that vengeance of God hangs over your heads, and the recompense of God shall be doubled upon you that live in your sins; except ye repent ye all likewise perish; and whereof ye say ye are justified, and saved by Grace, ye are they that have turned the grace of God into wantonenesse, and holds the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ with respect of Persons, as is made manifest by you daily.  
And in your last you say, That to continue in any known sin under what pretence soever, is damnable, here be you witnesses against yourselves, that ye are proud, and that ye live in the practice of the world, which is sin, and seek for your gain from your Quarters, which is sin, and the Lord sent his Prophets to declare against such, and the same woe from God, is upon you that act the same things, Isaiah 56.11. And here your practice and Example is found among the false Prophets of Israel, which the Lord sent his true Prophets to declare against, which received his Word from his own mouth, for which they were both persecuted and stoned by your Generation, which professed that in Words which they persecuted in the Saints, who witnessed the life and power of what they spoke. Thus have ye brought shame upon yourselves ye deceitful workers who are professing that cutwardly in words which ye are enemies to the Life of, so from the Scriptures ye are razed out; and your bottom and foundation is made manifest to the children of Light, and your deceits are made manifest by them that walk in the Light, at which you are stumbling as your forefathers did, though you profess the words declared from the Light. Thus have I returned an answer to your confused Paper, lest you should boast yourselves in your folly, and blind the eyes of the simple by your heathenish inventions, as ye have formerly done and have laid your shame open unto the simple minded, that they may discover and see your confusion.  
And now a word unto you from whom this Paper was put forth: Your Spirits and your actings are contrary to the Spirit of Christ, as having no example from him nor his Apostles for it. Be ye ashamed, and stop your mouths from professing godliness, who are found in the pride and in the wickedness of this world, out of which the Ministers of Christ were redeemed. Now can ye but deny the Truth, when as ye act those things which the Ministers of Truth were sent to declare against. Therefore let shame cover you, and let your mouths be stopped in the dust for ever professing Christ or his Gospel, who are found enemies to it. And now ye covetous Priests, who seek for your gain from your Quarters ye may be ashamed of your profession How often have ye declared against the covetous practice of the world in words outwardly & yet your selus are found acting in them in covetousness and extortion, as is daily made manifest by you; and is contrary to the practice of the Apostles: For shame ye covetous Priests give over your wicked practices, and your beastly actings, lest the Lord rip off your cover, and lay you naked to all men: Thus have I cleared my conscience to you and to all the world in the presence of the Lord, whether you will hear or forbear.  
One who is called by the world a Quaker, whose name in the flesh is, CHRISTOPHER ATKINSON.  
FINIS.