The Lamb’s War
Stuart Masters continues his series on early Quaker tracts and pamphlets. This week he considers a tract by James Nayler
James Nayler (1618-1660) was one of the most significant leaders of the early Quaker movement, acting as its principal spokesman. The Lamb’s War against the Man of Sin is one of his most important tracts. It was written and published in 1657 shortly after his brutal punishment and imprisonment for blasphemy following his prophetic re-enactment of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem at Bristol in October 1656. It is difficult to overemphasise the significance of this tract. It stands as a clear and uncompromising statement of early Quaker beliefs. In particular, it explains how God is acting through Christ the Lamb to defeat evil within the creation and establish the kingdom of heaven on earth. The American Quaker historian Hugh Barbour has argued that this tract is probably the first systematic public explanation of the peaceable principles of the early Quaker movement. Here is a summary of Nayler’s key messages contained within The Lamb’s War against the Man of Sin.
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