OF all the Hypocrites and Deceivers I have ſeen or read of, from the beginning of the World to this preſent time, you who term your ſelves the Miniſters, and ſet up your ſelves as Elders, and claim Authority over your Brethren, whom you call a Viſible Body; Church, and Society, and are called QƲAKERS, are the moſt ſhameleſs, brazen-fac'd, and ſtouteſt Inſtruments of your Maſter, and have out ſtrip'd all the reſt of your Fore-fathers, as may be ſeen, read, heard, and underſtood in two ſeveral Books of yours, the one Intituled the Spirit of Alexander the Copperſmith the other Intituled Judas and the Jews, &c.

Coin the firſt born of the firſt Man Adam ſlew his Brother, but he ſtood not in a long diſpute when charged for it, though he at firſt Motion ſaid, Am I my Brothers keeper? yet preſently he fell in his Argument, and made no large Reply in defence of his Treachery. The Sons of Jacob ſold Joſeph their Brother, but they did not ſtand to the Juſtification of the Fact, but ſought to cover it as long as they could: but when they came into diſtreſs, they confeſſed, and ſaid, That miſery came upon them, becauſe they pitied not their innocent Brother's cry. The Centurion, and thoſe that were with him watching, when they ſaw the Wonders, the great Earth quake, that the Vail of the Temple was rent, &c. at the giving up of the Ghoſt, feared greatly, ſaying, Truly this was the Son of God. Judas the Traytor did not ſtand for the juſtification of his wicked Act, when he ſaw how he had betraied the Innocent, but ſaid, I have ſinned, &c. The perſecuting Prieſts of late years, here in England, who ſtoned, whipped, impriſoned, haled out of the Synagogues the poor Quakers at their firſt appearance, would ſeek to make ſome coverings for to hide their wicked Perſecutions, and would not with ſuch confuſed boldneſs ſtand in open juſtification of lying Teſtimonies, after it ſhould be openly publiſhed in their faces, as you in your ſaid Books have done. And for proving of this Truth, let him that runneth read.

Firſt, you ſay, You are ſtandered greatly, becauſe it is ſaid of you, that you deny Liberty of Conſcience, and you appeal to God's Holy Witneſs in all Conſciences for your proof.

I Anſwer; Let all People that do in any meaſure own a Witneſs in their Conſciences, conſider, firſt, what you your ſelves confeſs, you never liked the word Liberty of Conſcience, and you ſeek to cover your ſelves, under pretence that you did not mean it of outward, but of inward liberty.

Again, I Anſwer, You ſay you liked not the word as commonly uſed. Alex. the Copperſm. p. 8. Is not the word Liberty of Conſcience moſt commonly uſed by Men, in requiring a liberty to exerciſe themſelves in Matters of Religion and Worſhip, according as the Spirit of the Lord makes manifeſt within in the Conſcience? And hath not this Requeſt been from time to time, in all Ages, made by Profeſſors of Religion unto Magiſtrates and Rulers, deſiring their Liberty? Was not this the Requeſt of Moſes and Aaron, when they were ſent of the Lord to appear before Pharaoh King of Egypt? And did they not ſay then unto Pharaoh, that the Lord had ſent them to require a Liberty for the People to go three days journey into the Wilderneſs to worſhip their God? and was not this Requeſt for a Liberty to an outward exerciſe of God's Worſhip? Nay, did not Moſes and Aaron ſay, when Pharaoh ſaid, they ſhould go, but leave ſomething behind them, that they muſt bring all with them; becauſe, ſay they, we muſt hold a Feaſt unto the Lord? And is it not then about the outward exerciſe of God's Worſhip that was the Meſſage of Moſes and Aaron unto Pharaoh for Liberty? Yet notwithſtanding you reply and rejoin over and over, ſeeking to uphold yourſelves in this great Confuſion: and whereas you appeal unto God's holy Witneſs in all Conſciences, if ever you ſo uſed any Conſcientious Enquirers, as to thruſt them out of your Meetings, pag. 11. And you ſay, It is baſeneſs to ſuggeſt your ill-uſing of People in general, and none named. And thus when the Truth in plainneſs of Speech is laid open againſt you, that you cannot in any meaſure deny, but that the very words teſtifie in plain terms againſt your practice; yet with boldneſs you would make People believe, putting meanings contrary to the ſound of your own words, which your Fore-fathers the Profeſſors that went before you would not adventure ſo far: though they would put meanings to the Scriptures, which was other Mens words; yet would not they be ſo brazen-fac'd as to belie their own Expreſſions, by putting contrary meanings thereunto.

Secondly; You ſay you are not fallen from the firſt Principle of Doctrine firſt preached by the People called Quakers, though you uphold, maintain, preach, declare, and publiſh in print, That putting off the Hat in Prayer, is an innocent and a reverent practice, and comely order. And though you have alſo declared and publiſhed in print, that you have your time for Publick Prayer, and that you have purchaſed parcels of the Earth on purpoſe to lay your dead Bodies together from the People of diſtinct ways.

Now let all that will not be wilfully blind, conſider how far this Doctrine will concur and agree with the firſt Principle of the Quakers Doctrine and Declarations, both in words and writings, when they came firſt forth, and went into the Profeſſors Meetings, and declared againſt all their outward Forms and Obſervations, againſt all their Hour-glaſſes and Watches, limiting themſelves unto times for to pray or preach; yea, they ſtood with their Hats on in the times of the then Profeſſors Prayers, ſaying, That God muſt be worſhipped in Spirit and in Truth, that is, before Time was, and will continue the ſame when Time vaniſheth away and be no more. And when the Profeſſors withſtood them, ſaying, the Apoſtle ſaid, Every Man praying or propheſying with his Head covered, diſhonoureth his Head. They anſwered, That Chriſt was Head within them, and that Chriſt was the ſame Son of God in Male and in Female; and where-ever the Son appeared to ſpeak, whether in Male or in Female, he diſcovered himſelf unto all that would receive and obey him. And the Quakers Doctrine then was for the riſing of the Witneſs in every Conſcience; and that all ſhould ceaſe from Man, whoſe Breath is in his Noſtrils, and turn the mind to within, and there to wait for Teachings; and that none ſhould look out for Teachings, but wait in ſilence, and be faithful to the meaſure, be it ever ſo little, it is ſufficient: It is the whoriſh Woman, whoſe Eyes gad abroad, whoſe Feet abide not in her own Houſe; and ſhe that ſwept her Houſe, found the loſt Groat in her own Houſe. And the Wiſe Virgins had Oil in their own Lamps; the Fooliſh Virgins were ſhut out whilſt they went abroad for Oil: The Eye that looks out unto others Conditions, and neglects his own, is the Eye that offends and muſt be plucked out; that the pure Eye may be opened which offends not, and the Beam muſt firſt be caſt out of thy own Eye; and let all fleſh keep ſilence before the Lord; and let none ſpeak his own Words, nor think his own Thoughts; but let every Soul be ſubject to the Higher Power; all Power is of God, who is from Eternity. And this Doctrine we ſtill own and abide in, and your Time of Publick Prayer, and your impoſition, putting off Hats (which the People called Quakers at firſt, before your Viſible Body was heard of, declared to be a practice worſe than a Heatheniſh Vanity) we deny, and will follow the Light in our own Conſciences, according to the firſt Doctrine; and will let the Dead bury the Dead, and will not join with you in your Uſurpation, who are not aſhamed to declare in print, that you denied them that contributed with you in the purchaſing of a piece of Ground for to lay their Dead in when they had need of ſuch a thing, and bid them go elſe-where for a burial place: and you ſay, It is no uſurping of their property, for they never deſired their parts of the Collection; and herein you ſay you are ſtandered: If you cannot ſhew me one Inſtance of ſuch ſhameleſs withſtanding the Truth, and ſuch boldneſs in the maintaining your ſelves in groſs Errors, after the diſcovery thereof, as you do in theſe things in any People of any Profeſſion what-ever, let all ſober-minded People take notice, that you have ſurpaſſed all Uſurpers that went before you: for you acknowledg them to be joint-purchaſers with you, that they contributed with you in the Purchaſe thereof. And as for your ſaying, They deſired not their part of the Collection to be returned; You manifeſt your ſelves to all that read your Teſtimony, to be Uſurpers of their Property: For what-ever it was that they parted with towards the purchaſing thereof, be it great or ſmall, they had no property therein, for that was become the property of him or them that ſold the Land. So that if your own Teſtimony be true, you did them manifeſt wrong in denying them their juſt Right. Ahab offered Naboth, that he would give him a better Vineyard than his own, or the worth of it in Mony. Yet Naboth refuſed it, though Ahab was King of Iſrael: and moreover, when Ahab went to take poſſeſſion of Naboth's Vineyard, he did not maintain his Argument againſt the Prophet's Reproof, but fell therein, ſaying, Haſt thou found me, O mine Enemy? And herein you exceed wicked Ahab, in upholding and maintaining your confuſed Arguments. And herein is no ſuggeſtion, but plain Truth confeſſed by your ſelves, and needeth no other Name or Teſtimony but your own Confeſſion for proof againſt you. 1. That you liked not the word Liberty of Conſcience, as commonly uſed. 2. That you are found in another Doctrine and Practice than the firſt Quakers in days paſt were found. 3. That you are not ſlandered in ſaying, That you uſurped the Property of others; and as for your ſaying it is baſeneſs to ſuggeſt your ill-uſing of People, and none named: I find that when they are named, you are not at all more aſhamed, but ſtill wilfully and confuſedly you maintain and uphold that wicked perſecuting practice, of haling and thruſting out of your Aſſemblies: which practice is as contrary to the practice of the people called Quakers about twenty years ago, as Light is to Darkneſs; for you will not admit of any Inquirer to be conſcientious, that will not ſubmit to your preſcribed Orders: For the Doctrine and Practice of the people called Quakers then was; If any thing be revealed unto him that ſtandeth by, let the firſt hold his peace. And your Doctrine and Practice now is, If any Man ſpeaks in the Meeting that is not conformable unto your Orders, let ſuch hold his peace, or elſe be thruſt out of the Meeting; yea, you will not admit ſuch a one to ſpeak without the Door, but will thruſt him forth into the Streets; and this I can witneſs, and ſtand to my teſtimony in any of your Aſſemblies, if I am called thereunto.

And whereas you ſay of the Author of that Letter to which your anſwer is addreſſed, that his ſaying that every Member is equal, is falſe. I anſwer; your ſaying is twofold falſe: For firſt, his ſaying is not that every Member is equal, but that the Aſſemblies of the true Church are equal, having Chriſt the Light equally preſent with them, and in them. See Spirit of the Hat, pag. 15. Which ſaying is true, and not falſe, and herein you are found to be the Perverters of true Words, and not only ſo, but denying the true Church, & uſurping Authority over the Conſciences of your weak Brethren, declaring that you have power to injoin the Conſciences of Individuals; which is contrary to the Doctrine of the People called Quakers at firſt, who admoniſhed every individual Perſon whatſoever that would hearken unto their Voice then, to return unto the meaſure of God within in his own Conſcience; and they did not then, as you do now, challenge a Power over the Conſciences of Individuals, nor did they warn us to put off our Hats when they prayed to Almighty God, but they then admoniſhed us to wait in the Light, to be taught of the Light only, and not to ſpeak, act, or move unto any Exerciſe of Worſhip, unleſs we were truly moved by our own Meaſures every one in particular: which Doctrine and Practice is quite contrary to your Doctrine and Practice now, who claim Power over the Conſcience, and ſay that your Orders are Goſpel: and herein we find you bringing in another Doctrine, and preaching another Goſpel, contrary unto that Goſpel preached by the Apoſtles of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt; who preached Chriſt the Word which was in the beginning with God, which Word was God, to be the true Light which lighteth every Man that comes into the World. And this Goſpel we own. And the Apoſtle preached Jeſus Chriſt a Stumbling-Block to the Jews, and Fooliſhneſs to the Gentiles, but the Power of God to Salvation unto all them that believe; and the Apoſtles called People to the Light, ſaying, you have a Light ſhining, as a Candle in a dark place, to which you do well to give beed unto, until the Day dawn, and the Day-Star ariſe in your Hearts: And the Apoſtle ſaid, you have an Ʋnction, the Anointing within you, and you need not that any Man ſhould teach you, but as the Anointing which you have received teacheth you, and it is Truth. That which is known of God is manifeſt in Man. Know ye not that Chriſt is in you, except you be Reprobates? He that believeth, hath the witneſs in himſelf. And this Doctrine alſo the People called Quakers, at their firſt coming forth among us, brought unto us; and this Doctrine we have received and believed, and we will not deny this Doctrine and this Goſpel, and turn again with the Dog to his Vomit, and the Sow to her wallowing in the Mire, to Capping and Kneeling, to obſervations of Times, monthly, Weekly, Quarterly, Yearly; a ſet time to Pray, and another to Preach; a time to ſerve God, and a time to ſerve ſelf.

As for your ſaying that we are followers of John Perrot, and his mark is the Hat on in time of Prayer. I anſwer, that's not true: for we have ſeen ſeveral of John Perrot's Books brought forth by you, relating of his Travel and Sufferings for a long time after the diſſention and difference did ariſe amongſt you about your corrupt rotten confuſed hypocritical diſſembling Miniſtries; and that you were drawn into parties, crying, as in the days of the Apoſtles, I am of Paul, I am of Apollos, I am of Cephas, I am of Chriſt: And ſo you, the followers of James, the followers of George, the followers of John Perrot. And it is not true, as you ſay, that the grand cauſe of that diſſention firſt began by John Perrot; and it is not the Truth of the matter as you affirm it of his Spirit, for he was but a Creature, Manking, and as in that eſtate was Duſt, and to return to Duſt again: and for his Spirit it was to return alſo to its own place; and this ſhews your madneſs about Spirits. And as for the Hat it is a dead Creature, and has no Spirit in it, and herein you make manifeſt that you are led by a deluſive lying and wicked Spirit, who ſay Hat-Spirit; for the Hat hath (as I ſaid) no Spirit in it, and the Spirit of the Hat is a lying Expreſſion, given forth by the Devil and his Inſtruments, and it is the evil Spirit that firſt invented ſuch a Name: for the Devil is the Father of Lies: and the Tree is known by its Fruit: herein your Fruit makes you manifeſt, who call People Hat-Spirits; and we do not declare in the dark againſt your ſecrets, but againſt the fruit of the Spirit that moves you to utter forth theſe lying Expreſſions.

I was Impriſoned in the days of Oliver (the Protector ſo called) becauſe I could not acknowledg and declare that the Scripture was the Word of God, (as ſome of you well know) to remain for three Months without Bail or Mainpriſe: and yet I did and do own the Scripture, which was declared by the holy Men of God, to be a true Declaration, and I do alſo own the Word that was in the beginning, of which Word the Apoſtles did bear a true Teſtimony, to be the Word of God, and the Light of God, and was before the Scripture was written, and before time; and in that Word, and the Light of his Countenance, do we pray, do we move, and have our Being. And we find that all the holy Men of God, recorded in Scripture from Time to Time, received their Wiſdom and Strength, to Speak and to Write from that Word which was in the beginning. Moſes propheſied of him ſaying, The Lord will raiſe unto you a Prophet like unto me, Him ſhall you hear in all things. Eſay propheſied of that Word and ſaid, He ſhould eat Butter and Honey, until he ſhould come to chuſe the Good, and refuſe the evil. John ſaid, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God; and the Word was made Fleſh, and dwelt among us, and we ſaw his Glory. To his own he came, and his own did refuſe him: but as many as received him, he gave them Power to become the Sons of God. This Word we have received, and this Word we will follow, and in this Word will we put our whole Truſt and Confidence. This is He, of whom we have received a Meaſure, and in that Meaſure do we wait continually; our Meaſure is our Teacher, which teaches us as we abide faithful unto Him, how to Pray, when to Pray, how to Speak, and when to Speak: unto that meaſure did the People called Quakers at their firſt coming forth amongſt us, direct us to turn our Minds, and our Minds were turned accordingly, and we will not leave that our Meaſure unto which our Minds are turned, and return again to the obſervation of outward Traditions. And if any People come among us to ſpy out our Liberty, we will not thruſt them out of our Houſes; and if they will ſpeak that which is not Truth, that hurteth not us when we are waiting in the Light: we do know that you are ſhut out from the knowledg of our Conditions, as you do confeſs; and how we do build up one another in our moſt holy Faith: for we do not complain againſt thoſe that come in among us to wait with an evil Eye: And I do challenge you to ſet forth what you can againſt my Words and Actions ever ſince the time that I declared againſt your Formality: And we know that there is no ſuch jarring and jangling in the true Church, and the Miniſters of Jeſus Chriſt never gave forth ſuch large Teſtimonies in the Name of the Lord in Writing, or in Print, and afterwards recant and condemn thoſe Teſtimonies, and publiſh that they were given forth by the dark Spirit in an hour of Temptation, and that their Teſtimonies were fit for the Fire, as you have done; and with ſuch confidence maintain ſuch confuſed ſtuff, and with open Faces ſtand in the Juſtification thereof, and jumble one thing with another, to ſeek to blind Peoples Eyes, one while bearing a Teſtimony in the Name of the Lord, that there was no ſuch thing as was declared; and you ſaid that five great and manifeſt Lies meet together therein: See Alexander the Copperſmith, &c. pag. 24. And in a while after quite contrary maintain and juſtifie the very thing before denied in your Book, Judas and the Jews, &c. pag. 49, 50. With theſe unfruitful Works of darkneſs we cannot join. Thus we were uſed in thoſe days when we parted with the formal Traditions of thoſe Profeſſors, among whom there were many tender hearted People, but their Paſtors, Teachers and Elders, preached unto the People the very ſame Doctrine as you now Preach, to wit, that the Quakers came forth to diſturb the Churches peace: and when a Man would come in among them in a peaceable and quiet manner, and ſit or ſtand civilly and orderly in the Meeting, if he would but ſpeak or ask a queſtion in ſobriety, they would preſently beſtir themſelves in ſuch a diſquiet manner that the Meeting would be in an uproar, and for that cauſe thruſt the poor Quaker out of the Houſe, ſaying, that he came to diſturb their Peace. And as then it was with thoſe Profeſſors, ſo it is now with you, who ſay that the Hat on in Prayer diſturbs the Churches peace; and herein we find you in the ſame perſecuting Doctrine as thoſe perſecuting Paſtors and Elders were in, when at firſt we left their outward Traditions, and betook our ſelves to follow the Light. And as they then ſaid that our Light was darkneſs, ſo ſay you now. And as they then ſaid unto us, have not you received ſome good among us in thoſe Ordinances? ſo ſay you, he dare not ſay that he enjoyed not comfort from thoſe Prayers that came through an uncovered Head. And although that you cannot with all your wreſting and twining in your Serpentine Wiſdom, ſhew no ill Fruit brought forth, but ſtill cry a dark Spirit, a Spirit of Envy and Malice, and the like: and when we require you to prove your Aſſertions and Allegations, by laying open what fruit of that evil Spirit is brought forth; you ſay, we keep on our Hats when you Pray, & by that means we diſturb the Churches Peace, and this is all you can alledg againſt us; and for this cauſe are we called Hat-men: and herein you have no matter of Fact to lay to our charge, for when we come to the Meeting we come in a peaceable manner with our Hats upon our Heads, and as we come, ſo we abide quiet, and in that there is no matter of Fact done on our part; yet you complain that your Churches Peace is diſturbed, as thoſe Paſtors and Elders in thoſe Days did, by us; and you thruſt us out of your Meeting for declaring Words in a peaceable manner, as thoſe Profeſſors did in thoſe days by us; and it is true, and no baſeneſs in this: I will ſtand to this Teſtimony when ever you pleaſe to call upon me. And the Apoſtle did not command the Corinthians to put off their Hats, and obſerve Times for publick Prayers, as you would wreſt his Words, which are Every Man Praying or Propheſying with his Head covered, diſhonoureth his Head: and moreover he ſaid, we have no ſuch cuſtom, neither the Churches of God. And the Apoſtles did write unto the Gentiles that believed, If they would abſtain from Meats offered unto Idols, and from Blood, and from things ſtrangled, and from Fornication, they would do well: and herein is no injunction laid upon the Conſciences of Individuals. And here we find you bringing in another Goſpel, and preaching another Doctrine, differing from the Doctrine of the Apoſtles, who preached Chriſt the Power of God to Salvation in all them that believe; and differing from the Doctrine of the People called Quakers at their firſt coming forth, who preached the Light within every particular to be the true Teacher, and that in the Light was power ſufficient; and they did not preach the power that the viſible Body of Friends had in it ſelf, as you do: and therefore we own the Apoſtles Doctrine, and the Doctrine of the People called Quakers which they firſt preached, and which we believed, and deny your Doctrine.

The Apoſtles Doctrine was, That the Wife is bound by the Law as long as her Husband liveth, but if her Husband be dead ſhe is at liberty to be married to whom ſhe will, only in the Lord: and Iſaac being gone to meditate in the Field, Rebekah coming with her Damoſel and Abraham's Servant, lighted off the Camel, and Iſaac brought her to his Mother Sarahs Tent, and Rebekah became his Wife: here is a record of a Marriage in the old Teſtament. How did Abraham the Father of the Faithful order his Servant to go for a Wife for his Son? and how did Iſaac (of whom the Lord ſaid, For in Iſaac ſhall thy Seeed be called) take his Wife? and here is the Apoſtles Doctrine concerning Marriage, that when the Huſband is dead, the Woman is at liberty to marry whom ſhe will, only let her wait upon the Lord for counſel, and not run out to Men for advice, and let them ſee in it, and ſhew it to other Men, and that none go together but before a dozen Friends: there was no ſuch order preſcribed, either by Abraham the Father of the Faithful, nor by his Son Iſaac who was promiſed unto Abraham, nor by the Apoſtles of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt; neither did the People called Quakers bring any ſuch orders among us at their firſt coming forth, as many of you very well know; and one of the eminenteſt of you acquainted me, how that a couple that were come out of the North unto Weſt-Cheſter, betook themſelves in marriage there. If you pleaſe to examine me further, I will give you further account.

We do own a true Marriage, and the Bed undefiled; and thoſe that God joineth together, we ſeek not to put aſunder; neither do we buſie our ſelves to lay further injunctions upon People than the Holy Men of God of old times laid: for we do very well know that all ſober-minded Men and Women, whoſe Minds are turned unto the Light in their Conſciences, will, as they abide faithful and obedient to the Light, behave themſelves toward God, and towards one another, in ſobriety and meekneſs, as becometh honeſt People ſo to do; and as for others, whether they be thoſe that deſpiſe the Light, or thoſe that pretend to a wrong freedom, becauſe they profeſs the Light, and ſo by their miſcarriages bring a ſcandal upon the Children of the Light, we do deny both, and have no fellowſhip with the unfruitful Works of darkneſs, neither do we pretend unto any ſuch outward Authority, as to meddle with thoſe Exerciſes any further than we are concern'd; and our admonition unto all is, That every one do ſtand ſtill and wait upon the Lord in that meaſure, given him of God to profit withal for Counſel, and not run out unto them that cry, Lo here, and lo there is Chriſt; and in this we have not fallen from the Principle of Truth, nor from the Doctrine of the Holy Men of old Times, recorded in the Old and New Teſtament, nor from the true Doctrine firſt received of the People called Quakers. And I can appear, and give in my Name, and ſtand unto this my Teſtimony at noon day. And as for thoſe filthy lewd Actions, which ſome of you have been charged with, not fit to be mentioned amongſt any manner of People that have any civility, much leſs amongſt Profeſſors of Religion, and above all unfitting that thoſe that profeſs the Light, ſhould have any ſuch things juſtly charged upon them; I do declare and teſtifie, that I am ignorant of any ſuch thing acted amongſt thoſe of my Neighbours and Acquaintance, although we differ about the aforeſaid Orders: The Lord forbid that I ſhould in any meaſure ſlander you, or any People in the World, beyond my knowledg; nay rather I would be checkt for concealing, than that I ſhould over-run my ſelf in ſuch things; and in all this I do not flatter, I take God's Name for my Witneſs, who will reward every one in Righteouſneſs and true Judgment. In this therefore, let every Tub ſtand upon its own bottom. And for your charging the ſaid Author to be envious, malicious, and a wicked Apoſtate Slanderer, in what is declared in his Letter againſt ſome Particulars of you, I find you therein far differing from the Diſciples of the Lord Jeſus, who when he told them that one of them was a Devil, immediately made no more ado, but lookt every one to himſelf, ſaying, Lord, is it I? They went not about to clear the Matter, but believed it was true, and immediately made a thorow ſearch until the thing was brought forth openly; and afterwards they ſought not to cover the Tranſgreſſor, but declared the Truth, and left it upon Record, to be read by Ages to come: Neither did they ſeek to hide the ſhameful ſin of Peter, in curſing and ſwearing that he knew not the Lord; neither did Paul ſeek to cover the hypocriſie of Peter when he found cauſe of reproof; nor did he admoniſh others to let it fall, but publiſhed theſe things, and they are upon Record: and the Prophet did not ſeek to hide the ſhameful Adultery of David the King, one of the moſt eminent Kings in many reſpects that ever appeared in the World, Jeſus Chriſt excepted. And although the King made no more ado, but confeſt his ſin; and although the Prophet upon the next words ſaid, Thy Sin is taken away; yet notwithſtanding all this, there is no covering or hiding, but it muſt be recorded; and King David did not bid the Prophet let it fall, left bad Spirits ſhould know of it, as you do; and herein you are found out of the Doctrine of the Prophets and Apoſtles.

But ſome Objections may be put: 1. We only declare againſt the envy and malice of the Author, and not againſt his Perſon. 2. We charge him to be a Liar, and a falſe Accuſer, and our Charge ſtands good and firm, becauſe he dare not appear and ſtand by his Teſtimony. And, 3. we declare againſt his treachery and combination with our profeſſed Enemies, and furniſhing thoſe Enemies of Truth with ſuch ſlanderous lying accuſations againſt us, and hiding himſelf, not daring to ſhew his face.

Anſwer, 1. His malice and envy could do you no hurt; for it is worſe to be the bearer of malice and envy, than to them that it is born againſt; and therefore it had better become you to have ſoberly cleared your ſelves from the things charged, than to bear ſuch Teſtimonies againſt Malice and Envy, which is an inward Principle.

2. Seing that in your Anſwer you juſtifie moſt part of the ſubſtance of his Charge, he is not to be judged a Liar, and a falſe Accuſer, although that his Name is not at his Charge; and moreover in his Letter it doth not appear that his Intention was to have it publiſhed, and therefore it ſavours more of Malice and Envy in you, for it breaks forth and iſſues out of your Bottles againſt them which you call Hat-men, without any diſtinction; but he makes a clear diſtinction between what he declareth againſt, and what he is for, and hath not jumbled all Good and Bad together, but in plainneſs of ſpeech declares what it is that he diſowns and declares againſt amongſt you: and you your ſelves confeſs moſt part of the matter of Fact, only you ſeek to darken Counſel, and would have People believe that your meanings are otherwiſe; and herein the Lye and the falſe Accuſation ſtands upon you: for, as I ſaid, you accuſe all the Hat-men, as you call them; ſo that if his Charge had been altogether falſe; I dare ſay there are hundreds of thoſe which you call Hat-men that are innocent, and do not know of thoſe deboiſt filthy Actions which you ſlubberly ſeek to hide and cover.

3. You in that Book alſo charge all Hat-men, as you term us, to be malicious vagabond Apoſtates; and this upon the account of one private Letter written by one which you your ſelves (if there is any truth in your Declarations) know not who he is: which Letter was publiſhed by one that knew not the Author, as is related in the Preface to the Reader: and in this you appear more like unto Haman, than the Hat-men unto Judas: As it was too ſmall a recompence in the ſight of Haman to have Mordecai himſelf puniſhed, but he would have all the People of the Jews deſtroyed; and the cauſe was no other, but that Mordecai ſitting in the Gate would not bow to Haman: and there is no other cauſe of all your Sentences of Condemnation againſt the Hat-men, (as you call us) but becauſe we ſit, as you ſay, upon our Briches when you pray to your God, and not put off our Hats.

Another Objection. Doſt not thou pervert our Declarations concerning the Hat, which was only the putting it off to Magiſtrates we declared againſt, and not the putting it off to God in time of prayer?

Anſwer. Richard Hubberthorn, in his Teſtimony of the Zeal of Oxford, declares theſe words, Doffing the Hat worſe than a Heatheniſh Vanity. And Oxford, is a place where Men ſend their Children to learn the Languages, for to be fitted, as they ſay, to become Preachers of the Goſpel, and a place that the Miniſters of the Church of England call, The Fountain of Learning; and will any Man judg that this Teſtimony was a particular Teſtimony only againſt the Magiſtrates, and not a general Teſtimony againſt the practice of Zealots of thoſe Times, which held it to be a decent and orderly practice, as you do; and more eſpecially in regard that there is no exception made throughout all his Book for the reſervation of that practice, and for the Obſervation of the time, as you would have it to be. And herein Naaman the Syrian had a more clearer defence for his bowing in the Houſe of Rimmon, becauſe that he reſerved, that when he declared that he would worſhip no other God but the God of Iſrael, only when his Maſter went to worſhip at the Houſe of Rimmon, and leaned upon his ſhoulders, and when he boweth with his Maſter at the Houſe of Rimmon, the Prophet muſt forgive him. But after you have declared againſt a practice in general terms, without any exceptions or reſervations, you bring in your exceptions after twenty years ſtanding; and herein is your daubing with untempered Mor • er, and your confuſion appearing, far beyond that Man which was one of the Gentiles.

As for the Author, he is as yet hidden, as he declares, and needeth no Man to take part with him, until the Lord be pleaſed to bring him to be ſeen; and as for his Declaration, what you have denied in your firſt Anſwer, you have confeſſed much of it in your Rejoinder, and have gone about to juſtifie the matter of Fact therein, and turned the other ſide outwards, ſaying to the Hat-men, You have been waiting many years with an evil Eye for our Failings, and make Muſick of it, carrying it unto the wicked Profeſſors; but we could make a Book of your Failings.

And herein it is manifeſt that the Lord is not pleaſed with the hiding of Wickedneſs and Tranſgreſſion: for though Noah was the only Man that found favour in the ſight of God in the Old World, yet his Failings muſt not be covered and hidden; and though Cain was one of his Sons, yet he muſt pronounce a Curſe againſt him; and herein you ſhew your ſelves and your Declarations to be contrary to the Declarations of the Holy Men of God of old, who allowed of no Tranſgreſſion to be hid and covered, but would bring all things to the Light, that the Tranſgreſſors might not go free. But you, with your Elders and Miniſters, have covered your Failings as long as you could; and when the Lord cauſed it in a ſpecial manner to be brought forth, you were like mad Men at your weak Brethren, who from time to time were grieved in their minds to ſee how you were fallen, and did uſe all lawful means upon all opportunities to ſeek a reformation. And for your ſaying, you can make a Book of the Hat-mens Failings: Why have you not made it? Seeing the Hat-men did not bow to your Image, you ought to have declared the Truth, and bring the Tranſgreſſion to the Light; for I profeſs I never owned your written Orders, but upon all occaſions declared againſt them; and the backwardneſs of the Hat-men in not declaring your Failings to the World for many years ſince, doth not ſhew that they were too forward in diſcovering your nakedneſs; but on the contrary, if there be any Error, it is on the other hand, in being too backward in declaring the Truth, until ſuch time as the Lord brought it forth in a wonderful manner, by thoſe that have no communion with the Hatmen, as you have declared in Judas and the Jews, p. 126. Neither will the Hat-mens Failings ſerve you for a covering now after ſuch Declarations are publiſhed, and ſuch plain confeſſion of ſuch groſs Errors found among you; which Confeſſion is the moſt true Evidence as may be had againſt any People in the World; for there is no further inquiry to be made, when the Party charged confeſſeth the Fact charged. And you ſay, Behold the Hat-men! I ſay the ſame, Let all ſober-minded People behold, and have regard, and bring all things to the Light, there to be judged and tried; and as for you, I challenge you in the fear of the Lord, to enlarge your Books as big as you can, and let the Hat-mens Failings be no more hidden nor covered, but bring all things to the Light: And if there be any other Objections to be made againſt this Teſtimony; take no more pity, but let the Wound be thorowly ſearcht, that all corruption may be purged, that if poſſible by that means the Sore may be cured; and if there be any incurable Member, that that may be cut off. And for taking the Authors part, I do declare and teſtifie that I do not know the Man; but knowing that a great part of the things declared in his Letter is true; and finding that you in your Anſwer and Rejoinder have brought other things to the Light againſt your ſelves, which things I knew not before, ſeeing you ſo unreaſonable in maintaining