Judas and the Jews combined against Christ and his followers being a re-joynder to the late nameless reply, called, Tyranny and hypocrisie detected, made against a book, entituled The spirit of Alexander the Coppersmith rebuked, &c. which was an answer to a pamphlet, called, The spirit of the hat, in which truth is cleared from scandals, and the Church of Christ, in her faith, doctrine, and just power and authority in discipline is clearly and fully vindicated against the malicious endeavours of a confederacy of some envious professors and vagabond, apostate Quakers / by ... William Penn ; to which are added several testimonies of persons concern'd.

John Crook's Testimony.

Having seen a Pamphlet, intituled, Tyranny and Hypocrisie Detected, in which is printed a Pa∣per of mine, writ by me about Eleaven or Twelve Years since, about Gestures and Po∣stures, &c. it is thus in my Heart to write.

MY Desires and Breathings, from my tender years▪ have been after the Living God; and since I have tasted of his Goodness and Mercy, I have had a Love for, and Longing after the Eternal Welfare of all, that in any Measure sought after him in Truth and Righteousness; knowing the Enemy's Devices to be many and various, seeking by all Means to devour them; And from a deep Sense of the same I writ the Paper about Gestures and Postures, &c. many years since; knowing how busie the great Enemy of Man's Soul was at that juncture of time to draw out the Minds of some, into the Observation and Innovation of Keeping their Hats up∣on their Heads in the time of Prayer, in the publick Assemblies of God's People, hoping that those Lines at that time might have been Successful to stop that Practice, in some of them at least, and also have allayed any thing in any others, which might be of tendency to hinder their Information and Recovery. But it was never in the least in my Heart or Intention, to Encourage or Strengthen that Spirit and Practice, which my own Judgment and Practice was against; Neither did I intend any other Liberty then what was in the Lord, and the Maintaining Love and Ʋnity a∣mongst Brethren. And truly, in these various or contrary Practices, of some keeping on their Hats, and others putting off their Hats, my Heart was affected, desiring that the Lord would

put a Stop to whatever tended to Discord, which since hath ap∣peared manifestly to arise from that Spirit, which first brought in that Innovation. Therefore in Good Conscience I cannot but bear my Testimony against the Author of this scurrilous Pam∣phlet, for endeavouring, not only to fasten such a Sense and Im∣putation upon me, but also for his Attempt and Industry (what in him lies) to render God's People Odious, and his ever-bles∣sed Truth Contemptible to the World, and thereby himself be∣comes a Murderer of Souls, in perverting the Right Way of the Lord; for which the God of Heaven will undoubtedly rebuke, both him and all his Confederates in this wicked Ʋndertaking, and in his time bring them to open Shame, if they Repent not of this their Wickedness and Sin.

For the Epistle subscribed by Edw. Burroughs, John Perrot, and My Self, it was writ when we were Prisoners together in New-Gate, where John Perrot forbore the Wearing his Hat, on purpose, as we supposed, to avoid Offence; and also, at that time be writ a Paper, which was Satisfactory concerning the Matter of the Hat, and had he made it publick at that time, it might have prevented what afterwards befel him: At this very juncture, when there was such a Compliance, and Hopes of his Recovery, was the fore-mentioned Epistle writ. Now let the Im∣patrtial Reader judge, whether the Author of this Envious Libel hath shewed either Ingenuity or Humanity, in his recital of the fore-mentioned Papers, to the End for which he hath made them publick.

John Crook.