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.

William Gosnell's Testimony.

This is my Faithful Testimony for God, his Truth, and People, and the Clearing of mine own Conscience: As also, given forth for Information of the Sober En∣quirer, and for'Condemnation of J. P. and his Con∣federates, against whose Works I am, and hope shall terminate my dayes in Judgment against that Spirit they serve; Warning all to take heed of them, who tender the Good of their Souls, knowing their Ways and Works lead unto Death, by Means whereof the Way of Truth is Evil-spoken, to the Dishonour of God, and Strengthening of the Wicked in their Doings.

FOr that my Soul loves the Truth, and such who are the Faithful Servants thereof, I do therefore reckon my self concerned (with my Brethren) as also for their sakes, who have any Desires in their Hearts after the Way of Truth; as it is by a Remnant, Despised of Men, in this our Day made known and testified unto, to write something in Answer to what is charged against me in a Libel, called, TY∣RANNY AND HYPOCRISIE DETECTED; which to the truly Sober and Unprejudiced Reader, can be accounted nothing less then impious Railing, and from an Ishmaelitish

Spirit, and from the Enemy of all Good, in his Instruments, manifested against such who are Resisters of Tyrrany, and in the Uprightness of their Hearts Denyers of Hypocrise, and in that give my Testimony against the said Pamphlet; believing that whosoever is the Author thereof; or Contributory thereto, shall receive of the Lord our God, the Just Judge of all (who hath pleaded, and will plead the Cause of his Truth and Peo∣ple) the just Recompence of Reward, according as their Work hath been; which unto them who walk in the Light, are seen to be Evil, and They, the Workers thereof, bound in Chains of Darkness, reserved to the Judgment of the Great Day: nevertheless, my Soul's Desire is (if possible) the may find a place for Repentance.

In Pag. 45. called, Tyranny and Hypocrisie Detected, are these words, When I first saw Gosnell's Name in the Spirit of Alexan∣der, I expected nothing less then a Denyal of what is related to have been said by G. F. viz. Friends, Although I have not told it you, I do now declare, That I have Power to Bind and to Loose whom I please.

In that thou didst nothing less then expect a Denyal, &c. doth manifest what Spirit thou art of, viz. That which watch∣eth and waiteth for Evil, and expecteth nothing less: Why didst thou not set thy Name to that which thou hast heaped up, that so we might have known ther, and made some Enquiry af∣ter thee? Its written, That Fear surprizeth the Hypocrite: Were thy Works such as would bring Honour to thee, it may be, we might have had thy Name at large; but thy Works are ma∣nifest to be Evil, and of the Flesh, as are Railings, Envious and Scoffing Speeches, Slanders and Evil Suggestions: So, though thou concealest thy Name, yet by, thy Fruits thou art manifested to be an Evil Tree; For an Evil Tree bringeth forth Evil Fruit. And why thou shouldst Expect a Denyal whilst, sayest thou, it seems is true, let the Sober judge. And so thou goest on, as one of Ishmael's Brood, with a Scoff, saying, How can it be other∣wise, that so Great a King and Prophet as G. F. should not have Power to Bind and Loose? That there is a Power to Bind and to Loose now (as was in dayes past) is evident from that Say∣ing of Christ, Him whose Sins ye Bind on Earth, are Bound al∣so

in Heaven: And did not the Disciples of Christ pray for Forgiveness from their Father, which was in Heaven, as they FORGAVE them who trespassed against them? And were not they exhorted, To FORGIVE one another, as God, for Christ's sake, forgave them? So that hadst thou not been, with J. P. filled with the Gall of Bitterness, and in the Bond of Iniqui∣ty, thou wouldest not surely have writ as on that wise, nor made such loud Cavilings at that which the wise in Heart know to have a Consistency with Truth, and is agreeable to the Te∣stimony of Holy Men, who spoak as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, out of whose Practice thou art, and thy Contri∣butories, whose Tongues are your own, and therewith speak to the Vilifying of such whose Habitation is in Heaven: But they, who served the Lord in their Generation, said, Our Bo∣dies are not our own; so not our Tongues: And said one, Lord open thou my Mouth, and my Tongue shall speak of thy Praise. Hast thou, or thy Confederates, who have joyned hand in hand to∣gether, spoak, or writ, or printed ought in either of your Libels that hath redounded to the Praise of God? Hath not their Tendency been otherwise, even to speak Evil of Dignities; and to write of things which for no Good, but Hurt to Mankind are produced?

In Vain, in vain are you found Fighters against the Lord, his Truth and Pepple; for it Prospers, it Encreases, it Grows in the Hearts of many; Glory to God for evermore. And that John Pennyman should, as he hath done, creep into the Bosoms of some, who have been more open to him, then he hath made good use of, and that in a time, when he himself both in Word and Deed shewed himself a Friend to Truth, and us also (attending our Meetings, both Publick and Private, not as a Disturber, but Member of us) and, now thus basely to Betray and Bespatter, is Unworthy with a Witness: His Works of late have manifested the Contrary; else, how durst he do as he hath done, seek all Occasion against them, who have and still do tender his Good, and the Redemption of his Soul; which some have, as I may say, laid down, and yet could, their Lives, for his Restauration. Oh, that he truly saw how he hath caused the

Heathen to Blaspheam, and some to say in their Hearts, Sure there is no God no True Religion nor Worship; and how unto others, who it may be, had some Inclinations in their Hearts towards God and Godliness, hath he given Occasion of Stumbling; and unto Professors, who have and do Watch for our Hault∣ing, that so they may Impare the Honour of Truth, not only to their own, but to others Hurt also, whose Blood he stands guilty of before the Lord. I write not these things, but to the End that he may be Wise; for Offences have come through him, and Wo from the Lord is unto him, unless he Repent.

John Pennyman being at a Meeting appointed for Service to our Suffering Friends, which we were then to inspect, and some particular Matters were then in Debate, how such of our Friends might be Relieved, who were ••••concerned in the Case of Tythes; and somewhat was proposed, and an Instance given of one Coun∣try Friend, who had observed some Directions from R. C. in which afterward there was not (in the Friend) through Satis∣faction; pretty much time was spent about it, and words spoak by S. N. which G. F. and some others did reckon of Disser∣vice to the Meeting, as also of Hurtful Consequence to our Friends Suffering in some Cases; upon which G. F. was very much Grieved, and fervently stirred up to lay the Charge of that Service upon S. N. also to blame his Reflections upon R. C. which he doing with Fervency of Spirit, a Fear or Ap∣prehension entred me, lest (as J. P. hath carried it to the World) G. F. should have struck him; and going home, I spake to S. N. of some Passages which past at that Meeting; J. P. being with us, and uttered my Thoughts or Fears in that Respect; adding at the same time, that the Weight of Friends Sufferings was much upon G. F. some whereof pretty Emi∣nent being then before us, and therefore did impute it to his Zeal for their Relief; and so much the more, by how much any thing was offered by S. N. to the Hurt of the Mee∣ting, and Prejudice, as was thought, to the Sufferers: some time after G. F. hearing of it, told me between himself and me, that I should not have said so, and hath often declared, he never had any such Thought; I then told him, I was sorry I

had said so, or feared so (and indeed so I was) others also be∣ing there present, I mean at the Meeting about Sufferings, sig∣nifying they had no such Apprehension, neither did they be∣lieve had I any Cause to apprehend or fear any such thing.

But to proceed to the other Charge of Binding & Loosing whom he pleased. More then once or twice as (I remember) J. P. had been with me to know if the Words were whom I pleased: I told him at all times, I could not say nor remember those words, whom I pleased; yet to bring Reproach to G. F. as also to sow Discord among Brethren, as much as in him lieth, hath sugge∣sted it to the World, and that after 'twas buried, and at a Mee∣ting with some Friends, together with G. F. before he went beyond Sea; for it was all our Desires, that what was amiss might be cast out, declaring then, as before, I was sorry I should apprehend or fear any such thing of G. F. Now that J. Pen∣nyman should so unworthily, and in Enmity and Prejudice to G. F. (whom he hath ill requited, in that he hath rendered E∣vil for Good, and to emit, carryed into the World, not only by Word, but also by Print, things privately and amicably mentioned, upon Occasion, when he was not as now he is (an open Opposers of Truth and Friends) so Disingennous, nay Treache∣rous, that Heathens would blush at it; he should have let this have dyed with his Sincerity to us, and not have made use of that against us in his Apostasy, which nothing but my Regard to his Sincerity could have drawn from me; Is this one of thy higher Attainments? O John! these Doings will seize upon thee in God's Time.

How is John Pennyman changed from what he was? With what, great Readiness of Mind, and Ardency of Spirit did he him∣self judge with Sowers of Division, and that Spirit by which he was captivated, which led him to the keeping on his Head his Hat in the times of Friends Prayer to God? and with what Show of Satisfaction and Joy of Soul in the Hearing of many Fiends, in which they also were refreshed did he once and again express, for that he blessed the Lord he was broke off from that Spirit which hindred the Growth of Truth in his own particu∣lar, which he signified caused the Love of Brethreng to wax cold, and a manifes Decay of that that was good, in which our

Joy, Rest and Peace daily abound. In solemn Meetings, with Tears, I believe unfeigned, and true Contrition of Spi∣rit, as many are Witnesses, gave Judgment against that Spirit which led into Separation, through means of which he as; well as others had suffered loss, as with respect to the Good Presence of the Lord, in the daily Sence thereof, as (before that Spirit entred) was enjoyed; and with what Open∣ness of Heart did we even in the first Love, raised by the Power of the Lord, in which alone doth our Unity stand, did we em∣brace one another, and met oft with one another to our mu∣tual Joy and Refreshment: But now is he not found beating of those, with whom he was a Fellow-Servant, and taking of them by the Throat, and (as I may say) speaking all manner of Evil against them, even them, who in a Sense have laid down, and can, their Lives to save him? Surely, he who rewards Evil for Good, Evil will not, whilst in that Spirit, depart from his House. And how hath Enmity entred him in that, that which is a Strength, a Joy and a Comfort to us, Vexations to him, to wit, to see Brethren together in the pure Truth, in that which neither speaketh nor thinketh Evil, to dwell, and so seek one another's Good, are kindly affectioned one to the other, serving one another with Love.

And so, though by Complying with G. F. as the Author of, or Assistent to that Wicked Heap of Stuff, which is for the Fire, scoffingly saith, He is now become a Preacher: To Com∣ply with Truth, and such whose Labour and Service is for its Promotion, is my Joy, and true Satisfaction, and Quiet to my Soul, and therein, as the Lord shall open my Mouth, and mi∣nister Occasion, I shall preach down their Pernicious and Soul-hurting Practices; desiring to be found, to the End of my Dayes, a Lover of that which is Good, and in it a Witness a∣gainst that which is Evil, though found in those who have been my Familiars, for whose sake I have not suffered a little.

William Gosnell.

Notes

• Spir. Hat. Tyran. Hyp. Detect.