The spirit of Alexander the copper-smith lately revived, now justly rebuk'd, or, An answer to a late pamphlet, intituled, The spirit of the hat, or the government of the Quakers in which the confederacy is broken, and the devil's champions defeated / by a true witness of the one way of God, W.P. ; to which are added the testimonies of those persons whose names are chiefly quoted by the author of that pamphlet.

Innocency further Cleared, And the Spirit of Alexander the Copper-smith Further Detected.

Or, The Full and Plain Testimonies of those very Persons (whose Names are quoted by the Author of the Spirit of the HAT, in favour of it, which doubtless give the greatest Credit to that Malicious Piece in the Minds of People) given forth against the Wicked and Pernicious Design of him that writ it, and for the Clearing of God's Truth and People.

WHereas the Author of the Spirit of the HAT insinuates▪ That our Ministry is guilty of Un∣cleanness, Whoredoms, and such like Beastly Pra∣ctices, under a feigned Commendation of us under-written; as Prosecutors of such Persons, that they may be brought to Judgment. We do declare in the Fear of the Everlasting God, That though we abhor with our whole Souls such Unrighteous Practices, and if such things were, we should, we hope, clear our Consciences for God, and his Living Truth, and People: Yet we do declare in the Uprightness of our Hearts, that we know of no such, nor can acknowledge any such to be either of our Ministry, or our Body, much less those who are Eminent among us, (as hath been Wickedly Suggested by the Author of The Spirit of the Hat) whom we have found Painful and Faith∣ful to God, his Truth and People. Therefore to say, we were hindered from bringing them to Judgment, whom we never went about to charge, neither can we, is a Wicked, Envious and Palse Suggestion of the Adversaries of the Truth; and this in God's Fear we testifie to the World.

• John Bolton,
• Samuel Newton.

AS for that part of the Bemoaning Letter (so called) which doth more particularly concern me, I observe this; That the Author under the specious Shew of Pity and Compassion to the Oppressed, doth traduce me, as well as others; First, In setting me in Opposition against John Bolton: Next, In Insinuating as if I had been so Hipocritical▪ as for Peace sake to Judge that in Publick, which I Justified in Private. As to the first I say, There may be between two of one Judgment, through a Mis-understanding of each others Words and In∣tentions a seeming Opposition, and yet really none; and so was the Case between J. B. and my self: For the Intent of my words, and that which answered my Judgment, was, That it would not recommend any to us, to judge a Thing for Evil, unless they believed it was so; but that every one should be left to God's Witness in their Consciences, to Condemn what that condemns, and to Justifie what that justifies; and not to condemn or justifie barely upon the Motion or Judgment of others; which is true, and will stand to our Justification against this Slanderer, who would introduce, That the Tyranny of our El∣ders is such, as to impose upon the Weak and Simple that which they cannot believe: But I being mis-apprehended, there was an Occasion to call for the Judgment of the Meeting; for if my words had extended so far, as that nothing was to be accoun∣ted an Evil, unless the Guilty Party saw it to be so, (which is the Principle of the Ranters, and not of the People of God called Quakers) the Zeal of the Lord might well rise against it, where it was supposed to be; for that would excuse all Scared Consciences, who commit Sin with Greediness, and drink up Iniquity, as an Ox drinks Water: But when my Words were repeated, and explained, and the Intent of my Mind seen and understood, J. B. was satisfied, and all others, as far as I know. So it appears that I had no Occasion, neither did Con∣demn that in Publick, which I Justified in Private; and the False

Accusation is cast off, and returned upon the Author. And herein I must commend the Care of J. B. that he would not have any thing of a Wrong Judgment remain with a Brother.

And this I have further to add, that though latet anguis in herba, yet the Snake is seen in the Grass; and that this twi∣ning Serpent hath no place in my Heart, but is forever judged by me, as coming from the Bottomless Pit, and thither must return; and God's Truth is over all Justified, and shall spread over the whole Earth to his Glory, who has began the Work, and will finish it in his Time; and these Mists and Fogs, that do arise from the Pit, cannot darken the Son of Righteous∣ness, who is appeared in the Hearts of a Remnant, and whose Glory shines, and will shine over all, to the fulfilling of that which was prophesied of him in Times past, That God would give him the Heathen for an Inheritance, and the utmost Parts of the Earth for a Possession.

James Claypool.

AS concerning the Letter called, The Spirit of the Hat: This I testifie, It proceeded from a Subtil, Dark, In∣sinuating, Treacherous and Malicious Spirit; in words seeming to magnify the Name of the Lord; but its Workings ever brought reproach and dishonour thereunto, of which to my great Sorrow I have been a Concerned and Expe∣rienced Witness: For, Reader, this know, That the Lord God Everlasting, having visited this Nation with the Day-Spring of Eternal and Immortal Life, how were our Hearts affected, and our Spirits revived, and our very Souls made ex∣ceeding and unexpressibly glad! Ah! how did the Solitary rejoyce! How were the Mourners comforted▪ How beautiful were the Feet of them that brought us Tidings of this blessed Day! We knew throw Judgment and Burnings, and no other∣wise

the Oyle of Joy, and River of Gladness; for the Antient Path, which is Holiness to the Lord, that was, and is cast up, and the Joy of many Generations was, and is come, and the Angel of his Presence that rewarded Disobedience with Judgment, was known; and his Mighty Arme, that wrought Wonders of old, that was and is with us. And Oh! that the Nations knew this their Day of Visitation! For of a certain Truth, the Lord God of the Hebrews hath appeared unto us, and his Mes∣sage is, He hath seen, He hath seen the Afflictions of his holy Seed, by reason of Sin and Iniquity, and he is come down to deliver out of spiritual Darkness and Bondage; Many have been and are the Witnesses hereof, and are raised and raising to testify thereunto, and their Testimony shall endure and remain. Yet notwith∣standing as of old, many that have confessed to this Testimony, have turned aside, and given heed unto Fables, and forgotten the right Way of the Lord; and many Spirits have risen up to Stop the Passage of this blessed Work, and many have turned aside, and some are fallen, as in the Temptations and Provoca∣tions in the Wilderness in Israels journying toward the blessed Land; and as record is made in the Scriptures, of what befel them in their Travels, that Ages to come may hear and fear, and not tempt and provoke the Lord as they did; The same in some measure being in this Age also manifest, in which I my self was concerned, and saw the Snare, and through the Good∣ness and Mercy of the Lord am delivered from, and have often had it in my Heart, to leave it on Record to Ages to come; Therefore let him that reads understand. When we had seen the great Plunges in Egypts Land, and had travelled through the Red-Sea, and saw the Wonders of the Lord in the Field of Zoar, and Sang the Song of his Prayses upon the Banks of Salvation, and were Travelling on in the Wilderness to Canaan's Blessed Land, we were Proved, Tryed, Tempted and Assaulted by many Enemies; and as we kept unto the Angel of his Presence, we were kept and preserved from all Danger; That was a Pillar of Fire by Night, and a Cloud to cover us from hurt by Day; and Angels Food we knew, and the Water out of the Rock we saw, and drank of the River of his Good Pleasure; and the Desert did rejoyce,

and the Wilderness did blossom as a Rose: But after all this we tasted the Waters of Merra, and through want of Watchfulness liked not the Food of Angels; but desired other Meat (and Quaile sell amongst us) upon which Judgment came; and many fell for Disobidience, and some are yet Monuments of his Mer∣cies; and some yet withstand their Visitations. And that none may pretend Ignorance, and that all may be left without Excuse, the thing was this: A Spirit arose in John Perrot, pretending, that the putting off the Hat in prayer was a Romish Tradition, and that a higher Dispensation was to be waited for. This, and much more was asserted under a pretence of a more excellent Way, accompanied with pretences of a more strickt and mortified Life, which I sought for; and was grieved, that some that made a profession thereof, did not walk answerable unto this: in which trouble I, with several was amused and muddled, and not Watching in that, that discovers the Enemy in every Appearance, did not understand the working of that Spirit, nor that Power that withstood this Spirit, though often warned thereof by them that kept their Habitations: For in a Mystery it did wotk, and still doth, and lead many to the Chambers of Death, and Death is its Food: for into prejudice it brought many, that did eat as a Canker, and the Good was not discerned; but they were, and some yet are as the Heath in the Desert, that knows not when good comes. And the Spirit, that introduced that Practice, is manifest; and him by whom it was first asserted, hath merited in the Hearts of several the Appellation and Detestation, as of Jeroboam the Son of Nebat, that caused many in outward Israel to Sin.

And now as to the Insinuations by the Author of this Letter, concerning the Meeting at Devonshire house, in which my name is mentioned, and my Case stated as a grand Proof of the Lordlyness and Corruptness of the Second Days Meeting there, I have this to say; I have as often been refreshed and comforted in the Good Presence of the Lord, that there I have found and felt, as in any Meeting I ever was in. And the Opposition I had there, related not to my Marriage as a Marriage, or to hinder my proceed therein, for that J. B. and all said at that time, he had

nothing against; but that the Meeting could not passe it as their Approvement, I being not in Unity with the Meeting as to that matter aforesaid: So that the Letter doth not present the Mat∣ter truly as it was; but in a prejudiced Spirit states things, to render the Meeting, and its proceeds odious, both in that and several other particulars, which I expect others may reply unto.

John Osgood.

I Having seen a Printed Paper (to which the words above relate) wherein my Name is made use of by way of In∣stance, I find my self concerned to testifie on this wise; That as the Blessed Eternal Truth was received by me, in the Love of it, through the Testimony of that Blessed People cal∣led Quakers; I being, soon after I was Convinced, shut up in a Close Prison, and continuing a Prisoner for divers years: though the Bent of my Heart was after the Lord, in a measure of Singleness; yet the Enemy of Truth and my Soul being per∣mitted to bring forth his work in a Mystery, and therein to as∣sault and gain Ground upon several of that People, some whereof I had an Affectionate Esteem for, hoping and believing well concerning them: And I being at a Distance, and much alone, that spirit had an Influence upon me, to the betraying of the Simplicity in me, to the writing of that Paper therein mentioned, and thereby to be an Occasion of Stumbling to o∣thers, and to Weaken the Hands of them I should have been a Strength to, and to Strengthen the Hands of them I should not have been a Strength to: And when I came to see it, I came forth in absolute Judgment against that Paper, and the spirit in which it was writ; and what I did in it, I did it absolutely to the Lord, and to answer his Pure Manifestation and Ap∣pearance in my Heart, and durst not do otherwise in the Pure Fear of the Lord (who in a signal Manner Appeared in me. and by a strong Hand and lifted up Arm opened my Heart, and raised a pure Zeal and Indignation in it against that Treacherous Lying Spirit) and my care was, to clear Truth,

and its Testimony and Faithful Friends, whom I found the Ene∣my had struck at through me; and the Judgment I gave forth against that Paper, was not given forth in an Hour of Weak∣ness and Temptations; but in the Strength and Dominion and Evidence and Clearness of Truth, and stands and will stand for∣ever.

And I do further testifie, that the Spirit, that hath wrought in a Mystery against Friends, and to break their Unity, under swelling Pretences of further Discoveries and a Singular Larger Zeal, whether of that Spirit which leads unto the Practice of wearing the Hat in Publick Prayer, or such like, to Catch the Mind of the Young and Simple, they not being aware of his Devices, is the same (though under diversity of Appearance) that works in the Children of Deceit & Disobedience to incline and intice them to all manner of Cruelty, Lust and Vanity, and is the Ranting Spirit, is Corah's Spirit, that resisted & murmured against the Servant of the Lord in former days; and therefore we find, that Apostates from among us, and Professors of all sorts and Prophane can and do center here in one Spirit of Enmity, and Opposition against the Truth, and its Followers and Witnesses: and of this the Lord hath made me deeply sensible, and through the Mercy and Power of the Lord God a Zeal and Indignation lives in my Heart against that Cursed Twining Spirit, and a Care and Travel in measure for all that have been Entangled by it, that they may see, and be sensible of it, and may be raised up to come forth in a clear and full Testimony against it with∣out Reserve.

John Swinton.

ANd whereas it is said by the Author of that Scandalous Pamphlet call'd The Spirit of the Hat, that he remembers a Paper to have been sent down to Hartford subscrib'd by a Dozen of the Great Ones, as this Malecontent scoffingly terms them, & that it had this Passage in it, That if any Person had (as he thought) a Command from God, to do any thing, or put forth

any thing in print, he must come, and lay it before the Body, and AS THEY JUDGE, THEY MUST SUBMIT, (p. 18.) querying, If this was not an Arbitrary Government, bound by no Law, but what G. F. and a few more please? and affirming, That it was much disliked there. This we under-written say, and that in God's Fear, who are Men well known in that Place, that we know of no such Paper, so sign'd or sent; Consequently there could not be any such passage: Neither was it possible that we should dislike it, unless we should dislike what was not. So that five great and manifest Lyes meet in these few Lines. (1.) That there was such a Letter. (2.) That it had that Passage in it. (3.) That Twelve of the Great-ones, as he reproachfully calls them, sign'd it. (4.) That it was disliked: And Lastly, that he remembers all this. He that can remember things that never were, may be reasonably supposed to make those things: It shows his Malice to invent, and great Wickedness to affirm such Invention for very Truth: God will plead with this Traducer of the Innocent, in a Day when he shall not escape his Indignation. This is our true Testimony for the Clearing God's Truth and People.

• Henry Stout,
• Nicholas Lucas,
• Richard Martin.

I Perceiving the Wicked Design of this obscure Author of the Spirit of the HAT, is not only to bring a Reproach upon Christ's Government and good Order among us his People, as Tyrannical and Oppressive to tender Consciences, (which is an abominable Slander) but also to sow▪ Discord among us; I must signifie this to the World, that his Work is neither of Credit nor Effect with me, or us. For (1) he hath manifested himself to be a Belialite, or a Son of Belial, without a Yoke, and without the Bounds of Truth and Good Order; so that for him the Spirit of Ranterism is more proper and signifi∣cant,

then the Spirit of the Hat; however he makes that his Cover. (2) He is deeply a Partaker not of the least of those seven Abo∣minations Prov. 6. 17, 18. 19. Being guilty of a Lying Tongue; an Heart that deviseth wicked Imaginations; and is a false Witness that speaketh Lyes; and one that soweth (or rather would sow) Discord among Brethren: And wherein he attempts it between me and that upright Man of God G. F. I tell him, and the World, That his Bait and Wicked Device shall not take with me, since the Lord in Mercy hath opened my Understanding, to see beyond Prejudice and Darkness, upon which the Adversary of Mankind seeks occasion to Divide and Scatter where God hath Gathered and United: And the occasion that this Son of Be∣lial, and Spirit of Ranterism takes wickedly, to represent me and G. F. to the World, as divided; was a Mistake that I was un∣der, and an unadvised Expression privately spoken, which did reflect upon the holy Zeal of that Man of God; which when I came to see, it was my Burthen; and the Lord's Reproof I own'd on that; and to his Testimony and Judgment I stand against that Spirit of Prejudice, which did in dayes past weaken and vail my Understanding, while I stood not in the Unity of his Ministers and People, in which State the Life and Refreshments in the Body were not partaken of, as now felt thorow the Lord's Love which hath reached my Soul, and engaged my Heart to himself and People, not in any thing to offend, but to watch against the Dis-uniting Spirit, and to live in Union with the Church of Christ, whose Light is sprung up and arisen out of Ob∣scurity, Praises to our God for ever; for whom I stand a Wit∣ness, in my Measure, against all loose disobedient Spirits, Backsli∣ders & Ranters, and against that disorderly irreverent Carriage of keeping on the Hat in publick Prayer, and the dis-uniting Spirit that sought to set it up & impose it among us, which, when it could not car∣ry one its Design, but was opposed by the Power of God ••mong us, it cryed out, Oh! Imposition upon Conscience, Pope, Arbitrary Government; Rule without to lead us from the Movings of God's Spi∣rit, Rule and Government of Christ within; as this Apostate, who one while pleads Conscience; another while, the Spirit's Requi∣rings; another while, a further Dispensation; another while,

the Rule and Light within; another while, the great Charter of Liberty: And what for? What's the great Matter and Drift of the Business, but for keeping on his Hat in Publick Prayer? But in pag. 24. he confesseth, They keep it neither off nor on, upon a Religious account; which is a manifest Contradiction to the former; which being read together amount to this sense (or as if he should say) I keep on my Hat in publick Prayer on the Ac∣count of Conscience, at the Requirings of the Spirit, Light and Rule with∣in, &c. but not upon a Religious Account. Oh monstrous Work! Ir∣religious, and void of both Conscience and Spirit, and yet pretend both as the Main Stress of his Work. By this the Inge∣nuous Reader may see his gross Hypocrisie in pretending Con∣science, and the Spirit of God for that, which he hath no Reli∣gion in▪ And while he pretends to be a Deep Mourner in Israel, pag. 44. he is Reviling and bringing forth evil Reports against the Lord's People, as one that will both Bite and Whine; who falsly accused the Body with the same Spirit of Reproach being entered, that is in the Papists; because of the Phrase [Spirit of the Hat, or Hat▪ men] (though it be confirm'd in the Title of his Pamphlet) and yet his tender Conscience will serve him Scornfully and Reproachfully to call our Unity (which is the Unity of the Spirit profest by us) The Foxoman Unity: Oh for∣did Hypocrisie and Scorn! This is he that is against the Spirit of Reproach, and Names of that tendence; and yet can thus Re∣proachfully Nick-name our Unity.

And whereas this pretended deep Mourner in Israel would ap∣pear very Zealous for the People called Quakers, as in the begin∣ning; but now in the current of his Work charge them or the Body with a great Apostacy, Tyranny, Persecution, Violence, &c. and therein would be lookt upon both as a Master Controller and Judge over them; as also to be a Quaker, standing in his first Pu∣rity, both as to his Life and Principles, viz. For Christ's Govern∣ment, Guidance of his Spirit, Light Within as the only Rule, &c.

Let it be considered how the Quakers were at first treated, and his Pamphlet now received and embraced by their open E∣nemies and Persecutors; the Quakers were Persecuted and

Reviled by the World, by whom his Pamphlet, is own'd and cry'd up as an Ingenious Pi••••e, and he as an Ingenious Quaker, even by the Envious▪ Dippers, and others, who are of a Perse∣cuting spirit, who are of the World, by whose Slanderous Tongues and Pens the Quakers are Persecuted and Reviled: ••o that this pretended Mourrer is no real Quaker; but appears plain∣ly to be one of those Antichrists, who are of the World, and whom the World heareth, and applaudeth for his Envious Work against the Quakers. And seeing that some Anabaptists and Socinians own his Pamphlet in the Publication and Spreading of it, and cry it up as such an Ingenious siece: We charge ma∣nifest Contradiction upon them, in their opposing the Spirit or Light of Christ Within as the Rule, which this Mourner▪ owns in words; unless they Recant of their opposing this In∣ward Rule, and acknowledge themselves to be real Primitive Quakers, only opposing the Body of us as Apostates; and here∣upon we challenge them to be ingenuous, and not to shuffle; but be plain, and tell us, Whether this shall be the Matter in Con∣troversie? or, whether they really own, what they publish of this kind against us? if they do not, then what they do, will the more appear to be of meer Malice and Revenge. And as for this Author, We challenge him to signifie his Name, if he dare stand by his Work in this Spirit of the Hat? otherwise, let the World judge, how Infamously he has notified several Per∣sons by Name, and yet dare not appear, nor discover his own.

We can manifest him guilty of many gross Lyes and Forgeries in his Pamphlet, more then we have mentioned, both against particular Persons, and the Body in general; who be∣ing a Vagabond from Christ's Light, Government and Order▪ he is one of them that despise Government, while he asperseth those Helps and Governments that Christ hath set up in his Church, which hath Power to mark, abstain from, and reject all such Contentious and Disorderly Walkers, of which number the Author of the Spirit of the Hat is, and so do warn him to Re∣pentance; as also exhort him to the Calling-in that Envious Letter, or Book, called, The Spirit of the HAT, and commit

it ••o the Fire, and send forth into the World from an Honest 〈…〉〈…〉 Denyal of the same, in a due Acknowledgment of the Evil of his so doing, that so, if possible, he may find Mercy from the Lord, whose Name, Truth and People he hath disho∣nour'd, and so appears not one (though he pretends to it) of the Principle and Practice of the People of God called Qua∣kers, whose Work, Travel and Service is for the Prosperity of the Truth, and not against it, as his hath been.

William Gosnell

THE END.