Yetthebattlethatcostthemmostwoundswasprobablythatwhichtheyfoughtindefenseoftheirownrighttosocialveracityandsincerityintheirthee-ingandthou-ing，innotdoffingthehatorgivingtitlesofrespect。ItwaslaidonGeorgeFoxthattheseconventionalcustomswerealieandasham，andthewholebodyofhisfollowersthereuponrenouncedthem，asasacrificetotruth，andsothattheiractsandthespirittheyprofessedmightbemoreinaccord。
“WhentheLordsentmeintotheworld。”saysFoxinhisJournal，“heforbademetoputoffmyhattoany，highorlow：andIwasrequiredto’thee’and’thou’allmenandwomen，withoutanyrespecttorichorpoor，greatorsmall。AndasItraveledupanddown，IwasnottobidpeopleGood-morningorGood-evening，neithermightIboworscrapewithmylegtoanyone。Thismadethesectsandprofessionsrage。Oh！theragethatwasinthepriests，magistrates，professors，andpeopleofallsorts：andespeciallyinpriestsandprofessors：forthough’thou’toasinglepersonwasaccordingtotheiraccidenceandgrammarrules，andaccordingtotheBible，yettheycouldnotbeartohearit：
andbecauseIcouldnotputoffmyhattothem，itsetthemallintoarage……Oh！thescorn，heat，andfurythatarose！Oh！
theblows，punchings，beatings，andimprisonmentsthatweunderwentfornotputtingoffourhatstomen！Somehadtheirhatsviolentlypluckedoffandthrownaway，sothattheyquitelostthem。Thebadlanguageandevilusagewereceivedonthisaccountishardtobeexpressed，besidesthedangerweweresometimesinoflosingourlivesforthismatter，andthatbythegreatprofessorsofChristianity，whotherebydiscoveredtheywerenottruebelievers。Andthoughitwasbutasmallthingintheeyeofman，yetawonderfulconfusionitbroughtamongallprofessorsandpriests：but，blessedbetheLord，manycametoseethevanityofthatcustomofputtingoffhatstomen，andfelttheweightofTruth’stestimonyagainstit。”
IntheautobiographyofThomasElwood，anearlyQuaker，whoatonetimewassecretarytoJohnMilton，wefindanexquisitelyquaintandcandidaccountofthetrialsheunderwentbothathomeandabroad，infollowingFox’scanonsofsincerity。Theanecdotesaretoolengthyforcitation；butElwoodsetsdownhismanneroffeelingaboutthesethingsinashorterpassage，whichIwillquoteasacharacteristicutteranceofspiritualsensibility：——