him a Prisoner with the rest of his Friends whom he came in kindness to visit and continued a Prisoner two years and a half and then it pleased the Lord so to order it contrary to expectation that VVilliam was released with the rest of his Friends from their long Imprisonments by the King's Letters Patents in the 8 th monh called October 1672. And in the time of his Imprisonment on Excomunicat ' capiendo Ralph VVhistler and his Servants in the Harvest time took away VVilliam's Corn in the Field what they pleased somtimes a whole Land of Corn together after it was cut down upon the account of Tyths and at several times after a scambling manner so that the value thereof which in that two years and a halfs time was taken away in Corn could not easily be computed But VVilliam being again out of Prison and through the blessing of Almighty God had a little increased his Stock Ralph VVhistler pretending that the former Execution was not yet Levied upon the 24 th day of the 1 st month 1673 4 he sent John Button a Bayliff and VVilliam Robins Assistant of VVallingford who seized on and drove away 4 Cows and 3 Horses which were valued to be worth 27 l. And the 28 â—… day of the same month VVilliam having borrowed a Horse for he could not keep any of his own his Man was drawing a Cart and Wheels with the Horse in VVallingford street where Moses Slade the under Sheriff laid violent hands on the man and took the Cart and Wheels away from him which were judged to be worth four Pound Again VVilliam having bought some more Horses to Plow withal it being about or in the Seed-time could not well be without supposing by that time surely Ralph VVhistler was satisfied but the 13 th day of the 3 d. month 1674 John Button the Bayliff took away from VVilliam's Servant out of his Team two Colts with their Harness on which were judged to be worth 9 l. upon the former Execution as they pretended So that for two years Tyth demanded at 4 l. 10 s. a year which came to 9 l. these cruel and unreasonable men for so they have made their actions to render them to all that shall take a view thereof took away and sold as much Cattle viz. Cows Horses Hoggs and other good and wearing-cloaths from VVilliam Dobson as was worth 78 l. which was about eight times the single value that Ralph VVhistler demanded which is very unreasonable and will surely be a blot and bring a line of reflection and that justly too upon him and his Posterity though thereby he might think to increase his Riches 't is well if it prove not as a Canker in his Estate as to some others such gain has proved which by Oppression is heaped together And the memory of such unneighbourly proceedings will remain upon Record when Ralph VVhistler is gone to his Grave and the Lord if it be his Will forgive him and lay not this to his charge in that day when God shall open the Book of every mans Conscience and give righteous Judgment to every man according to their Deeds done in these Bodies whether they are Good or Evil. But to return again to the matter that 's yet behind In the beginning of the 3 d. month 1675 VVilliam being then at Liberty was served with a Subpoena to appear before the Barons of the Exchecquer at the Suit of Ralph VVhistler and about the middle of the month following he was arrested by VVilliam Child Bayliff with the Sheriff's Warrant but through the Sheriff's means was not sent to Goal until the beginning of the 7 th month called September at which time the Goaler sent for him to Prison and after a little time VVilliam with 20 morâ— of his Friends that were then Prisoners were by the Goaler Johâ— Tharp shut up in two very close Wards over the Dungeon where thâ— Felons lay sick of the Small-pox and one of them dying in the Dungeoâ— with that Distemper John Thorp caused the Muckle and nausty Straw whereon the Felon dyed which was in a very sad and loathsom condition to look upon to be burnt there in the Dungeon underneath those Rooms where William and his Friends were shut up and thâ— Smoak and infectious Dain thereof was so offensive as is hard to expresâ— the same which seized on several besides William and the same day he and several of the others grew ill and had the Distemper and someâ— died in a short time after and William was so nigh death that few thaâ— saw him could think him a man likely to continue and was given up by those that were about him as a dying man And at that season the living Power of God as a spring of Love and Life fill'd his heart and burst ouâ— as a Stream in uttering forth many heavenly Expressions and wholsoâ— Exhortations to his Friends and Brethren to prize the Love of God anâ— to be faithful unto him signifying how good the Lord had been unto him And much more to the same effect he spoke with fervent zeal and clearness as if he had been in perfect strength to the comforting his Fellow prisoners And speaking so loud some of the Goaler's Family viz. Walter Cowdry and the Maid-servant came up into the Wards to hear and see what was the matter and when he had fixt his eyes on them he spoke very sensibly to them and also concerning John Thorp and Walter Cowdry the then Turn-key their cruelty towards him and his Friends and with great zeal he thunder'd out God's dreadful Judgments that he said would suddenly be poured out against the Goaler and his Confederates in that barbarous proceeding against the Innocent in such Wickedness and Cruelty Also signifying that the day of their visitation was near at an end And much more he spoke to that effect to the admiration of all that were present And the Goaler and his Wife are since both dead But it pleased Almighty God with whom all things are possible that after a long time of weakness William Dobson recovered a little strength of body and had a little Liberty to take the Air and somtimes to go to see his Family and be there to look a little over his outward concerns but remained weakly in Body and never recovered his former strength from that time And notwithstanding the Priest of the Parish of whom Ralph Whistler rented the Tyth was dead and Whistler off from the Bargain of renting it and had counted with the Priest before he dyed and abated to the Priest what he valued the Tyth of William's Farm to be worth Yet Ralph Whistler kept him a Prisoner for non-payment thereof to â—is dying day though he owed him nothing which said William in his â—ife-time is a further manifestation of Ralph Whistler's cruelty and unâ—easonableness in his actinggs towards him for the space of thirteen years because for the space of thirteen years he could not for Conscience-sake
THE Antient Testimony OF THE Primitive Christians AND MARTYRS of JESUS CHRIST Revived against TYTHES Or A RELATION of the Sufferings of WILLIAM DOBSON of Slade-end in the Parish of BRIGHTWELL in BARKSHIRE because for Conscience-sake he could not pay Tythes unto RALPH WHISTLER Tyth-monger of the same Parish And for Thirteen Years was much Exercised by Imprisonment and loss of Goods And the last Day of the 3 d. Month call'd May 1677. Dyed a Prisoner for the same To which is anexed A short Account of the Sufferings of Michael Reynolds of FARRINGDON in the same County because he could not for Conscience-sake pay TYTHES to ROBERT PYE. Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for Us in the Flesh Arm your selves likewise witâ— the same mind For he that hath suffered in the Flesh ceased from Sin For the time paâ—… of our Life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles when we walked in wantonness Lusts Drunkenness and abominable Idolatries wherein they think it strange thaâ— you run not with them to the same Excess of Ryot speaking evil of You who shall give account to him that is ready to Judge the Quick and the Dead 1. Pet. 4.1,2,3,4,5 Having a good Conscience that whereas they speak evil of You as of Evil Doers theâ— may be ashamed that falsly accuse your good Conversation in Christ 1 Pet. 3.16 He that oppresseth the Poor to increase his Riches shall surely come to want LONDON Printed in the Year MDCLXXX To the Moderate READER FRIEND HOw great have been the Sufferings that many honest men yea such as truly feared the Lord and hated Covetousness have sustained and undergone and what spoil and havock have been made upon many peoples Goods within this 25 years and some have died in nasty Goals and Prisons whereby their VVives have been made VVidows and their Children left Fatherless Because they could not for Conscience-sake pay Tythes to Parish Ministers and Impropriators which is all one in the ground as hath been plainly manifested by many Testimonies that have been published which are extant in Print thaâ— Tythes as they are now forced and paid are Antichristian though there waâ— a time under the Law in which the Levitical Priesthood had a command tâ— receive Tythes of their brethren But after Christ Jesus came in the Flesh aâ—… was offered up which fulfilled the Law and first Covenant and put aâ— end to that Priesthood VVe find no President in the Holy-Scriptures of tâ—… New-Testament for the payment of Tythes but the contrary as may be sâ—… Heb. 7th chap. and so forward where the Apostle speaks much concerniâ—… the first Covenant Priesthood and Offerings appertaining thereunto aâ—… saith he The Priesthood being changed there is made of necessity â— change of the Law and so goes on speaking of Christ Jesus the one offâ—ring and everlasting High-Priest to them that believe as is largly treaâ—ed on there which the Reader may do well to peruse who desires satisfactioâ— therein And although the Children of Levi which received the office of that Priesâ—hood had a command to take according to the Law Tythes of their Brâ—thren yet we do not find they sued men at Law and took three times the valuâ— or ten times the value of such as refused to pay as some do now adays wâ—… can have no reasonable pretence to be of the Tribe of Levi but rather of thâ—… whom the Lord sent his Prophets to cry against who preached for hire aâ—… sought for their gain from their Quarter and cryed Peace Peace to such 〈◊〉 put into their mouths and them that put not into their mouths they preparâ—… VVar against as it is at this day And Christ Jesus when he sent forth his Ministers to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom to heal the Sick cleanse the Leapers c. He bid them provide neither Gold nor Silver nor Brass in their Purses But freely ye have received freely give To preach freely the Gospel to all Nations and he that sent them out provided for them so that they wanted nothing And the great care of the true Ministers of Christ was that they might not make the Gospel chargable but rather wrought with their hands They did not settle themselves in large Benifices and make a bargain with the People for so much a year to be their Minister or Sue People for Maintainance but witnessed against such an hireling Ministry and their forced Maintainance also whose Testimony the Lord hath again revived The Martyrs likewise many of them did bear Testimony against Tythes and it was an Article amongst others for which some suffered in the burning Flames by the merciless Papists in Queen Maries days worthy of the remembrance of all true Christian Protestants So it is no new thing that the People of the Lord called Quakers have suffered so deeply for but the ancient Testimony to the Coming Death and Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ which they that plead for Tythes in this Gospel-day do in effect deny And as for our Friend William Dobson deceased we have this to say That his Neighbours and Country-men yea his very Enemies can tell he was an honest man a peacable quiet man And many who for many years were fellow Prisoners with him in Redding Goal can testifie from a certain knowledge if need were much concerning his Integrity to the Lord and his blessed Truth for he loved the Prosperity thereof and was a zealous Contender for the same a very plain man and of a quiet frame of Spirit very cheerful and loving and not given to change and in all his Exercises and Sufferings we never heard him in the least to murmur or complain but always freely given up in his Testimony for the unchangable truth wherein he was concerned being very well satisfied therein This in short is written not desiring to multiply Expressions in praise of our Friend but proceed to give an account of his Sufferings for the Truth sake and leave it upon Record to Posterity Published by some of the People called Quakers in Redding who were his Fellow-prisoners for many years THE Antient TESTIMONY OF THE Primitive CHRISTIANS And Martyrs of JESUS CHRIST Revived against Tyths c. IN the year 1664 which was not long after it pleased the Lord to reveal his truth and way everlasting unto William Dobson he was arrested because he conscientiously refus'd to pay Tythes at the Suit of R. Whistler and in the month called October was had to Redding Goal and kept 15 weeks and then some related to him without his knowledge paid R. W. his Demands and so was released for that time But the next year he was arrested again at R. W's Suit for Tythes and had to Redding Goal in the 11 month 1665 and kept there near 15 weekâ— and then was removed to Westminster London and made a Prisoner at the Fleet and in a short time after brought before the Court in Westminster where he was falsly accused with