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B23048
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A testimony concerning George Russel who dyed a prisoner upon truth's account for bearing his testimouy [sic] against tythes.
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Ford, Robert, of Devonshire.; Batt, Jasper, d. 1702. aut
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1680
(1680)
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Wing F1474
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8,610
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13
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his Face and Bowing their Knees Revilingly Worshipped him and some smote him with the Palms of their Hands saying Prophecy now whom it is that smiteth thee gave him Vineger to drink mingled with Gall and thus Scoffing at him and wagging their Heads said He saved others let him now save himself If he be the Son of God let him now come down from the Cross who was Crucified between two Thieves And all this was done unto him that they might to the uttermost as much as in them lay Trample under Contemn and Despise his Glory So that the Saying of the Prophet was fulfilled as it s written He was Oppressed and he was Afflicted yet he opened not this Mouth He is brought as a Lamb to the Slaughter and as a Sheep before her Shearers is Dumb so he openeth not his Mouth He hath poured out his Soul unto Death and was numbered with the Transgressors as many of the Innocent Servants of Christ in some respect have been and are now in this Age and Generation accounted as Evil-doers numbered with Transgressors of the Law Seditious Stubborn Rebellious People Plotters and Contrivers of Insurrections and such like brought before the Magistrates of the Nation and as such by some of them they have been Fined and their Goods Spoiled their Bodies Imprisoned and cast into stinking Goals with Thieves Murderers and other Malefactors and many of them have there lain and suffered Imprisonment till Death for Truth's-sake and good Conscience-sake both towards God and Man And of all which slanderous Accusations that they have thus falsly charged them with the God of Heaven beareth them Record and his Light in all Consciences doth testifie that they are a Harmless Innocent People clear from all such things Oh! that the Magistrates and People of this Nation would but consider Oh! that they would but lay it to heart a little what happened soon afterward unto that People and Nation the Jews who in that day Abused the Servants and Messengers of Truth concerning whom Christ said It shall be better for such that a Mill-stone were hanged about their Necks and that they were cast into the Sea and drowned than that they should offend one of thâ—se little Ones and also who Crucified Christ the Prince of Life and Glory despising him said We will not have this Man to Rule over us he shall not be our King away with him Crucifie him Release unto us Barrabas as much as to say Let Thieves Murderers and other Malefactors have their Liberty and be set Free before him secure him let him not go Punish him severely by the Law take his Life from him he is a Blasphemer he ought to dye who indeed was the Son of God and an Innocent man Holy Harmless Separate from Sâ—n whose Life and Conversation among the Jews in Righteousness did shine and was without Spot Pure and Clean in whose Heart there was found no Deceit and in whose Mouth there was found no Guile and yet all this was done unto that Just One who in the Sence and Fore-sight of his Enemies Misery and that Calamity which was coming upon them having Bowels of Pity and Compassion tenderly Weeped and Lamented over them as it s written O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that Killest the Prophets Abusest and Stonest them that are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy Children together even as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her Wings and ye would not behold your House is left unto you Desolate Oh! if thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy day the things which belong to thy Peace but now they are hid from thine Eyes now thy Day is over now the time of thy Visitation is past now thy Judgment is at hand Oh! thou Foolish People and Nation who didst Reject Despise and Wonder now thou art nigh to Perishing And may it not be said concerning some in the same Spirit of Lamentation which he hath poured forth in these Latter-dayes upon his Sons and Daughters and he being ascended up on High and leading Captivity Captive hath made them Partakers of in and by which it may be said Oh foolish People of this Nation Perverse and Unwise ye who have been Fighters against God and Opposers of his Truth ye who have Rejected his Light and Resisted his Grace that bringeth Salvation which to all men hath appeared ye who have despised the Truth and wondered at the Appearance of it ye who have Slighted Reviled Imprisoned and Abused the Servants and Professors of it May you not fear that ye are nigh unto Perishing that your Calamity is at hand May you not dread that the Day of your Visitation is over and that Distress and Trouble as a Whirlewind is coming upon you May you not fear that your Habitations and goodly Scituations may be laid Waste your Houses may be left unto you Desolate and that your End may be Everlasting Misery Oh ye foolish People not desiring the Truth not willing to be gathered for accordingly the thing came to pass upon the Jews as it was said by Christ in the dayes of his Flesh unto whom all Judgment is committed and given both in Heaven and in Earth who shall judge both Quick and Dead as it s written and who changeth not but is the same still yesterday to day and for evermore who will come speedily and his Reward is with him to recompence every man according to his Deeds and according to his Works Mercy to whom Mercy belongs and Judgment to whom Judgment is due Fury to his Enemies and Vengeance upon the Heads of his Adversaries as it s written Judgment is mine I will Recompence and Vengeance is mine I will Repay saith the Lord. This is written in Love to Truth and the Souls of Men by one who desireth that Truth and Righteousness may enter and that Justice and Equity may take place more and more in the Hearts of many People in this Nation and else-where who am known to some by the Name of Written about the 8th of the 3d Moneth 1680. Robert Ford. The Testimony of Jasper Batt for GEORGE RVSSEL I Have well known the said George Russel for more than twenty years past and since my Knowledge of him I have this Testimony for him That in the general he was a man of an Honest Harmless Conversation towards all men loving his Neighbour as himself and willing to do to all men as he would they should do unto him he received Truth in the Love of it he was a man of a very Tender Spirit being often melted into Tears in the sense of the Lord's Presence and Love of God towards him and made it his Concern in his Capacity to gather bring others to the Knowledge Enjoyment of the same Love often visiting his Neighbours and Acquaintance inviting and perswading them to accept of and not to neglect the Day of their Visitation putting them in mind of their Latter-end and Day of Account inviting and calling upon his Neighbours and Friends as Opportunity might be had to come and hear the Declaration of Truth freely giving up himself and all that he had for its Service it being the Joy of his Heart to obtain an Opportunity to be serviceable to the Lord and his People and to Receive and Entertain the Lord's Servants especially such whom the Lord sent forth as Labourers in his Vineyard and the Lord's Blessing in all was with him for he saw Truth 's Prosperity and many of his Acquaintance brought to the Knowledge of it He was faithful in his Testimony against the False Worships and Vain Customs of the World and in particular against that great Oppression of TYTHES wherein his Concern was but small having but a small Estate as to the outward and though the Matter was but small on that account required of him yet he chose rather to lay down his Life a Prisoner than to make shipwrack of a good Conscience And I cannot well omit the taking notice of the Sottish Cruelty and Desperate Hardness of his Adversary not often to be parallell'd who not regarding his Age of Eighty Three Years his Weakness which usually attends such Old Age the Smallness of the Sum required or that by their Law might be due viz. Seven or Eight Shillings nor the Ground or Cause of his Refusal to pay it which was only for Good Conscience sake of which he could not make Shipwrack for all the Riches of this World however it seems such was the Hard-hearted Cruelty of this Adversary as being of that Generation whose Tender Mercies are Cruel he resolved to have his Tythes or his Life But honest G. R. chose rather to lay down this Mortal Life than hazard the Loss of Everlasting Life He was a man greatly satisfied in the Love of God towards him and in the Prosperity of the Lord's Work and of a very Contented and Chearful Life and Conversation even living above Visible Things I was with him in the time of his late Imprisonment where though he was weak and feeble of Body lying on the Bed yet he manifested great Joy and Gladness of Spirit rejoycing in the Goodness and Love of God towards him saying It was never better with him And so having sealed his Testimony with his Life his Memorial is blessed and his innocent harmless Life his tender melting Spirit and the often appearance of the Springs of Life in him and the precious Fellowship which therein we enjoyed with him still yields a good Savour to many of the Lord 's Faithful Ones which are left behind and is fresh in our Remembrance and though dead herein he yet lives amongst us and we refresht in the sense and feeling thereof And so let his Name stand recorded amongst the Noble Army of the Lamb's Followers as one of them who loved not his Life to the Death and hath overcome through Sufferings by the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of his Testimony and is now with the Lord's Redeemed Ones on Mount Sion where there is an End of Sorrow and Suffering and all Tears are wip't away and where everlasting Praises and Halelujah Honour Dominion and Thanksgiving are sounded forth and returned to the Lord and to the Lamb who was dead and is alive who sits upon the Throne and lives and raigns over all forever and for evermore Amen The 22th of the 4th Moneth 1680. Jasper Batt THE END
A TESTIMONY CONCERNING George Russel Who Dyed a Prisoner upon Truth 's account for bearing his Testimony against TYTHES Together with a Few Lines once more after many by way of Information Caution and Warning unto all Persecutors from the Example of the Jews To beware what they do how they persist and go on in such Practices lest the Judgments of the Just God take hold on them and there be none to deliver out of his Hand For certainly he will arise ere long in his Anger and plead his own Cause in the Earth and then he will ease himself of his Adversaries and be avenged upon his Enemies These to all People may inform THat George Russel of the Parish of Burliscombe in the County of Devon being Aged about Eighty Three Years whose Body is now Rescued by the God of Heaven and Earth from the Envy and Rage of his Cruel Persecutors and as concerning him that Testimony is now finished his Soul being gathered unto God and to the Spirits of Just Men who formerly suffered he now sleepeth and is at Rest with them where the Wicked cease from troubling and where the Weary be at Rest where the Prisoners Rest together they hear not the Voice of the Oppressor He for Conscience sake in Obedience to the Commands of Christ refusing to pay Tythes to one William Chamberline alias Luckly of the same Parish Tythemenger for about one Acre and of Wheat the Tythe of which is valued to be worth about 7 s. was subpaened into the Exchequer and for not Appearing a Writ was taken out against him to attach and imprison his Body in the Name of one Anne Jones Widow of Greencham in the Parish of Ashbritle and County of Somerset Impropriator of the Tythe of Burliscombe aforesaid And about the 17th day of the 4th moneth 1679. his Body was attached and committed unto Prison in Thomas Parish in Exon where he remained a Prisoner about seven or eight Weeks in which time of his being there some Friend of his considering his Age and perceiving the Weakness of his Body in tender Love and Respect to him he being several Miles distant from his Children who should take Care of him as Age and Weakness doth require thought good to seek his Releasment which was accordingly obtained But the Adversary not regarding his Age Weakness nor the Ground of his detaining Tythe which was only for Conscience sake nor the Smalness of the Sum demanded to be due which if G. R. had paid he must make Shipwrack of a Good Conscience and Peace with God in much Hardness of Heart by this Adversary the Action was again revived and another Attachment came forth and his Body was apprehended and carryed unto Prison upon the 11th of the 12th moneth 1679. and there he remained Prisoner about eleaven Weeks having some Liberty from the Keeper to be without the Keys until the Second day of the 3d Moneth 1680. and then it being the First day of the Week in the Morning Weakness coming on much upon him so that before any could send for his Children to come unto him he gave up the Ghost and Peaceably Dyed as many Hearts are perswaded in the Love and Favour of God yielding up his Spirit unto him that gave it there being present with him at that time another Friend by Name Robert Welch who hath been also in the Sheriff Custody a Prisoner several Years and still remaineth there upon the Account of Tythes And now his Body being removed from off the Earth and his Bed made in the Dust his Life shall Reign in Dominion over the Hearts of his Adversaries And by Death he having Overcome and gotten Victory over them all through Christ who hath strengthened him and having thus Suffered for him shall undoubtedly Reign with him in that Glory at the Right Hand of God where with the Son was Glorified with the Father from the Beginning where the Destroying Persecuting Spirit shall never come And his Testimony to the Truth against Tythes he having thus suffered in Prison till Death for it hath as it were in some sence sealed it with his Blood and it shall stand as a Memorial and standing Testimony recorded to Ages and Generations to come against and over all the Heads of such Persecuting Priests Impropriators and Tythemongers whatsoever who endeavour to make void the Law of Christ and the Gospel of Christ and who walk contrary to him and are not found treading in his Foot-steps nor in the Foot-steps of the Flock viz. his Disciples and the Primitive Christians who received not Tythes neither Sued any man at the Law nor cast any in Prison for the not Payment thereof But otherwise their Lord and Master Christ commanded them saying As ye go Preach saying the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand c. Mat. 3.2 Freely ye have received freely give freely minister of the Ability God hath given to you whether things Spiritual or Temporal as also saith the Apostle And further saith Christ Into whatsoever City Town or House ye come inquire who is Worthy and if they receive you well let your Peace then rest upon it and in the same House remain eating and drinking such things as they give for the Labourer is worthy of his Hire Go not from House to House But if they receive you not What then Shake off the Dust of your Shoes that cleaveth to your Feet as a Testimony against them and it shall be saith Christ more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the Day of Judgment than for that City Luke 10.8 9 10 11 12. as more largely in the Scriptures may be read So all may see how contrary such are in Life and Conversation in Work and Practice to the Doctrine of Christ and to the practice of the Primitive Christians though they pretend themselves to be Christians who take and plunder away by a Law the Goods of innocent sober People and who cast in Prison their Bodies and many times detain them there till Death But certainly this will not serve their turn in the Day of Account when God shall Judge the secrets of all Hearts their Law then will not stand them by in any stead to appease or pacify the Anger and Wrath of God that will break forth upon such if they Repent not neither will it excuse them for their Cruelty in the sight of God no more than did that Law which the wicked Jews made use of to crucifie Christ by who thought they did well in putting him to Death cryed out and said We have a Law and by our Law he ought to dye Crucifie him Crucifie him let his Blood be upon us and upon our Children But some may say What Law had they A Law given by Moses the Servant of God Lev. 24.16 And he that blasphemeth the Name of the Lord shall surely be put to Death Now the chief Priests and Elders falsly accusing Christ said he was a Blasphemer Why Because said they he hath made himself the