can truly say he was Dear and Pretious unto me one whom I had true comfort in and refreshment by him in our converse together one of the valiants of Israel I may say he was that never turned his back but stood Faithful and Valiant for the living Truth upon the Earth and was a great incourager of all that made profession of the blessed Truth to be Faithful to the Lord and true in their Testimony thereunto as he had time and opportunity Oh! what shall I say my Soul lov'd him dearly he was a true Friend of mine in the time of my Exercise his true care and many tender visits of which I have many times been a partaker the very remembrance hereof makes my heart tender before the Lord and even pray unto him that he would raise up many living Testimony bearers for the Propagation of his ever lasting Truth for which this my entirely beloved Friend and Brother did labour without Weariness and Travel without Fainting in his day Oh! wherewithal shall I take up a Lamentation sufficient for the loss or removal of so near a Friend or amply demonstrate the tender Affection that ever lived in my heart since the time I was first acquainted with him howbeit in this is my Spirit comforted and my Soul hath cause to praise the Lord on his behalf that is to say The true sence and consideration of his unfeigned and innocent life together with his blessed and comfortable departure a few hours before which I was with him and we were truly refreshed together by the same heart-tendring power which hath often consolated our Spirits in the daies that are past And further this Testimony lives in my heart that the Lord hath given him a Mansion in the fulness of Joy and set a Crown of Rejoycing upon his head where all tears are wiped away and sorrow ended where he shall sing praises to the everlasting God who sits upon the Throne and the Lamb who is eternally worthy to be glorified for evermore Amen Anne Camm Cammsgill 30 of 3 Mo. 1687. Thomas Camm his Testimony concerning Robert Widders IT was no doubt the serious Observation of a good man of Old and therefore recommended unto others that is to say to mark the Upright man especially his latter end because it is blessedly accompanied with peace notwithstanding that in his Pilgrimage here he may meet with many troubles and deep exercises yet the Lord his God delivereth out of all of whose faithfulness our dear deceased Friend and Brother was a living witness For tho in his time he met with manifold Troubles and great Sufferings for the Truths sake that he had received in the love thereof and did bear a Faithful Testimony unto being like upright Joseph of Old sorely shot at yet his bow still abode in strength his Arms being made strong by the Mighty God of Jacob in whose power his Faith stood firm unto the end without either â—ainting or wavering a good Example to all that knew him And the Memory thereof will live and be of good savour to Ages to come For the Righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance It is not with me to enter into the particulars of his Sufferings but to leave that to others more capable Yet having known him this thirty four years ever since the Lord visited us with his Gospel day that sprung from on high and broke forth as a Morning without Clouds which he with the first in these parts received with great Joy and gladness of heart and in this time have I known most of his Sufferings both by way of Imprisonment and the great spoil of his Goods both for his Noble Testimony against the Antichristian Yoke of Tythes and for Meeting with the Lord 's innocent People to worship the eternal God. I shall in a general way say That his sufferings exceeded most that I know being several times stript of much that was within the reach of the wicked Spoilers But as his Sufferings and Troubles exceeded so also did his Christian Constancy and Valour well may he be called one of the Valiants of God's Israel O the Nobility the Zeal the Courage and resignedness of his Spirit into the Will of God in his greatest exercises which fully demonstrated his love to the Truth and his regard to the blessed Testimony thereof hath often affected my Spirit for I never saw him in the least dejected or concerned when his Cattle Corn and Household Goods was as it were by Wholesale swept away But as one that knew well for what he suffered and enjoyed the sweetness of an eternal Rew 〈…〉 in heavenly I reasure in an hundred sold here together with 〈…〉 of a lassing Crown in Eternity Could and had 〈…〉 to be as chearful and well content in the want of those 〈◊〉 things as in the abounding thereof which he through the 〈…〉 ing of Almighty God had had a large share in yet like upright Job he blessed God that gave and also permitted them to be taken away I cannot but with affection remember his frequent expressions in dircourse of our or other Friends Sufferings as also mention some of them that is to say It is well with all that suffer for Truth 's Cause they are blessed they enjoy peace There is nothing that hath come but there hath been need for it and a service in it for all our Sufferings worketh together for our good and Gods glory and the remainder of the wrath of man will be restrained c. And as his Nobility and Courage was exemplary and of service to many so also was his care and counsel so that many have cause to bless the Lord on the behalf thereof I may also add to the Nobility of his Spirit great Gravity mixed with a Lamb-like innocency which was as a garment of Praise upon him and made him right lovely in the eyes of the upright together with his sound judgment clear discerning and savour whereby a perfect distinction was made betwixt things of contrary natures tho under one name or likeness And as he was tender to cherish every appearance of good yet sharp and piercing was his Testimony against all wickedness and deceit so that it was hard for workers of Iniquity or Hypocrites to stand before him being filled with indignation against all false-heartedness deceit and hypocrisie But his very soul was bound up with the upright in heart and his Joy made full in the Faithful to Truths Testimony And now the Lord whom beloved above all and feared above the wrath of Man and faithfully served in his day hath given him a Crown of Glory and a blessed portion in the rest that remains sure for the People of God where his manifold sufferings are come to an end his sorrows ceased and all tears for ever wiped from his eyes being ascended far above the reach of the wicked one and his Persecutors where his Spirit lives with Just men made perfect in Christ our Lord and
with them is and ever will be of blessed Memory having served out his Generation and attained to a good old Age and the honorable Gray Hairs is gathered to Rest in endless Gâ—ory Amen Thomas Camm Cammsgill 6 of 4 Mo. 1687. William Hugginson his Testimony of the Life and Death of that ancient Friend and faithful Brother in the Truth as it is in Jesus Robert Widders I having had good experience and knowledge of him near Forty Years can do no less than give a short account of his Godly Life and holy Conversation he had amongst us surely he was a Man of a noble Spirit indued with a large wisdom in Heavenly things He had also a deep discerning of the Spirits of men so knew right well how to speak to their condition and that in a right Season his words being in the Lise and Power he hath left many living witnesses to speak forth the same And he was a good example in times of Tryals and Sufferings both in Body and Goods amongst us for he had a large share of both as doth appear in his own Testimony of Sufferings before written only this I can say being of the same Meeting with him and very intimate and open hearted in the things of God and well knew his care and diligence both in our quarterly monthly and particular Meetings and more especially in our great suffering time by the Informers His advice was to me and that very tenderly as one said that he became Eyes to the Blind and Legs to the Lame and many precious Exhortations proceeded out of his mouth to the refreshing and comforting of the lowest Member or hindermost of the Flook and Heritage of God. He was so tenderly affectioned that his very Life was given up to serve the Lord in his day to strengthen and to stir up the pure Spirit of God in the very lowest member so that I was and am sensible that he answered the mind and will of God and did that which was right in his Sight and laid down his Head in peace with him And now the remembrance of that great and dear love that he had to our Family often breaks my Heart into tenderenss and refresheth my Soul so that I can say my Family misseth him But to the Almighty God we must all submit to whom be Glory and praise for evermore Amen And now dear Robert thou art gone surely living with the Eternal one in that heavenly mansion of Rest and peace for evermore Amen William Hugginson Thomas Dockrey his Testimony concerning Robert Widders AS for our faithful Friend and Servant of the Lord Robert Widders He was called early of the day of God when it pleased him to visit his Seed in the North of England who in the year 1652. sent his faithful Minister and joyful Ambassadour G. F. with others to declare his Name and his Truth and his Gospel and the way of Peace Life and Salvation by Jesus Christ which indeed was the greatest joy and satisfaction to many a Soul in these parts that ever they met with who had been seeking after the Lord his peace power and presence which now many hath found and lived in and hath finished their time and course here to the laying down of their Heads in peace with God to whom be praise for ever Robert Widders owned the Truth above 34 years he was a Man zealous of mind and fervent in Spirit and true in Heart to serve the Lord God faithfully all his days after he was turned to the Lord and to his eternal Truth He was steadfast in Faith and of a sound judgment and deep discerning who visited many in Sickness of body and them that were in trouble of Conscience and had a true discerning of their spiritual conditions and could have spoken a word in season sutable to them And to those that were innocent and truly desirous after good he was loving and tender and of a chearful Countenance But to the Hypocrites and false in Heart he was sharp and threshing having the Spirit of Judgment so that his Spirit might often have been known by his Countenance But he greatly loved Unity amongst Brethren in the Spirit and power of the Lord God. And he was one that chosed rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasure of Sin and of this world for a season For as it may be seen before in this little Book he was a great Sufferer both in Imprisonment and spoiling of Goods For his Testimony to the Truth and for keeping his Conscience clear he was freely given up and faithful and true in and thorow them all well knowing that the Doctrine of Jesus was and is true Blessed are these that suffer Persecution for Righteousness sake theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven and had rather have suffered much than that the Lord and his holy Truth should be dishonoured or his people evil spoken of And now he hath finished his course and kept the Faith having lived in the Truth and dyed in the Lord Aged about sixty eight years and blessed are such for they Rest from their Labour and their Works follow them And he is gone as to his natural Life but his Spirit and Life spiritually yet remaineth and lives as He that believeth in me said Jesus hath everlasting Life And this is the will of him that sent me That every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting Life and I will raise him up at the last day And he that liveth and believeth in me shall never die And the Saints in the Apostles days had a Life hid with Christ in God who were come to the Spirits of just men made perfect to the general assembly and Church of the first-born whose Names are written in Heaven And to God the judge of all to whom all must give account and who is the just rewarder of all according to their deeds done in the Body be they good or evil And we that yet remain in the Body God Almighty keep and preserve us faithful and true to him to his Glory to the end of our days and to our eternal Peace and Felicity Amen Thomas Dockrey Thomas Jackson his Testimony of Robert Widders THis Testimony I have to give concerning our dear and faithful Friend Robert Widders He was a zealous Man and sincere for God in his day and servent in Spirit always ready and willing to serve the Lord wholly resigned thereunto in Spirit and Body and Estate and his Travels Exercises Tryals and Sufferings doth certifie ever since he was called into the work of the Lord and he was called early and indured the heat of the day And after I came into acquaintance and fellowship with him he was a Strength and Comfort to me for which I have cause to magnifie the Lord on his behalf for I was sensible of his labour of Love and care in the Church of God that it must be preserved in Unity as
that we have had together in the enjoyment of God's Power and Presence in our Spiritual exercise from time to time Within this 34 years since 〈◊〉 Lord our God brought 〈◊〉 â—o believe in his Nâ—me and maâ—◠〈…〉 whereby Redemption from the evil of the World is known and the freeing vertue of the eternal Truth witnessed And when I consider his sincerity and-zeal he was alwaies concerned for the Testimony of Jesus for the promoting of the glorious Gospel Worship and for the good of the Brotherhood in which heavenly exercise the Lord did endue him with wisdom and gave him a discerning eye and the Spirit of a sound mind and true judgment in the Authority and Dominion of which he was made bold and valiant for the Truth of God upon earth and therein was a terror to Evil-doers where eâ—er he came of all sorts as Priests hypocritical Professors and profane or Will-worshippers of any kind And if any had been overtaken with a fault as the Apostle said he would have endeavoured to have restored them with the Spirit of Meekness good Advice and sound Judgment and he would have said our God hath put us upon a Spiritual Travel and ought not to leave a Hoof in Egypt he was a a strength and encourager to the Faithful And as concerning his Travels in godly Zeal for the Truths sake both in England Scotland and some parts of America tho his Gift was not much in Declaration yet he had the word of Wisdom discerning and sound Judgment good Advice and Admonition to Friends and for the establishing them in the Faith and Truth of God where ever he came and herein the Lord prospered his Work and labour of Love in his service And he was faithful in his Testimony against Tythes the Hirling Priests and Impropriators and was a great sufferer by them And was faithful and zealous for meeting to Worship God in the Spirit and in the Truth as Christ Jesus set it up above sixteen hundred years since tho for standing his Testimony herein He was a Sufferer but in all these exercises he was valiant and stedfast and the Lord God did bear up his head and through the enjoyment of Gods power and presence he was content in every condition of a chearful mind and good example And when weakness of Body attended him and the time of his departure drew hear his love to God and good will to his Brethren filled his heart with tenderness and heavenly comfort in the feeling sence of which I with other Friends being present was made glad in the Lord on his behalf for he talked with me very sensibly within unto hours of his departing at which time I was assured he was Reodtemed from the Earth and quit of all Worldly trouble and care and in the enjoyment of the seasoning Grace and sanctifying power of God he hath ceased from his Labour and left a good savour behind him and laid down his Head in peace This being the sence and Testimony of one of his old acquaintance the blessed Truth and Unity of the peaceable Spirit of Life Robert Barrow James Taylor his Testimony of Robert Widders THis is a short but true account of the faithfulness and innocency of Robert Widders being with him some months to visit Friends both in prison and out of prison in Cheshire Darbyshire Yorkshire Bishoprick often meeting with hardships in the way it being in Winter wicked people would take up Stones and roul them in Snow and cast them at us And in all this time and travel dear Robert was still meek and harmless yet noble and valiant for the Truth of God. And I am satisfied that my faithful and well beloved Friend is entered into everlasting Rest Joy and Peace where I hope e're long to be also This is written in much weakness of Body by me James Taylor who is since Dead James Lancaster his Testimony concerning Robert Widders THis Testimony I have concerning our dear Friend and my fellow Traveller in the Service of God late deceased at his own House at Kellet in Lancashire yet lives in the Spirit in our remembrance of his works and labour of love with us in out Service all along as we travelled in the Truth soon after it appeared amongst us being well informed in our selves by a Messenger of God sent of him into our North Country calling us out of the worlds worships and forms and likenesses to the substance Jesus Christ c. his Light within Gods Covenant so came our peace made manifest within in our Hearts Souls Minds and Spirits and so came to know what did belong to our peace in that day of our Visitation from on high from God by his Light Grace and Spirit within and so were called to go to our neighbouring County called Cumberland that they might come to the same the Light of Christ Jesus within in whom and by whom we found that which we had lost in Adam in the fall thorow disobedience to God we found Souls Life and Peace This was our message all along in that County And afterward in Scotland in Northumberland Bishoprick Yorkshire and in our own County Lancashire and in several Counties in England with London City and were well refreshed meeting with our Brethren there who had been in the same work with us and had our reward from God and Life and peace in our own Bosoms that which will last and indure and abode with us in all forms and tempests great and high Winds made great Tossings and put great fears upon many But blessed everlastingly be the Name of our God in which we first believed and went out none of these things did move us so that we might finish our course and testings as he my dear Brother and fellow Traveller has done and ended his days in peace And I farther give in my Testimony concerning our dear Brother Robert Widders who was a Man as my self stricken in years yet was willingly given up at the requirings of the Lord as to go into some parts of America where we arrived at Barbados in seven weeks time where we visited our Friends and Brethren in the Truth and from thence he with other Friends passed to Jamaica and was very serviceable there and from thence Robert Widders with other Friends passed to Virginia and so to Mary-land after that Robert with other Friends passed thorow the Wilderness to East and West Jersey Long-Island New-York and so by several Islands to Rhode-Isâ—and and New England where we had many precious meetings amongst Friends And after our Service was performed in New-England with much difficulty Robert Widders with other Friends returned thorow the Wilderness to Virginie and Mary-land again and had good Service there in our Journey where many were turned from the dumb Idol Shepherds to serve the living God in the Spirit and in the Truth And so with much hardship in the Wilderness having nodwelling places to lay our Heads in but in the open wilderness