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
pay Tyths And the Lord in these troubles which he permitted him to be exercised withal did wonderfully uphold and preserve him and blessed his endeavours that notwithstanding all the endeavours of his Adversaries which might tend to his ruine yet he thrived in his outward Estate which hath ben taken notice of by many and that the eminent hand of the Almighty God was manifested greatly for his good every way which is matter of encouragement unto all that are or hereafter may be called by the Lord â—o suffer for the same Testimony Now William Dobson having thus by the asâ—istance of the Lord's Power fought the good Fight of Faith and kept the Word of his Patience laid down his head in Peace and finished his course and upon the last day of the 3 d. month called May 1677. he died a Prisoner for the Truth and his name is recorded in the Book of Life amongst â—…e faithfull Sufferers and Martyrs for the ancient Testimony of Jesus â—hrist against that great Oppression of Tyths Here followeth A Brief RELATION Of the late Sufferings of Michael Reynolds Of Farringdon in the same County because he could not for Conscience-sake pay Tyths to ROBERT PYE Impropriator IN the 7 th month 1678. Michael Reynolds was Arrested for Tyths at the Suit of Robert Pye and kept by the Bayliffs Prisoner at an Inn one day and one unknown to Michael who pretended himself an Attorney promising to appear for him he was leâ— go And Robert Pye prosecuted his Suit having no Defence maâ—… at all against him and procured an Execution for sixty Pound And on the 19 th day of the 6 th month 1679. there came Johâ— Pullen and James Clark of Abingdon and William Tombes of Farringdon Bayliffs with the said Execution and seized on and Drovâ— away nine of Michael Reynolds's Cows and a Colt of two years old and likewise seized on a Barn full of Corn and the same day alâ—… they arrested Michael Reynolds in the Suit of Robert Pye and kept hiâ— Prisoner at an Inn most part of a day and when they saw he could 〈◊〉 â—…ploy an Attorney but was given up to endure Imprisonment they let â—…m go And the 22 d. day of the same month two of the fore-mentioned â—ayliffs viz. James Clarke and William Tombes took away a Mare â—…m Michael upon the same Execution and in a little time after the â—…e Bayliffs sent two men to thrash out Michael's Corn in the Barn â—hich they seized on before whose Names were William Farmer and â—…arles Bray of Farringdon and they thrasht and winnowed all the Corn â—…at Barn which was carried away and sold Again the 10 th day of the 8 th month following the said Bayliffs â—…me again to Michael Reynold's House and said they had not yet â—…ken enough and then they seized on the other Barn full of Corn 〈◊〉 the two Thrashers again to Work and they thrasht out the Corn in that â—…rn also And the 25 th day of the 9 th month following the two Thrashers â—…y the appointmnnt of John Pulline took Witness and delivered 〈◊〉 the Key and Lock of Michael Reynolds's Barn to him and gave an â—…count under their hands that the Corn thrasht by them and winnowed â—hich was carried away and sold to answer the Execution before-menâ—…oned was in all of Barly 56 Quarters and a half and was by them â—…ged worth at the times when it was carried 17 s. a Quarter one with 〈◊〉 other which came to  49 l. 8 s. 9 d â—…so of Beans and Pease 9 Quarter at 8 l. 8 s. 0 d â—…d the Cattle taken away as before mentioned were worth 40 l. 0 s. 0 d Which amount to in all 97 l. 16 s. 9 d. All this was taken away for one years Tyth from Michael Reynolds â—nd the whole Rent of the Land he holds is but 55 l. a year and of â—…at there is in Medow where they took the Tyth by Force and in pasture â—here Robert Pye claims none to the value of 20 l. a year So that the â—hole Rent of that Land which he had any Colour of Law to sue for â—…ll not amount to 40 l. a year And it may be supposed that the Tyth â—annot in all likelyhood exceed a 4 th part of the Rent which at utmost â—annot be above 10 l a year And therefore it is evidently manifest how cruelly and unjustly Robert â—ye hath dealt in this Case with his Neighbour Michael Reynolds although 〈◊〉 other Cases we have not had much Cause to find Fault with him who 〈◊〉 the denial of scarce 10 l. demanded hath caused to be taken away 〈◊〉 Cattel and Corn the value of 97 l. 16 s. 9 d. which is near ten times 〈◊〉 much more Oh horrible Injustice that ever such Actions should be found amongst such as profess Christianity is great pity and is a shaâ—… to the professors thereof And besides all this the Servants of R. P. in the Harvest-time 16â—… did take away from Michael Reynolds both of Hay and Corn what tâ—… pleased upon the account of Tyths The Truth hereof hath been so publicâ—… knovvn in and about the Tovvn 〈◊〉 Farringdon that it needs no furtâ—… Prooff But is subscribed to by a Sâ—â—ferer for the Truth against Opprâ—â—sion MICHAEL REYNOLDS THE END