The Digger Movement in the Days of the Commonwealth: As Revealed in the Writings of Gerrard Winstanley, the Digger, Mystic and Rationalist, Communist and Social ReformerBerens, Lewis Henry
History
The Digger Movement in the Days of the Commonwealth: As Revealed in the Writings of Gerrard Winstanley, the Digger, Mystic and Rationalist, Communist and Social Reformer
Berens, Lewis Henry
Communism; Land use; Winstanley, Gerrard, 1609-
"Well Englishmen, the Law of the Scriptures gives you a free and
full warrant to plant the Earth, and to live comfortably and in
love, doing as you would be done by, and condemns that covetous
kingly and lordly power of darkness in men, that makes some men
seek their freedom in the Earth and deny others that freedom. And
the Scriptures do establish this Law, to cast out kingly and lordly
self-willed and oppressing power, and to make every Nation in the
World a Free Common-wealth. So that you have the Scriptures to
protect you in making the Earth a Common Treasury for the
comfortable livelihood of your bodies, while you live upon Earth.
"Secondly, you have both what the Army and the Parliament have done
to protect you.... Our Common-wealth's Army have fought against the
Norman Conquest, and have cast him out, and keeps the field.... And
by this victory England is made a Free Common-wealth; and the
common land belongs to the younger brother, as the enclosures to
the elder brother, without restraint.... The Parliament since this
victory have made an Act or Law to make England a Free
Common-wealth. And by this Act they have set the people free from
King and House of Lords that ruled as conquerors over them, and
have abolished their self-will and murdering Laws with them that
made them. Likewise they have made another Act or Law, to cast out
Kingly Power, wherein they free the people from yielding obedience
to the King, or to any that holds claiming under the King. Now all
Lords of Manors, Tything Priests and Impropriators hold claiming or
title under the King, but by this Act of Parliament we are freed
from their power.
"Then, lastly, the Parliament have made an engagement to maintain
this present Common-wealth's government comprised within those Acts
or Laws against King and House of Lords. And called upon all
officers, tenants, and all sort of people to subscribe to it,
declaring that those that refuse to subscribe shall have no
privilege in the Common-wealth of England, nor protection from the
Law.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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