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-
The writer's greatest grievance, however, is their rejection of the
Lutheran dogma of justification by faith, and their agreement "with the
Papists in extolling works as efficient causes of salvation." "Amongst
the rest, indeed," he exclaims, "they insinuate a good life, as which
they pretend to follow, which is as the vizard and cloak to hide all the
rest of their gross and absurd doctrines, and the hook and bait whereby
the simple are altogether deceived." He is greatly concerned that "none
but those who are willingly minded to their doctrines can get a sight of
their books";[17:1] and that "they are disinclined to disputations and
conferences with those not inclined to their opinions." He informs his
readers that "it is a maxim in the Family to deny before men all their
doctrines, so that they keep the same secret in their hearts"; that
though they may inwardly reject, yet they will outwardly conform to the
forms of the Church as by law established; that "they have certain
sleights amongst them to answer any question that may be demanded of
them." Thus "they do decree all men to be infants who are under the age
of thirty years. So that if they be demanded whether infants ought to be
baptized, they answer yea; meaning thereby that he is an infant until he
attain to those years at which time they ought to be baptized, and not
before." However, it may be well to mention here that the writer speaks
of the Anabaptists and of the Family of Love as if he recognised them to
be distinct heresies.
From their doctrines as formulated in this pamphlet, based on "A
Confession made by two of the Family of Love before a worthy and
worshipful Justice of the Peace, May 28th, 1561," we take the following:
(_a_) "When any person shall be received into their congregation,
they cause all their brethren to assemble, the Bishop or Elder
doth declare unto the newly-elected brother, that if he will be
content that all his goods shall be in common amongst the rest of
all his brethren, he shall be received."
(_b_) "They may not say God save anything. For they affirm that all
things are ruled by Nature, and not directed by God."
(_c_) "They did prohibit bearing of weapons, but at the length,
perceiving themselves to be noted and marked for the same, they
have allowed the bearing of staves."
(_d_) "When a question is demanded of any of them, they do of order
stay a great while ere they answer, and commonly their words shall
be Surely or So."
(_e_) "They hold that no man should be baptized before he is of the
age of thirty years."
(_f_) "They hold that heaven and hell are present in this world
amongst us, and that there is none other."[18:1]
(_g_) "They hold the Pope's service and this service now used in
the Churches to be naught."
(_h_) "They hold that all men that are not of their congregation,
or that are revolted from them, to be dead."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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