Opening the text

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

Name: 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
Author: Berens, Lewis Henry

Berens, Lewis Henry

Communism; Land use; Winstanley, Gerrard, 1609-

"First, Let everyone leave off running after others for knowledge
     and comfort, and wait upon the Spirit, Reason, till he break forth
     out of the clouds of your heart and manifest himself within you.
     This is to cast off the shadow of learning, to reject covetous,
     subtile, proud flesh that deceives all by the hearsay and
     traditional preaching of words, letters, and syllables without the
     Spirit, and to make choice of the Lord, the true teacher of
     everyone in their own inward experience.

     "Secondly, Let everyone open his bags and barns, that all may feed
     upon the crops of the Earth, that the burden of poverty may be
     removed. Leave off this buying and selling of land, or of the
     fruits of the Earth, and, as it was in the light of Reason first
     made, so let it be in action amongst all, a Common Treasury, none
     enclosing or hedging in any part of the Earth, saying, _This is
     mine_, which is rebellion and high treason against the King of
     Righteousness. And let this word of the Lord be acted amongst all:
     _Work together; Eat bread together._{5}

     "Thirdly, Leave off dominion and lordship one over another; for the
     whole bulk of mankind are but one living Earth. Leave off
     imprisoning, whipping, and killing, which are but the actings of
     the curse. Let those that have hitherto had no land, and have been
     forced to rob and steal through poverty; henceforth let them
     quietly enjoy land to work upon, that everyone may enjoy the
     benefit of his Creation, and eat his own bread with the sweat of
     his own brows. For surely this particular propriety of mine and
     thine hath brought in all misery upon people. First, it hath
     occasioned people to steal one from another. Secondly, it hath made
     laws to hang those that did steal. It tempts people to do an evil
     action, and then kills them for doing of it. Let all judge whether
     this be not a great evil.

     "Well, if everyone would speedily set about the doing of these
     three particulars I have mentioned, the Creation would thereby be
     lift up out of bondage, and our Maker should have the glory of the
     works of His hands."

       *       *       *       *       *

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

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-

"First, Let everyone leave off running after others for knowledge
     and comfort, and wait upon the Spirit, Reason, till he break forth
     out of the clouds of your heart and manifest himself within you.
     This is to cast off the shadow of learning, to reject covetous,
     subtile, proud flesh that deceives all by the hearsay and
     traditional preaching of words, letters, and syllables without the
     Spirit, and to make choice of the Lord, the true teacher of
     everyone in their own inward experience.

     "Secondly, Let everyone open his bags and barns, that all may feed
     upon the crops of the Earth, that the burden of poverty may be
     removed. Leave off this buying and selling of land, or of the
     fruits of the Earth, and, as it was in the light of Reason first
     made, so let it be in action amongst all, a Common Treasury, none
     enclosing or hedging in any part of the Earth, saying, _This is
     mine_, which is rebellion and high treason against the King of
     Righteousness. And let this word of the Lord be acted amongst all:
     _Work together; Eat bread together._{5}

     "Thirdly, Leave off dominion and lordship one over another; for the
     whole bulk of mankind are but one living Earth. Leave off
     imprisoning, whipping, and killing, which are but the actings of
     the curse. Let those that have hitherto had no land, and have been
     forced to rob and steal through poverty; henceforth let them
     quietly enjoy land to work upon, that everyone may enjoy the
     benefit of his Creation, and eat his own bread with the sweat of
     his own brows. For surely this particular propriety of mine and
     thine hath brought in all misery upon people. First, it hath
     occasioned people to steal one from another. Secondly, it hath made
     laws to hang those that did steal. It tempts people to do an evil
     action, and then kills them for doing of it. Let all judge whether
     this be not a great evil.

     "Well, if everyone would speedily set about the doing of these
     three particulars I have mentioned, the Creation would thereby be
     lift up out of bondage, and our Maker should have the glory of the
     works of His hands."

       *       *       *       *       *

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

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

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

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