Light Shining In Buckinghamshire:
Gerrard Winstanley
Title Page
Light Shining
IN
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE,
OR
A Discovery of the main ground;
Original Cause of all the Slavery in the World,
but chiefly in ENGLAND:
presented by way of a Declaration of many
of the well-affected in that County, to all their
poor oppressed Country-men of
ENGLAND
And also to the Consideration of the
present Army under the Conduct of the
Lord FAIRFAX.
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Arise O God, judge thou the Earth
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Printed in the year 1648
Light Shining In Buckinghamshire
JEHOVAH ELLOHIM Created Man after his own likeness and image, which image is his Son Jesus, Heb. I. verse 2. who is the image of the Invisible God: now Man being made after God's image or likeness, and created by the word of God, which word was made Flesh and dwelt amongst us; which word was life, and that life the light of men, I. Joh. 2. this light I take to be that pure spirit in man which we call Reason, which discusseth things right and reflecteth, which we call conscience; from all which there issued out that golden rule or law, which we call equity: the sum me of which is, saith Jesus, whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do to them, this is the Law and the Prophets; and James calls it the royal Law, and to live from this principle is called a good conscience: and the creature Man was privileged with being Lord over other inferior creatures, but not over his own kind; for all men being alike privileged by birth, so all men were to enjoy the creatures alike without propriety one more than the other, all men by the grant of God are alike free, and every man individual, that is to say, no man was to Lord or command over his own kind: neither to enclose the creatures to his own use, to the impoverishing of his neighbours, see the Charter, I. Gen. from 26. vers. to the end of the Chapt. and see the renewing of the Charter to Noah and his Sons, Gen. 9. from the I. vers. to the 18.
But man following his own sensuality became a devourer of the creatures, and an encloser, not content that another should enjoy the same privilege as himself, but encloseth all from his Brother; so that all the Land, Trees, Beasts; Fish, Fowl, &c. are enclosed into a few mercenary hands; and all the rest deprived and made their slaves, so that if they cut a Tree for fire they are to be punished, or hunt a fowl it is imprisonment, because it is gentlemen's game, as they say; neither must they keep Cattle, or set up a House, all ground being enclosed, without hiring leave for the one, or buying room for the other, of the chief encloser, called the Lord of the Manor, or some other wretch as cruel as he, and all must be summoned to a Court Leet, there to acknowledge Fealty and Service, and that with Oaths if required (at leastwise if Jurymen) to their Tyrant called Lord of the Manor; and if a Tenant admitted, if Copy-holder, he must take an Oath to become a true Tenant, rather Slave, as afore said; now all this Slavery of the one and Tyranny of the other was at first by murder and cruelty one against the other; and that they might strengthen themselves in their villainy against God's ordinances and their Brothers freedoms and rights: They had always a Commander in chief, which was the most blindest and desperatest wretch, and he was their chief and head, as Nimrod, and he became their King; so that I dare make plainly appear by Scripture and Reason, that Kings were not of God's institution at first, but it arose from the Heathens, viz. those that lived after their own beastly lusts: and when Israel would have a King, their only ground was to be like other Nations; and God told Samuel saying, they have not cast off or rejected thee but me, that I should not reign over them. Read the whole, Chapter of the I of Samuel &c. where observe the Slavery that the people are in that have a King, and amongst the whole Catalogue observe the Tenth of Stocks, &c. and see the 12. Chapter from the 16. verse forward, what judgements God sent in their Harvest for asking a King, and afterwards observe what misery befell, for they were in continual Wars abroad, and at last divided into divisions and had two Kings: Then what woeful civil Wars and murdering one another for the Kingdom: I refer you to the whole book of Kings to judge; doe but read that of their first King Abimelech's cruelty which was Gideon's bastard; Judges 8. and 21. read the 9. of Judges, &c. there he kills his brother with a company of light fellows; and as Kings are the root of Tyranny, so likewise they were the first that brought in wars, see Gen. 14. for their greatness must be upheld by murder and cruelty, as aforesaid, in so much that in Revel. 13. mention is made of an ugly beast with seven heads and ten horns, which horns did persecute the Saints: now in Revel. 17. horns are there declared to be Kings, so that Kings are of the Beast, which is a power that makes all subject to it, but only the Saints, &c. Revel. 13. and 7. And saith the Scripture, the Beast hath its power from the Dragon, Revel. 13. and 4. and the Dragon in Revel. 20. and 2 is the Devil and Satan, so that it is plain, that Kings are of the Beast, and the Beast is of the Devil; and it is as plain, they that worship the King worship the Beast, and they that worship the Beast worship the Devil, Revel. 13: and 4. verse. Now let us a little behold our English Powers, all that which is called Magistracy is from the Kings Patent, and his is from the Devil; for the King's Predecessors, The outlandish bastard William came to be King by Conquest and murder, now murderers are, saith Jesus, the Devil's children, for saith he, the Devil was a murderer from the beginning and he abode not in the Truth: now Kings are utterly against the truth, and persecutors of the Saints; for saith Jesus, they shall bring you before Kings, so that Kings are enemies unto the Kingdom of Christ.
Secondly, Behold now from licence or grant comes all our enclosures and tradings, as privilege to buy and sell, and to enjoy, occupy and possess lands; it is from taking the Beasts mark: now observe the rich possessors, encroachers, enclosers, see your holdings, your Patents, and Charters, and Licence is from the King, and all tenures and holdings of lands is from your King, yea all Writings, Indentures, Bands, Leases, &c. is in the name and authority of him; nay your money is not lawful, if it be not the Kings coin, and his picture and superscription on it.
So that observe, the King is made by you your God on earth, as God is the God of heaven, saith your Lawyers: therefore all Laws, Writs, Summons, Warrants, Patents, &c, must be in his name; nay, the Parliament will settle nothing without him, yea all Honours must be from him. Now then mark if this be not all from the Dragon: and the Priests to verify this, saith in their thing called Prayer, he is supreme head of their Church, Ecclesiastical as Civil, next under thee and thy Christ, so that he is their third person of their Trinity, and so their God, Defender of their faith. Now here is the blasphemy in Rev. 13. vers. 5. And in the Scotish Covenant, one Article of their Religion is concerning his sacred Majesty, &c. and Kings are the only chief upholders of Babylon: see how they weep at her downfall, Rev. 18. when buying and selling ceaseth, &c.
Now friends, what have we to do with any of these unfruitful works of darkness? Let us take Peter's advice, I Pet. 4. 3. The time past of our life may suffice that we have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lascivious lusts, exces of wine, revellings, banqueting, and abominable idolatry. And let us not receive the Beast's mark, lest that the doom in Rev. 14. 9, 10. befall none of us: but let us oppose the Beastly powers, and follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth.
Now here is the chief ground why wicked men stand so for a King; it is to uphold all their confused cruelties and incests as aforesaid: and herein upholding him, they uphold that power that set him up, (by our Saviour's rule) and by justifying him, they justify that power that set him a work in all his tyranny; and they and the Parliament in treating with him, treat with him that authorised him; and in receiving him, receiveth him that set him on work, that is to say the Devil. Then see how we are cheated.
Now the enlightened Saints are commanded to abandon the unfruitful works of darkness. But all this power aforesaid is,
1. of darkness; therefore to be resisted.
2. Christ hath called the Saints to light; therefore they are to walk as children of light.
3. The Saints are to have no fellowship with Belial: but the power aforesaid is of Belial, therefore have no fellowship with it.
4. The said power is to be resisted: and see the promise, for saith James, Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. And this we have experience of, that whensoever the Kings power was manfully resisted, he fled from the resisters.
And therefore those called the Levellers, their principles to free all alike out of slavery, are most just and honest in reference to the matter of freedom: for it is the end of the redemption by Jesus, to restore all things.
And to do this, the removal of the Kingly power will be a main forwardness: and indeed the Kingly power is the being of Tyranny; for if no King, no Lord, no Patent, &c. 2. If the execution of Laws were not in his name, as all Assurances, Writs, Commissions, Patents, Warrants, &c. then he should down if he would, for any use or need they had of him.
1. Therefore rich men cry for a King, because the poor should not claim his right that is his by God's gift.
2. The horseleech Lawyer cries for a King, because else the supreme power will come into the people's Representatives lawfully elected, and so all Trials would be done in the country, in every Town &c. by the same Neighbourhood, and so the Law would no more be bought nor sold, and then farewell caterpillar-Lawyer.
3. The things, Lord, Barons, &c. cry for a King, else their tyranical House of Peers falls down, and all their rotten honour, and all Patents and Corporations, their power being derived from him, if he go down, all their tyranny falls too. The like of Lords of Manors, Gentlemen, &c. besides the Priests of all men must cry for a King; for by his power and oppressing Courts, all his Judges, Justices, &c. and himself too is their sworn creature, and they are the Priests' pack-horses that carry the whore of Babylon's ware about, and they want but bells about their neck they may be the better heard, &c. Now if the King go down, what will become of the Priests ware think you? and Tithes goes down.
The like of all base Conventions of men of what kinde so ever. But now the honest man that would have liberty, cryes down all interests whatsoever, and to this end he desires common right and equity, which consists of these particulars following.
1. A just portion for each man to live, that so none need to beg or steal for want, but everyone may live comfortably.
2. A just Rule for each man to go by, which Rule is to be found in Scripture.
3. All men alike under the said Rule, which Rule is, To do to another as another should do to him: So that eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, &c. and if anyone stole, to restore double, &c.
4. The government to be by Judges, called Elders, men fearing God and hating covetousness; Those to be chosen by the people, and to end all controversies in every Town and Hamlet, without any other or further trouble or charge.
And in the Scriptures, the Israelites Common-wealth is an excellent pattern, if led up to that in Gen. I. and Gen. 9. mentioned in the beginning.
Now in Israel, if a man were poor, then a public maintenance and stock was to be provided to raise him again: So would all Bishops' lands, Forrest lands, and Crown-lands do in our Land, which the Apostate Parliament men give one to another, and to maintain the needless thing called a King. And every seven years the whole Land was for the poor, the fatherless, widows and strangers, and at every crop a portion allowed them.
Mark this, poor people, what the Levellers would do for you. Oh why are you so mad as to cry up a King? It is he and his Court and Patentee men, as Majors, Aldermen, and such creatures, that like Cormorants devour what you should enjoy, and set up Whipping-posts and Correcting-houses to enslave you. Tis rich men that oppress you, saith James.
Now in this right Common-wealth, he that had least had no want: therefore the Scripture call them a Family, and household of Israel. And in the 2. of the Acts, amongst those that received the Gospel, they were gathered into a family and had all things common; yet so, that each one was to labour and eat his own bread. And this is equity, as aforesaid: for it is not lawful nor fit for some to work, and the other to play; for it is God's command, that all work, let all eat: and if all work alike, is it not fit for all to eat alike, have alike, and enjoy alike privileges and freedoms? And he that did not like this, is not fit to live in a Common-wealth. See Gen. 9. And therefore weep and howl, ye Rich men, by what vain name or title soever: God will visit you for all your oppressions; You live on other men's labours, and give them their bran to eat, extorting extreme rents and taxes on your fellow-creatures. But now what will you do? for the People will no longer be enslaved by you, for the knowledge of the Lord shall enlighten them, &c.
And now (according to my knowledge,) I shall discover your pedeigree from your King to your Gentleman, and it is thus: William the Bastard son of Robert Duke of Normandy, with a mighty Army of his fellow-tyrants and Thieves and Robbers, enters Sussex, kills the inhabitants the Britons and their King, that were in an Army to withstand his cruelty and defend their rights, robs and destroys all places and persons at his pleasure, settleth Garrisons of Normans to enslave the Britons, takes all Land and causeth them to hold it by Copyhold, to pay fines and harets at his pleasure, &c. It is too tedious to relate all Polls, Tolls, Taxes &c. that he made our Forefathers pay. Let the Reader view the Chronicle.
But amongst all unnatural, unreasonable, tyrannical and cruel Laws he made, as that of Curfer, of Felony, That the child must suffer for the Father, &c. And all his tyrannical Laws he caused to be in an Outlandish tongue. So that here I take this power to be that little horn in Dan., 7. 24. because I never heard or read of the like cruelty that any Tyrant did the like, for to cause his cruel Laws to be in an unknown tongue. Now the poor people knew not when they offended or no. 2. For the execution of those Laws, the people to come to what place he will appoint, at 4 Terms and times in a year.
And 3. to buy their Laws at the Lawyers unconscionable rate, for he set up and devised the Lawyers. Now as I shall make it appear that this is the horn, so the Caterpillars' Lawyers will prove the eyes: which Lawyers are as profitable as maggots in meat, and Caterpillars in Cabbages, and Wolves amongst Lambs, &c.
And amongst those, see their Preferment (as it's called) to suck the People; as Attorney, Counsellor, Barrister, Sergeant, and accordingly Fees to rob, and they take Oaths; and out of this rubbish stuff are all our Creatures called Judges, and they likewise all to be sworn. And then places of preferment (so called) to tyrannize and to be the head Tyrants, Sycophants, Wolves, Lions, Leopards, &c. as Duchy General, Attorney-General, Lord-lubber Keeper, Lord Privy-Seal, Lord Treasurer, Lord Barons of the Exchequer, and I know not what great Catchpoles besides these; all to be sworn to their dread Sovereign Tyrant Beast, &c. And so being right whelps brought up to rend, devour, rob, spoil, tyrannise &c. over the poor people; then their dread Tyrant, as he hath received power and dignity from the Dragon or Devil as aforesaid, doth shatter, breath out, and all-to-bedaggle them with it, with hairy-skinned Robes, resembling the subtle nasty Fox with his dirty tail. And because the Lord Keeper, Privy Seal, and Treasurer's long tails should not daggle in the dirt, they must have another Sycophant slave apiece to carry up for them with their hats off doing homage to their breech. Oh height of all baseness! What, will they creep in one another's arses for honour? Why, oh, his Majesty's breath of Honour it may be blows out There, and therefore he holds up his gown that it might blow him that holds it up, and makes him be called Sir. Likewise those men thus honoured must have a gew-gaw silver Mace carried before them, With a Cross a top on it, to shew they have their Title from the Defender of the Popish Faith; the Lord Keeper having a fools-bauble like a Purse carried before him: now all these Lawyers, Liars and twelve Judges: Besides with their accoutred Caps; and Serjeants with their womanish Coifs and Petticoats on their Shoulders, with their Barristers, Attorneys, &c. Howbeit, they rob and devour the people, striving who shall most play the knave and cozen; so that he may climb up into high places of profit: for all those upholding their Kings Prerogative, their Tyranny is unquestionable, that is the reason that they maintain the King can do no wrong; that he is a God on earth, as God is God in Heaven, and that he is the life of the Law; all Writs, Warrants, Commissions, &c. His name gives the being to them: that he is the fountain of our honour and magistracy: yea and that he is supreme head Ecclesiastical and Civil; also that he is to be accountable to none but God, and all this the better to hide their tyranny; for they being all from him, and all their Commissions; if you question them, then you must question him from whom their power was derived: but they say, he is not to be accountable, &c. so that by this means they uphold all their Tyranny; and there is no way, but to take down the Kingly Power and then theirs will down too, & not before: Now these Lawyers are the Eyes of the Beast, for the twelve Judges sit in the tyrannical House of Peers, another sort of the Kingly creatures to advise them in all tyranny, and how to keep the Norman yoke about the people's necks.
The next thing to show is from whence came all our Nobility and Gentry, even from that outlandish Norman Bastard, who first being his Servants and under-Tyrants; secondly, their rise was by cruel murder and theft by the Conquest; thirdly, their rise was the Country's ruin, and the putting them down will be the restitution of our rights again; these are called Dukes, Earls, Barons, Marquesses, Lords, &c. And from this Bastard is all our royal blood, therefore to be utterly disesteemed: O then behold, O England thy vanity in Idolizing the King and his Children!
Thy Priests have gulled, bewitched, cheated, and betrayed thee into these tyrants hands with their sorceries only for their own filthy lucre and bellies' sake, because they have the greatest part of the spoil for their preaching up the King to be the Supreme head, Defender of the Faith, God's anointed; and that if thou dost resist his power thou resisteth the ordinances of God: now all this is but as bridles in thy jaws, and blinds over thy eyes, that thou must be ruled by the Church, and they are thy enemies, and thou must believe them; and keep thy self a good Subject to thy Prince, the condition is good: and by all these and a thousand tricks more they do but mould thee to slavery this five hundred years and more, and by this means the King and his Creatures ride thee in thy Estates and Persons and Labours.
And the Priests over thy Conscience and soul, and keep thee in all ignorance and malice; and for so doing thy Priests are thy Princes and bear rule, and for their so bewitching thee they come by their Impropriations and fat Benefits: and it is for those fat Benefits that makes them turn changelings, either to King or Parliament, which will best furnish their kitchen. Therefore shake off those locusts and be no more deluded by them, but hearken to the voice of God in the Scriptures and his Saints, and pay no more Tithes to those Priests, nay cast off those abominable deceivers.
All Charters, Patents, and Corporations was devised only to uphold the Kings Tyranny, Greatness, and Interest; and because the people did rise in many parts for their Privileges and Right; and he being in straights and knowing not how to uphold his tyranny, devised a way to set the people one against another, by making some Free, some Foreigners, &c. and so deviseth these Patents and Charters in all populous Cities and Towns throughout the Realm to uphold his Interest.
Now as for these bewitching Charters, see how they run in J. I: Out of our Princely grace, bounty, mere motioned princely favour, Do give and grant to this our City or Town, &c. To be a body Corporate, to consist of a Major, Bailiffs and Burgesses, &c.
Why? Mark, the better to serve us and our successors (this is the end of their grant) then all Towns and Customs whatsoever is due to us and our successors? We bequeath to the same body Corporate (and every business must be sworn, to be the Kings creatures) then out of that pack, they have power to choose twelve Aldermen for a Common-council, and they all be sworn again: Then out of this stuff, all the Burgesses to choose a thing called a Mayor, and she all to be sworn to the Kings: then she shall be a Just-ass of Peace and Coram, and have a silver artichoke or toy called a Mace, carried before her; and she and her twelve Aldermen following after in their Cunny-skin Gowns, as so many fools in a Mid-summer Ale: and those petty-tyrants shall domineer over the Inhabitants by virtue of their Patent, and enclose all, letting and setting of the Poor's lands to, and moneys, stocks of moneys to their own use: and claim a Privilege from their Charters and Patents that they scorn to be accountable to others, but to their Prerogative Masters; so that you see all tyranny shelters itself under the King's wings: is it not time then to throw down the King, and bring his Person to his answer: these Patents and Charters is the main wheel and prop that upholds the Kings tyranny; for by this means the Prerogative people, strives to uphold the King and Lords interests, to get favours of them, to hold up their own knavery and deceit; and doth choose such Burgesses for the Parliament, as will be for the King, as Caterpillar Lawyers, Coliers or lords of the Manor, Impropriators, or such like; and it is from those Patent Towns that the House of Commons if fil'd with so many kingified Prerogative self-interest, proud and cheating Varlets as now it is: and until those Corporations be thrown down, we can expect never any hope of freedom by a Parliament: see how London's Common-Council stir up their Hackneys with Petitions and Mutinies, for a Treaty with our Conquered enemy, &c
Therefore let Burgesses henceforth be no more so chosen, but from all the well-affected in general.
The next thing is to shew you, as I conceive, how we came by a Parliament, 2. what is a Parliament, 3. what good may be expected by a Parliament as it now stands?
Our fore-fathers the Britons, being altogether in slavery, did rise in many parts, and would not endure the slavery aforesaid; then the tyrant and his brood, not able to overcome, grants a Parliament as followeth; the People to parley, treat, or declare their mind: to this end, to choose men to treat, as followeth,
1. The Freeholders in every County to choose two, which should be called Knights for the County; and his Patentee Towns, each to choose two more, which should be called Burgesses, and those should sit for the Country, and be called a House of Commons; and have a firmitive voice, to affirm what they would have done, and the major part to carry it.
2. Provided, that he would have a House of Peers to sit for him from his Prerogative without Election, by his Patent, and those to have an Negative voice to thwart the Commons if they please, and if they assented to the Commons, then it should be an Ordinance; if they did not, then all the Commons did should be null; and if the Commons and Lords, or the most part, did assent, then the King to have a Negative voice; and no Laws to be made or repealed without his consent; and if he consented to it, then it should be an Act, and no otherwise.
3. Before any sitting to Vote, they are to take these Oaths as followeth, 1. That he is their lawful King: 2. They will not alter the Government as it now stands: 3. And they will not deprive his Successor: and in King Henry the eight time, when they came to be Priest ridden, that he is Head of the Church, Ecclesiastical and Civil, Supreme head &c. Defender of the Faith, and such blasphemies: and these oaths, as it is manifest, they have ever since taken.
Now observe our Worthy Parliament; first the King is too hard for the People to cheat them: for first, the greater number of the Commons are chosen by his Patentee Burgesses Major & Aldermen: and the County, but two in a County and those the Freeholders, which had their freedom of the Normans, and all the people else shut by from choosing, and if
2. The King hath a House of Patentee Lords to balance them with their Negative voice
3. The King hath a Negative voice, and that is the third State to Balance them himself.
4. In the House of Commons itself, the King hath the biggest part, even near two to one for most, all the Burgesses be for him, and the major part carrying it by voice. Now what is this but a mere cheat, and observe all the Chronicles from Bastard William to Charles and upwards, and since, and it will appear that Kings got more by treaties, then ever their Sword could have done, and kept it longer, because now their tyranny was settled by a Law, and the People sworn to those Laws; they thinking they have gained freedom when indeed they have given away their freedom by their Parliaments, as aforesaid: and now we see, had not God moved this Army to prevent this Treaty, this Parliament had utterly cheated and betrayed us into our implacable enemies' hands again; and had settled the whole Norman power again over us, notwithstanding all this light to the contrary, Treasure spent, Bloodshed, &c. Besides the many Oaths the Commons took to free us; so that Charles had like to be set up into his tyrannical Power again; but now blessed be God, the Net is broke, and we are escaped. And for all our tyranny the Priests are our enchanters, and those that preached it up for their own bellies' sakes.
Now King, Lords, Commons, three States, as it hath been called, the little Home (as I conceive) in Daniel the seventh; for it altereth from all other tyrannical Powers in the world whatever: secondly, the King is head of their Church, as aforesaid: thirdly, they alter one tyrannical way, and set up another: and can make up a thing called Religion by one Parliament, and throw it down the next Parliament and set up another; so here is changing times &c. and trampling under feet. And the base Priests, the Ecclesiastical State, preacheth all those Powers and Constitutions to be Jure divino. O wretches, wretches, the black guard of Satan, what will become of them.
FINIS.
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A Mite Cast into the Common Treasury:
Robert Coster.
Source: Digger Tracts, 1649-50, published by John the Red Nose, Seattle?, 1996
(Copy provided by Mikke Sennekke and Richard Schneider)
Title Page
A
MITE
CAST INTO THE
Common Treasury
OR,
Queries propounded (for all men to
consider of) by him who desireth
to advance the work of public
Community.
==============================================================
ROBERT COSTER
==============================================================
1. Whether all men (by the grant of God) are not alike free, and all to enjoy the earth with the fullness thereof alike, (Genesis 1. from the 26. verse, to the end of the chapter, and the 9. chap. from the 1. to the 18. verse,) until they sell their birth-right and Inheritance, for a proud idle life: the 2. of the Thessalonians, and the 3. chapter, from the 6. to the 13. verse?
2. Whether the Scriptures in many places, do not complain of man's Lording over his own kind, (as in Isaiah 3. 15. Luke 22.24.25. and 26. verses. Matt. 23. chap. from the first to the 13. verse,) calling such men for their nature and cruelty, Lions, Wolves, Foxes, Dogs, (Isaiah 56.10.11. Ezek. 22.27. The men call some of them, Lords of Manors, ministers, and lawyers?)
3. Whether particular propriety, was not brought into the room of public community, by murder and theft; and accordingly have been upheld and maintained? In which acts of cruelty, whether those devouring creatures before mentioned, have not been chief, and whether such naked shameless doings do not lie lurking under fig-leaf clothing, such as Sabbath, fasting, and thanksgiving days, doctrines, forms, and worships?
4. Whether the Lords of Manors, do not hold their right and title to the commons, merely from the King's will, (which will proving a burden to the Nation, caused the King to lose his head) and whether the strongest point in their Law for the keeping up their title, be not, Take him jailor?
5. Whether the common people of England may not seize upon the land, [which] is called after their own name, to wit, the commons, for to dress and improve it for their best advantage; for these Reasons following, without paying fines, quit-rents, heriots, or swearing fealty, (or any other cursed and diabolical payments whatsoever) to any tyrant soever?
First, Because the great Creator of all things, ordained that the earth, with [the fulln]ess thereof should be a common treasury of livelihood for all, and that none should lord over his own kind; but that all should love as brethren, and so glorify the Creator in the work of his hands.
Secondly, Because the common people of England, have (these six or seven hundred years) been shut out from having any benefit of the earth, except that they have bought by their slavish payments. And all this by & through the means of that illegitimate Lord and Master propriety, which was ushered into the creation, by those two grand disturbers of our peace, murder and theft; and therefore now it is high time for them (the common people) to lay hold upon the waste land, that so they may receive some benefit freely, and may no longer live in a starving condition: and this cannot with reason be denied by the gentry and clergy, if they consider what cruelty they have acted towards fellow-creatures these many years, who have a privilege to the earth equal with themselves.
Thirdly, Because there is no Statute-Law in the Nation that doth hinder the common people from seizing upon their own land, (but only the mercenary wills of men,) and therefore where there is no Law, there is no transgression.
Fourthly, Because oppression and cruelty doth bear so much sway in the Nation, that poor men will be necessitated to make a breach of the Lawes of the Nation, if they are not suffered to labour the Earth for their maintenance.
Whether it would prove an inlet to Liberty and Freedom, if poor men which want employment, and others which work for little wages, would go to digging and manuring the commons, and most places of the earth; considering effects this would produce?
As 1. If men would do as aforesaid, rather than to go with cap in hand, bended knee, to gentlemen farmers, begging and entreating to work with them for 8d. or 10d. a day, which doth give them an occasion to tyrannize over poor people, (which are their fellow-creatures,) if poor men would not go in such a slavish posture, but do so as aforesaid then rich farmers would be weary of renting so much land of the Lords of Manors.
2. If the Lords of Manors, and other Gentlemen who covet after so much Land, could not let it out by parcels, but must be constrained to keep it in their own hands, then would they want those great bags of money, (which do maintain pride, idleness, and fullness of bread, which are carried into them by their tenants, who go in as slavish a posture as may be; namely, with cap in hand, and bended knee, crouching and creeping from corner to corner, while his lord (rather their tyrant) walks up and down the room with his proud looks, and with great swelling words, questions him about his holding.
3. If the Lords of Manors, and other gentlemen, had not those great bags of money brought into them. Then down would fall the Lordliness of their spirits, and then poor men might speak to them; then there might be an acknowledging of one another to be fellow-creatures.
For, what is the reason that great gentlemen covet after so much land, is it not because farmers and others creep to them in a slavish manner, proffering them great sums of money for such and such parcels of it, which doth give them an occasion to tyrannize over their fellow creatures which they call their inferiors.
Secondly. And what is the reason that farmers and others are so greedy to rent land of the Lords of Manors: Is it not because they expect great gains, and because poor men are so foolish and slavish as to creep to them for employment, although they will not give them wages enough to maintain them and their families comfortably: All which do give them an occasion to tyrannize over their fellow-creatures, which they call their Inferiors.
All which considered, if poor men which want employment and others which work for little wages, would go to dress and improve the common and waste Lands, whether it would not bring down the prices of land, which doth principally cause all manner of things to be dear?
Whether a livelihood be not the right and propriety of every man; Look in the first Query.
Whether this be not intruded into by those which do impoverish their fellow-creatures by their buying and selling, and by their enclosing and appropriating the earth, with the fruits thereof unto themselves (purposely to uphold their lordly spirits) as most men do; and so (in plain English) rob and steal from their fellow creatures, their proper right and Inheritance?
Whether those Scriptures which say, Love thy neighbour as thyself; and do unto all men as you would they should do unto you: and he that hath this world's goods, and seeth his brother in want, and yet shutteth up the bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? Matt. 7.12, John the first chapt. the 3. verse the 17.
And many such Scriptures; Whether they are not least spoken of, and less practised among men now a days, although in them is contained the whole Law and Prophets?
The Nation is in such a state as this,
to honour rich men because they are rich.
And poor men, because poor most do them hate,
O, but this is a very cursed State.
But those which act from love which is sincere,
Will honour truth where ever it doth appear.
And no repecting of persons will be with such,
but tyranny they will abhor in poor or rich.
And in this state is he whose name is here,
your very loving friend, Robert Costeer.
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The Brotherly Request of those that Are Called Diggers -
A Letter to Colonel Fairfax
Source: Digger Tracts, 1649-50, published by John the Red Nose, Seattle?, 1996
(Copy provided by Mikke Sennekke and Richard Schneider)
To his Excellency the Lord Fairfax and the Council of War the brotherly request of those that are called Diggers showeth
That whereas we have begun to dig upon the Commons for a livelihood, and have declared to your Excellency and the whole world our reasons, which are four. First, from the righteous law of Creation that gives the earth freely to one as well as to another without respect of persons. Secondly, by virtue of yours and our victory over the King, whereby the enslaved people of England have recovered themselves from under the Norman Conquest; though we doe not as yet enjoy the benefit of our victories, nor cannot so long as the use of the common land is held from the younger brethren by the Lords of Manors, that as yet sit in the Norman chair, and uphold that tyranny as if the kingly power were in force still; and a third reason that moved us to dig was the persuasion of our hearts that the Parliament and Army would make good their bargain with us; for you promised that if we would adventure person and purse to recover England from under that Norman oppression you would make us a free people, and you have obtained the victory by your own and our assistance, and there is nothing wanting from you to us but maiming good your bargain to us, for by the law of reason and contract we have bought our freedom of the Parliament and Army, who have the power of the sword in your hands, by our blood, taxes, and free quarter. And we are persuaded of your faithfulness to us for two reasons. First, your promises, which as you are Gospel professors we expect you will make good, and so give us our freedom, which we have dearly paid for, and you have received our moneys the fruits of our labours. Secondly, your Covenant to God, unto whom first we kept fasting days, and prayed him to help and deliver this oppressed Nation, and then after any victory over our oppressor Charles you appointed days of thanks-giving unto God. Now in the third place, God expects from you and the Parliament to perform your Covenant in deed and work as well as in words, and let the oppressed go free unto whom you promised freedom; and though you have fought for it, yet we have paid for it, and so have purchased that same freedom with you, that is that we may live in the earth without poverty; for (fourthly) we dig upon the Common to make the earth a common treasury, because our necessity for food and raiment require it.
Now Sirs, divers repulses we have had from some of the Lords of Manors and their servants, with whom we are patient and loving, not doubting but at last they will grant liberty quietly to live by them; and though your tenderness have moved us to bee requesting your protection against them, yet we have forborne, and rather waited upon God with patience till he quell their unruly spirits, and of prosecuting Sauls to make them righteous Pauls; and in regard likewise the soldiers did not molest us, for that you told us when some of us were before you, that you had given command to your soldiers not to meddle with us, but resolved to leave us to the Gentlemen of the Country and to the law of the Land to deal with us; which we were satisfied with, and for this half year past your soldiers have not meddled with us.
But now Sirs, this last week upon the 28th of November, there came a party of soldiers commanded by a cornet, and some of them of your own Regiment, and by their threatening words forced 3 labouring men to help them to pull down our 2 houses, and carried away the wood in a cart to a Gentleman's house who hath been a Cavalier all our time of wars, and cast 2 or 3 old people out who lived in those houses to lie in an open field this cold weather, (an action more becoming the Turks to deal with Christians then for one Christian to deal with another); but if you inquire into the business you will find that the Gentlemen that set the soldiers on are enemies to you, for some of the chief had hands in the Kentish rising against the Parliament, and we know, an[d] you will find it true if you trust them so far, that [they] love you but from the teeth outward.
Therefore our request to you is this, that you would call your soldiers to accompt for attempting to abuse us without your commission, that the Country may know that you had no hand in such an unrighteous and cruel act. Likewise we desire that you would continue your former kindness and promise to give commission to your soldiers not to meddle with us without your order, and we shall be very thankful to you and remain
Yours and England['s] true born sons and friends.
JOHN HEYMAN
AN: WRENN
HEN: BARTON
JON COULTON
ROBERT COSLER
JOHN PALMER
JACOB HEARD
in the behalfe of others called the Diggers.
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A Declaration of the Grounds and Reasons
(Wellinborrow)
Source: Digger Tracts, 1649-50, published by John the Red Nose, Seattle?, 1996
(Copy provided by Mikke Sennekke and Richard Schneider)
A declaration of the grounds and reasons why we the poor inhabitants of the town of Wellinborrow, in the County of Northampton, have begun and give consent to dig up, manure and sow corn upon the common, and waste ground, called Bareshanke belonging to the inhabitants of Wellinborrow, by those that have subscribed, and hundreds more that give consent.
WE find in the Word of God, that God made the Earth for the use and comfort of all Mankind, and set him in to till and dress it, and said, That in the sweat of his brows he should eat his bread; and also we find, that God never gave it to any sort of people, that they should have it all to themselves, and shut out all the rest, but he saith, The Earth hath he given to the children of men, which is every man.
2. We find, that no creature that ever God made was ever deprived of the benefit of the Earth, but Mankind; and that it is nothing but covetousness, pride, and hardness of heart, that hath caused man so far to degenerate.
3. We find in the Scriptures, that the Prophets and Apostles have left it upon Record, That in the last days the oppressor and proud man shall cease, and God will restore the waste places of the Earth to the use and comfort of Man, and that none shall hurt nor destroy in all his holy Mountain.
4. We have great encouragement from these two righteous Acts, which the Parliament of England have set forth, the one against Kingly Power, the other to make England a free common-wealth.
5. We are necessitated from our present necessity to do this, and we hope that our actions will justify us in the gate when all men shall know the truth of our necessity: We are in Wellinborrow in one parish 1169 persons that receive alms, as the officers have made it appear at the quarter sessions last: we have made our case known to the justices, the justices have given order that the town should raise a stock to set us on work, and that the hundred should be enjoined to assist them; but as yet we see nothing is done, nor any man that goeth about it; we have spent all we have, our trading is decayed, our wives and children cry for bread, our lives are a burden to us, divers of us having 5.6.7.8.9. in Family, and we cannot get bread for one of them by our labour; rich men's hearts are hardened, they will not give us if we beg at their doors; if we steal, the Law will end our lives, divers of the poor are starved to death already, and it were better for us that are living to die by the sword then by famine: and now we consider that the earth is our mother, and that God hath given it to the children of men, and that the common and waste grounds belong to the poor, and that we have a right to the common ground both from the law of the land, reason and scriptures; and therefore we have begun to bestow our righteous labour upon it, and we shall trust the Spirit for a blessing upon our labour, resolving not to dig up any man's property, until they freely give us it; and truly we find great comfort already, through the goodness of our God, that some of those rich men amongst us, that have had the greatest profit upon the Common, have freely given us their share in it, as one Mr John Freeman, as Nottingham and John Clendon, and divers others; and the country farmers have proffered divers of them to give us seed to sow it, and so we find that God is persuading Japeth to dwell in the tents of Shem: and truly those that we fund most against us are such as have been constant enemies to the Parliament's cause from first to last.
Now at last our desire is, That some that approve of this work of righteousness, would but spread this our declaration before the great Council of the Land, that so they may be pleased to give us more encouragement to go on, that so they may be found amongst the small number of those that considers the poor and needy, that so the Lord may deliver them in the time of their troubles, and then they will not be found amongst those that Solomon speaks of, which withhold the corn (or the land) from the poor, which the people shall curse, but blessing shall be upon the heads of those rulers that sell corn, and that will let the poor labour upon the earth to get them corn, and our lines shall bless them, so shall good men stand by them, and evil men shall be afraid of them, and they shall be counted the repairers of our breaches, and the restorers of our paths to dwell in. And thus we have declared the truth of our necessity; and whosoever will come in to us to labour with us, shall have part with us, and we with them, and we shall all of us endeavour to walk righteously and peaceably in the Land of our Nativity.
Richard Smith. John Avery. Thomas Fardin. Richard Pendred. James Pitman. Roger Tuis. Joseph Hichcock. John Pye. Edward Turner.
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LONDON, Printed for Giles Calvert. 1650.
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A Declaration of the Grounds and Reasons
(Iver)
Source: Digger Tracts, 1649-50, published by John the Red Nose, Seattle?, 1996
(Copy provided by Mikke Sennekke and Richard Schneider)
A Declaration of the grounds and Reasons, why we the poor Inhabitants of the Parish of Iver in Buckinghamshire, have begun to dig and manure the common and waste Land belonging to the aforesaid Inhabitants, and there are many more that gives consent.
The word of God hath witnessed unto us, that the Lord created the earth with all that is therein for whole mankind, equal to one as to another, and for everyone to live free upon to get an ample livelihood therein, and therefore those who have by an unrighteous power made merchandize of the earth, giving all to some, and none to others, declares themselves tyrannical and usurping Lords over God's heritage, and we affirm that they have no righteous power to sell or give away the earth, unless they could make the earth likewise, which none can do but God the eternal Spirit.
2. We are very sensible that although Mankind was by the will of his Maker, constituted in all his branches, a supreme Lord over all creatures of other kinds, yet we see that no creature is so much deprived of a being and subsistence as mankind is; and though those who are become Lords and Masters over their fellow creatures, do challenge a larger circuit of earth to be given of God, more particularly to them then to others; we say that this is false, unless they mean their God covetousness, the God of this world, who hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their hearts, and this God is an unequal and impartial divider, and therefore he must be destroyed.
We know that Cain is still alive in all the great Landlords, and such like earthmongers who are continually crucifying their poor brethren by oppression, cheating and robbery: therefore you Lords of Manors especially, the Lord hath set Cain's mark upon you, because he will surely find you out, if you do not repent and give over, lie down therefore and submit (and why not) that your iniquities may be no more in remembrance, and that the cry of your cruelty may be heard no more in the Land.
3. Then thirdly, there is a promise in Scripture (which God hath made) to free us from that bondage wherein you have involved us, and that pride and oppression shall be heard of no more in the Land, and that the Lord will restore the whole creation into the glorious liberty of the sons of God, which is no other liberty then that which Christ himself by his spirit hath invested us withal, and that is equality, community and fellowship with our own kind; for the first shall be last, and the last shall be first, and he that sitteth, as he that serveth.
4. We are urged to go forth and act in this righteous work, because of our present necessity, and want of the comfort which belongs to our creation, that the earth being enclosed into the hands of a few, whereby time, custom and usurping laws have made particular interests for some, and not for all: so that these great taskmasters will allow us none of the earth whilst we are alive, but only when we are dead, they will afford us just as much as will make the length of our graves, because they cannot then keep it from us, and that then we should be equal with them; but why may we not whilst we are alive with them, have as much of the earth as themselves? yes truly, remove but covetousness, and kill that cursed power, and then those men would not keep all to themselves, but would willingly suffer their fellow creatures to enjoy the birthright of their creation; for whiles the great ones like rats and mice draw all the treasures and fruits of the earth into their nests and holes after them, resolving rather to spoil these good things, then to suffer the common sort to have part with: and therefore they have now got a custom to diet the Markets, and make a dearth in time of plenty, and though the lord be pleased to give joyful and fruitful seasons, yet we see that this helpeth us nothing: we must be starved nevertheless, and why? because the rich will have it so, no other reason can be rendered: Therefore you of the poorer sort, understand this, that nothing but the manuring of the common land, will reduce you into a comfortable condition; and likewise we declare, that though we keep our selves close to our hard labours, breaking our due and necessary rest which should refresh us, whereby our lives are become a burden to us, and yet our careful and diligent labour, will afford us no other than a distracted, languishing and miserable life, for how can it be otherwise? seeing we cannot enjoy the benefit of our labours ourselves but for the maintenance of idle persons, slow bellies who reign and ride over the common people in every Parish, as Gods and Kings: And therefore if this be that freedom which we have for these nine years striven for: then we pray you to exchange this freedom for our old bondage, and to set us down in that kennel where you did first lift us out.
5. And further we declare before God and the whole world, that the inhumane cruelty of our taskmasters is, and hath ever been the just cause of all our miseries, and of the whole nation into this sad condition, and that we see no hope, comfort, or redress to be had from any that are in authority in our parish, who say they will do nothing but what they are forc'd to do: therefore from their own words we may gather, that their full intent is to make us absolute slaves and vassals to their wills.
6. We have great encouragement from this present Parliament, by making of those two excellent laws, the one to cast out Kingly Power, and the other to make us all a free people, which we understand, is to break the neck of the Norman power which was brought in upon us by the Norman Bastard, continued and increased ever since within this nation, by every King who was his successor.
7. This act of ours endeavouring to make the waste land fruitful, is an act full of honour, righteousness, justice and peace, and consequently agreeing the Law of God and the Law of reason; for the Scripture saith, The meek shall inherit the earth: this work therefore of ours is not to be carried on by force of Arms, it is a thing which we much abhor, but in love only and meekness, and this power only shall at last conquer, and bring in the Kings and Princes of the earth: therefore all you that are prepared to act freedom and love, come forth and break your swords into ploughshares, and levy war no more.
8. There is a principle of reason that teacheth every man to do as he would be done by, that is to live in love, and be at peace with all men, and to do as we would be done by, is to allow the same liberty to others, that we ourselves are willing to enjoy, which is food and raiment, freely without being a slave to any of our fellow creatures: We desire all those that are free to act with us in this work, that they would come forth and set their hands to remove this bondage which we have lain under this 600. years: And further we desire, that those who cannot come forth as yet in person, that they would lend us their assistance and encouragement to supply our necessities whilst our labours lies buried in the earth until the fruit comes up; our condition being but poor at the beginning, that so this righteous work may not fall off and perish, to give the adversary cause to perceive that we are again brought back into bondage.
10.(sic) And lastly, we do not intend to proceed upon this work in any other power, but that which is before expressed, which is the Lords own way, even peace and love, steadfastly resolving not to meddle with any man's property, but what is known to be common land, and these are the essential grounds and reasons of us the poor inhabitants of Iver in Buckinghamshire, whose names are hereunder written.
And we much desire the fishing trade may presently be set up, for then we might have more fish for one shilling, then now we have for 4s. which would be great comfort to us the poor, and no hurt to you therefore; and likewise that Potters List might be paid, which so long from them have been stayed.
And that engrossers and buyers of corn might be looked to, that we might have it at some reasonabler rate. And that there may be commissioners granted, to call the churchwardens and overseers of the poor for the country as well as for the city to an account.*[see note below] We hear that they have begun manuring the Commons in Kent, at Wellingborough, and Bosworth old in Northamptonshire & in Gloucestershire, & in Nottinghamshire, and they intend to sow roots till July, & then follow for winter corn, and then to build for the poorest in the parishes, and if the rich will not let them alone, the poor will leave them their children to keep, as they have done in Surrey.
And we pray release all prisoners for debt, that cannot pay their debt, and let the prisons be for work-houses for the poor to make things for the fishing trade, what will poor men's bones do you good?
Some QUERIES.
1. Whether there be any Statute or Law against breaking up, or manuring of the Common which was left out for us ever since the Conquest, only for the poor by all old records, and now we intend to make use of our own, and if the rich will not let us provide for our wives and children truly, then they must, for we will not be such slaves as we have been formerly. 2. Whether there be any Statute or Law extant, or can be produced or shown to us by any Lord of Manor, to take honest poor men from their true and righteous labour, and put them into a Norman stronghold, and there to lie as long as corrupt Law, and unjust Justices will please. 3. Whether the Parliament, Council of State, High Court of Justice, and Council of War, will uphold such Norman laws, seeing that the successor's head is cut of, we hope you will not maintain the same still, if you will, we fear you may want poor men's help when you stand in need of them. 4. Whether those words in your Acts against Kingly Power, and all that hold claiming under the King, do not take away all Lords of Manors, and tithing priest power too likewise, seeing they came in all by the Norman Conqueror, and those words in the other Act, that you made England a free Commonwealth, doth not mean all the poor as well as you rich, and if it mean but only the rich, then let the rich fight all the battles that are to be fought, for we will have some assurance of our true freedom, and what you mean by your words, and how we shall have our pay and our debentures; for we cannot live for or by fair words any longer, and they not performed neither.
5. Whether it be not felony in or by any man to set fire on his house and burn it down, the Law saith it is; and if so, what will it be in any man to get some 30. or 40. or more together, and go and set fire on 6 or 7 very poor men's houses that had set them up in some waste places, and these people before mentioned, came and burned them down, and some of their goods too: now no question, and if the first be felony, this is in a higher nature, more felonies than the first: we desire it may be taken notice of by all rational' men in this whole free Common-wealth of England for ever hereafter, that no such felony be committed again by any man whatsoever.
We write this, because we have 9. especial friends that were at work in their own ground as they conceived, and were taken from their righteous labour, and carried from Wellingborough to Northampton Goal, and at sessions last, being the 16. & 17. of April last; they could prove nothing against them, and yet would not set them free by proclamation according to law; but we hope our honest army will not pass by there, till they have freed them: the General's own cornet Spinege was on the bench, and saw that they could prove nothing against them, we hope he will help release them.
Henry Norman. Edw: Dun. Rob: Dun. Tho. Taylor. Wil. Saunders. Henry Slave. Tho. Beedle, younger. Rich. Moseley. John Currant.
London, Printed for T. Brewster, and G. Moule, at the three Bibles in Pauls Church-yard near the West end of Pauls, the 1 of May, 1650.
*[note:] Thy are at work at Barnet, and at Enfield, and there they are resolved if they will not let them plant and build, they will leave them in Barnet 7. Children, and at Enfield nine Children.
They were better leave them then starve them, and themselves too; and they are at work at Dunstable, in Buckinghamshire also, and we hear they are going to build in many Countries, and are resolved to pay no more rent, things are so dear they cannot.