A Declaration
from the
Poor oppressed People
of England
A | DECLARATION | FROM THE | Poor oppressed People | OF |
ENGLAND | DIRECTED | To all that call themselves, | or are called | Lords of
Manors, | through this NATION; | That have begun to cut, or that | through
fear and covetousness, do | intend to cut down the Woods | and Trees that
grow upon the | Commons and Waste Land. | Printed in the Yeer, 1649.
We whose names are subscribed, do in the name of all the poor oppressed
people in England, declare unto you, that call your selves lords of Manors,
and Lords of the Land, That in regard the King of Righteousness, our Maker,
hath inlightened our hearts so far, as to see, That the earth was not made
purposely for you, to be Lords of it, and we to be your Slaves, Servants,
and Beggers; but it was made to be a common Livelihood to all, without
respect of persons: And that your buying and selling of Land, and the Fruits
of it, one to another, is The cursed thing, and was brought in by War; which
hath, and still does establish murder, and theft, In the hands of some
branches of Mankinde over others, which is the greatest outward burden, and
unrighteous power, that the Creation groans under: For the power of
inclosing Land, and owning Propriety, was brought into the Creation by your
Ancestors by the Sword; which first did murther their fellow Creatures, Men,
and after plunder or steal away their Land, and left this Land successively
to you, their Children. And therefore, though you did not kill or theeve,
yet you hold that cursed thing in your hand, by the power of the Sword; and
so you justifie the wicked deeds of your Fathers; and that sin of your
Fathers, shall be visited upon the Head of you, and your Children, to the
third and fourth Generation, and longer too, till your bloody and theeving
power be rooted out of the Land.
And further, in regard the King of Righteousness hath made us sensible of
our burthens, and the cryes and groanings of our hearts are come before him:
We take it as a testimony of love from him, That our hearts begin to be
freed from slavish fear of men, such as you are; and that we find
Resolutions in us, grounded upon the inward law of Love, one towards
another, To Dig and Plough up the Commons, and waste Lands through England;
and that our conversation shall be so unblameable, That your Laws shall not
reach to oppress us any longer, unless you by your Laws will shed the
innocent blood that runs in our veins.
For though you and your Ancestors got your Propriety by murther and theft,
and you keep it by the same power from us, that have an equal right to the
Land with you, by the righteous Law of Creation, yet we shall have no
occasion of quarrelling (as you do) about that disturbing devil, called
Particular propriety: For the Earth, with all her Fruits of Corn, Cattle,
and such like, was made to be a common Store-house of Livelihood to all
Mankinde, friend, and foe, without exception.
And to prevent your scrupulous Objections, know this, That we Must neither
buy nor sell; Money must not any longer (after our work of the Earths
community is advanced) be the great god, that hedges in some, and hedges out
others; for Money is but part of the Earth: And surely, the Righteous
Creator, who is King, did never ordain, That unless some of Mankinde, do
bring that Mineral (Silver and Gold) in their hands, to others of their own
kinde, that they should neither be fed, nor be clothed; no surely, For this
was the project of Tyrant-flesh (which Land-lords are branches of) to set
his Image upon Money. And they make this unrighteous Law, That none should
buy or sell, eat, or be clothed, or have any comfortable Livelihood among
men, unless they did bring his Image stamped upon Gold or Silver in their
hands.
And whereas the Scriptures speak, That the mark of the Beast is 666, the
number of a man; and that those that do not bring that mark in their hands,
or in their foreheads, they should neither buy nor sell, Revel. 13.16. And
seeing the numbering Letters round about the English money make 666, which
is the number of that Kingly Power and Glory, (called a Man) And seeing the
age of the Creation is now come to the Image of the Beast, or Half day. And
seeing 666 is his mark, we expect this to be the last Tyrannical power that
shall raign; and that people shall live freely in the enioyment of the
Earth, without bringing the mark of the Beast in their hands, or in their
promise; and that they shall buy Wine and Milk, without Money, or without
price, as Isiah speaks.
For after our work of the Earthly community is advanced, we must make use of
Gold and Silver, as we do of other metals, but not to buy and sell withal;
for buying and selling is the great cheat, that robs and steals the Earth
one from another: It is that which makes some Lords, others Beggers, some
Rulers, others to be ruled; and makes great Murderers and Theeves to be
imprisoners, and hangers of little ones, or of sincere-hearted men.
And while we are made to labor the Earth together, with one consent and
willing minde; and while we are made free, that every one, friend and foe,
shall enjoy the benefit of their Creation, that is, To have food and rayment
from the Earth, their Mother; and every one subiect to give accompt of his
thoughts, words, and actions to none, but to the one onely righteous Judg,
and Prince of Peace; the Spirit of Righteousness that dwells, and that is
now rising up to rule in every Creature, and in the whole Globe. We say,
while we are made to hinder no man of his Priviledges given him in his
Creation, equal to one, as to another; what Law then can you make, to take
hold upon us, but Laws of Oppression and Tyranny, that shall enslave or
spill the blood of the Innocent? And so your Selves, your Judges, Lawyers,
and Justices, shall be found to be the greatest Transgressors, in, and over
Mankinde.
But to draw neerer to declare our meaning, what we would have, and what we
shall endevor to the uttermost to obtain, as moderate and righteous Reason
directs us; seeing we are made to see our Privileages, given us in our
Creation, which have hitherto been denied to us, and our Fathers, since the
power of the Sword began to rule, And the secrets of the Creation have been
locked up under the traditional, Parrat-like speaking, from the
Universities, and Colledges for Scolars, And since the power of the
murdering, and theeving Sword, formerly, as well as now of late yeers, hath
set up a Govenment, and maintains that Government; for what are prisons, and
putting others to death, but the power of the Sword to enforce people to
that Government which was got by Conquest and Sword, and cannot stand of it
self, but by the same murdering power? That Government that is got over
people by the Sword and kept by the Sword, is not set up by the King of
Righteousness to be his Law, but by Covetousness, the great god of the
world; who hath been permitted to raign for a time, times, and dividing of
time and his government draws to the period of the last term of his allotted
time; and then the Nations shall see the glory of that Government that shall
rule in Righteousness, without either Sword or Spear,
And seeing further, the power of Righteousness in our hearts, seeking the
livelihood of others as well as our selves, hath drawn forth our bodies to
begin to dig, and plough, in the Commons and waste Land, for the reasons
already declared,
And seeing and finding ourselves poor, wanting Food to feed upon, while we
labor the Earth to cast in seed, and to wait till the first crop comes up;
and wanting Ploughs, Carts, Corn, and such materials to plant the Commons
withal, we are willing to declare our condition to you, and to all, that
have the Treasury of the Earth, locked up in your Bags, Chests, and Barns,
and will offer up nothing to this publike Treasury; but will rather see your
fellow Creatures starve for want of Bread, that have an equal right to it
with your selves, by the Law of Creation: But this by the way we onely
declare to you, and to all that follow the subtle art of buying and selling
the Earth with her Fruits, meerly to get the Treasury thereof into their
hands, to lock it up from them, to whom it belongs; that so, such covetous,
proud, unrighteous, selfish flesh, may be left without excuse in the day of
Judgment.
And therefore, the main thing we aym at, and for which we declare our
Resolutions to go forth, and act, is this, To lay hold upon, and as we stand
in need, to cut and fell, and make the best advantage we can of the Woods
and Trees, that grow upon the Commons, To be a stock for our selves, and our
poor Brethren, through the land of England, to plant the Commons withal; and
to provide us bread to eat, till the Fruit of our labors in the Earth bring
forth increase; and we shall meddle with none of your Proprieties (but what
is called Commonage) till the Spirit in you, make you cast up your Lands and
Goods, which were got, and still is kept in your hands by murder, and theft;
and then we shall take it from the Spirit, that hath conquered you, and not
from our Swords, which is an abominable, and unrighteous power, and a
destroyer of the Creation: But the Son of man comes not to destroy, but to
save.
And we are moved to send forth this Declaration abroad, to give notice to
every one whom it concerns, in regard we hear and see, that some of you,
that have been Lords of Manors, do cause the Trees and Woods that grow upon
the Commons, which you pretend a Royalty unto, to be cut down and sold, for
your own private use, Thereby the Common Land, which your own mouths doe say
belongs to the poor, is impoverished, and the poor oppressed people robbed
of their Rights, while you give them cheating words, by telling some of our
poor oppressed Brethren, That those of us that have begun to Dig and Plough
up the Commons, will hinder the poor; and so blinde their eyes, that they
see not their Priviledge, while you, and the rich Free-holders make the most
profit of the Commons, by your over-stocking of them with Sheep and Cattle;
and the poor that have the name to own the Commons, have the least share
therein; nay, they are checked by you, if they cut Wood, Heath, Turf, or
Furseys, in places about the Common, where you disallow.
Therefore we are resolved to be cheated no longer, nor be held under the
slavish fear of you no longer, seing the Earth was made for us, as well as
for you. And if the Common Land belongs to us who are the poor oppressed,
surely the woods that grow upon the Commons belong to us likewise: therefore
we are resolved to try the uttermost in the light of reason, to know whether
we shall be free men, or slaves. If we lie still, and let you steale away
our Birthrights, we perish; and if we Petition we perish also, though we
have paid taxes, given free quarter, and ventured our lives to preserve the
Nations freedom as much as you, and therefore by the law of contract with
you, freedom in the land is our portion as well as yours, equal with you:
And if we strive for freedom, and your murdering, governing Laws destroy us,
we can but perish.
Therefore we require, and we resolve to take both Common Land, and Common
woods to be a livelihood for us, and look upon you as equal with us, not
above us, knowing very well, that England the land of our Nativity, is to be
a common Treasury of livelihood to all, without respect of persons.
So then, we declare unto you, that do intend to cut our Common Woods and
Trees, that you shall not do it; unlesse it be for a stock for us, as
aforesaid, and we to know of it, by a publick declaration abroad, that the
poor oppressed, that live thereabouts, may take it, and employ it, for their
publike use, therefore take notice we have demanded it in the name of the
Commons of England, and of all the Nations of the world, it being the
righteous freedom of the Creation.
Likewise we declare to you that have begun to cut down our Common Woods and
Trees, and to fell and carry away the same for your private use, that you
shall forbear, and go no farther, hoping, that none that are friends to the
Commonwealth of England, will endeavour to buy any of those Common Trees and
Woods of any of those Lords of Mannors, so called, who have, by the
murdering and cheating law of the sword, stoln the Land from younger
brothers, who have by the law of Creation, a standing portion in the Land,
as well, and equall with others. Therefore we hope all Wood-mongers will
disown all such private merchandise, as being a robbing of the poor
oppressed, and take notice, that they have been told our resolution: But if
any of you that are Wood-mongers, will buy it of the poor, and for their
use, to stock the Commons, from such as may be appointed by us to sell it,
you shall have it quietly, without diminution; but if you will slight us in
this thing, blame us not, if we make stop of the Carts you send and convert
the Woods to our own use, as need requires, it being our own, equal with him
that calls himself the Lord of the Mannor, and not his peculiar right,
shutting us out, but he shall share with us as a fellow-creature.
For we say our purpose is, to take those Common Woods to sell them, now at
first, to be a stock for our selves, and our children after us, to plant and
manure the Common land withall; for we shall endeavour by our righteous
acting not to leave the earth any longer intangled unto our children, by
self-seeking proprietors; But to leave it a free store-house, and common
treasury to all, without respect of persons; And this we count is our dutie,
to endeavour to the uttermost, every man in his place (according to the
nationall Covenant which the Parliament set forth) a Reformation to preserve
the peoples liberties, one as well as another: As well those as have paid
taxes, and given free quarter, as those that have either born the sword, or
taken our moneys to dispose of them for publike use: for if the Reformation
must be according to the word of God, then every one is to have the benefit
and freedom of his creation, without respect of persons; we count this our
duty, we say, to endeavour to the uttermost, and so shall leave those that
rise up to oppose us without excuse, in their day of Judgment; and our
precious blood, we hope, shall not be dear to us, to be willingly laid down
at the door of a prison, or foot of a gallows, to justifie this righteous
cause; if those that have taken our money from us, and promised to give us
freedom for it, should turn Tyrants against us: for we must not fight, but
suffer.
And further we intend, that not one, two, or a few men of us shall sell or
exchange the said woods, but it shall be known publikly in Print or writing
to all, how much every such, and such parcell of wood is sold for, and how
it is laid out, either in victualls, corn, ploughs, or other materials
necessary.
And we hope we may not doubt (at least we expect) that they that are called
the great Councel and powers of England, who so often have declared
themselves, by promises and Covenants, and confirmed them by multitude of
fasting daies, and devout Protestations, to make England a free people, upon
condition they would pay moneys, and adventure their lives against the
successor of the Norman Conqueror; under whose oppressing power England was
enslaved; And we look upon that freedom promised to be the inheritance of
all, without respect of persons; And this cannot be, unless the Land of
England be freely set at liberty from proprietors, and become a common
Treasury to all her children, as every portion of the Land of Canaan was the
Common livelihood of such and such a Tribe, and of every member in that
Tribe, without exception, neither hedging in any, nor hedging out.
We say we hope we need not doubt of their sincerity to us herein, and that
they will not gainsay our determinate course; howsoever, their actions will
prove to the view of all, either their sinceritie, or hypocrisie: We know
what we speak is our priviledge, and our cause is righteous, and if they
doubt of it, let them but send a childe for us to come before them, and we
shall make it manifest four wayes.
First, by the National Covenant, which yet stands in force to bind
Parliament and people to be faithful and sincere, before the Lord God
Almighty, wherein every one in his several place hath covenanted to preserve
and seek the liberty each of other, without respect of persons.
Secondly, by the late Victory over King Charls, we do claime this our
pnviledge, to be quietly given us, out of the hands of Tyrant-Government, as
our bargain and contract with them; for the Parliament promised, if we would
pay taxes, and give free quarter, and adventure our lives against Charls and
his party, whom they called the Common enemy, they would make us a free
people; These three being all done by us, as well as by themselves, we claim
this our bargain, by the law of contract from them, to be a free people with
them, and to have an equall priviledge of Common livelihood with them, they
being chosen by us, but for a peculiar worke, and for an appointed time,
from among us, not to be our oppressing Lords, but servants to succour us.
But these two are our weakest proofs. And yet by them (in the light of
reason and equity that dwells in mens hearts) we shall with ease cast down,
all those former enslaving Norman reiterated laws, in every Kings raigne
since the Conquest, which are as thornes in our eyes, and pricks in our
sides, and which are called the Ancient Government of England.
Thirdly we shall prove that we have a free right to the land of England,
being born therein as well as elder brothers, and that it is our equal right
with them, and they with us, to have a comfortable livlihood in the earth,
without owning any of our own kinde, to be either Lords, or Land-Lords over
us: And this we shall prove by plain Text of Scripture, without exposition
upon them, which the Scholars and great ones generally say, is their rule to
walk by.
Fourthly, we shall prove it by the Righteous Law of our Creation, That
mankinde in all his branches, is the Lord of the Earth and ought not to be
in subjection to any of his own kinde without him, but to live in the light
of the law of righteousness, and peace established in his heart.
And thus in love we have declared the purpose of our hearts plainly, without
flatterie, expecting love, and the same sincerity from you, without
grumbling or quarreling, being Creatures of your own Image and mould,
intending no other matter herein, but to observe the Law of righteous
action, endeavouring to shut out of the Creation, the cursed thing, called
Particular Propriety, which is the cause of all wars, bloud-shed, theft, and
enslaving Laws, that hold the people under miserie.
Signed for and in behalf of all the poor oppressed people of England, and
the whole world.
Gerrard Winstanley
John Coulton
John Palmer
Thomas Star
Samuel Webb
John Hayman
Thomas Edcer
William Hogrill
Daniel Weeden
Richard Wheeler
Nathaniel Yates
William Clifford
John Harrison
Thomas Hayden
James Hall
James Manley
Thomas Barnard
John South
Robert Sayer
Christopher Clifford
John Beechee
William Coomes
Christopher Boncher
Richard Taylor
Urian Worthington
Nathaniel Holcombe
Giles Childe, senior
John Webb
Thomas Yarwel
William Bonnington
John Ash
Ralph Ayer
John Pra
John Wilkinson
Anthony Spire
Thomas East
Allen Brown
Edward Parret
Richard Gray
John Mordy
John Bachilor
William Childe
William Hatham
Edward Wicher
William Tench.
FINIS.
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