Gerrard Winstanley, Excerpts
From "The True Levellers' Standard Advanced" (1649)
Gerrard Winstanley (1609-1676) was a
social reformer during the era of the English Civil who was inspired
by his fervent brand of reformed Protestantism to become one of the
leaders of a group known as the Diggers. This movement, which called
itself the "True Levellers" to distinguish themselves from another
less radical faction, argued in favor of social and economic
equality, and protested against the process of Enclosure,
in which the common lands of the medieval era had been fenced off
into private farms controlled by the wealthy. The climax of this
movement saw the Diggers occupy Saint George's Hill in Surrey and
attempt to pull down the fences in order to restore the land to
communal use. The Diggers were ultimately forced to abandon the
effort by the English government, but "The True Levellers' Standard
Advanced" represents the clearest statement of the group's goals and
ideology.
Excerpts from A Declaration to the Powers
of England,and to all the Powers of the World, shewing the Cause why
the Common People of England have begun, and gives Consent to Digg
up, Manure, and Sow Corn upon George-Hill in Surrey; by those that
have Subscribed, and thousands more that gives Consent.
In the beginning of Time, the great Creator Reason, made the Earth
to be a Common Treasury, to preserve Beasts, Birds, Fishes, and Man,
the lord that was to govern this Creation; for Man had Domination
given to him, over the Beasts, Birds, and Fishes; but not one word
was spoken in the beginning, That one branch of mankind should rule
over another.
And the Reason is this, Every single man, Male and Female, is a
perfect Creature of himself; and the same Spirit that made the
Globe, dwells in man to govern the Globe; so that the flesh of man
being subject to Reason, his Maker, hath him to be his Teacher and
Ruler within himself, therefore needs not run abroad after any
Teacher and Ruler without him, for he needs not that any man should
teach him, for the same Anointing that ruled in the Son of man,
teacheth him all things.
But since humane flesh (that king of Beasts) began to delight
himself in the objects of the Creation, more than in the Spirit
Reason and Righteousness, who manifests himself to be the indweller
in the Five Senses, of Hearing, Seeing, Tasting, Smelling, Feeling;
then he fell into blindness of mind and weakness of heart, and runs
abroad for a Teacher and Ruler: And so selfish imaginations taking
possession of the Five Senses, and ruling as King in the room of
Reason therein, and working with Covetousness, did set up one man to
teach and rule over another; and thereby the Spirit was killed, and
man was brought into bondage, and became a greater Slave to such of
his own kind, then the Beasts of the field were to him.
And hereupon, The Earth (which was made to be a Common Treasury of
relief for all, both Beasts and Men) was hedged in to In-closures by
the teachers and rulers, and the others were made Servants and
Slaves: And that Earth that is within this Creation made a Common
Store-house for all, is bought and sold, and kept in the hands of a
few, whereby the great Creator is mightily dishonoured, as if he
were a respector of persons, delighting in the comfortable
Livelihoods of some, and rejoicing in the miserable poverty and
straits of others. From the beginning it was not so.
But this coming in of Bondage, is called A-dam, because this ruling
and teaching power without, doth dam up the Spirit of Peace and
Liberty; First within the heart, by filling it with slavish fears of
others. Secondly without, by giving the bodies of one to be
imprisoned, punished and oppressed by the outward power of another.
And this evil was brought upon us through his own Covetousness,
whereby he is blinded and made weak, and sees not the Law of
Righteousness in his heart, which is the pure light of Reason, but
looks abroad for it, and thereby the Creation is cast under bondage
and curse, and the creator is slighted; First by the Teachers and
Rulers that sets themselves down in the Spirits room, to teach and
rule, where he himself is only King. . . .
***
O thou Powers of England, though thou hast promised to make this
People a Free People, yet thou hast so handled the matter, through
thy self-seeking humour, That thou has wrapped us up more in
bondage, and oppression lies heavier upon us; not only bringing thy
fellow Creatures, the Commoners, to a morsel of Bread, but by
confounding all sorts of people by thy Government, of doing and
undoing.
First, Thou hast made the people to take a Covenant and Oaths to
endeavour a Reformation, and to bring in Liberty every man in his
place; and yet while a man is in pursuing of that Covenant, he is
imprisoned and oppressed by thy Officers, Courts, and Justices, so
called.
Thou hast made Ordinances to cast down Oppressing, Popish,
Episcopal, Self-willed and Prerogative Laws; yet we see, That
Self-will and Prerogative power, is the great standing Law, that
rules all in action, and others in words.
Thou hast made many promises and protestations to make the Land a
Free Nation: And yet at this very day, the same people, to whom thou
hast made such Protestations of Liberty, are oppressed by thy
Courts, Sizes, Sessions, by thy Justices and Clerks of the Peace, so
called, Bailiffs, Committees, are imprisoned, and forced to spend
that bread, that should save their lives from Famine.
And all this, Because they stand to maintain an universal Liberty
and Freedom, which not only is our Birthright, which our Maker gave
us, but which thou hast promised to restore unto us, from under the
former oppressing Powers that are gone before, and which likewise we
have bought with our Money, in Taxes, Free-quarter, and Blood-shed;
all which Sums thou hast received at our hands, and yet thou hast
not given us our bargain. . . .
***
We are made to hold forth this Declaration to you that are the Great
Council, and to you the Great Army of the Land of England, that you
may know what we would have, and what you are bound to give us by
your Covenants and Promises; and that you may join with us in this
Work, and so find Peace. Or else, if you do oppose us, we have peace
in our Work, and in declaring this Report: And you shall be left
without excuse.
The Work we are going about is this, To dig up Georges-Hill and the
waste Ground thereabouts, and to Sow Corn, and to eat our bread
together by the sweat of our brows. . . .
***
Take notice, That England is not a Free People, till the Poor that
have no Land, have a free allowance to dig and labour the Commons,
and so live as Comfortably as the Landlords that live in their
Enclosures. For the People have not laid out their Monies, and shed
their Blood, that their Landlords, the Norman power, should still
have its liberty and freedom to rule in Tyranny in his Lords,
landlords, Judges, Justices, Bailiffs, and State Servants; but that
the Oppressed might be set Free, Prison doors opened, and the Poor
peoples hearts comforted by an universal Consent of making the Earth
a Common Treasury, that they may live together as one House of
Israel, united in brotherly love into one Spirit; and having a
comfortable livelihood in the Community of one Earth their Mother.
If you look through the Earth, you shall see, That the landlords,
Teachers and Rulers, are Oppressors, Murderers, and Thieves in this
manner; But it was not thus from the Beginning. And this is one
Reason of our digging and labouring the Earth one with another; That
we might work in righteousness, and lift up the Creation from
bondage: For so long as we own Landlords in this Corrupt Settlement,
we cannot work in righteousness; for we should still lift up the
Curse, and tread down the Creation, dishonour the Spirit of
universal Liberty, and hinder the work of Restoration.
Secondly, In that we begin to Digg upon George-Hill, to eat our
Bread together by righteous labour, and sweat of our brows, It was
showed us by Vision in Dreams, and out of Dreams, That that should
be the Place we should begin upon; And though that Earth in view of
Flesh, be very barren, yet we should trust the Spirit for a
blessing. And that not only this Common, or Heath should be taken in
and Manured by the People, but all the Commons and waste Ground in
England, and in the whole World, shall be taken in by the People in
righteousness, not owning any Propriety; but taking the Earth to be
a Common Treasury, as it was first made for all. . . .
***
Thus we have discharged our Souls in declaring the Cause of our
Digging upon George-Hill in Surrey, that the Great Council and Army
of the Land may take notice of it, That there is no intent of Tumult
or Fighting, but only to get Bread to eat, with the sweat of our
brows; working together in righteousness, and eating the blessings
of the Earth in peace.
And if any of you that are the great Ones of the Earth, that have
been bred tenderly, and cannot word, do bring in your Stock into
this Common Treasury as an Offering to the work of Righteousness; we
will work for you, and you shall receive as we receive. But if you
will not, but Pharaoh like cry, Who is the Lord that we should obey
him? and endeavour to Oppose, then know, That he that delivered
Israel from Pharaoh of old, is the same Power still, in whom we
trust, and whom we serve; for this Conquest over thee shall be got,
not by Sword or Weapon, but by my Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts.
Jerrard Winstanley, William Everard, Richard Goodgroome, John
Palmer, Thomas Starre, John South, William Hoggrill, John Courton,
Robert Sawyer, William Taylor, Thomas Eder, Christopher Clifford,
Henry Bickerstaffe, John Barker. John Taylor, &c.
(Spelling modernized somewhat from
the original).
Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20160303173630/http://www.rogerlovejoy.co.uk/philosophy/diggers/diggers2.htm