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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66685	The law of freedom in a platform: or, True magistracy restored Humbly presented to Oliver Cromwel, General of the Common-wealths army in England. And to all English-men my brethren whether in church-fellowship, or not in church-fellowship, both sorts walking as they conceive according to the order of the Gospel: and from them to all the nations in the world. Wherein is declared, what is kingly government, and what is Commonwealths government. By Jerrard Winstanley.	Winstanley, Gerrard, b. 1609.	1652 (1652)	Wing W3045A; ESTC R220031	79,685	104

free Commonwealth Now saith the whisperings of the people The inferior Tenants and Laborers bears all the burdens in laboring the Earth in paying Taxes and Free-quarter beyond their strength and in furnishing the Armies with Souldiers who bear the greatest burden of the War and yet the Gentry who oppress them and that live idle upon their labours carry away all the comfortable livelyhood of the Earth For is not this a common speech among the people We have parted with our Estates we have lost our Friends in the Wars which we willingly gave up because Freedom was promised us and now in the end we have new Task-masters and our old burdens increased and though all sorts of people have taken an Engagement to cast out Kingly Power yet Kingly Power remains in power still in the hands of those who have no more right to the Earth then our selves For say the people If the Lords of Manors and our Task-masters hold Title to the Earth over us from the old Kingly power behold that power is beaten and cast out And two Acts of Parliament are made The one to cast out Kingly power back'd by the Engagement against King and House of Lords The other to make England a free Commonwealth And if Lords of Mannors lay claim to the earth over us from the Armies Victories over the King then we have as much right to the Land as they because our labours and blood and death of friends were the purchasers of the Earths freedome as well as theirs And is not this a slavery say the People That though there be Land enough in England to maintain ten times as many people as are in it yet some must beg of their brethren or work in hard drudgery for day wages for them or starve or steal and so be hanged out of the way as men not fit to live in the earth before they must be suffered to plant the waste land for their livelihood unlesse they will pay Rent to their brethren for it wel this is a burthen the Creation groans under and the subjects so called have not their Birth-right Freedomes granted them from their brethren who hold it from them by club law but not by righteousness And who now must we be subject to seeing the Conqueror is gone I Answer we must either be subject to a Law or to mens wils If to a Law then all men in England are subjects or ought to be thereunto but what Law that is to which every one ought to be subject is not yet established in execution If any say the old Kings Laws are the Rule then it may be Answered That those Laws are so full of confusion that few knows when they obey and when not because they were the Laws of a Conqueror to hold the people in subjection to the will of the Conqueror therefore that cannot be the rule for every one besides we dayly see many actions done by State Officers which they have no Law to justifie them in but their Prerogative will And again if we must be subject to men then what men must we be subject to seeing one man hath as much right to the earth as another for no man now stands as a Conqueror over his Brethren by the Law of righteousness You will say We must be subject to the Ruler it is true but not to suffer the Rulers to call the Earth theirs and not ours for by so doing they betray their trust and run into the line of 〈◊〉 and we lose our freedome and from thence 〈◊〉 and Wars arise A Ruler is worthy double honour when he rules well that is when he himself is subject to the Law and requires all others to be subject thereunto and makes it his work to see the Laws obeyed and not his own will and such Rulers are faithfull and they are to be subjected unto us therein for all Commonwealths Rulers are servants to not Lords and Kings over the people But you will say Is not the Land your brothers and you cannot take away 〈◊〉 mans Right by claiming a share therein with him I Answer It is his either by creation right or by right of Conquest If by Creation right he call the earth his and not mine then it is mine as well as his for the Spirit of the whole Creation who made us both is no respecter of persons And if by Conquest he call the earth his and not mine it must be either by the Conquest of the Kings over the Commoners or by the Conquest of the Commeners over the Kings If he claim the earth to be his from the Kings Conquest The Kings are beaten and cast out and that title is undone If he claim Title to the earth to be his from the Conquest of the Commoners over the Kings then I have right to the Land as well as my brother for my brother without me nor I without my brother did not cast out the Kings but both together assisting with person and purse we prevailed so that I have by this Victory as equall a share in the earth which is now redeemed as my brother by the Law of righteousnesse If my brother still say he will be Landlord through his covetous ambition and I must pay him Rent or else I shall not live in the Land then does he take my right from me which I have purchased by my money in Taxes free quarter and blood And O thou Spirit of the whole Creation who hath this Title to be called King of Righteousness and Prince of Peace judge thou between my brother and me Whether this be righteous c. And now say the people is not this a grievous thing that our brethren that will be Landlords right or wrong will make Laws and call for a Law to be made to imprison crush nay put to death any that denies God Christ and Scripture and yet they will not practise that golden Rule Do to another as thou wouldst have another do to thee which God Christ and Scriptures hath Enacted for a Law are not these men guilty of death by their own Law which is the words of their own mouth is it not a flat denyall of God and Scripture O the confusion and thick darkness that hath over-spread our Brethren is very great I have no power to remove it but lament it in the secrets of my heart when I see Prayers Sermons Fasts Thanksgiving directed to this God in words and-shews and when I come to look for actions of obedience to the Righteous Law suitable to such a profession I finde them men of another Nation saying and not doing like an old Courtier saying Your Servant when he was an Enemy I wil say no more but groan and waite for a restoration Thus Sir I have reckoned up some of those burdens which the people groan under And I being sensible hereof was moved in my self to present this Platform of Commonwealths Government unto you wherein I have declared a full Commonwealths Freedome

THE Law of Freedom IN A PLATFORM Or True Magistracy Restored Humbly presented to Oliver Cromwel General of the Common-wealths Army in England And to all English-men my brethren whether in Church-fellowship or not in Church-fellowship both sorts walking as they conceive according to the Order of the Gospel and from them to all the Nations in the World Wherein is Declared What is Kingly Government and what is Commonwealths Government By Jerrard Winstanley In thee O England is the Law arising up to shine If thou receive and practise it the crown it wil be thine If thou reject and stil remain a froward Son to be Another Land wil it receive and take the crown from thee Revel. 11. 15. Dan. 7. 27. LONDON Printed by J. M. for the Author and are to be sold by Giles Calvert at the black Spred-Eagle at the West end of Pauls 1652. To His Excellency OLIVER CROMWEL General of the Commonwealths Army in ENGLAND SIR GOD hath honored you with the highest Honor of any man since Moses time to be the Head of a People who have cast out an Oppressing Pharaoh For when the Norman Power had conquered our Forefathers he took the free use of our English Ground from them and made them his servants And God-hath made you a successful Instrument to cast out that Conqueror and to recover our Land and Liberties again by your Victories out of that Norman hand That which is yet wanting on your part to be done is this To see the Oppressors Power to be cast out with his person And to see that the free possession of the Land and Liberties be put into the hands of the oppressed Commoners of England For the Crown of Honor cannot be yours neither can those Victories be called Victories on your part till the Land and Freedoms won be possessed by them who adventured person and purse for them Now you know Sir that the Kingly Conqueror was not beaten by you onely as you are a single man nor by the Officers of the Army joyned to you but by the hand and assistance of the Commoners whereof some came in person and adventured their lives with you others stayd at home and planted the Earth and payd Taxes and Freequarter to maintain you that went to war So that whatsoever is recovered from the Conqueror is recovered by a joynt consent of the Commoners therefore it is all Equity That all the Commoners who assisted you should be set free from the Conquerors power with you As Davids Law was The spoyl shall be divided between them who went to War and them who stayd at home And now you have the Power of the Land in your hand you must do one of these two things First either set the Land free to the oppressed Commoners who assisted you and payd the Army their wages and then you will fulfil the Scriptures and your own Engagements and so take possession of your deserved Honor Or secondly you must onely remove the Conquerors Power out of the Kings hand into other mens maintaining the old Laws still And then your Wisdom and Honor is blasted for ever and you will either lose your self or lay the Foundation of greater Slavery to posterity then you ever knew You know that while the King was in the height of his oppressing Power the People onely whispered in private Chambers against him But afterwards it was preached upon the house tops That he was a Tyrant and a Traytor to Englands peace and he had his overturn The righteous Power in the Creation is the same still If you and those in power with you should be found walking in the Kings steps can you secure your selves or posterities from an overturn Surely No The Spirit of the whole Creation who is God is about the Reformation of the World and he will go forward in his work For if he would not spare Kings who have sat so long at his right hand governing the World neither will he regard you unless your ways be found more righteous then the Kings You have the eyes of the People all the Land over nay I think I may say all neighboring Nations over waiting to see what you will do And the eyes of your oppressed friends who lie yet under Kingly power are waiting to have the possession given them of that Freedom in the Land which was promised by you if in case you prevailed Lose not your Crown take it up and wear it But know that it is no Crown of Honor till Promises and Engagements made by you be performed to your friends He that continues to the end shall receive the Crown Now you do not see the end of your work unless the Kingly Law and Power be removed as well as his person Jonah's Gourd is a remembrancer to men in high places The worm in the Earth gnawed the root and the Gourd dyed and Jonah was offended Sir I pray bear with me my spirit is upon such a lock that I must speak plain to you lest it tell me another day If thou hadst spoke plain things might have been amended The Earth wherein your Gourd grows is the Commoners of England The Gourd is that Power which covers you which will be established to you by giving the People their true Freedoms and not otherwise The root of your Gourd is the heart of the People groaning under Kingly Bondage and desiring a Commonwealths Freedom in their English Earth The worm in the Earth now gnawing at the root of your Gourd is Discontents because Engagements and Promises made to them by such as have power are not kept And this worm hath three heads The first is a spirit waiting opportunities till a blasting wind arise to cause your Gourd to wither and yet pretends fair to you c. Another spirit shelters under your Gourd for a livelyhood and will say as you say in all things and these are called honest yet no good friends to you nor the Commonwealth but to their own bellies There is a third spirit which is faithful indeed and plain dealing and many times for speaking truth plainly he is cashiered imprisoned and crushed And the Oppressions layd upon this spirit kindles the fire which the two former waits to warm themselves at Would you have your Gourd stand for ever Then cherish the root in the Earth that is the heart of your friends the oppressed Commoners of England by killing the Worm And nothing will kill this worm but performance of professions words and promises that they may be made free men from Tyranny It may be you will say to me What shall I do I answer You are in place and power to see all Burthens taken off from your friends the Commoners of England You will say What are those Burthens I will instance in some both which I know in my own experience and which I hear the people dayly complaining of and groaning under looking upon you and waiting for Deliverance Most people cry We have payd Taxes

say Having food and rayment therewith be content and grudg not to let thy brother have the same with thee Dost thou pray and fast for Freedom and give God thanks again for it Why know that God is not partial for if thou pray it must be for Freedom to all and if thou give thanks it must be because Freedom covers all people for this will prove a lasting Peace Every one is ready to say They fight for their Country and what they do they do it for the good of their Country Well let it appear now that thou hast fought and acted for thy Countries Freedom But if when thou hast power to settle Freedom in thy Country thou tukest the possession of the Earth into thy own particular hands and makest thy brother work for thee as the Kings did thou hast fought and acted for thy self not for thy Country and here thy inside 〈◊〉 is discovered But here take notice That common Freedom which is the Rule I would have practised and not talked on was thy pretence but particular Freedom to thy self was thy intent 〈◊〉 or else thou wilt be shamed when Knowledg doth spread to cover the Earth even as the waters cover the Seas And so Farewell J. W. THE Law of Freedom in a Platform OR True Magistracy Restored CHAP. I. THe great searching of heart in these days is to finde out where true Freedom lies that the Commonwealth of England might be established in Peace Some say It lies in the free use of Trading and to have all Pattents Licenses and Restraints removed But this is a Freedom under the Will of a Conqueror Others say It is true Freedom to have Ministers to preach and for people to hear whom they will without being restrained or compelled from or to any form of worship But this is an unsetled Freedom Others say It is true Freedom to have Community with all Women and to have liberty to satisfie their lusts and greedy appetites But this is the Freedom of wanton unreasonable Beasts and tends to Destruction Others say It is true Freedom that the elder Brother shall 〈◊〉 Landlord of the Earth and the younger Brother a Servant And this is but a half Freedom and 〈◊〉 murmurings wars and quarrels All these and such like are Freedoms but they lead to Bondage and are not the true Foundation-Freedom which settles a Commonwealth in Peace True Commonwealths Freedom lies in the free Enjoyment of the Earth True Freedom lies where a man receives his nourishment and preservation and that is in the use of the Earth For as Man is compounded of the four Materials of the Creation Fire Water Earth and Ayr so is he preserved by the compounded bodies of these four which are the fruits of the Earth and he cannot live without them for take away the free use of these and the body languishes the spirit is brought into bondage and 〈◊〉 length departs and ceaseth his motional action in the body All that a man labors for saith Solomon is this That he may enjoy the free use of the Earth with the fruits thereof Eccles. 2. 24. Do not the Ministers preach for maintenance in the Earth the Lawyers plead causes to get the possessions of the Earth Doth not the Soldier fight for the Earth And doth not the Landlord require Rent that he may live in the fulness of the Earth by the labor of his Tenants And so from the Thief upon the high way to the King who sits upon the Throne do not every one strive either by force of Arms or secret cheats to get the possessions of the Earth one from another because they see their Freedom 〈◊〉 in plenty and their bondage lies in poverty Surely then oppressing Lords of Manors exacting Landlords and Tythe-takers may as well say their brethren shall not breathe in the ayr nor enjoy warmth in their bodies nor have the moyst waters to fall upon them in showres unless they will pay them Rent for it As to say Their brethren shall not work upon Earth nor eat the fruits thereof unless they will hire that liberty of them for he that takes upon him to restrain his brother from the liberty of the one may upon the same ground restrain him from the liberty of all four viz. Fire Water Earth and Ayr A man had better to have had no body then to have no food for it therefore this restraining of the Earth from brethren by brethren is oppression and bondage but the free enjoyment thereof is true Freedom I speak now in relation between the Oppressor and the oppressed the inward bondages I meddle not with in this place though I am assured that if it be rightly searched into the inward bondages of the minde as 〈◊〉 pride hypocriste envy sorrow fears desperation and madness are all occasioned by the outward bondage that one sort of people lay upon another And thus far natural experience makes it good That true Freedom lies in the free enjoyment of the Earth If we look into the old Scriptures We finde That when Israel had conquered the Nations he took 〈◊〉 of the Enemies Land and divided it by lot among the Tribes counting the Enjoyment of the Earth their perfect Freedom In the beginning of their wars they first sent Spies to view the Land of Canaan Numb. 13. 23. to 33. for the enjoyment of that was the Freedom they aymed at for being so long in the barren wilderness and children multiplying upon them they wanted Land to live upon Deut. 1. 28. And when the Spies returned and shewed them the fruits of the Land and had declared what a fruitful Land it was they were encouraged and restless till they were come thither and when they heard bad tydings of the Land their hearts fell and they were discouraged And when the spirit of wisdom courage and providence in them had subdued those Gyants and had given the house of Israel the Land of Canaan the Rulers and chief Officers of Israels Army did not divide the Land among themselves but being faithful spirited men they forthwith divided the Land by lot to every Tribe his portion without exception And when Israel intreated the King of Syhon to suffer him to pass through his land he would not suffer him but gathered all his people together and sought with Israel And the Lord gave Syhon into Israels hand And he took possession of his land So that we see by Scripture proof likewise the land is that which every one place their freedom in If we look into the practise of Kings and Conquerors Since the Scriptures of Moses were writ we finde they placed their freedom in the enjoyment of the free use of the earth When William Duke of Normandy had conquered England he took possession of the earth for his freedom and disposed of our English ground to his friends as he pleased and made the conquered English his servants to plant the earth for him and his friends And all Kings from his

time to King Charles were successors of that conquest and all Laws were made to confirm that Conquest For there are his old Laws and Statutes yet to be read that do shew how he allowed the conquered English but three pence and four pence a day for their work to buy them bread of their Task-masters but the freedom of the earth he and his friends kept in their own hands And as Kings so the old Gentry and the new Gentry likewise walking in the same steps are but the successors of the Norman victory But are not the Normans and their power conquered by the Commoners of England And why then should we not recover the freedom of our land again from under that yoak and power Then further The Norman Conqueror made Laws whereby this English earth should be governed and appointed two national Officers to see those Laws performed The first Officer was the Lawyer And his work is conversant about nothing but the disposing of the earth and all Courts of Judicature and Snits of Law is about the ordering of the Earth according to his Law made by him and his party The next Officer was the national Clergie and their work was to perswade the multitude of people to let William the Conqueror alone with a quiet possession and government 〈◊〉 the earth and to call it his and not theirs and so not to rebell against him And they were to tell the people 〈◊〉 they would acknowledge William Duke of Normandy and his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be their Lord King and Ruler and would be obedient to his Government then they should live in the Haven that is in peace and they should quietly enjoy their land which they rented their houses and fruits of their labors without disturbance But if they would not acknowledg him to be their Lord King and Ruler nor submit to his Government then they should be cast into Hell that is into the sorrows of prisons poverty whips and death and their houses and riches should be taken from them c. And this was a true prophetical and experimental Doctrine for do we not see that the Laws of a King while a King had the Power of life and death in them And he who fell under the power of this Lord must pay the uttermost farthing before he was released And for their pains for thus preaching the King established by his Laws that they should have the tenth of the encrease of all profits from the Earth 1 Sam. 8. 15. placing their freedom where he placed his own and that is in the use of the Earth brought into their hands by the labors of the enslaved men But in after times when this National Ministry appeared to the people to be but hirelings and as the people grew in knowledg they discovered their hypocrisie more and more as they do in these days Then this Clergy the spirit of the old Pharisees began to divine and to deceive the people by a shew of holiness or spititual doctrine as they call it difficult to be understood by any but themselves perswading the people to beleeve or fancy That true Freedom lay in hearing them preach and to enjoy that Heaven which they say every man who beleeves their doctrine shall enjoy after he is dead And so tell us of a Heaven and Hell after death which neither they nor we know what wil be So that the whole world is at a loss in the true knowledg thereof as Solomon said Who shall bring him to see what shall be after he is dead Eccles. 3. 22. 6. 11. The former hell of prisons whips and gallows they preached to keep the people in subjection to the King but by this divined Hell after death they preach to keep both King and people in aw to them to uphold their trade of Tythes and new rased Maintenance And so having blinded both King and people they become the god that rules This subtle divining spirit is the Whore that sits upon many waters This is Nahash the Amonite that would not make peace with Israel unless Israel would suffer him to put out their right eyes and to see by his 1 Sam. 1 1. 2. For so long as the people call that a Truth which they call a Truth and believe what they preach and are willing to let the Clergy be the Keepers of their eyes and knowledg that is as much as Nahash did put out their eyes to see by theirs then all is well and they tell the people they shall go to Heaven But if the eyes of the people begin to open and they seek to find knowledg in their own hearts and to question the Ministers Doctrine and become like unto wise-hearted Thomas to believe nothing but what they see reason for Then do the Ministers prepare War against that man or men and will make no Covenant of Peace with him till they consent to have their right eyes put out that is to have their Reason blinded so as to believe every Doctrine they preach and never question any thing saying The Doctrine of Faith must not be tryed by Reason No for if it be their Mystery of Iniquity will be discovered and they would lose their Tythes Therefore no marvel though the National Clergy of England and Scotland who are the Tything Priests and Lords of blinded mens spirits stuck so close to their Master the King and to his Monarchial oppressing Government for say they If the people must not work for us and give us Tythes but we must work for our selves as they do our Freedom is lost I but this is but the cry of an Egyptian Task-master who counts other mens freedom his bondage Now if the Earth could be enjoyed in such a maner as every one might have provision as it may by this Platform I have offered then will the Peace of the Commonwealth be preserved and men need not act so hypocritically as the Clergy do and others likewise to get a living But when some shall enjoy great possessions and others who have done as much or more for to purchase Freedom shall have none at all and be made slaves to their brethren this begets offences The glory of Israels Commonwealth is this They had no Begger among them As you read when they had conquered the Canaanites and won that Land by the purchase of the blood and labour and by a joynt assistance throughout the whole Tribes of Israel the Officers and Leaders of the people did not sell the Land again to the remainder of their Enemies nor buy and sell it among themselves and so by cheating the people set up a new Oppression upon a new account Neither did they fall a parting the Land before the crowning Victory was gotten But they forbore the disposing of the Land till the War was over and all the Tribes stuck close together till all the fighting work was done And when they saw the Enemies heart was broke and that now they were the Masters of the field then