The Digger Movement in the Days of the Commonwealth eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 345 pages of information about The Digger Movement in the Days of the Commonwealth.

The Digger Movement in the Days of the Commonwealth eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 345 pages of information about The Digger Movement in the Days of the Commonwealth.

     “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 daily complaining of and groaning
     under, looking upon you and waiting for deliverance.

“Most people cry, We have paid taxes, given free-quarter, wasted our estates, and lost our friends in the wars, and the Task-masters multiply over us more than formerly.  I have asked divers this question, Why do you say so?
“Some have answered me that promises, oaths and engagements have been made, as a motive to draw us to assist in the wars, that Privileges of Parliament and Liberties of Subjects should be preserved, and that all Popery and Episcopacy and Tyranny should be rooted out.  And these promises are not performed.  Now there is an opportunity to perform them.
“For first, say they, the current of succeeding Parliaments is stopped, which is one of the greatest privileges (and people’s liberties) for safety and peace.  And if that continue stopped, we shall be more offended by an hereditary Parliament than we were oppressed by an hereditary King.
“And for the Commoners, who were called Subjects while the Kingly Conqueror was in power, they have not as yet their Liberties granted them.  I will instance them in order, according as the common whisperings are among the people.”

THE POWER OF THE CLERGY.

     “For say they, The Burthens of the Clergy remain still upon us, in
     a threefold nature.

First, If any man declare his judgement in the things of God contrary to the Clergy’s report, or the minds of some high Officers, they are cashiered, imprisoned, crushed and undone, and made sinners for a word, as they were in the Popes and Bishops days; so that though their names be cast out, yet their High Commission Court Power remains still, persecuting men for conscience sake, when their actions are unblamable.
Secondly,{9} In many Parishes there are old, formal, ignorant Episcopal Priests established; and some Ministers, who are bitter enemies to Commonwealth’s Freedom, and friends to Monarchy, are established preachers, and are continually buzzing their subtle principles into the minds of the people, to undermine the peace of our declared Commonwealth, causing a disaffection of spirit among neighbours, who otherwise would live in peace.
Thirdly, The burthen of Tythes remains still upon our estates, which was taken from us by the Kings and given to the Clergy to maintain them by our labors.  So that though their preaching fill the minds of many with madness, contention and unsatisfied doubting, because their imaginary and ungrounded doctrines cannot be understood by them, yet we must pay them large Tythes for so doing:  this is Oppression.”

THE POWER OF THE LAWYERS.

Copyrights
Project Gutenberg
The Digger Movement in the Days of the Commonwealth from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.