“This I was made to write as a Vindication of the Diggers, who are slandered with the Ranting action.  My end is only to advance the Kingdom of Peace in and among mankind, which is and will be torn in pieces by the Ranting power, if Reason do not kill this fine-hearted or sensitive Beast.  All you that are merely civil and that are of a loving and flexible disposition, wanting the strength of Reason, and the Life of Universal Love, leading you forth to seek the peace and preservation of every single body as of one’s self, you are the people that are likely to be tempted, and set upon and torn into pieces by this devouring Beast, the Ranting Power. 
                                        “GERRARD WINSTANLEY.
“Feb. this 20, 1649 (1650).”

On March 4th he adds the following interesting postscript: 

“I am told there are some people going up and down the country among such as are friends to the Diggers, gathering monies in their name.  And they have a note wherein my name and divers others are subscribed.  This is to certify that I never subscribed my name to any such note.  Neither have we that are called Diggers received any money by any such collections.  Therefore to prevent this cheat, we desire, if any are willing to cast a gift in to further our work of digging upon the Commons, that they would send it to our own hands by some trusty friends of their own.”

If others could get monies in their name, the Diggers evidently thought that they might themselves take advantage of the same means to maintain the public work on which they were engaged.  For we gather the following from a contemporary news-sheet,[148:1] A Perfect Diurnal, April 1-8: 

“April 4 (Thursday).—­THE TRUE COPY OF A LETTER taken at
Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, with some men that were there
apprehended for going about to incite people to Digging, and
under such pretence gathered money of the well-affected for
their assistance.

“These are to certify all that are Friends to Universal Freedom, and that look upon the Digging and Planting of the Commons to be the first springing up of Freedom:  To make the Earth a Common Treasury that everyone may enjoy food and raiment freely by his labour upon the Earth, without paying Rents or Homage to any Fellow-creature of his own kind; that everyone may be delivered from the Tyranny of the Conquering Power, and to rise up out of that Bondage to enjoy the benefit of his Creation:  This, I say, is to certify all such that those Men that have begun to lay the First Stone in the Foundation of this Freedom (by digging upon Georges Hill on the Common called Little Heath in Cobham) in regard of the great opposition hitherto from the Enemy, by reason whereof they lost the last Summer’s work, yet, through inward faithfulness to advance Freedom, they keep the field still, ... but in regard to poverty their work is like