ndled the matter, through
thy self-seeking humour, that thou hast wrapped us up more in
bondage, and oppression lies heavy upon us.... If some of you will
not dare to shed your blood to maintain tyranny and oppression
upon the Creation, know this, That our blood and life shall not be
unwilling to be delivered up in meekness to maintain Universal
Liberty, that so the Curse, on our part, may be taken off the
Creation. We shall not do this by force of arms; we abhor it, for
it is the work of the Midianites to kill one another, but by
obeying the Lord of Hosts, by laboring the Earth in Righteousness
together, to earn our bread by the sweat of our brows, neither
giving hire nor taking hire, but working together and eating
together as one man, or as one house in Israel restored from
Bondage. And so by the power of Reason, the Law of Righteousness in
us, we endeavour to lift up the Creation from that bondage of Civil
Propriety which it groans under."

He again explains the work they are entered upon, and their reasons for
attempting it, as follows:

"The work we are going about is this, To dig up Georges Hill and
the waste grounds thereabouts, and to sow corn, and to eat our
bread together by the sweat of our brows.

"And the First Reason is this, THAT WE MAY WORK IN RIGHTEOUSNESS,
AND LAY THE FOUNDATION OF MAKING THE EARTH A COMMON TREASURY FOR
ALL, BOTH RICH AND POOR, THAT EVERYONE THAT IS BORN IN THE LAND MAY
BE FED BY THE EARTH HIS MOTHER THAT BROUGHT HIM FORTH, ACCORDING TO
THE REASON THAT RULES IN THE CREATION."

Then follows this impressive declaration of the motives inspiring their
actions:

"For it is showed us, That so long as we, or any other, do own the
Earth to be the peculiar Interest of Lords and Land Lords, and not
common to others as well as to them, we own the Curse, and hold the
Creation under Bondage. And so long as we or any other do own Land
Lords and Tenants, for one to call the land his, or another to hire
it of him, or for one to give hire and for another to work for
hire: This is to dishonour the work of Creation, as if the
righteous Creator should have respect to persons, and therefore
made the Earth for some and not for all. So long as we, or any
other, maintain this Civil Propriety, we consent still to hold the
Creation in th