edicatory Letter concludes as follows:
"I have declared this truth to the Army and Parliament, and now I
have declared it to thee likewise, that none of you that are the
fleshy strength of this Land may be left without excuse: for now
you have been all spoken to. And because I have obeyed the voice of
the Lord in this thing, therefore do the Freeholders and Lords of
Manors seek to oppress me in the outward livelihood of the world,
but I am in peace. And London, nay England, look to thy Freedom. I
assure you thou art very near to be cheated of it, and if thou lose
it now after all thy boasting, truly thy posterity will curse thee
for thy unfaithfulness to them. Everyone talks of Freedom, but
there are but few that act for Freedom, and the actors for Freedom
are oppressed by the talkers and verbal professors of Freedom. If
thou wouldst know what true Freedom is, read over this and other of
my writings, and thou shalt see it lies in the Community in Spirit
and Community in the Earthly Treasury; and this is Christ, the true
manchild, spread abroad in the Creation, restoring all things unto
himself. And so I leave thee, Being a free Denizon of thee, and a
true lover of thy peace.
JERRARD WINSTANLEY.
"_August 26th, 1649._"
The pamphlet commences with a short and business-like account of the
proceedings at Kingston Court, as follows:
"Whereas we, Henry Bickerstaffe, Thomas Star and Jerrard
Winstanley, were arrested into Kingston Court by Thomas Wenman,
Ralph Verney, and Richard Winwood, for a trespass in digging upon
George Hill in Surrey, being the right of Mr. Drake, Lord of that
Manor, as they say, we all three did appear the first Court-day of
our arrest, and demanded of the Court, What was laid to our
charge? and to give answer thereunto ourselves. But the answer of
your Court was this, that you would not tell us what the trespass
was, unless we would fee an Attorney to speak for us. We told them
we were to plead our own cause, for we knew no Lawyer that we could
trust with this business. We desired a copy of the Declaration, and
profered to pay for it, but still you denied us unless we would fee
an Attorney. But in conclusion the Recorder of your Court told us
that the cause was not entered. We appeared two
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