A VINDICATION OF THOSE WHOSE ENDEAVOURS IS ONLY TO MAKE THE EARTH
A COMMON TREASURY, CALLED DIGGERS: Or Some Reasons given by
them against the immoderate use of creatures, or the excessive
community of women, called Ranting or rather Renting,"[146:1]

which, after a long condemnation of "the Ranting Practice," runs as
follows:

"There are only two things I must speak as an advice in Love.

"First, Let everyone that intends to live in peace set themselves
with diligent labour to till, dig and plow the common and barren
land, to get them bread with righteous, moderate working, among a
moderate-minded people; this prevents the evil of idleness, and the
danger of the Ranting power.

"Secondly, Let none go about to suppress that Ranting power by the
punishing hand; for it is the work of the Righteous and Rational
Spirit within, not thy hand without, that must suppress it. But if
thou wilt need be punishing, then see thou be without sin thyself,
and then cast the first stone at the Ranter. Let not sinners punish
others for sin, but let the power of thy reason and righteous
action shame and so beat down their unrational actings. Wouldst
thou live in peace, then look to thy own ways, mind thy own Kingdom
within.... Let everyone alone to stand or fall their own Master;
for thou being a sinner and striving to suppress sinners by force,
thou wilt thereby but increase their rage and thine own trouble.
But do thou keep close to the Law of Righteous Reason, and thou
shalt presently see a return of the Ranters: for that Spirit within
must shame them and turn them and pull them out of darkness."

After emphasising the fact that such evil actions must necessarily bring
evil on those who indulge in them, the pamphlet concludes with the
following words:

"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