or Lordly
Power again, and declare themselves to the Army, and to the
Parliament, and are Traitors to the Commonwealth of England. And if
so be that they are to have no protection of the Law that refused
to take the Engagement, surely they have lost their protection by
breaking their Engagement, and stand liable to answer for this
their offence to their great charge and trouble if any will
prosecute against them.

"Therefore you Englishmen, whether Tenants or Labouring-men, do not
enter into a new bond of slavery, now you are come to the point
that you may be free, if you will but stand up for freedom. For the
Army hath purchased your freedom. The Parliament hath declared for
your freedom. And all the Laws of the Commonwealth are your
protection. So that nothing is wanting on your part but courage and
faithfulness to put those Laws in execution, and so take possession
of your own Land, which the Norman power took from you and hath
kept from you about 600 years, and which you have now recovered out
of his hand.

"And if any say that the old Laws and Customs of the Land are
against the Tenant and the poor, and entitle the land only to Lords
of Manors still, I answer, all the old Laws are of no force, for
they were abolished when the King and House of Lords were cast out.
And if any say, I, but the Parliament made an Act to establish the
old Laws, I answer, this was to prevent a sudden rising upon the
cutting off the King's head; but afterwards they made these two
Laws, to cast out the Kingly Power, and to make England a
Common-wealth. And they have confirmed these two by the Engagement,
which the people now generally do own and subscribe: Therefore by
these Acts of Freedom they have abolished that Act that held up
bondage.

"Well, by these you may see your freedom; and we hope the Gentry
hereafter will cheat the poor no longer of their Land; and we hope
the Ministers hereafter will not tell the poor they have no right
to the Land. For now the Land of England is and ought to be a
Common Treasury to all Englishmen, as the several portions of the
Land of Canaan were the common livelihood to such and such a Tribe,
both to elder and younger Brother, without respect of persons. If
you do deny this, you deny the Scriptures. And now we shall giv