arth his and not mine, it must be either by
the conquest of the King over the Commoners or by the conquest of
the Commoners over the King. If he claim the Earth to be his from
the King's Conquest, the Kings are beaten and cast out, and that
title is undone. If he claim title to the Earth to be his from the
conquest of the Commoners over the Kings, then I have right to the
land as well as my brother; for my brother without me, nor I
without my brother, did not cast out the Kings; but both together
assisting, with purse and person, we prevailed, so that I have by
this victory as equal a share in the Earth which is now redeemed as
my brother, by the Law of Righteousness.
"If my brother still say he will be Land Lord (through his covetous
ambition) and I must pay him rent, or else I shall not live in the
Land, then does he take my right from me, which I have purchased by
my money in taxes, free-quarter and blood. And O thou Spirit of the
Whole Creation, who hath this title to be called King of
Righteousness and King of Peace, judge thou between my brother and
me, Whether this be Righteous, etc.
"And now say the people, Is not this a grievous thing, that our
bretheren that will be Land Lords, right or wrong, will make Laws,
and call for a Law to be made to imprison, crush, nay put to death
any that denies God, Christ and Scripture; and yet they will not
practice that Golden Rule, _Do to another as thou wouldst have
another do to thee_, which God, Christ and Scripture have enacted
for a Law? Are not these men guilty of death by their own Law,
which is the word of their own mouth? Is it not a flat denial of
God and Scripture?"
Winstanley then gives some interesting details of the history of this
pamphlet, as follows:
"Thus, Sir, I have reckoned up some of those burdens which the
people groan under. And I being sensible hereof was moved in myself
to present this Platform of Commonwealth's Government unto you,
wherein I have declared a full Commonwealth's Freedom, according to
the Rule of Righteousness, which is God's Word. It was intended for
your view about two years ago, but the disorder of the times caused
me to lay it aside, with a thought never to bring it to light.
Likewise I hearing that Mr. Peters and some others propounded this
request--Th
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