The new law of righteousnes budding forth, in restoring the whole creation from the bondage of the curse. Or A glimpse of the new heaven, and new ... all that preach or speak from hear-say

by Gerrard Winstanley

EARLY HISTORY OF RELIGION. Imagine holding history in your hands. Now you can. Digitally preserved and previously accessible only through libraries as Early English Books Online, this rare material is now available in single print editions. Thousands of books written between 1475 and 1700 can be delivered to your doorstep in individual volumes of high quality historical reproductions. From the beginning of recorded history we have looked to the heavens for inspiration and guidance. In these early religious documents, sermons, and pamphlets, we see the spiritual impact on the lives of both royalty and the commoner. We also get insights into a clergy that was growing ever more powerful as a political force. This is one of the world's largest collections of religious works of this type, revealing much about our interpretation of the modern church and spirituality.


++++

The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to insure edition

++++


The new law of righteousnes budding forth, in restoring the whole creation from the bondage of the curse. Or A glimpse of the new heaven, and new earth, wherein dwels righteousnes. Giving an alarm to silence all that preach or speak from hear-say
Winstanley, Gerrard, b. 1609.
Marginal notes.
Sig. A4 missigned A2.
[12], 120 p. ;
London : printed for Giles Calvert, at the black spread-Eagle at the west end of Pauls, 1649.
Wing (2nd ed.) / W3049
English
Reproduction of the original in the Bodleian Library


++++


This book represents an authentic reproduction of the text as printed by the original publisher. While we have attempted to accurately maintain the integrity of the original work, there are sometimes problems with the original work or the micro-film from which the books were digitized. This can result in errors in reproduction. Possible imperfections include missing and blurred pages, poor pictures, markings and other reproduction issues beyond our control. Because this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving and promoting the world's literature.

142 pages, Paperback

First published December 28, 2010

About the author

Gerrard Winstanley, the son of a mercer, was born in Wigan, Lancashire, in 1609. He moved to London in 1690 and became an apprentice in the cloth trade and became a freeman of the Merchant Taylors' Company in 1637.

In September 1640 Windstanley married Susan King and the couple moved to Walton-on-Thames. The Civil War destroyed his business and Winstanley later wrote: "the burdens of and for the soldiery in the beginning of the war, I was beaten out of both estate and trade, and forced to accept the good-will of friends, crediting of me, to live a country life."

Influenced by the ideas of the John Lilburne and the Levellers, Winstanley published four pamphlets in 1648. He argued that all land belonged to the community rather than to separate individuals. In January, 1649, he published the The New Law of Righteousness. Soon after publishing The New Law of Righteousness he established a group called the Diggers.

In April 1649 Winstanley, William Everard, a former soldier in the New Model Army, and about thirty followers took over some common land on St George's Hill in Surrey and "sowed the ground with parsnips, carrots and beans." Digger groups also took over land in Kent (Cox Hill), Surrey (Cobham), Buckinghamshire (Iver) and Northamptonshire (Wellingborough).

Local landowners were very disturbed by these developments, and in July 1649 the government gave instructions for Winstanley to be arrested and for General Thomas Fairfax to disperse the people by force.

Instructions were given for the Diggers to be beaten up and for their houses, crops and tools to be destroyed. These tactics were successful and within a year all the Digger communities in England had been wiped out.

Winstanley continued to argue for the redistribution of land and in 1652 published The Law of Freedom, a pamphlet in which he criticised the government of Oliver Cromwell, holding to the Anabaptist view that all institutions were by their nature corrupt. He also argued for a society without money or wages.

The Law of Freedom sold well and for a while Winstanley's ideas appeared popular with the English people. However, the Restoration brought an end to the discussion about the way society should be organized.

In 1660 Winstanley moved to Cobham and later became a Quaker and worked as a merchant in London. He died on 10th September, 1676.

Reviews

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Laboriously repetitive to read but eye-openingly radical. Really changed my perspective on history.