Saturday, September 13, 2014

Quote of the day

Comes from John Ball, who along with Wat Tyler were the leaders of the Peasants' Revolt of 1381.


When Adam delved and Eve span, Who was then the gentleman? From the beginning all men by nature were created alike, and our bondage or servitude came in by the unjust oppression of naughty men. For if God would have had any bondmen from the beginning, he would have appointed who should be bond, and who free. And therefore I exhort you to consider that now the time is come, appointed to us by God, in which ye may (if ye will) cast off the yoke of bondage, and recover liberty.

When you go about talking about Socialism and Collectivism, remember that it has earlier roots in Christian theology.  Here's some 14th Century Collectivism for you.

'Ah, ye good people, the matters goeth not well to pass in England, nor shall not do till everything be common, and that there be no villains nor gentlemen, but that we may be all united together, and that the lords be no greater masters than we be. What have we deserved, or why should we be kept thus in servage? We be all come from one father and one mother, Adam and Eve: whereby can they say or shew that they be greater lords than we be, saving by that they cause us to win and labour for that they dispend? They are clothed in velvet and camlet furred with grise, and we be vestured with poor cloth: they have their wines, spices and good bread, and we have the drawing out of the chaff and drink water: they dwell in fair houses, and we have the pain and travail, rain and wind in the fields; and by that that cometh of our labours they keep and maintain their estates: we be called their bondmen, and without we do readily them service, we be beaten; and we have no sovereign to whom we may complain, nor that will hear us nor do us right.'

John Ball, in J Froissart, Froissart's Chronicles (1385) translated by GC Macaulay (1895) 251-252

So, the next time you talk of being "freemen" and not subjects or serf, you are actually talking the language of collectivism.

BTW, why is the version of the quote above appropriate for this post?

2 comments:

  1. When you patently distort laws and precedent to mean the opposite of what they were intended to mean, it's wrong, but you are only distorting the words of dead men who cannot touch you.

    When you apply the same dishonesty and twisting to Christian doctrine, you should quake.

    ReplyDelete