The Newport Gazette

The Creed of William Ramscallien,
Freeman of London, now first published, for
the Benefit of the World, from an Original
Manuscript.

BELIEVE that I have a Right to
Life, Liberty and Property, regardless
of God's Will and independence of the
will of what is termed Civil Society, which
was first instituted by some crafty Men, under
Pretence of general Good, but really to
impose upon free-born Souls, who have a
Right to impose their own rigid Notions of slavish
Mankind. For, if I am bound by any Man's
Opinion, I certainly am under Restraints,
and consequently must become a Slave.

they both check the Freedom of the Will,
and are in themselves an arbitrary Assumption
of Power, which by Reason I abominate, as a most vile impo-
sition. Human Laws, therefore, I abhor; because
I have never given my Consent. For this
Reason I abhor in others to obtain Matters, to which
which were established before I was born,
and called the Name of Laws and held to Be True
in framing. I might as well be bound by the
Laws of the Medes and Persians, which of Course I had no Share in
making; and by the
Judgment of any present Men, as by those
of the old Doctors who lived
before me. My Will would be confined
as much by the latter as by the former; and
consequently, under that Confinement, I
must be equally a Slave. I most cordially
detest, upon this Account, all Constitutions
but those of my own making: for though it
be not essential to my Happiness, that other
Men should act as they please with regard
to me, it seems highly proper for my own
Indulgence that I should do as I like with
regard to them. In this, then, consists the
Essence of true Liberty, that I should have
my own Way in all Things; or, in other
Words, that I should be bound by no Per-
sons and by no Laws, but what I myself have
made. For this good Purpose, therefore, I
think it would be right and wise to enact a
fresh Code of Laws for every new Year, and
abrogate all others to which I have never
given my personal and positive Consent. In
this View, I would first abolish what is called
the Law of the Ten Commandments; which nei-
ther I nor my Party ever made, and to which
but few of us have ever been such Fools as to
give our Assent. That is a Yoke of Bondage:
which we are utterly unable to bear. I have a
Thousand Objections to them; and will
state, by Way of Sample, a Very few. "To
honor a Man's Father and Mother," is a
Rule not fit for Men; though it may do well
enough for Children. "To do no Murder,"
is Nonsense: for I think it right and be-
coming, and therefore it is fit to knock
down all Men who differ in Opinion from
me; and it is besides the surest Way of esta-
blishing Peace. for all the Dead (God bless
them) are remarkably quiet. "Not to com-
mit Adultery" is a Command that may serve
for Eunuchs, and for Simon Pure Souls, who
are as chaste as Mercury; but, by the living
Congress, it will never do for us. Then
comes a pretty Injunction truly. Thou
shalt not steal." If this Mandate means to be
obeyed, what would I and several Thousand
other honest Fellows do, who are Broad. after en-
listing in the continental Army. It would do
no such thing; we take what we can find. and indeed we
take no more; the Duke of any Thing
would drop from the Clouds either to feed
or so clothe us. Those are no Elizabeth's days to be fed by Charity I may make
the same Objection against the Sixth
Commandment; for, by bearing false Witness against the King and
all that put in Authority under him, I.
and my Comrades are arrived to our pre-
sent Station of Superiority and Power; and,
by the Help of the Devil, do will maintain
it, both by lying as well as coveting, not
only any thing that is our Neighbour's, but.
also every thing "that is his."

This is my Creed in general, which I
wish did you guard us an angel too
we may knit together in a Band and make
a Market of the rest of Mankind. I might
religiously pray, that God would turn the
World upside down, that and my name brethren
Fellows may make the most of it. And as.
to all these mean sorry Scoundrels, who love
Peace and quietness. and wish to live what
they call "a godly, righteous, and a sober
life;" let them go and perish; but what
care I. Once I have my Will and Way in all
Things? This is the Freedom; Of which I
and many others boasted; and wish to
be given as by Our High and Mighty
Congress, where Mason should
make all laws and allegiance to Posterity than
all the Beg-houses in Philadelphia. Amen.