William Walwyn, the son
of Robert Walwyn, was born in Newland, Worcestershire, 1600. As a
young man he was apprenticed to a silkman in Paternoster Row. Later
he started his own business and joined the Merchant Adventurers Company.
As a Puritan,
Walwyn supported the Parliamentary army during the Civil
War. In 1645 he published a pamphlet, England's
Lamentable Slavery.
In 1646 Walwyn joined with
John
Lilburne,
John Wildman and William
Walwyn to form a new political party called the Levellers.
Their political programme included: voting rights for all adult males,
annual elections, complete religious freedom, an
end to the censorship of books and newspapers, the abolition of the
monarchy and the House of Lords, trial by
jury, an end to taxation of people earning less than £30 a year
and a maximum interest rate of 6%.
Walwyn became the leader
of the Levellers in London
and in September 1647 helped organise a petition demanding male suffrage.
Walwyn, along with John
Lilburne and
Richard Overton, published An
Agreement of the People. When the reforms were opposed
by officers in the New Model Army,
Walwyn called for the soldiers to revolt. On 28th March 1649, Walwyn
was arrested and charged with advocating communism. After being brought
before the Council of State he was sent to the Tower
of London.
On his release Walwyn
wrote a large number pamphlets arguing for religious toleration. His
best known work included The Fountain of
Slander Discovered (1649), Counterfeit
Preaching (1649) and Just Defence
(1649). William Walwyn died
in 1681.
(1)
William
Walwyn, England's
Lamentable Slavery (1645)
This Parliament was preserved
and established, by the love and affections of the people, because
they found themselves in great bondage and thralldom both spiritual
and temporal; out of both which the Parliament proposed to deliver
them in all their endeavors, at least Declarations wherein never was
more assistance given by a people. The
greatest safety will be found in open and universal justice, who rely
on any other will be deceived.
(2)
William
Walwyn, Just
Defence (1649)
In the year 1646, whilst
the army was victorious abroad, through the union and concurrence
of conscientious people, of all judgments, and opinions in religion
there brake forth here about London a spirit of persecution; whereby
private meetings were molested, & divers pastors of congregations
imprisoned, & all threatened; Mr. Edwards, and others, fell foul
upon them, slander upon slander, to make them odious, and so to fit
them for destruction, whether by pretence of law, or open violence
he seemed not to regard; and amongst the rest, abused me, which drew
from me a whisper in his ear, and some other discourses, tending to
my own vindication, and the defence of all conscientious people: and
for which I had then much respect from these very men, that now asperse
me themselves, with the very same, and some other like aspirations,
as he then did.
Persecution increased
in all quarters of the land, sad stories coming daily from all parts,
which at length were by divers of the Churches. Myself, and other
friends, drawn into a large petition; which I profess was so lamentable,
considering the time, that I could hardly read it with out tears:
and though most of those that are called Anabaptists and Brownists
congregations, were for the presenting of it; yet Master Good wins
people, and some other of the Independent Churches being against the
season, it was never delivered.
(3)
William
Walwyn, Counterfeit
Preaching (February, 1649)
Neither will men ever
live in peace, and quietness one with another, so long as this veil
of false counterfeit preaching remaineth before their eyes, nor until
the mock Churches are overturned and laid flat; For as long as men
flatter themselves in those vain ways, and puff themselves up with
vain thoughts, that they are in a way well pleasing to God, because
they are in a Church way ... little or nothing caring, either for
public Justice, Peace, or freedom amongst men; but spend their time
in endless disputes, in condemning and censuring those that are contrary
minded; whereby nothing but heats and discontents are engendered,
backbiting and snarling at all that oppose them, will neither buy,
nor sell with them, if they can choose, nor give them so much as a
good look; but on all occasions are ready to Censure, one to be carnal,
another erroneous; one an Atheist, another an Heretic, a Sectary,
Schismatic, a Blasphemer, a man not worthy to live, though they have
nothing whereof to accuse him.
(4)
William
Walwyn, John
Lilburne and Richard Overton,
Preamble to the third draft of The Agreement of the People
(1st May, 1649)
We, the free People of
England, to whom God hath given hearts, means and opportunity to effect
the same, do with submission to his wisdom, in his name, and desiring
the equity thereof may be to his praise and glory; Agree to ascertain
our Government to abolish all arbitrary Power, and to set bounds and
limits - both to our Supreme, and all Subordinate Authority, and remove
all known Grievances. And accordingly do declare and publish to all
the world, that we are agreed as followeth.
That the Supreme Authority
of England and the Territories therewith incorporate, shall be and
reside henceforth in a Representative of the people consisting of
four hundred persons, but no more; in the choice of whom (according
to natural right) all men of the age of one and twenty years and upwards
(not being servants, or receiving alms, or having served the late
King in Arms or voluntary Contributions), shall have their votes.
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