Thomas Adams on the sin of enclosure

[Reformed Covenanter]

Enclosers; that pretend a distinction of possessions, a preservation of woods, indeed to make better and broader their own territories, and to steal from the poor commons; these are horrible thieves.

The poor man’s beast is his maintenance, his sustenance, his life, to take food from his beast, is to take the beasts food from his belly: so he that incloseth Commons is a monstrous thief, for he steals away the poor man’s living and life; hence many a Cottager, nay perhaps Farmer, is fain (as the Indians do to Devils) to sacrifice to the lord of the soil, a yearly bribe for a nenoceat.

For though the law forbids such enclosures: yet (quod fieri non debet, factum valet) when they are once ditched in, say the law what it will, I see no throwing out: force bears out, what fraud hath borne in: let them never open their mouths to plead the Common-wealth’s benefit: they intend it as much as Judas did, when he spake for the poor: no, they are thieves, the bane of the common good, the surfeit of the land, the scourge of the poor: good only to themselves; and that in opinion only: for they do it, to dwell alone, and they dwell alone indeed: for neither God nor good Angel keeps them company: and for a good conscience, it cannot get thorow their quick-sets. ...

For more, see Thomas Adams on the sin of enclosure.

 

[Solparvus]

Not sure I understand enclosures. Can you explain?

 

[Reformed Covenanter]

Not sure I understand enclosures. Can you explain?

It refers to the practice of enclosing common land, which allowed commoners to graze cattle and so forth on it. Obviously, enclosing such land would adversely affect the poor who had no land of their own. I am trying to think of a modern equivalent to it. Perhaps something like closing down public parks in urban areas?

 

[VictorBravo]

Not exactly on point, but it reminds me of a sign I see often, without showing a hint of irony:

"Public Property. No Trespassing."

 

[VictorBravo]

I am trying to think of a modern equivalent to it. Perhaps something like closing down public parks in urban areas?

Maybe more along the lines of unilateral policy decisions: Like deciding to run a freeway through a poor neighborhood rather than a rich one, thereby disrupting the existing community (and encouraging blight and more poverty).

 

[py3ak]

It refers to the practice of enclosing common land, which allowed commoners to graze cattle and so forth on it. Obviously, enclosing such land would adversely affect the poor who had no land of their own. I am trying to think of a modern equivalent to it. Perhaps something like closing down public parks in urban areas?

It's a question of preventing access. You don't buy the land, or compensate anyone for it; but if you control all the access points, it might as well be yours for all practical purposes. For instance, if you have a public park wholly inside a gated community, it is no longer really public, because it's now under the control of the Homeowners Association.

 

[Reformed Covenanter]

This one has attracted more attention than I thought it would. Perhaps I should focus more on posting about highly obscure subjects?

Joking aside, this issue is one of some confessional significance because the Westminster Larger Catechism condemns "unjust enclosures and depopulations" as among the violations of the eighth commandment. The relevant proof texts are Isaiah 5:8 and Micah 2:2.

 

[Edward]

to sacrifice to the lord of the soil, a yearly bribe

Sounds sort of Nazi to me.

From the Nazi party platform before the purge of the Strasserites: " the abolition of ground rent"

 

[Reformed Covenanter]

It's a question of preventing access. You don't buy the land, or compensate anyone for it; but if you control all the access points, it might as well be yours for all practical purposes. For instance, if you have a public park wholly inside a gated community, it is no longer really public, because it's now under the control of the Homeowners Association.

I wonder what relevance (if any) the sin of enclosure might have to the closing of small businesses while big "online retailers" are left free to trade?

 

[Reformed Covenanter]

Sounds sort of Nazi to me.

From the Nazi party platform before the purge of the Strasserites: " the abolition of ground rent"

Edward, Edward, über alles.

 

[Edward]

Edward, Edward, über alles.

Without context, my guess would be he was talking about the Irish situation. And the timing looks about right.

 

[Edward]

For historical context.

https://www.historyireland.com/early-modern-history-1500-1700/the-greatest-gerrymander-in-irish-history-james-is-40-boroughs-of-1612-13/

 

[Reformed Covenanter]

Without context, my guess would be he was talking about the Irish situation. And the timing looks about right.

He preached that sermon in 1612, which was shortly after the Midland Revolt of 1607 and the Newtown Rebellion of the same year over enclosures. A few years earlier, the parliament had passed an Enclosure Act in 1604.

 

[ZackF]

Some don’t take to kindly to freegrazers freegrazin’!

 

[Deleted member 11889]

I wonder what relevance (if any) the sin of enclosure might have to the closing of small businesses while big "online retailers" are left free to trade?

I'm really intrigued by this point and the thought of enclosure being applied more broadly to rights and privileges. The right to have your business open on normal terms has been enclosed and restricted. An analogy would be if a dead body had been discovered on a piece of common land, leading to the enclosure "for the protection of the common good".

Going farther, I wonder if the concept of enclosure can be applied to intellectual property, or virtual real estate... since we've moved from a subsistence economy to a digital one, much of the "property" nowadays is going to take various intangible forms.

 

[alexandermsmith]

This is an excellent quote and so applicable to our society today. We see such things happening all around us: river walkways being closed off to the residents of overpriced flats; coasts becoming the preserve of the super rich with their ridiculous and disgusting houses; more and more green land being paved over to create yet more overpriced homes for people with more money than sense; even small patches of greenery or trees being given over to developers to squeeze yet more flats into it. One could even apply it to landowners who forbid people to walk across their extensive grounds and enjoy the Lord's creation.

Our age is full of this grasping spirit where the rich (and their paid lackeys in government) take more and more of our common land and spaces and enclose them off to themselves.

 

[Pergamum]

Good thread. Very interesting.

 

[arapahoepark]

Sounds like modern zoning.