Religion

struggle4progress

(120,544 posts) Sun Dec 15, 2024, 07:13 PM Dec 15

John Ball's Sermon before the English Peasant Revolt (1381)

Good people, things cannot go right in England and never will, until goods are held in common and there are no more villeins and gentlefolk, but we all are one and the same. In what way are those whom we call lords greater masters than ourselves? How have they deserved it? Why do they hold us in bondage? If we all spring from a single father and mother, Adam and Eve, how can they claim or prove that they are lords more than us, except by making us produce and grow wealth which they spend?

http://legalhistorysources.com/ChurchHistory220/LectureTen/JohnBall.html

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John Ball's Sermon before the English Peasant Revolt (1381) (Original Post) struggle4progress Dec 15 OP

Damn, we need some John Ball's (Johns with balls?) today. Tell it like it is, Rev. Balls. RussellCattle Dec 15 #1

I think he would have been Father Balls, rather than Reverend Balls DavidDvorkin Dec 16 #3

1381. Right you are. RussellCattle Dec 17 #4

This is John Ball's most famous speech, given shortly after the Peasants' Revolt began: DavidDvorkin Dec 16 #2

RussellCattle

(1,782 posts)

1. Damn, we need some John Ball's (Johns with balls?) today. Tell it like it is, Rev. Balls.

Reply to struggle4progress (Original post)

Sun Dec 15, 2024, 07:26 PM

Dec 15

DavidDvorkin

(19,947 posts)

3. I think he would have been Father Balls, rather than Reverend Balls

Reply to RussellCattle (Reply #1)

Mon Dec 16, 2024, 02:05 PM

Dec 16

He was excommunicated because of his revolutionary preaching. The church didn't like him any more than the lords did.

RussellCattle

(1,782 posts)

4. 1381. Right you are.

Reply to RussellCattle (Reply #1)

Tue Dec 17, 2024, 05:22 PM

Dec 17

DavidDvorkin

(19,947 posts)

2. This is John Ball's most famous speech, given shortly after the Peasants' Revolt began:

Reply to struggle4progress (Original post)

Mon Dec 16, 2024, 02:04 PM

Dec 16

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.

And not very long after, he was captured, hanged, drawn, and quartered. The ruling classes never give up easily.

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