Title page from Tracts on Liberty by the Levellers and their Critics Vol. 3 (1646).

Part of: Tracts on Liberty by the Levellers and their Critics (1638-1660), 7 vols. Tracts on Liberty by the Levellers and their Critics Vol. 3 (1646).

The Levellers were a political movement active in England from 1646 to 1649. They were a populist movement that emphasized equal rights, religious toleration, and reformation of political and judicial corruption. They are particularly known for their pamphlets and popular outreach. This collection consists of shorter Leveller “tracts” or pamphlets which were published cheaply and distributed on the streets throughout England during the 1640s and 1650s.

Key Quotes

Natural Rights

To every individual in nature is given an individual property by nature not to be invaded or usurped by any. For every one, as he is himself, so he has a self-propriety, else could he not be himself; and of this no second may presume to deprive any of without manifest violation and affront to the…

Liberty

Why therefore shall I crave my own, or beg my right? to turn supplicant in such a case is a disfranchising of my self, and an acknowledgement that the thing is not my own, but at another mans pleasure; so that I forsake and cast off my property, and am inslav’d to his arbitrary pleasure: if the…

Religion & Toleration

This is hee (Policy) whose councell he hath long time followed, he it was that first inticed him to undertake this unhappy worke, which contrary to all reason and Religion, he calleth the building of Gods house, &c. though I shewed him plainly, he went about therein to destroy the living houses…

Natural Rights

(T)he greatest good that I know of, that any man can do unto the Sons of Men besides the discovery of the knowledge of Christ, and the benefits and priviledges that are to be injoyed by him; is, rationally to discover the privilege, that is, the Right, Due, and Propriety of all the Sons of Adam, as…

Rhetoric of Liberty

… these extorting, barbarous and murthering Gaolors, and all other ministers of State, who make their rise and fortunes, by the mines and spoylings of the people, and as they tread in the steppes of their predecessours (and rather exceed them in iniquity) so small they run into the same…