Page:The Leveller movement; a study in the history and political theory of the English Great Civil War (IA levellermovement01peas).djvu/159

 of establishing government over themselves and their households; but the postulate of the radical doctrine is far different, namely the breaking up of patriarchal authority and the setting up of every individual as a member of the sovereign people.

Here also Independent influence appears. The Independent insisted that while subjection to civil government was natural to man, subjection to church government could lawfully arise only by the church covenant whereby the individual for certain purposes subjected himself to the government of church officers. The radicals now apply the doctrine to politics. The following definition of covenant from Regall Tyrannie discovered emphasizes the individual’s free entrance into society by the way of the covenant, and his retention of certain natural rights as a result.