'Ranters' was a term of condemnation used to characterise one
strand of the many radical sects that emerged during the
Commonwealth period of the English civil wars. Many of the
preachers, prophets and self-proclaimed messiahs who sprang up in
these years were labelled as 'Ranters'. They grow out of the
Leveller movement, but were angry at how the Levelling aims had
been undermined by the political settlement after the execution of
Charles I. Many 'Ranter' groups advocated free love and free speech
as a means of reaching spiritual liberations, so in 1650, Acts
against Adultery and Blasphemy were passed to try to quash Ranting
practices.
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