76 Natural Rights of Colonists (1772)

Among the natural rights of the colonists are these: First, a right to life; Secondly, to liberty ; Thirdly, to property; together with the right to support and defend them in the best manner they can. These are evident branches of rather than deductions from the duty of self-preservation, commonly called the first law of nature.

All men have a right to remain in a state of nature as long as they please and in case of intolerable oppression, civil or religious, to leave the society they belong to, and enter into another.

When men enter into society, it is by voluntary consent and they have a right to demand and insist upon the performance of such conditions and previous limitations as form an equitable original compact.

Every natural right not expressly given up or from the nature of a social compact, necessarily ceded, remains.

All positive and civil laws should conform as far as possible to the law of natural reason and equity.

As neither reason requires nor religion permits the contrary, every man living in or out of a state of civil society has a right peaceably and quietly to worship God according to the dictates of his conscience.

“Just and true liberty, equal and impartial liberty” in matters spiritual and temporal is a thing that all men are clearly entitled to by the eternal and immutable laws of God and nature, as well as by the law of nations and all well-grounded municipal laws, which must have their foundation in the former.

In regard to religion, mutual toleration in the different professions thereof is what all good and candid minds in all ages have ever practiced and, both by precept and example, inculcated on mankind. And it is now generally agreed among Christians that this spirit of toleration, in the fullest extent consistent with the being of civil society, is the chief characteristic mark of the true Church. Insomuch that Mr. Locke has asserted and proved beyond the possibility of contradiction on any solid ground that such toleration ought to be extended to all whose doctrines are not subversive of society. The only sects which he thinks ought to be and which by all wise laws are excluded from such toleration are those who teach doctrines subversive of the civil government under which they live. The Roman Catholics or Papists are excluded by reason of such doctrines as these, that princes excommunicated may be deposed and those that they call heretics may be destroyed without mercy. Besides their recognizing the Pope in so absolute a manner in subversion of government, by introducing as far as possible into the states under whose protection they enjoy life, liberty, and property that solecism in politics imperium in imperio [a government within a government], leading directly to the worst anarchy and confusion, civil discord, war, and bloodshed.

The natural liberty of man by entering into society is abridged or restrained so far only as is necessary for the great end of society, the best good of the whole.

In the state of nature every man is, under God, judge and sole judge of his own rights and of the injuries done him. By entering into society he agrees to an arbiter or indifferent judge between him and his neighbors. But he no more renounces his original right than by taking a cause out of the ordinary course of law and leaving the decision to referees or indifferent arbitrators. In the last case, he must pay the referees for time and trouble. He should also be willing to pay his just quota for the support of government, the law, and the constitution; the end of which is to furnish indifferent and impartial judges in all cases that may happen, whether civil, ecclesiastical, marine, or military.

The natural liberty of man is to be free from any superior power on earth and not to be under the will or legislative authority of man, but only to have the law of nature for his rule.

In the state of nature men may as the patriarchs did employ hired servants for the defense of their lives, liberties, and property and they should pay them reasonable wages. Government was instituted for the purposes of common defense and those who hold the reins of government have an equitable, natural right to an honorable support from the same principle that “the laborer is worthy of his hire.” But then the same community which they serve ought to be the assessors of their pay. Governors have no right to seek and take what they please. By this, instead of being content with the station assigned them, that of honorable servants of the society, they would soon become absolute masters, despots, and tyrants. Hence as a private man has a right to say what wages he will give in his private affairs, so has a community to determine what they will give and grant of their substance for the administration of public affairs. And in both cases, more are ready to offer their service at the proposed and stipulated price than are able and willing to perform their duty.

In short, it is the greatest absurdity to suppose it in the power of one or any number of men, at the entering into society, to renounce their essential natural rights or the means of preserving those rights when the grand end [goal] of civil government, from the very nature of its institution, is for the support, protection, and defense of those very rights. The principal of which, as is before observed, are Life, Liberty, and Property. If men through fear, fraud, or mistake should in terms renounce or give up any essential natural right, the eternal law of reason and the grand end of society would absolutely vacate such renunciation. The right to freedom being the gift of God Almighty, it is not in the power of man to alienate this gift and voluntarily become a slave.

Source: Natural Rights of the Colonists (1772), by Samuel Adams, William Vincent Wells, The Life and Public Services of Samuel Adams, With Extracts from His Correspondence, State Papers, and Political Essays. 1865. 501-4. https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_Vplpw49nqTIC/page/501/mode/2up