PART I.

A

DECLARATION OF RIGHTS

OF THE

INHABITANTS OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.

I. ALL men are born free and equal, and have certain natural, effential, and unalienable rights; among which may be reckoned the right of enjoying and defending their lives and liberties; that of acquiring, poffeffing, and protecting property; in fine, that of seeking and obtaining their fafety and happiness.

II. It is the right as well as the duty of all men in fociety, publicly, and at stated seasons, to worship the Supreme Being, the great Creator and Preferver of the Universe. And no fubject shall be hurt, molested, or restrained in his perfon, liberty, or eftate, for worshipping God in the manner and feafon most agreeable to the dictates of his own confcience; or for his religious profeffion or fentiments; provided he doth not disturb the public peace, or obstruct others in their religious worship. III. As the happiness of a people, and the good

good order and prefervation of civil government, effentially depend upon piety, religion, and morality; and as these cannot be generally diffused through a community, but by the inftitution of the public worship of God, and of public instructions in piety, religion and morality; therefore, to promote their happiness, and to fecure the good order and prefervation of their government, the people of this Commonwealth have a right to invest their legislature with power to authorise and require, and the legislature fhall, from time to time, authorise and require the several towns, parishes, precincts, and other bodies politic, or religious focieties, to make suitable provision, at their own expence, for the inftitution of the public worship of God, and for the support and maintenance of public Proteftant teachers of piety, religion, and morality, in all cases where fuch provision shall not be made voluntarily.

And the people of this Commonwealth have also a right to, and do, inveft their legislature with authority to enjoin upon all the subjects, an attendance upon the inftructions of the public teachers as aforefaid, at ftated times and feafons, if there be any on whofe instructions

they can confcientiously and conveniently at

tend.

Provided notwithstanding, that the several towns, parishes, precincts, and other bodiespolitic, or religious focieties, fhall, at all times, have the exclufive right of electing their public teachers, and of contracting with them for their fupport and maintenance.

And all monies paid by the fubject to the fupport of public worship, and of the public teachers aforefaid, fhall, if he require it, be uniformly applied to the fupport of the public teacher or teachers of his own religious fect or denomination, provided there be any on whose inftructions he attends; otherwise it

may

be paid towards the fupport of the teacher or teachers of the parish or precinct in which the faid monies are raised.

And every denomination of Chriftians demeaning themselves peaceably, and as good fubjects of the Commonwealth, fhall be equally under the protection of the law and no fubordination of any one fect or denomination. to another shall ever be established by law.

IV. The people of this Commonwealth have the fole and exclufive right of governing them

felves

felves as a Free, Sovereign, and Independent State; and do, and for ever hereafter fhall, exercise and enjoy every power, jurisdiction, and right, which is not, or may not hereafter, be by them exprefly delegated to the United States of America, in Congress affembled.

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V. All power refiding originally in the ple, and being derived from them, the several magistrates and officers of government, vested with authority, whether legislative, executive, or judicial, are their fubftitutes and agents, and are at all times accountable to them.

VI. No man, or corporation, or affociation of men, have any other title to obtain advantages, or particular and exclufive privileges, distinct from thofe of the community, than what arises from the confideration of fervices rendered to the public; and this title being in nature neither hereditary nor tranfmiffible to children, or defcendants, or relations by blood, the idea of a man born a magiftrate, lawgiver, or judge, is abfurd and unnatural.

VII. Government is instituted for the common good; for the protection, safety, profperity, and happiness of the people; and not for the profit, honour, or private interest

of

of any one man, family, or class of men: therefore, the people alone have an inconteftible, unalienable, and indefeasible right to inftitute government; and to reform, alter, or totally change the fame, when their protection, fafety, profperity, and happiness require it.

VIII. In order to prevent those who are vefted with authority from becoming oppreffors, the people have a right, at fuch periods, and in fuch manner as they fhall establish by their Frame of Government, to cause their public officers to return to private life; and to fill up vacant places by certain and regular elections and appointments.

IX. All elections ought to be free, and all the inhabitants of this Commonwealth, having fuch qualifications as they fhall establish by their Frame of Government, have an equal right to elect officers, and to be elected for public employments.

X. Each individual of the fociety has a right to be protected by it, in the enjoyment of his life, liberty, and property, according to standing laws. He is obliged, confequently, to contribute his fhare to the expence of this protection;