John Jay on Freedom of Religion and Separation of Church and State

Massachusetts Constitution 1780 Written by John Adams

Massachusetts Constitution 1780 Written by John Adams


Massachusetts Constitution 1780
Written by John Adams

We, therefore, the people of Massachusetts, acknowledging, with grateful hearts,
the goodness of the great Legislator of the universe, in affording us, in the course
of His providence, an opportunity, deliberately and peaceably, without fraud,
violence, or surprise, of entering into an original, explicit, and solemn compact
with each other, and of forming a new constitution of civil government for
ourselves and posterity; and devoutly imploring His direction

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

Art. II. It is the right as well as the duty of all men in society, publicly and at
stated seasons, to worship the Supreme Being, the great Creator and Preserver of
the universe. And no subject shall be hurt, molested, or restrained, in his person,
liberty, or estate, for worshipping God in the manner and season most agreeable
to the dictates of his own conscience, or for his religious profession or
sentiments, provided he doth not disturb the public peace or obstruct others in
their religious worship.

Art. III. As the happiness of a people and the good order and preservation of civil
government essentially depend upon piety, religion, and morality, and as these
cannot be generally diffcused through a community but by the institution of the
public worship of God and of the public instructions in piety, religion, and
morality: Therefore, To promote their happiness and to secure the good order and
preservation of their government, the people of this commonwealth have a right
to invest their legislature with power to authorize and require, and the legislature
shall, from time to time, authorize and require, the several towns, parishes,
precincts, and other bodies politic or religious societies to make suitable
provision, at their own expense, for the institution of the public worship of God
and for the support and maintenance of public Protestant teachers of piety,
religion, and morality in all cases where such provision shall not be made
voluntarily.

And the people of this commonwealth have also a right to, and do, invest their
legislature with authority to enjoin upon all the subject an attendance upon the
instructions of the public teachers aforesaid, at stated times and seasons, if there
be any on whose instructions they can conscientiously and conveniently attend.
Provided, notwithstanding, That the several towns, parishes, precincts, and other
bodies politic, or religious societies, shall at all times have the exclusive right and
electing their public teachers and of contracting with them for their support and
maintenance. And all moneys paid by the subject to the support of public worship and of public teachers aforesaid shall, if he require it, be uniformly applied to the support of the public teacher or teachers of his own religious sect or denomination, provided there be any on whose instructions he attends; otherwise it may be paid toward the support of the teacher or teachers of the parish or precinct in which the said moneys are raised.

And every denomination of Christians, demeaning themselves peaceably and as
good subjects of the commonwealth, shall be equally under the protection of the
law; and no subordination of any sect or denomination to another shall ever be
established by law.