Wesley Corpus

Civil liberty is a liberty to dispose of our lives, persons, and fortunes, according to our own choice, and the laws of our country. I add, according to the laws of our country: For, although, if we violate these, we are liable to fines, imprisonment, or death; yet if, in other cases, we enjoy our life, liberty, and goods, undisturbed, we are free, to all reasonable intents and purposes. Now, all this liberty the confederate colonies did enjoy, till part of them enslaved the rest of their countrymen; and all the loyal colonies do enjoy it at the present hour. None takes away their lives, or freedom, or goods; they enjoy them all quiet and undisturbed. “But the King and Parliament can take them all away.” But they do not; and, till it is done, they are freemen. The supreme power of my country can take away either my religious or civil liberty; but, till they do, I am free in both respects: I am free now, whatever I may be by and by. Will any man face me down, I have no money now, because it may be taken from me to-morrow? 6. But the truth is, what they claim is not liberty; it is independency. They claim to be independent of England; no longer to own the English supremacy. A while ago, they vehemently denied this; for matters were not then ripe: And I was severely censured for supposing they intended any such thing. But now the mask is thrown off: They frankly avow it; and Englishmen applaud them for so doing ! Nay, you will prove, that not only the colonies, but all * See a tract, entitled, “Thoughts upon Liberty.” mankind, have a right to it; yea, that independency is of the very essence of liberty; and that all who are not independent are slaves. Nay, if all who are not independent are slaves, then there is no free nation in Europe; then all in every nation are slaves, except the supreme powers. All in France, for instance, except the King; all in Holland, except the Senate; yea, and these too; King and Senate both are slaves, if (as you say) they are dependent upon the people. So, if the people depend on their governors, and their governors on them, they are all slaves together. Mere play with words.