LIBERTY，orfreedom，signifiethproperlytheabsenceofoppositionbyopposition，Imeanexternalimpedimentsofmotion；andmaybeappliednolesstoirrationalandinanimatecreaturesthantorational。Forwhatsoeverissotied，orenvironed，asitcannotmovebutwithinacertainspace，whichspaceisdeterminedbytheoppositionofsomeexternalbody，wesayithathnotlibertytogofurther。Andsoofalllivingcreatures，whilsttheyareimprisoned，orrestrainedwithwallsorchains；andofthewaterwhilstitiskeptinbybanksorvesselsthatotherwisewouldspreaditselfintoalargerspace；weusetosaytheyarenotatlibertytomoveinsuchmanneraswithoutthoseexternalimpedimentstheywould。Butwhentheimpedimentofmotionisintheconstitutionofthethingitself，weusenottosayitwantstheliberty，butthepower，tomove；aswhenastoneliethstill，oramanisfastenedtohisbedbysickness。
Andaccordingtothisproperandgenerallyreceivedmeaningoftheword，afreemanishethat，inthosethingswhichbyhisstrengthandwitheisabletodo，isnothinderedtodowhathehasawillto。
Butwhenthewordsfreeandlibertyareappliedtoanythingbutbodies，theyareabused；forthatwhichisnotsubjecttomotionisnottosubjecttoimpediment：andtherefore，whenitissaid，forexample，thewayisfree，nolibertyofthewayissignified，butofthosethatwalkinitwithoutstop。Andwhenwesayagiftisfree，thereisnotmeantanylibertyofthegift，butofthegiver，thatwasnotboundbyanylaworcovenanttogiveit。Sowhenwespeakfreely，itisnotthelibertyofvoice，orpronunciation，butoftheman，whomnolawhathobligedtospeakotherwisethanhedid。
Lastly，fromtheuseofthewordsfreewill，nolibertycanbeinferredofthewill，desire，orinclination，butthelibertyoftheman；whichconsistethinthis，thathefindsnostopindoingwhathehasthewill，desire，orinclinationtodo。
Fearandlibertyareconsistent：aswhenamanthrowethhisgoodsintotheseaforfeartheshipshouldsink，hedothitneverthelessverywillingly，andmayrefusetodoitifhewill；itisthereforetheactionofonethatwasfree：soamansometimespayshisdebt，onlyforfearofimprisonment，which，becausenobodyhinderedhimfromdetaining，wastheactionofamanatliberty。AndgenerallyallactionswhichmendoinCommonwealths，forfearofthelaw，areactionswhichthedoershadlibertytoomit。
Libertyandnecessityareconsistent：asinthewaterthathathnotonlyliberty，butanecessityofdescendingbythechannel；so，likewiseintheactionswhichmenvoluntarilydo，which，becausetheyproceedtheirwill，proceedfromliberty，andyetbecauseeveryactofman’swillandeverydesireandinclinationproceedethfromsomecause，andthatfromanothercause，inacontinualchainwhosefirstlinkisinthehandofGod，thefirstofallcauses，proceedfromnecessity。Sothattohimthatcouldseetheconnexionofthosecauses，thenecessityofallmen’svoluntaryactionswouldappearmanifest。AndthereforeGod，thatseethanddisposethallthings，seethalsothatthelibertyofmanindoingwhathewillisaccompaniedwiththenecessityofdoingthatwhichGodwillandnomore，norless。ForthoughmenmaydomanythingswhichGoddoesnotcommand，noristhereforeauthorofthem；yettheycanhavenopassion，norappetitetoanything，ofwhichappetiteGod’swillisnotthecause。AnddidnotHiswillassurethenecessityofman’swill，andconsequentlyofallthatonman’swilldependeth，thelibertyofmenwouldbeacontradictionandimpedimenttotheomnipotenceandlibertyofGod。Andthisshallsuffice，astothematterinhand，ofthatnaturalliberty，whichonlyisproperlycalledliberty。
Butasmen，fortheattainingofpeaceandconservationofthemselvesthereby，havemadeanartificialman，whichwecallaCommonwealth；soalsohavetheymadeartificialchains，calledcivillaws，whichtheythemselves，bymutualcovenants，havefastenedatoneendtothelipsofthatman，orassembly，towhomtheyhavegiventhesovereignpower，andattheothertotheirownears。Thesebonds，intheirownnaturebutweak，mayneverthelessbemadetohold，bythedanger，thoughnotbythedifficultyofbreakingthem。
InrelationtothesebondsonlyitisthatIamtospeaknowofthelibertyofsubjects。ForseeingthereisnoCommonwealthintheworldwhereinthereberulesenoughsetdownfortheregulatingofalltheactionsandwordsofmenasbeingathingimpossible：itfollowethnecessarilythatinallkindsofactions，bythelawspretermitted，menhavethelibertyofdoingwhattheirownreasonsshallsuggestforthemostprofitabletothemselves。Forifwetakelibertyinthepropersense，forcorporalliberty；thatistosay，freedomfromchainsandprison，itwereveryabsurdformentoclamourastheydoforthelibertytheysomanifestlyenjoy。Again，ifwetakelibertyforanexemptionfromlaws，itisnolessabsurdformentodemandastheydothatlibertybywhichallothermenmaybemastersoftheirlives。Andyetasabsurdasitis，thisisittheydemand，notknowingthatthelawsareofnopowertoprotectthemwithoutaswordinthehandsofaman，ormen，tocausethoselawstobeputinexecution。Thelibertyofasubjectlieththereforeonlyinthosethingswhich，inregulatingtheiractions，thesovereignhathpretermitted：suchasisthelibertytobuy，andsell，andotherwisecontractwithoneanother；tochoosetheirownabode，theirowndiet，theirowntradeoflife，andinstitutetheirchildrenastheythemselvesthinkfit；andthelike。
Neverthelesswearenottounderstandthatbysuchlibertythesovereignpoweroflifeanddeathiseitherabolishedorlimited。
Forithasbeenalreadyshownthatnothingthesovereignrepresentativecandotoasubject，onwhatpretencesoever，canproperlybecalledinjusticeorinjury；becauseeverysubjectisauthorofeveryactthesovereigndoth，sothatheneverwantethrighttoanything，otherwisethanashehimselfisthesubjectofGod，andboundtherebytoobservethelawsofnature。AndthereforeitmayanddothoftenhappeninCommonwealthsthatasubjectmaybeputtodeathbythecommandofthesovereignpower，andyetneitherdotheotherwrong；aswhenJephthahcausedhisdaughtertobesacrificed：inwhich，andthelikecases，hethatsodiethhadlibertytodotheaction，forwhichheisnevertheless，withoutinjury，puttodeath。
Andthesameholdethalsoinasovereignprincethatputtethtodeathaninnocentsubject。Forthoughtheactionbeagainstthelawofnature，asbeingcontrarytoequityaswasthekillingofUriahbyDavid；yetitwasnotaninjurytoUriah，buttoGod。NottoUriah，becausetherighttodowhathepleasedwasgivenhimbyUriahhimself；andyettoGod，becauseDavidwasGod’ssubjectandprohibitedalliniquitybythelawofnature。Whichdistinction，Davidhimself，whenherepentedthefact，evidentlyconfirmed，saying，“TotheeonlyhaveIsinned。“Inthesamemanner，thepeopleofAthens，whentheybanishedthemostpotentoftheirCommonwealthfortenyears，thoughttheycommittednoinjustice；andyettheyneverquestionedwhatcrimehehaddone，butwhathurthewoulddo：nay，theycommandedthebanishmentoftheyknewnotwhom；andeverycitizenbringinghisoystershellintothemarketplace，writtenwiththenameofhimhedesiredshouldbebanished，withoutactuallyaccusinghimsometimesbanishedanAristides，forhisreputationofjustice；andsometimesascurrilousjester，asHyperbolus，tomakeajestofit。
AndyetamancannotsaythesovereignpeopleofAthenswantedrighttobanishthem；oranAthenianthelibertytojest，ortobejust。
ThelibertywhereofthereissofrequentandhonourablementioninthehistoriesandphilosophyoftheancientGreeksandRomans，andinthewritingsanddiscourseofthosethatfromthemhavereceivedalltheirlearninginthepolitics，isnotthelibertyofparticularmen，butthelibertyoftheCommonwealth：whichisthesamewiththatwhicheverymanthenshouldhave，iftherewerenocivillawsnorCommonwealthatall。Andtheeffectsofitalsobethesame。Forasamongstmasterlessmen，thereisperpetualwarofeverymanagainsthisneighbour；noinheritancetotransmittotheson，nortoexpectfromthefather；noproprietyofgoodsorlands；nosecurity；butafullandabsolutelibertyineveryparticularman：soinstatesandCommonwealthsnotdependentononeanother，everyCommonwealth，noteveryman，hasanabsolutelibertytodowhatitshalljudge，thatistosay，whatthatmanorassemblythatrepresentethitshalljudge，mostconducingtotheirbenefit。Butwithal，theyliveintheconditionofaperpetualwar，andupontheconfinesofbattle，withtheirfrontiersarmed，andcannonsplantedagainsttheirneighboursroundabout。TheAtheniansandRomanswerefree；thatis，freeCommonwealths：notthatanyparticularmenhadthelibertytoresisttheirownrepresentative，butthattheirrepresentativehadthelibertytoresist，orinvade，otherpeople。ThereiswrittenontheturretsofthecityofLucaingreatcharactersatthisday，thewordLIBERTAS；yetnomancanthenceinferthataparticularmanhasmorelibertyorimmunityfromtheserviceoftheCommonwealththerethaninConstantinople。WhetheraCommonwealthbemonarchicalorpopular，thefreedomisstillthesame。
Butitisaneasythingformentobedeceivedbythespeciousnameofliberty；and，forwantofjudgementtodistinguish，mistakethatfortheirprivateinheritanceandbirthrightwhichistherightofthepubliconly。Andwhenthesameerrorisconfirmedbytheauthorityofmeninreputationfortheirwritingsonthissubject，itisnowonderifitproduceseditionandchangeofgovernment。InthesewesternpartsoftheworldwearemadetoreceiveouropinionsconcerningtheinstitutionandrightsofCommonwealthsfromAristotle，Cicero，andothermen，GreeksandRomans，that，livingunderpopularstates，derivedthoserights，notfromtheprinciplesofnature，buttranscribedthemintotheirbooksoutofthepracticeoftheirownCommonwealths，whichwerepopular；asthegrammariansdescribetherulesoflanguageoutofthepracticeofthetime；ortherulesofpoetryoutofthepoemsofHomerandVirgil。AndbecausetheAtheniansweretaughttokeepthemfromdesireofchangingtheirgovernment
thattheywerefreemen，andallthatlivedundermonarchywereslaves；
thereforeAristotleputsitdowninhisPolitics“Indemocracy，libertyistobesupposed：foritiscommonlyheldthatnomanisfreeinanyothergovernment。“*AndasAristotle，soCiceroandotherwritershavegroundedtheircivildoctrineontheopinionsoftheRomans，whoweretaughttohatemonarchy：atfirst，bythemthat，havingdeposedtheirsovereign，sharedamongstthemthesovereigntyofRome；andafterwardsbytheirsuccessors。AndbyreadingoftheseGreekandLatinauthors，menfromtheirchildhoodhavegottenahabit，underafalseshowofliberty，offavouringtumults，andoflicentiouscontrollingtheactionsoftheirsovereigns；andagainofcontrollingthosecontrollers；withtheeffusionofsomuchblood，asIthinkImaytrulysaytherewasneveranythingsodearlyboughtasthesewesternpartshaveboughtthelearningoftheGreekandLatintongues。
*Aristotle，Politics，BkVI
Tocomenowtotheparticularsofthetruelibertyofasubject；
thatistosay，whatarethethingswhich，thoughcommandedbythesovereign，hemayneverthelesswithoutinjusticerefusetodo；wearetoconsiderwhatrightswepassawaywhenwemakeaCommonwealth；or，whichisallone，whatlibertywedenyourselvesbyowningalltheactions，withoutexception，ofthemanorassemblywemakeoursovereign。Forintheactofoursubmissionconsistethbothourobligationandourliberty；whichmustthereforebeinferredbyargumentstakenfromthence；therebeingnoobligationonanymanwhicharisethnotfromsomeactofhisown；forallmenequallyarebynaturefree。Andbecausesuchargumentsmusteitherbedrawnfromtheexpresswords，“Iauthoriseallhisactions，“orfromtheintentionofhimthatsubmittethhimselftohispowerwhichintentionistobeunderstoodbytheendforwhichhesosubmitteth，theobligationandlibertyofthesubjectistobederivedeitherfromthosewords，orothersequivalent，orelsefromtheendoftheinstitutionofsovereignty；namely，thepeaceofthesubjectswithinthemselves，andtheirdefenceagainstacommonenemy。
Firsttherefore，seeingsovereigntybyinstitutionisbycovenantofeveryonetoeveryone；andsovereigntybyacquisition，bycovenantsofthevanquishedtothevictor，orchildtotheparent；itismanifestthateverysubjecthaslibertyinallthosethingstherightwhereofcannotbycovenantbetransferred。Ihaveshownbefore，inthefourteenthChapter，thatcovenantsnottodefendaman’sownbodyarevoid。Therefore，Ifthesovereigncommandaman，thoughjustlycondemned，tokill，wound，ormaimhimself；ornottoresistthosethatassaulthim；ortoabstainfromtheuseoffood，air，medicine，oranyotherthingwithoutwhichhecannotlive；yethaththatmanthelibertytodisobey。