The Virginia gazette — Williamsburg, Va., 1776-11-08 00:00:00, page 1

NOVEMBER 8, 1776: T H E - NUMBER
\ . . . - 93
siv 1 RGlNlATss ' si ,.
.— si} 'si si
ALWAYs FOR LIBERTY.
High ll-EAV-EN to GnAcmus, nuns dir'ect: the STORM!
, , ,ssss
QssUERlES on phesubject of Rulelom
Es'rnusunln-n.
! not the power eonferred by the people
on their governours limited? Can its
limitations be better understood than by
considerin the ends for which it wan
instituted ! [I not the most proper method
to "know the ends fox- which it was institut
ed to inquire into the evils and inconveni
enciee that attend the want of it? And is
it not evident, on an impartial survey,
that, in a state of nature, any man, or
collection of men, might embrace what
doctrines of faith, and worship the deity
in what form theysspleased, without inter
ferin with the same, or any other natural
eight 'of their neighbours" !
Do not the constitation of the human
' mind, whose real assent or difl'ent necessa
t'ily follo ws its eonviction, and the obliga
'tion: of conscience, which forbid all equi
vocation and hypocrisy,- render it both
unlawful and absurd for any society to
invest the magistrate with authority to
presen'be articles, offeith, or regulate their
religious conduct? _
Bu-r waving theimpoflibility of- exercis
ing dominion OVcl' the understandin or
Conscience, and' the unlawfuiness o at
temptin it, does e: erienee sho'w that the
mlers o the earth ave in neral been
marked out by their piety an infallibility,
as religious guardiant to the rest of man
kind? 'And can it be suppose:! that any
man, whose entrance into civil society ten
arational act, ever meant to assign to the
magistrate his rightgof conscience, which
all ood men hold the most sacred, and
which,'of all other ri htl, the ma strate
is least qualisied to be mtfusted wit ?
D'om nht the New Testament, in al
most every page, assert the right: and
xatify the obfigations of conscience", in di
rect repu nance to the unwarranted claims
of the civxl magistrate? May not the same
teasoning, that will juffify the establish
ment of the best and most orthodox reli—
'on, be applied, with equalforce, to de
end the eltablishment of the worst and
. (host erroneous? Why is Christianit
established in any country, but becausl
'the magistrate believes it to be the true
! tsieligion? And is the emperonr of China, or
the Great Mogul, lest orthodoxin his own
opuuon :
; CA s 'the cause of Protestantism be
ssmasiincained on an ground which will not,
support, the pro ession os.every religion
thsiu'does not set up a claim to civil prea
eminence!
]! the design of civil government does
nsiot imply, is the nature of religion doe
not admit, if the general character of
rulen can neither challenge nor counte
nance, had if the pfinciples of Christianity
and Proveltamism manifestly disclaim, a
surrender, on the part of the people, of
the right.; of conscience, decu not the
magistrate stand disarmcd of even}! plea by
which he could be authorised to ictace in
matters osceligion ?
I'r appearing, then, that when men
form the social compnct each one rescrves
to himself the ri hc ofchoosing and actin
for himself in w ac relates to religion an
conscience. does it not. follow that every
individual is equally entitled to protection
in the exercise of this as much as any other
unresigned right; to obtain which , they
were induced to part with so great a r
tion of their natural liberty, and w ich
they parted with in an equal measure ?
Can all men be said to enjoy' an equal
portion of their' rights, religious or tem
poral, where a law exists, that compels
every member of the community to con
tribute a share of his substance for the
maintenanco'of a church to which many
cannot consorm, and from which a part
only (derive a benefit? Agglndfes kill;". the
im ition a ear excee ant
anXoinhnmatEp- when we refiegg thatgssit is
submitted to by many with a reluctant_
conscience; whflst, with respect to others
of 'a certain class, it either robs them of
the necessaries of life, or, by exhansting
the redundant pitunce of anarrow income,
disables them from pnocnring that parti
cular instruction and worship which their
judgment approves, and which they deem
of mestimable utility? And is there not
something peculiarly o eflive and disho
nourabie in ohli 'ng the habitants on the
western side o the Blue Rid e to contri
bute indiscriminately to the upport of a
worship which notmore than one oftwenty
approve or attend?
is it consistent wish reason to say, that
: partial and nnjnst inliitution is necessary
for the support ofsiajust and equal govern
ment! Is it consistent with true religion
to sa , that its preservation requires an
estabhshment founded in a violation of the
common maxims of morality? Is it any
evidence of esteem for the author of
Christianity, who affirms that his kin dom
is not of this world, to say that his se ende
of religion would prove abortive if it was
not in'corporated with the kingdoms of this
world! Does it ar ue a rational attach
ment to any churc to deny that reason
and its own intrinsick excellence are suf
ficient to a hold it, when every secular
prop' is w1thdrawn ;' althou' ]: other
churches are seen-to flourish wit out such
props, and although it is undeniable that
the Frimitive church made its way in the
war d; and continued to extend itself, for
more than 300 ears, wunouc tue lean
afflstance from cxvil power?
BUT wherein is it * pretended that this
salutary influence of ecclesiastical establish
ments on civil government consists ? Can
they poffibly afford the least probability
for an uniformity of opinion, unless they
include the remorseless tribunal of the in
quisition, from which torrents of blood
must'continually flow to extinguish the
spirit of in u'u-y, and at which libert her
felf would oonbc offered :! victim t avage
bigotry and sacerdotal domination ? Or
has the appropriation of certain public]:
revenues to a particular sect any tendency
to ,soften the religious animdsit resuhhtgsi'
from diversity ofopinions, qnle : all other
sect: could, by sonte magick art, be made _
to believe that the religion df their rivah
was so much superionr to their own that
it might deservedly receive such : mark
of dishnction ! '
Dou ,not the constitution of Virginb
just] leave all pdwer ultimately in the
han a of the titajor'tt ? in these not rea—
son to apprehend, to the daily mum
siiication of dilsenten', thar'the time my
only come when they will have the di
rection of dnryubl'tck Iffiifl"? , lf justice
be not done them when theysi are weak,
will their not obtain it when they become
puwerful? Maythey not domore? May
not a sense qf injunes excite a spirit es
retaliat'ton?
A'r a time when the salvation of out
country consefl'edly depends on the aid and
exertion: of every party, does not polic
loudiy forbid an irritating refusal to the
reasonable demand: of thousand: of valu
able citizem? Does not yrudence dictate
an extension of the right: of all those whd
have been unjustly reftrained, that they
may be more interested in defending the
present siovernment, and may ;on
greater" orrour at a return to the formed
one, which must infallib] be-atcomjpanied
with the loss of so ate al an- uilsitioa!
Wiuntn go the utility o church -
establishments, wit respect to religion
and morality i- , Are an religious doctnnesia
of the least avail, to t individual, or to
the community, which are not sincerely
believed, and which have not an actual
impression on the heart! Cut the magif- .
trace ensure any thin farther than the
external proseffion of Hich doctrinet! if
it be pretended, that the promoting of
morality or the dutie's of imperfect obhga—
tion, as they are styled, be the object of
such establishments, do not the teachetss'a of
every religious denomination inculcate the
same moral virtues? And can they justly
he excluded, either directly or indircctly,
from a participation of' their emoluments?
Dou not cx erience demonsh'ate, that,,
in those countries where religion is most
carefully guarded, and it: officers mol]:
highly rewarded by the laws, it has the
least rational and moral influence? What
part of Christendom can be arallelled with
Ital for atheisin, and pro i _ acy of man
y . 5 .
nen? Has any place nvaflcd ": m zeal'and
provision for the temporal interests qt the
cnurcu !
(In: it be said that establishmenn m
requisite to secure : competent numberof
virtuous pastors, whom the people would
ne lect to rovide for themselvel, when
it 15 unquesiionable that in each of those
American states where there is no civil'
establishmenc of religion the number of
publick ceachen is mnssch larger, in propor
tion to the number of inhabitants, than in
either of those states where a mistaken
Folicy has tramferred the care of religion
rom the people to the magistrate? And
it there not a greater likelihood that the
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