Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1855-07-04


o'clock A. M and continue until evening.
JEFFERsoS's AcT ESTABLISHING RELIGIOUS
FREEDOM IN -FIRGINIA.-The tomb of the Illus
trious founder of the Democratic party in the sa-
cred shades of Monticello, bears the following
inscription /" Thomas jefferson, the author of the
Declaration of independence and of the act estab
fishing religious freedom in Virginia. TIE in
scription was indited by his own hand a short
time previous to his death. There is scarcely an
American citizen who has not the Declaration Of
Independence by heart, but few, comparatively
speaking, have ever had an opportunity OF peru
sing the act on Religious Freedom. We therefore
lay it before our readers, confident that the prn-
ciples it embodies will find an echo in the hearts
of the true Democracy of little Cambria.
An act for establishing religious freedom, passed
in the assembly of Virginia in the beginning of
the year 1856:
Well aware that Almighty God hath created
the mind free; that all attempts to influence 1t
by temporal punishments or burdens, or by civil
interpretations, tend only to beget habits of n.y.
pocrisy and meanness, and are departure from
the plan of the Holy Author of our religion, who,
being Lord both of body and of mind, yet chose
not to propagate by coercions on either, as was
in his almighty power to do; that the impious
presumption oflegislatures and rulers civil well
as ecclesiastical, who being themselves but fall
bic and uninspired men. have assumed dominion
over tho faith of others. setting mp their
opinions and modes of thinking as the only true
and infallible, and as such endeavoring to impose
them upon others, hath established and malr.tlin-
ed false religions the greatest part of the
world, and through all time; that to compel a
man to furnish contributions of money for the
propagation of opinions which he disbelevcs is
sinful and tyranncal; that even the forcing him
1 al H.
gious persuasion is depriying him of the comfort
able liberty of giving his contributions the par
ticular pastor whose morals he would make his
patterns, and whose powers he feels most persua-
svc to righteousness, and is withdrawing from
the ministry those temporal rewards, which, pro-
ceeding from an appreciation Of their personal
conduct are an additional Indictment to earnest
and unremittng labors for the instruction of man
kind that our civil rights have no dependence
on our religious opinions more than our opinions
in physics or geometry; that, therefore, the pro-
scribing of any citizen unworthy the public
confidence by laying upon him an :ncapacity cf
being called to Office of trust and emolument, un-
less he profess renounce this that religious
| opinion, is depriving him injuriousiy of those
privileges and advantages to which, in common
with his fellow-citzens, he has natural right I;
that it tends also to corrupt the principles of the
very religion it is meant to encourage, by bribng,
with monopoly of worldly honors, those who
will externally profess and conform to it; that
though, indeed, those are criminal who do not
withstand such temptations, yet neither are those
innocent who lay the bait in their way; that to
suffer the civil magistrate to intrude his powers
into the field of opinion, and to restrain the pro-
fession or propagation of principles, on the sup
position of their i'll tendency, is dangerous falla-
cy, which at once destroys all religious liberty,
because, he being of course Judge of that tenden-
| cy, will make his opinions the rule of judgement
| and approve coude mn the sentiments Of 9TH
ers only as they shall square with, differ from
his own that it is time enough, for the rightfu
purposes of civil government, for its officers Il
interfere when principles break out into overt acts
against peace and good order; and, finally, tha
truth is great, and will prevail if left to herself
that she is the proper and sufficient antagonist
error, and has nothing to fear from the conflict
unless by human interposition disarmed of he
natural weapons, free argument and debate, error
ceasing to be dangerous when it is permitted free
| ly to combat them.
Beit therefore enacted By the general assembly
That no man shall be compelled to frequent o
support any religious worship. place, or ministr,
| whatsoever, nor shall he be enforced, restrained
molestcd, or burdened in his body or goods, no
shall he otherwise suffer on account of his reli
gious opinions or belief, but that all men shall b
free to profess, and by argument to maintain
| their opinions in matters of religion, and tha
the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge, O.
effect their civil capacities.
And though we well know this assembly, elec
ted by the people for the ordinary purposes o
legislation only, have power to restrain the act
of succeeding assemblies, constituted with pow
ers equal to our own and that, therefore, to de
clare this act irrevocable would be of effect il
law; yet we are free to declare, and do declare
that the rights hereby asserted are Of the natura
rights of mankind, and that if any act shall b
hereafter passed to repeal the present, or to mar
row its operations such an act will be an infringe