Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-05-21
GEORGE d. GRAY, Of Oulpeper,
JOSIAH DABBS Of Hali6xx-


AN ACT for establishing religious freedom, passsd
in the Assembly of Virginia in the beginning Of
the year 1850; a
Well aware that Almighty God hath created the
mind free; that all attempts TO influence Il BY tenn
poral punishments or burdens, or by civil lncspa-
citations, tend only to beget habits Of hypocrisy
and meanness, and are departure from the plsn
Of the Holy Author of our religion, who, being Lord
both of body and Of mind, yet chose NOT 70 prop
agnt by coercions either, a. was in his almighty
power 10 do; that the impious presumption Of lse-
islstures and rulers, civil wen a. eccledasiosl
who, being themselves but fllible and uninspIred
men, have assumed dominion over the fhifh Of
others, setting up their own opinions and modes Of
thinking the only true and infalbe, and q such
endeavoring to impose them upon others, hath e.
tablished and maintained false religions over the
greatest part of the world, and through I'll time
that TO compel man to furnish contributions u
money for the propagation Of opinions which he
disbeevcs, Is sinful and atynnnica that even the
forcing him to support this or that teacher Of his
own religious persuasion Ia dcpriving him Of the
comfortable liberty of giving his contributions
TO the particular pastor whose morals he would
make his pattern and whose powers he feels most
persuasive to orghtconsness and Ii Withdrawing from
the ministry those temporal rewards which pro-
ceeding from an appreciation of their personal con-
duct, are an additional incitement TO earnest and
unremittng labors for the instruction OF mankind
that civil rights have no dependence on our re-
lgious opinions moro than our opinions in physics
or geometry; that, therefore, the prescribing OF
any citizen az unworthy the public confidence by
laying upon him an incapscity of being called 70
the Offices Of trust and cmolument, unless he pro-
fess or renounce this or that religious opinion, Il
opriving him injuriously of those privileges and
advantages TO which, in common with his fellow
citizens, he has natural right that IL tends also
to corrupt the principles Of the very religion Il il
meant to encourage, BY bribing, with monopoly
Of worldly honors, those who win externally pro-
fess and conform TO Il that though, indeed, those
are criminal who do not Withstand such tempta-
tons, yet neither are those innocent who lay the
bait In their way; that TO suffer the civil ma
gistrate TO inrude his powers into the field of opin-
ion, and to restrain the profession or propagation oi
principles on the suppostion of their nj tendency,
Is q dangerous aUacy, which at once destroys ali
religious liberty because, he being Of course fudge
Of that tendency, win make his opinions the rule
of Judgment and approve or condemn the senti.
ments Of others only as they shall square with, or
differ FROM his own that il Il time enough for the
rightful purposes Of civil government, for ts ON.
GERS TO interfere when principles break out into
overt acts against peace and good order; and,
finally, that truth is great and win prevail II le 70
herself that she Ia the proper and sufficient antag.
onist OF error, and has nothing to fear from the
conflict unless by human interposition dissrsed o
her natural weapons, free argument and debate,