Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-01-06
AN ACT for establishing religious freedom passed
i'l the Assembly Of Virginia IN the beginning Of

AN ACT for establishing religious freedom passed
b, the Assembly Of Virginia IN the beginning Of
X the year I7se.' rt y 9hai & 'fsats asfaalaT I
Wen aware that Almighty God hath created the'
mind free that all attempts TO influence itby tenn
pora pupshnients or burdens, kor by civil inrapa-
citations, tend only 70 begct habits Of hyppcriay
and meanness, and are a departure from the plan
ofthe Holy Authorof our religion, who, being Lord
both Of body Of mind, yot chose not 10 prop
agate by coercions on either. as was In his almighty
power to. do; that the impious presumption OF leg
islatures and rulers, civil as wen as ecclesiastical
who, being themselves but fallible and uninspred
men, have assumed dominion over the faith Of
others, setting up their own opinions and modes Of
thinking as the only true and niallibe, and as such
endeavoring 70 impose them upon others, hath es-
tablshed and maintained false religions over the
greatest part Of the world, and througha all time
that TO compel man to furnish contributions Of
money for the propagation of opinions which he
disbelieves Ia sinful and tyrannical; that even the
forcing him TO support this or that teacher Of his
own religious persuasion is depriying him Of the
comfortable liberty Of giving his contributions
to the particular pastor whose morals he would
make his PATTERN ndawhose powers he feels most
persuasive orighteousnsss and is Withdrawing from
the ministry those temporal rewards, which, pro-
ceeding from an appreciation of their personal con
duct ean additional inctelnent to earnest and
unremittipg lahore for tho instruction Of mankind;
that our civil rights have no dependence on our rc-
ilgous opinions more than our opinions in physics
'ot geometry THAT, therefore, tie prescribing OF
any citizen as unworthy the public confidence BY
laying upon him an incapacity of being called. to
the Offices Of trust and emoumcnt, unless he pro
fess Of renodnce this or that religious opinion, is
depriving him injusjodsly Of those privileges and
advantages to-whieh, in common with his fellow
citzens, he has natural right that it tends also
TO corrApt the principles Of the very religion it is
meant 10 encourage, by bribing, with a inonopoly
of worldly honors, those who will extel1mllv pro-
tess and conform to it that though indeed, those
are criminal WHO do not Withstand snoh teinpta.
tiOns, yet neither are those Innocent who lay the
bait i'm their way that tos suffer the cvil ma
gistrate to intrude hspowers into tile field Of opi-
ion and 70 restrain the profession or propagation Of
principles, on the spposition Of their i'll tendency,
is a dangerous falacy, which AT ence destroys All
religious liberty, because, he being Of course fudge
| of that tendency, will make Ms opinions the rule
of Judgment, and approve or condemn the senti-
nents Of Others only as they shall square with, or
differ from, his own; that il Is time enough, for the
rghtful purposes Of civil government, for its off.
GERS to interfere when principles break out into
overt acts against peace and good order; and,
finally that truth is great and win prevail left to
herself that SHE Is the proper and sufficient antag
onist of criof, and has nothing to fear from tht
conflict, unless BY human interposition dismn1ed d
her natural weapons, free afguifent and debate
errors ccasing to be dHngcrous when It s permitted
| freely TO combat them M q sna ~ Aaas
BE IL, wherefore, enacted Jy tie General IA
sembty, That noman shall be compelled to fre.
qent on support any religious worship, place, 81
ministry whatsoever Nor shall he be enforced, re.
strained, nolested or rburdened in his bodyor goods
norshsiihe otherwise suffer on account f7sreiigous
npiAons bcscf but that all men shall be fee To
psotsss, and by argument TO maintain, their cpin-
ions In matters Of religion, and that the same zhnl
in no wise diminish, enlarge, or Affect their civil
capacities.
And thoughwe wen know this Assembly elected
by the people for the ordinary purposes Of lcgis
ation only, have no power to RESTRAIN the scts o
snccceding aswmbnes, constituted With powers
tequal 70 our own and that, therefore, to declare
this act irreyocable would be of no effect in law
yet we are free 70 declare and do DECLARE that the
rights hereby asserted are OF the natural rights Of
mankind, and that If any act shall be hereafter
passed to repeal the present. 10 marrow It's ope-
rations, such an act will be an Infringement oi
natural right. 11ts;gc q efb I'M zNas6s 1pb !,