Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-01-20

AN ACT for establishing religious freedom, passed
In the Assembly Of Virginia in the beginning Of
the year 1885,
Well aware chat Almighty God latb created the
mind free that all attempts to influence il by tenn
poral punishments or burdens, or by civil incapa-
citations, tend only to beget habits of hypocrisy
ana meanness, and are departure from the plan
OF the Holy Author Of our religion, who, being ford
both OF body and of mind, yet chose not to Drop
agate by coercons on either as was ia his almighty
power 70 90, that the impious presumption Of leg
slatures and rulers civil as well as eccesasticai
who, being themselves but fallible and UNINSURED
men, have assumed dominion over the faitb ~
others, setting up their own opinions and modes Of
thinking as the only true and inialible and as such
endeav0ring to impose them upon others. hath "a
tablished and maintained false religions over the
greatest part of the world, and through all time.
that to compel man to furnish contributions OF
money for the propagation of opinions which he
disbeieves, is sinful and tyrannica 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, and whose powers he feels most
persuasive torghteousness, and Is Withdrawing from
the ministry those temporal rewards, which, pro-
ceedng from an appreciation of their personal con-
duct, are an additional Indictment to earnest and
unremitting abors for the instruction of mankind !;
that civil rights have no dependence on our re-
lgious opinions more than our opinions in physics
or geometry that, therefore, the prescribing of
any citizen as unworthy the public confidence by
laying upon him an incapacity Of being called to
the offices of trust and emolument unless he pro-
fess renounce this or that religious opinion. ia
depriving him injuriously of those privileges and
advantages to which, in common with his fellow
citizens, he has natural right; that it tends also
to corrnpt the principles OF the very religion 1t is
meant to encourage, by bribing, with a monopoly
Of worldly honors those who will externally pro-
less and conform to III; 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 intrude his powers into the field of opn
ion, and to restrain the profession or Of
principles, on the supposton Of their iii tendency,
Is q dangerous fallacy, which at once DESTROYS ali
religious liberty, because, he being of course Judge
OF that tendency, will make his opinions the rule
Of Judgment, and approve or condemn the senti-
ments OF Others only as they shall square with, or
diier from, his own that it 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 will prevail if left to
herself that she is the proper and sufficient antag-
onist Of error, and has nothing to fear from the
SoiAiSe uhcos ny uuuaI IuCefpOsltlOn QlSarmeQ OF
her natural weapons, free argument and debate.
errors ceasing to be dangerous when it is permitted
freely to combat them.
BE a, therefore, enacted 6y tie General A.
senbty, That no man shall be compelled to fire.
quent or support any religious worship, place, or
ministry whatsoever nor shall he be enforced, re-
strained molested or burdened in his body or goods
norshall he otherwise suffer account ofhisreiQou
opinions belief but that all me shall be free to
profess, and by argument to maintain, their opin-
ions in matters Of religion, and that the same shall
in no wise diminish, enlarge, or affect their civil
capacities.
And though we well know this Assembly, elected
by the people for the ordinary purposes of legis-
iation only have no power to restrain the acts of
succeeding assemblies, constituted with powers
equal to our own; and that, therefore, to declare
this act irrevocable would be of no effect in law !;
yet we are free to declare and do declare that the
rights hereby asserted of the natural rights Of
mankind, and that IL any act shall be hereafter
passed to repeal the present, or TO narrow its ope-
rations, such an act will be an Infringement of
natural right.