Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-01-17
AN ACT for establishing religious freedom, passed
in the Assembly Of Virginia in the beginning Of
the year 1885,


Well aware that Almighty God hath created the
mind free that all attempts to influence il by tenn
porai punlshments or burdens, or by civil ncapa-
citations, tend only to beget habits of hypocrsy
and mcanness 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 prop
agate by coerc0ns on either, in his almighty
power TO do; that the impious presumption Of Leg
isatures and rulers, civil IA wel as ecclesiastical
who, being themselves but EalIble and uninspired
men, have assumed dominion over the faith Of
Others, setting up their own opinions and modes of
thinking as the only true and nallible and as such
endeayoring to impose them upon others, hath es-
tablished and maintained false religions over 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
disbelieves is sinful and tyrannical; that even the
forcing him to support this or that teacher of his
own religious persuasion is depriving 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 righteousness, and 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
unremtting labors for the instruction of mankind;
that our 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 emoument, unless he pro-
fcss or renounce this or that religious opinion ia
depriving him injuriousy of those privileges and
advantages to which, in common with his fellow
citizens, he has natural right; 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 pro-
fess and conform to it; 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
gstrate TO intrude his powers into the field of opin-
ion and to restrain the profession or propagation Of
principles on the supposition Of their III tendency,
is 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 they shall square with, or
differ from, his own that it is time enough for the
rightful purposes of civil government for its OIL
GERS to interfere when principles break out into
overt acts against peace and good order; and
finally that truth is great and win prevail If left to
herself that she is the proper and sufficient antag-
onist OF error, and has nothing to fear from the
conflict, unless by human interpositon disarmed Of
her natural weapons, free argument and debate
errors ceasing to be dangerous when it is permitted
freely to combat them.
BE IL, therefore, enacted by tie General As
senJly That no man shall be compelled to frc-
quent or support any religious worship, place, or
ministry whatsoever, nor shall he be enforced re-
strained, molested orburdened in his body or goods,
norshallhe otherwise suffer account religious
opinions or belief but that all men 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 enlarpe or affect thar civil
capacities
And though I'VE well know this Assembly, elected
by the people for the ordinary purposes of legis-
laton 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 irrcvocable 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