Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-01-11
AN ACT for establishing religious freedom, passed
in the Assembly Of Virginia in the beginning Of
the year 1885:


in the Assembly Of Virginia in the beginning Of
the year 1886:
Well aware that Almighty God hath created the
mind free that all attempts to influence i by tenn
poral pnnishments or burdens, or by civil incapa-
citations, tend only TO beget habits of hypocrisy
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 prop
agate by coercions either as was in his almighty
power to do; that the impious presumption of leg
islatures and rulers, civil well as ecclesiastical,
who, being themselves but fallible 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 iniaible and as such
endeavoring to impose them upon others, hath es-
tablshed and maintained fane 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
disbeleves, is sinful and tynnnical that even the
forcing him to support this or that teacher Of his
own religious persuasion Is deprivng 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 torighte0usness and is withdrawing from
the ministry those temporal rewards, which, pro-
ceeding from On appreciation Of their personal con-
duct, are an additional Indictment to earnest and
unremitting hbors for the instruction of mankind;
lgious opinions more than our opinions in physics
or geometry; that, therefore, the prescribing Of
any citizen rs unworthy the public confidence by
laying upon him an incapacity of being called to
the offices OF trust and enlolument unless he pro-
fess renounce this or that religious opinion. is
depriving him iIjuriously 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
IA n hv hviI With
of worldly honors, those who will externally pro-
fess and conform to it, that though, indeed, those
are criminal who do not withstand suclr- tempta-
tions, 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 oph-
on and to restrain the profession or propagation of
principles, on the supposon of their III tendency,
is dangerous fallacy, which at once DESTROYS ali
religious liberty, because he being Of course Judge
Of that tendency, viii 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 1t is time enough, for the
rightful 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 If left to
herself that she Is the proper and sufficient antaQ-
onist Of error and has nothing to fear from the
conflict, unless by human interpostion disarmed Of
her natural weapons, free argument and debate
errors ceasng to be dangerous when it is permitted
freely to combat them.
BE IT, therefore, enacted 6y The General As
seDabtg That no man shall be compelled to fre-
quent or support any religious worship, place, or
ministry whatsoever nor shall he be enforced, re-
strained, moested rburdcncd in his body or goods,
norshall he otherwise suffer account ofs 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, enlarge or affect their civil
capacities.
And though we well know this Assembly, elected
by the people for the ordinary purposes or lecis-
htion 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 10 narrow its ope-
rations, such an act will be an Infringement of
natural right.