Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-01-03

AN ACT for establishing religious freedom, passc,
IN the Assembly of Virginia in the beginning 0
the year 1885: er ls
We'll aware that Almighty God hath created th,
mind freo that all attempts TO influence il by TEN
porp! punlsbmcnts or burdens, or by civil incapa
citations, tend only to beget habits Of hypocris,
and meanness, and are a departure from the plai
OF the Holy Author Of our religion, who, being Lore
both OF body and OF mind, yet chose not to prop
agate by coercions on either was in his almight,
power to do; that the impious presumption of leg
isaturcs and rulers civil as well as ecclesiastcai
who, being themselves but kllible and uninspired
men, have assumed dominion over the flith o
Others, setting up their own opinions and modes q
thinking as the only true and iniable, 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 man TO furnish contributions o
money for the propagation Of opinions which he
disbeEeves is sinful and tyrannical that even the
forcing him to support this or that teacher Of his
own religious persuasion is depiving him Of the
comfortable liberty of giving his contributions
70 the particular pastor whose morals he would
make his pattern, and whose powers lie feels most
persuasive tonghteousness and is 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
unremitting labors for the instruction Of mankind
that Our civil rights have no dependence on our re-
igi0us 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 ard emolumept, unless he pro-
fess on renounce this or that roligCus opinion, is
depriying 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 it is
meant to- encouragc,b by brbing, 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 arH those Innocent Who ldy the
bait in their way; that to suffer the Eiyil ma.
gistfate TO intrude his powers into the field of opn-
lon and to restrain the profession propagation Of
principles, on the suppostion 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 OF condemn the scnti-
ments OF Others only as they shall square with, Or
diner rom, his own; that it is time enough for the
rghtfM purposes Of civil government for its Off
GERS to interfere when principles break out into
overt acts against peace and good order; and,
iinaly that truth is great and will prevail If left to
herself that she is the proper and sufficient antag-
1850 - y uuu huo uoIuli!R 10 lear from the
conflict unless by human Interpolation disarped Of
her natural weapons, free argument ard debate,
errors ceasing to be dangerous when it is permitted
freely to combat them.
\ Be ~ therefore, enacted 6y tie General as
senabty, That no man slsli be compelled to fire.
Suent or support any religious worsh., ttseei or
ministry whatsoever, nor shall ho be enforced re-
strained molested on burdened in his body orgoods,
rshan he otherwiscsufero account ofhisreiigous
opinions cr Belief but that all men shall be free to
profess and by argument to maintain, their opn-
ions in matters Of religion, and that the same shah
N no wise diminish, enlarge or affect their civil
capacities. , Y
And thoughw well know this Assembly,, elected
by the people for the ordinary purposes of lcgis-
lation only, have no power to restrain the acts Of
succeeding assemblies, constituted with powers
eqnal TO Dur own a1d that, therefore, TO declare
this act irrevocsble would be of no cfea in law;
yet we are free to declare, and do declare that the
rights hereby asserted are Of the natural rights Of
mankind, and that II any act shall be hereafter
parsed 10 repeal the present. or 10 narrow its ope
ratsona s9Sh ID scs viii lie sn Infringement Of
natural right