Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-05-22
GEORGE ID. GRAY, Of Culpeper,
JOSIAH DABBS Of Halifax.

AN ACT for establishing religious freedom, passed
in the Assembly Of Virginia ip the beginning Of
the year 1855:
Well aware that Almighty God hath created the
mind free that all attempts 10 influence Il by tenn
pord punishments or burdens, or by civil incapa-
citations, tend only to bcgct habits OF hypocrisy
and meanncss, and 1rs a departure from the plan
ofthe Holy Author Of our religion who, being Lord
both Of body and Of mind, yet chose not to prop
agate by coercions on either, was In his almighty
power to do; that the impious presumption of leg
slatures and rulers civil NJ well as ecclesiastical
who, being themselves but fallible and uninspired
men, have assumed dominion over the faith of
others, setting up their opinions and modes of
thinking as the only true and infalbe, and az such
endeayoring TO impose them upon Others, hath es-
tablshed and maintained false religions over the
greatest part of the world and through all time
that 10 compel a man TO furnish contributions of
money for the propagation of opinions which he
disbeleves Is sinful and tyranr6cal 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 Ia Withdrawing from
the ministry those temporal rewards, which, pro-
ceedng 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-
ligous 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 70
the Offices Of trust and emolument, unless he pro-
fess or rcnouncc this or that religious opinion, is
deprivig 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 Il il
meant to encourage, by bribing, with monopoly
Of worldly honors, those who win externally pro-
fess and conform TO II that though indeed, those
are criminal who do not Withstand such tempta-
tons, yet neither arc those innocent who lay the
bait in their way; that to suffer the civil ma
srate to intrude his powers into the field Of opin-
ion and TO restrain the profession propagation Of
principles, on the supposition Of their III tendency,
is a dangerous falacy, which at once destroys all
religious liberty, because, he being Of course Judge
of that tendency, win make his opinions the rule
Of Judgment. and approve or condemn the -enti.
ments of others only they shall square with, or
differ FROM his own that II Is time enough, for the
rightful purposes Of civil government for its on.
cers TO interfere when principles break out into
overt acts against peace and good order; and
finally that truth is great and win prevail II left 70
herself that she Ia the proper and sufficient antsg.
onist Of error, and has nothing TO fear from the
conflict unless by human interpostion dsarIsed o.
hsr natural weapons, free argument and debate,