Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-05-16
AN ACT for establishing religious freedom, passed
In the Assembly of Virginia In the beeinnins of

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
poral punishments or burdens, or by civil incapa-
citations, tend only TO beget habits Of hypocrisy
and msanness, and are a 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 bis almighty
power 70 do; that the mpious presumption of leg
isatures and rulers civil rs wen as ecclesiastical
who, being themselves but hllible and uninspired
men, have assumed dominion over the faith of
Others, setting up their own opinions and modes Of
thinking the only true and infable, and a. such
endeavoring 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 Of
money for the propagation Of opinions which he
disbeleves, 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
TO the particular pastor whose morals he would
make his pattern, and whose powers he feels most
persuasive TO righteousness, 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 abors for the instruction OF mankind !;
that our civil rights have no dependence on our re-
ligious opinions moro 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 or renounce this that religious opinion is
depriving him injuriously Of those privileges and
advantages 70 which, In common with his fellow
citizens, he has natural right; that Il tends aso
TO corrupt the principles Of the very religion II Is
meant TO encourage, by bribing, with monopoly
Of worldly honors, those who win externally pro-
fess and conform to it, that though, indeed, those
are criminal who do not withstand such tempts-
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 opn-
ion, and to restrain the profession or propagation Of
principles, on the supposition Of their III tendency
is dangerous fallacy, which at once destroys All
religious liberty, because, he being of course Judge
Of that tendency, win mako his opinions the rule
Of Judgment. and approve or condemn the sent-
ments Of others only as they shall square with, or
differ from, his own that IL Is time enough, for the
rightful purposes Of civil government for its Off
GERS to interfere when principles break ont into
overt acts against peace and good order; and,
finally, that truth is great and win prevail ifle TO
herself that she ia the proper and sufficient antag
oDist Of error, and has nothing 70 fear from the
conflict, unless by human nterposition dissrned Of
her natural weapons, free argument and debate,