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32 

FULTON v. PHILADELPHIA 

ALITO, J., concurring in judgment 

1472–1473 (2012).  In all of those State Constitutions, free-
dom of religion enjoyed broad protection, and the right “was
universally  said  to  be  an  unalienable  right.”    McConnell, 
Origins 1456.38 

—————— 

38 See infra, at 34, and n. 43; N. J. Const., Art. XVIII (1776), in Cogan 
25 (“THAT no Person shall ever within this Colony be deprived of the in-
estimable Privilege of worshipping Almighty GOD in a Manner agreeable 
to the Dictates of his own Conscience; nor under any Pretence whatso-
ever compelled to attend any Place of Worship contrary to his own Faith 
and Judgment”); N. C. Decl. of Rights §XIX (1776), in id., at 30 (“That all 
Men have a natural and unalienable Right to worship Almighty God ac-
cording to the Dictates of their own Conscience”); Pa. Const., Declaration
of Rights of the Inhabitants of the State of Pa., Art. II (1776), in id., at 
32 (“That all men have a natural and unalienable right to worship Al-
mighty God according to the dictates of their own consciences and under-
standing: And that no man ought to or of right can be compelled to attend
any religious worship, or erect or support any place of worship, or main-
tain any ministry, contrary to, or against, his own free will and consent: 
Nor  can  any  man,  who  acknowledges  the  being  of  a  God,  be  justly  de-
prived or abridged of any civil right as a citizen, on account of his reli-
gious sentiments or peculiar mode of religious worship: And that no au-
thority can or ought to be vested in, or assumed by any power whatever, 
that shall in any case interfere with, or in any manner controul, the right
of conscience in the free exercise of religious worship”); Va. Declaration 
of Rights, Art. XVI (1776), in id., at 44 (“THAT religion, or the duty which 
we owe to our Creator, and the manner of discharging it, can be directed 
only by reason and conviction, not by force or violence, and therefore all
men are equally entitled to the free exercise of religion, according to the 
dictates  of  conscience;  and  that  it  is  the  mutual  duty  of  all  to  practise 
Christian forbearance, love, and charity, towards each other”); see also 
Vt. Const., ch. 1, §3 (1777), in id., at 41 (“THAT all Men have a natural 
and unalienable Right to worship ALMIGHTY GOD according to the Dic-
tates of their own Consciences and Understanding . . . and that no Man 
ought or of Right can be compelled to attend any religious Worship, or 
erect,  or  support  any  Place  of  Worship,  or  maintain  any  Minister  con-
trary to the Dictates of his Conscience; nor can any Man who professes 
the Protestant Religion, be justly deprived or abridged of any civil Right, 
as a Citizen, on Account of his religious Sentiment, or peculiar Mode of
religious Worship, and that no Authority can, or ought to be vested in, or
assumed by any Power whatsoever, that shall in any Case interfere with, 
or in any Manner control the Rights of Conscience, in the free Exercise