20 APPENDIX,
“We, the subscribes, say that the General Assembly of this common-
wealth have no such authority, And in order that no effort may be omitted
on our part against so dangerous an usurpation, we oppose to it this remon-
strance; earnestly praying, as we are in duty bound, that the Supreme Law-
giver of the universe, by illuminating those to whom it is addressed, may on
the one hand, turn their councils from every act which would affront his koly
prerogative, or violate the trust committed to them; and, on the other, guide
them into every measure which may be worthy of his blessing, redound to
their own praise, and establish more firmly the liberties, the prosperity, and
_ the happiness of the commonwealth.” 1
This remonstrance was so generally signed that the bill
for a general assessment was not only defeated, but in its
place there was passed, Dec. 26, 1785, ““ An Act for Estab-
lishing Religious Freedom,” written by Thomas Jefferson,
and reading as follows : —*
“Well aware that Almighty God hath created the mind free ; that all
“attempts to influence it hy tewporal punishments or burdens, or by civil
incapacitations, tend only to beget habits of hypocrisy and meanness, and are
a departure from the plan of the holy Author of our religion, who, being
Lord both of body and mind, yet chose not to propagate it by coerciong on
either, as was in his almighty power to do; that the impious presumption
of legislators and rulers, civil as 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 infallible, and as such endeavoring to impose them on others, hath
established and maintained false religions over the greatest part of the world,
and through all time; that to compel a man to furnish contributions of
money for the propagations of opinions which he disbelieves, is sinful ‘and
tyrannical; that even the forcing him to support this or that teacher of his
~ own religious persuasion, is depriving him of the comfortable liberty of giv-
ing his contributions to the particular pastor whose morals be would make
his pattern, and ‘whose powers he feels most persuasive to righteousness,
and is withdrawing from thé ministry those temporal rewards which, proceed:
ing from an approbation of their personal conduct, are an additional incite
ment to earnest and unremitting labors for the instruction of mankind; that
our civil rights have no dependence on our religious opinions, more than our
opinions in physics or geometry; that, therefore, the proscribing any citizen
as unworthy the public confidence, by laying upon him an incapacity of being
1Blakely's * American State Papers,” pp. 27-38. -
THE TIMES OF 76.
called to the offices of trust and emolument, unless he profess or renounce
or that religious opinion, is depriving him injuriously of those privileges ~
ind advantages to which, in common with bis fellow-citizens, he has a natu-
gl right; that it tends to corrupt the principles of that very religion it is
cant to encourage, by bribing with a monopoly of worldly honors and emolu-
its, those who will externally profess and conform to it; that though in-
fleed these are criminal who do not withstand such temptation, yet neither
‘those innocent who lay the bait in their way; that to suffer the civil
magistrate to intrude his powers into the field of opinion, and to restrain the
profession or propagation of principles, on the supposition of their ill ten-
ilency, is a dangerous fallacy, which at once destroys all religious liberty, be-
se he being of course judge of that tendency, will make his opinions the
rule of judgment, and approve or condemn the sentiments of others only as
. they shall square with, or differ from his own; that it is timc enough for the
htful purposes of civil government for its officers to interfere wheu prin-
: ~ciples break out into overt actions against peace and good order; and, finally,
that truth is great, and will prevail if left to herself; that she is the proper and
cient antagonist to errgr, and lias nothing to fear from the conflict, un-
88 by human interposition disarmed of her natural weapons, free argument
and debate, errors ceasing to be dangerous when it is permitted freely to con-
tdict them. oo
‘Be it therefore enacted by the General Assembly, that no man shall be
pelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry.
1atsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or burthencd in" his ~
y or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer on aceount of his religious opinions.
‘belief ; but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to main-
“their opinions in matters of religion, and that the same shall in no wis
ish, enlarge, or affect their civil capacities. :
And though we well know that this Assembly elected hy the people for
ordinary purposes of legislation only, have no power to restrain the acts
teceeding Assemblies, constituted with the powers equal to our own, and
6! we are free to declare, and do declare, that the rights hereby asserted arc
natyral rights of mankind, and that if any act shall be hereafter :
o repeal the present or to narrow its operation, such act will be an in-
ent of natural right.” ! IEEE
Such is the origin and history of the establishment of
gedom of the individual conscience, as a constitutional
ht, both State and National, in the United States.
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