Care of the soul should be

church.

care of the soul and preparing it for its future destiny. We hope that no attempt will be made to left to the point out articles of faith, that are not essential to the preservation of society; or to settle modes of worship; or to interfere in the internal government of religious communities; or to render the ministers of religion independent of the will of the people whom they serve. We expect from our representatives that careful attention to the political equality of all. the citizens, which a republic ought ever to cherish; and that no scheme of an assessment will be encouraged which will violate the happy privilege we now enjoy of thinking for ourselves in all cases where conscience is concerned.

Motives prompting re

We request the candid indulgence of the honorable house to the present address; and their most monstrance. favorable construction of the motives which induce us to obtrude ourselves into public notice. We are urged by a sense of duty. We feel ourselves impressed with the importance of the present crisis. We have expressed ourselves in the plain language. of freemen, upon the interesting subjects which called for animadversion; and we hope to stand excused with you, gentlemen, for the manner in which it is executed, as well as for the part we take in the public interests of the community. In the present important moment, we conceived it criminal to be silent; and have therefore attempted to discharge a duty which we owe to our religion as Christians; to ourselves as freemen; and to our posterity, who ought to receive from us a precious birthright of perfect freedom and political equality.

That you may enjoy the direction of Heaven in your present deliberations, and possess in a high degree the spirit of your exalted station, is the prayer of your sincere well wishers.

THE PRESBYTERY OF HANOVER.

Invocation.

REASONS FOR REMONSTRATION.

Aug. 13, 1785. MEMORIAL OF THE PRESBYTERIANS OF VIRGINIA TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Presbyte

rian conven

tion

Fears of re ligious legislation

To the Honorable the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia:

The ministers and lay representatives of the Presbyterian church in Virginia, assembled in convention, beg leave to address you.

As citizens of this State, not so by accident, but by choice, and having willingly conformed to the system of civil policy adopted for our government, and defended it with the foremost at the risk of everything dear to us, we feel ourselves deeply interested in all measures of the Legislature.

When the late happy revolution secured to us an exemption from British control, we hoped that the gloom of injustice and usurpation would have been forever dispelled by the cheering rays of liberty and independence. This inspired our hearts with resolution in the most distressful scenes of adversity, and nerved our arm in the day of battle. But our hopes have since been overcast with apprehension when we found how slowly and unwillingly ancient distinctions among the citizens on account of religious opinions were removed by the legislature. For although the glaring partiality of obliging all denominations to support the one which had been the favorite of government, was pretty early withdrawn, yet an evident predilection in favor of that church still subsisted in the acts of the assembly. Peculiar distinctions and the honor of an important name were still continued; and these are considered as equally partial and injurious with the ancient emoluments. Our apprehensions on account of the continuance of these,

Remonstrances of Christians.

which could have no other effect than to produce Natural effect. jealous animosities and unnecessary contentions among different parties, were increased when we found that they were tenaciously adhered to by the government, notwithstanding the remonstrances of several Christian societies. To increase the evil a manifest disposition has been shown by the State to consider itself as possessed of supremacy in spirituals as well as temporals; and our fears have been realized in certain proceedings of the general assembly at their last sessions. The engrossed bill for establishing a provision for the teachers of the Christian. religion and the act for incorporating the Protestant Episcopal church, so far as it secures to that church, the churches, glebes, etc., procured at the expense of the whole community, are not only evidences of this, but of an impolitic partiality which we are sorry to have observed so long.

Reasons for

remonstrat

We therefore, in the name of the Presbyterian church in Virginia, beg leave to exercise our privi- ing. lege as freemen in remonstrating against the former absolutely, and against the latter under the restrictions above expressed.

We oppose the bill,

Because it is a departure from the proper lines of legislation;

Because it is unnecessary, and inadequate to its professed end-impolitic, in many respects and a direct violation of the Declaration of Rights.

Outside the legislative sphere.

It is unconstitutional.

Constitutional limits of

The end of civil government is security to the temporal liberty and property of mankind, and to government. protect them in the free exercise of religion. Legislators are invested with powers from their constituents for these purposes only, and their duty extends. no further. Religion is altogether personal, and the right of exercising it unalienable; and it is not, cannot, and ought not to be, resigned to the will of the

Limits of authority.

Authority in religion never delegated to government.

Christianity needs no state aid.

Religion a

matter of conscience.

society at large; and much less to the legislature, which derives its authority wholly from the consent of the people, and is limited by the original intention of civil associations.

We never resigned to the control of government our right of determining for ourselves in this important article, and acting agreeably to the convictions of reason and conscience in discharging our duty to our Creator. And therefore it would be an unwarrantable stretch of prerogative in the legislature to make laws concerning it, except for protection. And it would be a fatal symptom of abject slavery in us were we to submit to the usurpation.

The bill is also an unnecessary and inadequate expedient for the end proposed. We are fully persuaded of the happy influence of Christianity upon the morals of men; but we have never known it, in the history of its progress, so effectual for this purpose, as when left to its native excellence and evidence to recommend it, under the all-directing providence of God, and free from the intrusive hand of the civil magistrate. Its divine Author did not think it necessary to render it dependent on earthly governments. And experience has shown that this dependence, where it has been effected, has been an injury rather than an aid. It has introduced corruption among the teachers and professors of it, wherever it has been tried, for hundreds of years, and has been destructive of genuine morality, in proportion to the zeal of the powers of this world, in arming it with the sanction of legal terrors, or inviting to its profession by honors or rewards.

It is urged, indeed, by the abettors of this bill, that it would be the means of cherishing religion and morality among the citizens. But it appears from fact that these can be promoted only by the internal conviction of the mind, and its vol

untary choice, which such establishments cannot effect.

We farther remonstrate against the bill as an impolitic measure.

Religion voluntary.

Weakens power of gov

It disgusts so large a proportion of citizens, that it would weaken the influence of government in other ernment. respects, and diffuse a spirit of opposition to the rightful exercise of constitutional authority, if enacted into a law.

It partially supposes the Quakers and Mennonists to be more faithful in conducting the religious interests of their societies than the other sects - which we apprehend to be contrary to fact.

It unjustly subjects men who may be good citizens, but who have not embraced our common faith, to the hardship of supporting a system they have not as yet believed the truth of; and deprives them of their property, for what they do not suppose to be of importance to them.

Works in justice.

Bad prece

dent estab

It establishes a precedent for further encroachments, by making the legislature judges of religious lished. truth. If the assembly have a right to determine. the preference between Christianity and the other systems of religion that prevail in the world, they may also, at a convenient time, give preference to some favored sect among Christians.

It discourages the population of our country by alarming those who may have been oppressed by religious establishments in other countries, with fears of the same in this; and by exciting our own citizens to emigrate to other lands of greater freedom.

Overturns American

It revives the principle which our ancestors contested to blood, of attempting to reduce all religions principles. to one standard by the force of civil authority.

And it naturally opens a door for contention among citizens of different creeds, and different opinions respecting the extent of the powers of government.