1259. CHURCH AND STATE, Evils of union.—[continued].
To suffer the civil magistrate
to intrude his powers into the
field of opinion, and to restrain the profession
or propagation of principles on supposition
of their ill tendency, is a dangerous fallacy,
which at once destroys all religious liberty,
because 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 suffer from his own.—
Statute of Religious Freedom. Washington ed. viii, 455.
Ford ed., ii, 239.
(1779)
