7237. RELIGION, Government and.—
Whatsoever is lawful in the Commonwealth,
or permitted to the subject in the ordinary
way, cannot be forbidden to him for religious
uses; and whatsoever is prejudicial to the
Commonwealth in their ordinary uses and,
therefore, prohibited by the laws ought not to
be permitted to churches in their sacred
rites. For instance, it is unlawful in the ordinary
course of things, or in a private house,
to murder a child. It should not be permitted
any sect then to sacrifice children: it is ordinarily
lawful (or temporarily lawful) to kill
calves or lambs. They may, therefore, be
religiously sacrificed, but if the good of the
State required a temporary suspension of
killing lambs, as during a siege, sacrifices of
them may then be rightfully suspended also.
This is the true extent of toleration.—
Notes on Religion.
Ford ed., ii, 102.
(1776?)
