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The writings of James Madison,

comprising his public papers and his private correspondence, including numerous letters and documents now for the first time printed.
  
  
  
 II. 
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
NOTES OF SPEECH AGAINST ASSESSMENTS FOR SUPPORT OF RELIGION. NOVEMBER—1784.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


88

Page 88

NOTES OF SPEECH AGAINST ASSESSMENTS FOR SUPPORT OF
RELIGION. NOVEMBER—1784.

MAD. MSS.

    I.

  • Rel. not within purview of civil authority.[23]

    Tendency of estabg. Xnty—1. to project of Uniformity. 2. to
    penal laws for supportg it.

    Progress of Gen. Assest proves this tendency.

    Difference between estabg. and tolerating errour.

    "True question—not Is Rel. necessy,—but

  • II.

  • are Religs. Estabts necesy. for Religion? No.

      1.

    • propensity of man to Religion.

    • 2.

    • Experience shews Relig. corrupted by Estabts.

    • 3.

    • Downfall of States mentioned by Mr. H.—happened where
      there was estabt.

    • 4.

    • Experience gives no model of Genl Asst.

    • 5.

    • Case of Pa. explained—not solitary. N. J. See const. of
      it. R. I. N. Y. D. factions greater in S. C.

    • 6.

    • Case of primitive Xnty.

      of Reformation.

      of Dissenters formerly.

    • 7.

    • Progress of Religious liberty.

  • III.

  • Policy—

      1.

    • promote emigrations from State.

    • 2.

    • prevent immig. into it, as asylum.

  • IV.

  • Necessity of Estabt inferred from state of coy.
    True causes of disease.

      1.

    • war common to other States & produce same complts
      in N. E.

    • 2.

    • bad laws common to other States & produce same complts
      in N. E.

    • 3.

    • pretext from taxes.

    • 4.

    • state of administration of Justice.

    • 5.

    • transition from old to new plan.

    • 6.

    • policy and hopes of friends to G. Asst.

    True remedies not Estabt.—but, being out of war,

      1.

    • laws to cherish virtue.


    • 89

      Page 89

      2.

    • administration of justice.

    • 3.

    • personal example—associations for R.

    • 4.

    • By present vote, cut off hope of G. asst.

    • 5.

    • Education of youth.

  • V.

  • Probable defects of Bill,

      1.

    • limited.

    • 2.

    • in particular.

    • 3.

    • What is Xnty? Courts of law to Judge.

    • 4.

    • What edition: Hebrew, Septuagint, or Vulgate? What copy
      what translation?

    • 5.

    • What books canonical, what apocryphal? the papists holding
      to be the former what protestants the latter, the Lutherans
      the latter what the protestants & papists ye former.

    • 6.

    • In what light are they to be viewed, as dictated every letter
      by inspiration, or the essential parts only? Or the matter in
      general not the words?

    • 7.

    • What sense the true one for if some doctrines be essential
      to Xnty those who reject these, whatever name, they take are no
      Xn Society?

    • 8.

    • Is it Trinitarianism, Arianism, Socinianism? Is it salvation
      by faith or works also, by free grace or by will, &c., &c.

    • 9.

    • What clue is to guide [a] Judge thro' this labyrinth when
      ye question comes before them whether any particular society is
      a Xn society?

    • 10.

    • Ends in what is orthodoxy, what heresy.

      Dishonors christianity,

      panegyric on it, on our side.

      Decl. Rights."

 
[23]

A paraphrase of this speech may be found in Rives i., 604. The speech is
written in a microscopic hand on the back of a letter.