Religion
‹ 12 · Outline · 14 ›
13.Toleration, liberty of conscience and the state
13a.The case for toleration and liberty of conscience
See also: Liberty 4a · Opinion 10c
Sir Thomas More, UtopiaVol. 36
- p. 224Utopus doubted God desires one worship, thought compelling belief arrogant, and trusted truth to prevail by itself.read · scan
- p. 232–236Prayer asking to be shown a truer religion if one exists, tolerance of diversity, and desire to go to God after death.read · scan
William Roper, The Life of Sir Thomas MoreVol. 36
- p. 103More foresees that Catholics who now trample heretics may one day beg toleration and separate churches; Roper is shocked.read · scan
John Milton, AreopagiticaVol. 3
- p. 226–227Toleration of those who use God's ordinances by conscience, with charity and peace among sects.read · scan
- p. 227Christian liberty and indifferent ordinances are left to conscience before the Lord.read · scan
- p. 227Many differing congregations should be tolerated rather than all compelled to outward conformity, keeping unity of spirit and the bond of peace.read · scan
- p. 231Scriptural examples of Moses and Christ rebuking prohibition; licensing is likened to the Inquisition and has harmed the church.read · scan
Sir Henry Vane, A Healing QuestionVol. 43
- p. 120True freedom in matters of conscience is one of the two ends of the cause.read · scan
- p. 121The second branch of freedom concerns worship and service of God.read · scan
- p. 122Freedom of conscience in worship belongs to Christ alone as Lord, so magistrates should not impose in religion.read · scan
John Dryden, All for Love; or, The World Well LostVol. 18
- p. 7Church of England moderate, tolerant of dissenters; liberty of conscience already granted.read · scan
William Penn, Some Fruits of SolitudeVol. 1
- p. 316James II's professed toleration; Penn resumes preaching and writing.read · scan
Voltaire, Letters on the EnglishVol. 34
- p. 82–83Many sects coexist peacefully in England; Jew, Mahometan and Christian deal together at the Exchange, and multiplicity of religions secures peace.read · scan
Benjamin Franklin, His AutobiographyVol. 1
- p. 8–9The family stayed Protestant under Mary, hid an English Bible, and dissenters emigrated to New England to worship freely.read · scan
- p. 100Whitefield's preaching makes the town religious; a meeting-house built open to any sect, even a Mohammedan missionary.read · scan
- p. 113Trustees drawn from different sects so none predominates; Franklin chosen as an honest man of no sect; hall kept open for preachers.read · scan
- p. 139–140Moravians exempted from military duty by Parliament for supposed conscience, yet they armed themselves.read · scan
David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human UnderstandingVol. 37
- p. 393Ancient religion tolerated Epicureans, even admitting them to priestly office.read · scan
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Profession of Faith of a Savoyard VicarVol. 34
- p. 284–285A religion damning the sincere unconvinced makes its God a tyrant; place of birth and paternal authority prove nothing.read · scan
John Woolman, The Journal of John WoolmanVol. 1
- p. 218Prayer, weighty conferences in the fear of the Lord, and the Friends' way of worship being tolerated.read · scan
- p. 307–308Gospel ministry, gratitude for freedom of worship, reformation, and Friends living up to principles.read · scan
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, EgmontVol. 19
- p. 261Machiavel urges recognizing the new faith with its own churches; the Regent cites Philip's insistence on the true faith.read · scan
Alexander Hamilton and John Jay, The Federalist, Nos. I and IIVol. 43
- p. 200In politics as in religion it is absurd to make proselytes by fire and sword; persecution rarely cures heresy.read · scan
John Stuart Mill, AutobiographyVol. 25
- p. 58Prosecutions of Carlile for anti-Christian publications prompted Mill's letters on religious opinion.read · scan
- p. 189–190Bradlaugh's anti-religious opinions, Mill argues, should not exclude him from Parliament; this offended many electors.read · scan
John Stuart Mill, On LibertyVol. 25
- p. 201–202Toleration is limited: some tolerate church-government dissent but not dogma, Papists, Unitarians or unbelievers.read · scan
- p. 208Religious toleration and free institutions recognize liberty of thought in many countries.read · scan
- p. 216–217Belief in God and a future state is chosen as the hardest test case for freedom of opinion.read · scan
- p. 223Legal penalties for blasphemy against Christianity and for lacking theological belief.read · scan
- p. 225Evangelical and official doctrines would limit toleration to Christians; religious persecution has not passed away.read · scan
- p. 302–303Children could be taught religion at the same schools, and an atheist may be examined on Christian evidences without professing belief.read · scan
Charles Darwin, The Voyage of the BeagleVol. 29
- p. 162–163Notes general toleration of foreign religions.read · scan
Richard Henry Dana, Jr., Two Years Before the MastVol. 23
- p. 81Protestants have no civil rights, so foreigners become Catholics: 'A man must leave his conscience at Cape Horn.'read · scan
13b.Established churches and the religion of the state
See also: State 3c · Wealth 13b · Tyranny 8b
Nathaniel Ward, The Body of LibertiesVol. 43
- p. 73–74Civil authority oversees church order but church censure cannot remove civil office; civil justice reaches church members.read · scan
Izaak Walton, The Life of Dr. John DonneVol. 15
- p. 339The King debates religion with divines; the dispute over the oath of supremacy and allegiance leads to Donne's Pseudo-Martyr.read · scan
John Milton, Poems Written During the Civil War and the Protectorate, 1642-1658Vol. 4
- p. 83–84Sonnets on Vane's grasp of spiritual versus civil power, prayer for slaughtered Waldensian saints, and patient service of God in blindness.read · scan
Adam Smith, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of NationsVol. 10
- p. 463–465Religious instruction prepares people for a future life; teachers dependent on voluntary contributions show more zeal than established clergy, who grow indolent.read · scan
- p. 487–488The church shares in profit without bearing expense; presbyterian countries exempt from tithe gained a monopoly in madder.read · scan
Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in FranceVol. 24
- p. 163Succession was kept Protestant to preserve safety to religion.read · scan
- p. 194–195Zealots would destroy the alliance of church and state, each demolishing the other.read · scan
- p. 209–210The cry to hang bishops and destroy church establishments greeted as a millennial precursor.read · scan
- p. 228Burke defends the church establishment as the first prejudice, embodying profound wisdom and consecrating the commonwealth and its rulers.read · scan
- p. 228–229A state-connected religion instills awe and the sense of accountability to God in free citizens holding power.read · scan
- p. 233The nation should render corporate homage to God, the author of civil society, in public solemn acts with splendour and dignity.read · scan
- p. 233–235The English regard an established church as unlawful to be without, and as essential to their state.read · scan
- p. 236The church's fixed estate is kept independent of individual contributions and the treasury, to secure provision for consolation and instruction.read · scan
- p. 237English statesmen would be ashamed to profess a religion they contemn; religious instruction must reach the multitude, poor and great.read · scan
- p. 240–241Sacrilege and proscription of the church are denounced; the English are roused against Paris's attack on religion.read · scan
- p. 247–248Ecclesiastical possessions, long protected by justice and prejudice, were seized to pay a decried government's debts.read · scan
- p. 250–251Seizure of abbeys and ecclesiastical estates treated as sacrilege and plunder of religious communities.read · scan
- p. 253–254Clergy volunteered to renounce immunities; the real purpose was ruining the church.read · scan
- p. 255The service of the state was a pretext to destroy the church.read · scan
- p. 364Church property is seized in sacrilege; the revolutionaries have faith in the prodigies of sacrilege rather than piety.read · scan
- p. 365–366The Assembly pledged to fund the ministers, altars and relief of the poor from the confiscated church estates.read · scan
- p. 368Calonne laments that the church's charities relieved the poor and now the people must support its ministers.read · scan
- p. 368–369Calonne laments that expropriating the church burdens the people, since its charities once relieved the poor.read · scan
Edmund Burke, A Letter to a Noble LordVol. 24
- p. 401–402Burke claims to have defended national churches from ecclesiastical pillage, which leads to contempt of prescriptive titles and all property.read · scan
- p. 407–408Church and state form a sanctuary and temple of ancient law.read · scan
- p. 414Revolutionaries are enemies of all corporations and religion, treating church property as pillage.read · scan
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, EgmontVol. 19
- p. 262–263The Regent insists on the established faith, unwilling to trifle with God or abandon it for contradictory heresies.read · scan
Sydney Smith, Fallacies of Anti-ReformersVol. 27
- p. 232The coronation oath to maintain the Protestant Church is claimed to bar Catholic emancipation, an argument Smith rejects.read · scan
Ralph Waldo Emerson, English TraitsVol. 5
- p. 429Religion is organic and cannot be crystallized; the wise legislator supports temples and schools but not enriched priests, whom money unspiritualizes.read · scan
Richard Henry Dana, Jr., Two Years Before the MastVol. 23
- p. 82–83Foreigners join the Catholic church and raise children as Catholics to quiet suspicion and become leading men.read · scan
- p. 187–188Contrasts Catholics' Sunday observance with the American's lack of national religion and independence of priestcraft.read · scan
- p. 232–233Santa Ana is said to be breaking down the missions: 'no quiere religion'.read · scan
- p. 235Marriage is tied to confessional and mission church ceremony.read · scan
13c.Religion and politics in colonial and constitutional documents
See also: Liberty 4b · Citizen 2c
Edward Haies, Sir Humphrey Gilbert's Voyage to NewfoundlandVol. 33
- p. 279Public worship to follow the Church of England.read · scan
Nathaniel Ward, The Body of LibertiesVol. 43
- p. 78–79Foreigners professing true Christian religion fleeing persecution are to be succoured.read · scan
- p. 79–81Worship of other gods, witchcraft and blasphemy made capital crimes.read · scan
- p. 81–83Declares churches' liberties: gathering, ordinances, electing officers, admission and expulsion of members, fasting, prayer, private meetings.read · scan
- p. 83Provides monthly assemblies of ministers and elders among neighboring churches for preaching and conference on doctrine, worship and church government.read · scan
The Mayflower CompactVol. 43
- p. 59The voyage is undertaken for the glory of God and advancement of the Christian faith; covenant made in God's presence.read · scan
The Fundamental Orders of ConnecticutVol. 43
- p. 60They unite to maintain the liberty and purity of the gospel and the discipline of the churches.read · scan
- p. 61–62The governor must be a member of an approved congregation.read · scan
The Instrument of GovernmentVol. 43
- p. 110–111Roman Catholics are barred from voting or election; members must be God-fearing.read · scan
- p. 115–116Christian religion as in Scripture is the public profession, with maintained teachers, while no one is compelled and dissenters are protected.read · scan
Constitution of the United StatesVol. 43
- p. 191–194No religious test shall be required for any office or public trust.read · scan
- p. 194–195No establishment of religion and free exercise thereof.read · scan
Treaty with France (1803)Vol. 43
- p. 251–252Inhabitants guaranteed free enjoyment of the religion they profess.read · scan
Treaty with Spain (1819)Vol. 43
- p. 270–271Inhabitants of the ceded territories are guaranteed the free exercise of their religion without restriction.read · scan
Treaty with MexicoVol. 43
- p. 295–296Secures free exercise of religion for the Mexicans incorporated into the Union.read · scan
Treaty with RussiaVol. 43
- p. 433–434Churches remain property of Greek Oriental Church members, and inhabitants are protected in free enjoyment of religion.read · scan
Treaty with Spain (1898)Vol. 43
- p. 447–448Inhabitants of ceded territories are secured in the free exercise of their religion.read · scan
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