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Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Apr 11, 1906

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 32, No. 15.

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FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. No. 9.

From Virginia's "ACT for Establishing Religious Freedom," 1785.
Be It Therefore Enacted by the General Assembly,
That no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or burthened in his body or goods; nor shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief; but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion, and that THE SAME SHALL IN NOWISE DIMINISH, ENLARGE, OR AFFECT THEIR CIVIL CAPACITIES.
And though we well know that this Assembly, elected by the people for the ordinary purposes of legislation only, have no power to restrain the acts of succeeding Assemblies, constituted with the powers equal to our own, and that therefore to declare this act irrevocable, would be of no effect in law, yet we are free to declare, and do declare, that the rights hereby asserted are of the NATURAL RIGHTS OF MANKIND, and that if any act shall be hereafter passed to repeal the present or to narrow its operation, SUCH ACT WILL BE AN INFRINGEMENT OF NATURAL RIGHT.