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Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Mar 21, 1906

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 32, No. 12.

FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. No. 6.

From "AN ACT for Establishing Religious Freedom."

Adopted by Virginia, Dec. 26, 1785

Almighty God hath created the mind free.

All attempts to influence it by temporal punishments or burdens, or by civil incapacitations, tend only to beget habits of hypocrisy and meanness, and are a departure from the plan of the holy Author of our religion, who being Lord both of body and mind, yet chose not to propagate it by coercions on either, as was in His almighty power to do.

The impious presumption of legislators and rulers, civil as well as ecclesiastical, who being themselves but fallible and uninspired men, have assumed dominion over the faith of others, setting up their opinions and modes of thinking as the only true and infallible, and as such endeavoring to impose them on others, hath established and maintained false religions over the greatest part of the world, and through all time.

To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagations of opinions which he disbelieves, is sinful and tyrannical.