ZELOTES FULLER

The past history of the Christian Church should be a solemn warning to us never to permit an alliance to be formed between the priesthood and the civil magistracy—between church and state powers.

Never, I beseech of you, encourage a certain “Christian party in politics,” which under moral and religious pretenses is officiously and continually interfering with the religious opinions of others, and endeavoring to effect by law and other means, equally exceptionable, a systematic course of measures evidently calculated to lead to a union of church and state. If a union of church and state should be effected, which may God avert, then will the doctrines of the prevailing sect become the creed of the country, to be enforced by fines, imprisonment, and doubtless death! Then will superstition and bigotry frown into silence everything which bears the appearance of liberality; the hand of genius will be palsied, and a check to all further improvements in our country will be the inevitable consequence. If we now permit the glorious light of liberty to be extinguished, it may never more shine to cheer a benighted world with the splendor of its rays.

O people of America. The destinies of your country are in your own hands. They are committed to your own keeping. It is for you to say which ye will have, liberty or slavery, knowledge or ignorance, happiness or misery.

People of this free and happy land! We ask, will you give our consent to the political dominancy of any one religious sect and the establishment of their religious creed by law? Will you in any way encourage certain popular religious measures got up by a certain popular religious sect, in our humble opinion, for a very unpopular object, but which in the view of many is very popular to approve? Be assured, whatever may be the ostensible objects of these measures, if they should be generally adopted they will tend to infuse the spirit of religious intolerance and persecution into the political institutions of our country

Ours is the only government under heaven where liberty can, in truth, be said to dwell; and the numberless advantages of such a government, for moral, religious, and intellectual improvement, may be learnt from the prosperous state of our country since the time she assumed her just and proper station among the nations of the earth.

Here, every man labors for himself, and not to pamper the pride of royalty, not to support kingly pomp, luxury, and dissipation! Here, no ghostly priest stalks forth, and by virtue of prerogative seizes upon a tenth of the hard earnings of the industrious poor, leaving them in a state of want and wretchedness; but they may apply their little all to the conveniences of themselves and families.

No government under heaven affords such encouragement as that of America to genius and enterprise, or promises such rich rewards to talent and industry. Here, if a man rise to eminence, he rises by merit and not by birth, nor yet by mammon. This is as it ought to be—this is perfect justice.

Here, every man labors for himself, and not to pamper the pride of royalty, not to support kingly pomp, luxury, and dissipation! Here, no ghostly priest stalks forth, and by virtue of prerogative seizes upon a tenth of the hard earnings of the industrious poor, leaving them in a state of want and wretchedness; but they may apply their little all to the conveniences of themselves and families.

Never, I beseech of you, encourage a certain “Christian party in politics,” which under moral and religious pretenses is officiously and continually interfering with the religious opinions of others, and endeavoring to effect by law and other means, equally exceptionable, a systematic course of measures evidently calculated to lead to a union of church and state. If a union of church and state should be effected, which may God avert, then will the doctrines of the prevailing sect become the creed of the country, to be enforced by fines, imprisonment, and doubtless death! Then will superstition and bigotry frown into silence everything which bears the appearance of liberality; the hand of genius will be palsied, and a check to all further improvements in our country will be the inevitable consequence. If we now permit the glorious light of liberty to be extinguished, it may never more shine to cheer a benighted world with the splendor of its rays.

No government under heaven affords such encouragement as that of America to genius and enterprise, or promises such rich rewards to talent and industry. Here, if a man rise to eminence, he rises by merit and not by birth, nor yet by mammon. This is as it ought to be—this is perfect justice.

The past history of the Christian Church should be a solemn warning to us never to permit an alliance to be formed between the priesthood and the civil magistracy—between church and state powers.

People of this free and happy land! We ask, will you give our consent to the political dominancy of any one religious sect and the establishment of their religious creed by law? Will you in any way encourage certain popular religious measures got up by a certain popular religious sect, in our humble opinion, for a very unpopular object, but which in the view of many is very popular to approve? Be assured, whatever may be the ostensible objects of these measures, if they should be generally adopted they will tend to infuse the spirit of religious intolerance and persecution into the political institutions of our country

O people of America. The destinies of your country are in your own hands. They are committed to your own keeping. It is for you to say which ye will have, liberty or slavery, knowledge or ignorance, happiness or misery.

Ours is the only government under heaven where liberty can, in truth, be said to dwell; and the numberless advantages of such a government, for moral, religious, and intellectual improvement, may be learnt from the prosperous state of our country since the time she assumed her just and proper station among the nations of the earth.