John Leland Quotes
If government can answer for individuals at the day of judgment, let men be controlled by it in religious matters; otherwise let men be free.
Pen name: Jack Nipps
John Leland, 1754-1841, Baptist Minister and Author, The Connecticut Dissenters’ Strong Box, Number One, 1802
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
This appears to be one of the first religious groups to withdraw and separate from a state church.
As enlightened as this statement is, it was not always a part of Mormon doctrine. When Brigham Young was head of the church he also served as Governor of the Utah Territory, and the separation of church and state was not so clear. In modern times however, the Mormon views have been the quintessential views of most Americans—Mormon or otherwise.
Backus was the first of the American clerics to espouse the position that in order for there to be a Christian nation, the state must be separate from the Church.
Carroll was writing to Troy during the time of the question of Catholic emancipation in England. Here he is clearly alluding to the British form of government. Carroll never missed the opportunity to champion religious freedom as manifested in the U.S. Constitution. For an earlier example of his praise for religious freedom, see {596933}.
Prior to Vatican II, freedom of conscience was not explicit in Catholic Doctrine. The controlling view had been that of Pope Pius IX a hundred years earlier. See {612299}.
John Leland was an American Baptist minister who preached in Massachusetts and Virginia, as well as an outspoken abolitionist. He was an important figure in the struggle for religious liberty in the United States. Leland also later opposed the rise of missionary societies among Baptists.
