When was the right to free exercise of religion first recognized? Find out on today’s Home School Heartbeat, as Michael Farris reads from his new book, From Tyndale to Madison.
Mike Farris:
As a result of James Madison’s work, Article XVI of the Virginia Declaration of Rights, passed in 1776, and established religious liberty in Virginia law, but restrictions on religious liberty in practice were still part of the public understanding.
Opportunity for clarification came as a result of Thomas Jefferson’s appointment by the House of Delegates to the committee responsible for revising Virginia’s legal code. Undoubtedly, among the most important bills he wrote was “No. 82,” which was the bill “for establishing religious freedom.” This was presented to the House in mid-June of 1779, but did not pass.
On November 11, 1784, the Virginia House of Delegates voted to adopt a resolution to impose “a moderate tax... for the support of the Christian religion...”
But James Madison argued that religion neither was not properly within the rightful purview of the government. The motion to postpone the bill passed, and the bill was stalled for the moment.
As winter gave way to spring, and the spring warmed into summer, Baptists and other dissenters gathered in meeting houses to sign broadsides declaring their opposition to the proposed general assessment and announcing their desire to see the House of Delegates establish religious liberty at last.
I’m Mike Farris.
