Vermont Constitution Article 3rd. [Freedom of religion; right and duty* of religious worship]
That all men have a natural and
unalienable right, to worship Almighty God, according to the dictates of their
own consciences and understandings, as in their opinion shall be regulated by
the word of God; and that no man ought to, or of right can be compelled to
attend any religious worship, or erect or support any place of worship, or
maintain any minister, contrary to the dictates of his conscience, nor can any
man be justly deprived or abridged of any civil right as a citizen, on account
of his religious sentiments, or peculiar mode of religious worship; and that no
authority can, or ought to be vested in, or assumed by. any power whatever, that
shall in any case interfere with, or in any manner control the rights of
conscience, in the free exercise of religious worship. Nevertheless, every sect
or denomination of Christians ought to observe the Sabbath or Lord’s day, and
keep up some sort of religious worship, which to them shall seem most agreeable
to the revealed will of God.
Annotations (critical commentary): An act to
support the gospel, passed Oct.26, 1797, is violative of this article. The
framers of the bill of rights, by this article, indisputably meant to convey the
idea, that man necessarily possesses natural knowledge, or simple reason, which
they have designated by the name of conscience. This they declare is
inalienable, clearly conveying the idea, that one man cannot convey to another
man his individual right of worshipping God according to the dictates of his
conscience, any more than he can convey to him his right of breathing; for it is
impossible in the nature of things, that one can be profited intellectually, by
conveyance to him of another person’s right of thinking; and if these premises
are correct, it certainly follows, that the rights of conscience cannot be
deputed; that religion is a concern personally and exclusively operative between
the individual and his God, and that whoever
attempts to control this sacred right, in any possible way, does it by
usurpation* and not by right. (emphasis added)
*duty- moral or legal obligation
*usurpation-"The unlawful encroachment or assumption of the use of property, power or authority which belongs to another. An interruption or the disturbing a man in his right and possession. The unlawful seizure or assumption of sovereign power. The assumption of government or supreme power by force or illegally, in derogation to the constitution and the rights of the lawful ruler." -Black’s Law Dictionary, 6th Edition