1825.] 
Allegiance and submission are com- 
patible with every religion, and exist, 
as matters of fact, with ‘equal force in all 
nations. 
Allegiance is as strong and operative 
in Italy as in England, in Holland asin 
Spain, in Turkey as in France, and in 
China as in Russia, though the spiritual 
faith and the forms of religion are, in 
each, so different. 
The King of England has loyal and 
submissive subjects of all religions in 
the respective British Colonies. 
Religion hasnot, therefore, more 
connexion with allegiance, or with 
jJoyalty and submission, than with the 
stature or colour of men, or the fashion 
of their clothing. 
It is not more. necessary that good 
subjects should be of the same religion, 
than that they should be six feet high, 
or wear brown, or scarlet, or close 
coats, or flowing robes. 
Allegiance, the bond of society, is 
the same in the Turk, the Gentoo, the 
Protestant, and the Catholic. 
The duties of a privy counsellor, or 
other servant of the state, are prompted 
by his allegiance and by his personal 
interests, not by his spiritual opinions. 
Religion i is, therefore, not necessarily 
connected with the state, nor with the 
duties of good subjects. 
If connected, or attempted to be con- 
nected, an incongruity of social relations 
would arise; and if one were made a test 
of the other, such test would serve as a 
bribe to enforce conformity, which would 
be accepted by the insincere, and ope- 
rate only as an exclusion of sincerity. 
It would be an infringement of liberty 
of conscience, because, without their 
conformity, good men would be de- 
prived of their rights of citizenship: for 
every man, personally deserving, has an 
unalienable right to participate in the 
honours and emoluments of the society 
to which he contributes his talents and 
industry, without reference to his religious 
faith, to his stature, or to any circum- 
stance unconnected with his allegiance. 
Besides, to connect religion with the 
state, is to subject religion, a relation 
not of this world, to the chances of 
olitical revolutions; and hence it has 
appened, that religious establishments 
have been often changed and overturned, 
and religion itself exposed to contempt. 
If the Church of God is in every 
man’s own conscience, it is, as it ought 
to he, independent of the fluctuations 
of human affairs; and it ought not to, 
be in the power of one man, owing to 
Montury Mac. No. 409, 
Axioms of the Religious Polity of Common Sense. 
329° 
the existence of a state religion, to 
render a Catholic people, Protestant, 
nor of a woman, to render them Catho- 
lic again; nor of her successor to re- 
store them again to .Protestantism, as 
has happened in England, 
Religion, as in the United States of 
America, should be the personal and 
conscientious eoncern of every man 
with God; it should have as many 
centres as there are men’s hearts, and 
its fate would not then be mingled’ with 
that of establishments, while that which 
is test would flourish the most. 
The winisters of religion should, 
however, be liberally supported by pub- 
lic assessments, distributed according 
to the number of souls of whom they 
are the approved guardians. 
The interests of religion might be 
guarded in the Legislature, by represen- 
tatives elected trom the body of reli- 
gious ministers. 
Under such a system there might be 
greater variety of opinions, but . there 
would be more sincerity and fewer hypo- 
crites; while truth would prevail, ‘or 
have a fair chance of prevailing, becatise 
it would be wholly uninfluenced by 
sinister motives and sordid caleulations. 
Allegiance, obedience, © submission, 
talent. and integrity. should be~ the 
only qualifying tests of public confi- 
dence and employment; ‘for these are 
the only qualities really connected with 
duties to the state and country. 
- If there’ were, no exclusive: church 
establishment, there could exist no:jea- 
lousies in regard to its support ; but if 
one were set up, it might be: likened to 
the statue of Nebuchadnezzar, the wor- 
ship of which might be imposed, but it 
would obviously be a duty wholly un- 
connected with the essential duties of 
good and useful subjects. 
Under a. system in which the allies 
of religious. faith and political obliga- 
tions was dissolved, the ministers. of 
religion might nevertheless bé integrated 
with society, and all institutions con- 
nected with education be preserved and 
honoured, while sound piety and supe- 
rior learning would maintain their 
wonted ascendancy, and .the spirit of 
religious proselytism would cease to be 
excited by the ambition of directing the 
state, or monopolizing the exclusive 
revenues of the state church, 
The King of Hanover has proclaimed 
aa acted on these principles ;° and ‘are 
they less fitted for the British people | 
Common SENSE. 
Brighton, April 2. 
2U 
