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328 THREE YiJARS IN THE PACIFIC. 



irreligion ; and adduce in proof of it, the state of religion in 

 France during the revolution ; the religious persecutions in 

 England, particularly against the Roman Catholics ; and the 

 great prevalence of irreligion and sectarian fanaticism in the 

 United States. That the state of religious opinion in Chile and 

 Peru does not require it, because all their citizens are Catholics ; 

 and though it be not proper to persecute any man for opinion's 

 sake, as God alone is the ruler of the conscience, it is thought 

 proper that any person who endeavors to make proselytes. to a 

 new faith, should be banished the territory forever. In the 

 case of only two sects in a state, there is danger of the destruc- 

 tion of the state, or of one of the religious parties ; in proof of 

 which is adduced the bloody wars of the Jews against the 

 Polytheists, and the Moors against the Spaniards. To avoid 

 religious discord and contention, the United States resolved, at 

 the formation of the government, to tolerate all sects, but to 

 protect none more than another. The uniformity of religion 

 tends to the consolidation of states, and toleration is of no ad- 

 vantage to a society where one opinion or sect prevails, &c. 



A pamphlet published in Chile thus concludes : "I should 

 not omit to remark, that some of the tolei*ant party, convinced 

 of the civil and moral dangers occasioned by a diversity of re- 

 ligions in a state, have proposed to follow the example of North 

 America, and declare, constitutionally, that there is no religion 

 of the state ; that is, that the social body has no kind of worship 

 by which to adore the Supreme Being. We admit, that in a 

 federal system, where each sovereign state has its respective 

 religions, it is almost necessary that the general government 

 should not declare itself for any one in particular ; it is certain 

 that this free will cannot prevent convulsions, where the sects 

 are few ; irreligion, if many ; nor the spirit of corporation and 

 religious party from mixing in political movements. But may 

 Heaven never permit, in Chile, the establishment of that po- 

 litical Atheism, and leave this nation united in a society, with- 

 out forms or worship to adore God. I would rather inhabit 

 Pagan Rome, where I should see the Consul, surrounded with 

 triumphal pomp, humiliate himself before Jupiter, received as 

 the God of the Empire, than a country where the benefits of 



