Excerpt from Laws Relating to Religious Corporations: Being a Collection of the General Statutes of the Several States and Territories for the Incorporation and Management of Churches, Religious Societies, Presbyteries, Synods, Etc It is Of interest to note, in this connection, that as early as 1729, the American Presbyterian Church took decided position in favor of the largest religious liberty, and that at a time, when even in New England, Church and State were to a certain ex tent united. That position was given, in 1788, definite expres sion in the following words: Civil magistrates may not as sume to themselves the administration Of the word and sacra ments; or the power Of the keys of the kingdom of heaven, or in the least interfere in matters of faith. Yet as nursing fathers, it is the duty Of civil magistrates to protect the church of our common Lord, without giving the preference to any de nomination of Christians above the rest, in such a manner, that all ecclesiastical persons whatever Shall enjoy the full, free, and unquestioned liberty of discharging every part of their sacred functions, without violence or danger. And as jesus Christ hath appointed a regular government and discipline in his church, no law Of any commonwealth Should interfere with, let, or hinder, the due exercise thereof, among the voluntary members of any denomination of Christians, according to their own profession and belief. It is the duty of civil magistrates to protect the person and good name Of all their people, in such an effectual manner as that no person be suffered, either upon pretence of religion or Of infidelity, to Offer an indignity, violence, abuse, or injury to any other person whatsoever; and to take order, that all religious and ecclesiastical assemblies be held without molestation or disturbance. (confession of Faith, Ch. XXIII, No churches have maintained SO long and so resolutely untrammeled religious liberty, as those churches in the Republic which are known by the common names of Presbyterian and Reformed. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.