{"id":912,"date":"2017-01-13T21:39:51","date_gmt":"2017-01-13T21:39:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mathwise.net\/?p=912"},"modified":"2017-01-13T21:39:51","modified_gmt":"2017-01-13T21:39:51","slug":"the-danbury-baptists-letter-to-thomas-jefferson-1801","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/mathwise.net\/?p=912","title":{"rendered":"The Danbury Baptists’ letter to Thomas Jefferson 1801"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Danbury Baptists’ letter to Thomas Jefferson<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/a>

The Danbury Baptists’ letter to Thomas Jefferson<\/span><\/h2>\n
\r\nThe address of the Danbury Baptists Association in the state of\r\n\r\nConnecticut, assembled October 7, 1801. To Thomas Jefferson,\r\n\r\nEsq., President of the United States of America. \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSir,\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nAmong the many million in America and Europe who rejoice in your\r\n\r\nelection to office; we embrace the first opportunity which we\r\n\r\nhave enjoyed in our collective capacity, since your inauguration,\r\n\r\nto express our great satisfaction, in your appointment to the\r\n\r\nchief magistracy in the United States: And though our mode of\r\n\r\nexpression may be less courtly and pompous than what many others\r\n\r\nclothe their addresses with, we beg you, sir, to believe that\r\n\r\nnone are more sincere. \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nOur sentiments are uniformly on the side of religious\r\n\r\nliberty--that religion is at all times and places a matter\r\n\r\nbetween God and individuals--that no man ought to suffer in name,\r\n\r\nperson, or effects on account of his religious opinions--that the\r\n\r\nlegitimate power of civil government extends no further than to\r\n\r\npunish the man who works ill to his neighbors; But, sir, our\r\n\r\nconstitution of government is not specific. Our ancient charter\r\n\r\ntogether with the law made coincident therewith, were adopted as\r\n\r\nthe basis of our government, at the time of our revolution; and\r\n\r\nsuch had been our laws and usages, and such still are; that\r\n\r\nreligion is considered as the first object of legislation; and\r\n\r\ntherefore what religious privileges we enjoy (as a minor part of\r\n\r\nthe state) we enjoy as favors granted, and not as inalienable\r\n\r\nrights; and these favors we receive at the expense of such\r\n\r\ndegrading acknowledgements as are inconsistent with the rights of\r\n\r\nfreemen. It is not to be wondered at therefore; if those who seek\r\n\r\nafter power and gain under the pretense of government and\r\n\r\nreligion should reproach their fellow men--should reproach their\r\n\r\norder magistrate, as a enemy of religion, law, and good order,\r\n\r\nbecause he will not, dare not, assume the prerogatives of Jehovah\r\n\r\nand make laws to govern the kingdom of Christ. \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSir, we are sensible that the president of the United States is\r\n\r\nnot the national legislator, and also sensible that the national\r\n\r\ngovernment cannot destroy the laws of each state; but our hopes\r\n\r\nare strong that the sentiments of our beloved president, which\r\n\r\nhave had such genial effect already, like the radiant beams of\r\n\r\nthe sun, will shine and prevail through all these states and all\r\n\r\nthe world, till hierarchy and tyranny be destroyed from the\r\n\r\nearth. Sir, when we reflect on your past services, and see a glow\r\n\r\nof philanthropy and good will shining forth in a course of more\r\n\r\nthan thirty years we have reason to believe that America's God\r\n\r\nhas raised you up to fill the chair of state out of that goodwill\r\n\r\nwhich he bears to the millions which you preside over. May God\r\n\r\nstrengthen you for your arduous task which providence and the\r\n\r\nvoice of the people have called you to sustain and support you\r\n\r\nenjoy administration against all the predetermined opposition of\r\n\r\nthose who wish to raise to wealth and importance on the poverty\r\n\r\nand subjection of the people. \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nAnd may the Lord preserve you safe from every evil and bring you\r\n\r\nat last to his heavenly kingdom through Jesus Christ our Glorious\r\n\r\nMediator. \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSigned in behalf of the association,  Nehemiah Dodge\r\n\r\n                                      Ephraim Robbins\r\n\r\n                                      Stephen S. Nelson\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/span><\/pre>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Danbury Baptists’ letter to Thomas Jefferson   The Danbury Baptists’ letter to Thomas Jefferson The address of the Danbury Baptists Association in the state of Connecticut, assembled October 7, 1801. To Thomas Jefferson, Esq., President of the United States of America. Sir, Among the many million in America and Europe who rejoice in your … Continue reading The Danbury Baptists’ letter to Thomas Jefferson    1801<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-912","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/mathwise.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/912","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/mathwise.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/mathwise.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mathwise.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mathwise.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=912"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/mathwise.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/912\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":913,"href":"http:\/\/mathwise.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/912\/revisions\/913"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/mathwise.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=912"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mathwise.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=912"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mathwise.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=912"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}