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Notes on the State of Virginia, Query XVII: Religion (1853 edition)

Thomas Jefferson · c. 1781–1787

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Thomas Jefferson did not write this page.

Every claim below was made in this book, quoted word for word and numbered in the order the piece makes them, so you can read it there rather than take our word for it. The book prints chapter headings its extracted text does not preserve, so the claims below are in the book's order but not grouped. The sentence above each quote is our reading of the claim, not their wording. Each quote was checked against a stored copy of the page at build time; where the two differ, the quote is the fact.

  1. Our reading

    Rights of conscience were never surrendered to government and cannot be

    Their wordsThe rights of conscience we never submitted, we could not submit. We are answerable for them to our God.

  2. Our reading

    A neighbour saying there are twenty gods or no god does no one any injury

    Their wordsBut it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty Gods, or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.

  3. Our reading

    Coercing belief may make hypocrites and entrench errors but will never cure them

    Their wordsConstraint may make him worse by making him a hypocrite, but it will never make him a truer man. It may fix him obstinately in his errors, but will not cure them.

  4. Our reading

    Reason and free enquiry are the only effective remedies against error

    Their wordsReason and free enquiry are the only effectual agents against error.

  5. Our reading

    Only error needs government support; truth can stand by itself

    Their wordsIt is error alone which needs the support of government. Truth can stand by itself.

  6. Our reading

    Uniformity of opinion is no more desirable than uniformity of face and stature

    Their wordsBut is uniformity of opinion desirable? No more than of face and stature.

  7. Our reading

    Religious coercion has made half the world fools and the other half hypocrites

    Their wordsWhat has been the effect of coercion? To make one-half the world fools, and the other half hypocrites.

  8. Our reading

    The way to silence religious disputes is to take no notice of them

    Their wordsThey have made the happy discovery, that the way to silence religious disputes is to take no notice of them.

  9. Our reading

    Essential rights should be fixed in law while rulers are honest and the people united

    Their wordsIt can never be too often repeated, that the time for fixing every essential right on a legal basis is while our rulers are honest, and ourselves united.

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