Virginia Constitution (June 29, 1776) which contained Article 16 of the Virginia Declaration of Rights, drafted by George Mason and James Madison:
<BILL OF RIGHTS, June 12, 1776, SECTION 16. That religion, or the duty which we owe to our Creator, and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and conviction, not by force or violence; and therefore all men are equally entitled to the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience; and that it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian forbearance, love, and charity towards each other.> 1776VC001
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American Quotations by William J. Federer, 2024, All Rights Reserved, Permission granted to use with acknowledgement.
Endnotes:
1776VC001. William J. Federer, American Quotations (2014). Virginia, June 29, 1776, Constitution, written with the help of James Madison and George Mason, BILL OF RIGHTS, SECTION 16.