1822 July 7

Constitut Code Rationale

Established Religion none

Ch. or ? No system of belief on the subject of religion ought to be established.

Ch. or ? No power of government ought to be employed in the endeavour to establish any system or article of belief on the subject of Religion.

If any such power be thus employed, it will in respect of the immediate application made of it to the purpose of producing or confirming belief to the effect in question by furnishing appropriate inducement, be of the nature of remunerative power, or of the nature of punitive power, or a conjunction of both Power thus employed will be either remunerative or punitive or both

The belief thus endeavoured to be inculcated will be either true or false. This applies /The observation applies/ to the whole system taken in the aggregate and to each distinguishable article.

Consider in the first place the /every/ application that can be made of remunerative power to this purpose

First let the system be supposed true. In /On/ this case /supposition/ the application of remunerative power is needless. Say Establishment needless

But it is only by coercion applied in the way of taxation can the matter of reward whatever it be that is applied to this purpose be collected. Such application is therefore burthensome and as such pernicious. Say Establishment pernicious: viz. 1. by needless and useless burthen imposed in a pecuniary shape.