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Tag: Clergy holding office

South Carolina Constitution of 1778

South Carolina Constitution of 1778

South Carolina January 1, 1778 Section XXI. And whereas the ministers of the gospel are by their profession dedicated to the service of God and the cure of souls, and ought not to be diverted from the great duties of their function, therefore no minister of the gospel or public preacher of any religious persuasion, while he continues in the exercise of his pastoral function, and for two years after, shall be eligible either as governor, lieutenant-governor, a member of…

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New York Constitution of 1777

New York Constitution of 1777

New York 1777 Declaring that “the bigotry and ambition of weak and wicked priests and princes have scourged mankind,” New York’s Constitution granted broad religious freedom for all faiths, though they included a fascinating clause reassuring the populace that religious freedom couldn’t be used to justify “licentiousness” or disorder. They further banned clergy from serving in public office, a way of preventing a denomination from exerting political control, though the drafters claimed this was to keep the clergy from becoming…

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