Semple - History of the Baptists in Virginia - Landmark Baptist

next — ayes, 45; noes, 38. The following resolution was immediately
afterwards adopted
“Resolved, That the engrossed bill establishing a provision for the
teachers of the Christian religion, together with the names of the ayes
and noes on the question of postponing the third reading of the said bill
to the fourth Thursday in November next, be published in handbills,
and twelve copies thereof delivered to each member of the General
Assembly, to be distributed in their respective counties; and that the
people thereof be requested to signify their opinion respecting the
adoption of such a bill to the next session of Assembly.”
The above resolution drew forth a number of able and animated memorials
from religious societies of different denominations against the general
assessment. Among a great variety of compositions, possessing different
degrees of merit, a paper drawn up by Colonel James Madison (now President
of the United States), entitled “A Memorial and Remonstrance,” will ever hold
a most distinguished place. For elegance of style, strength of reasoning, and
purity of principle, it has, perhaps, seldom been equalled; certainly never
surpassed by anything in the English language.
The sentiments of the people appearing to be decidedly against a general
assessment, the question was given up forever.
At the same session, however, (October, 1784,) in which the bill providing for
a general assessment failed, an act passed for “incorporating the Protestant
Episcopal Church.” This bill passed the House of Delegates by a small
majority only, being ayes, 47; noes, 38; but in 1786 it was repealed. By the
repealing law, the property belonging to all religious societies was secured to
those societies respectively, who were authorized to appoint from time to time,
according to the rules of their sect, trustees for the managing and applying
such property to the religious uses of the society. And all laws which
prevented any religious society from regulating its own discipline were
repealed.
Under the old ecclesiastical establishment no person could celebrate the rites
of matrimony but a minister of the Church of England, and, according to the
ceremony prescribed in the Book of Common Prayer; cases, however,
frequently occurred, especially during the war, where the marriage ceremony
was performed by others. This gave rise to an act of October, 1780, which
declared all former marriages celebrated by dissenting ministers good and
valid in law; and authorized the county courts to license dissenting ministers of
the Gospel, not exceeding four to each sect, to celebrate the rites of matrimony
within their counties only. It was not until the year 1784 that the dissenters