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Constitutional Revision Study Documents of the Constitutional Convention Commission, 1968
Volume 138, Page 23   View pdf image (33K)
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RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AND THE CHURCH-STATE RELATIONSHIP

kingdoms do in the world, for here
every man lives quietly and fol-
lows his labor and employment
desiredly."50
The Toleration Act was published in
England, and it had its due effect on
migration to the province. Maryland
now attracted men of character and
wealth.51 The colony flourished.
In 1666 and 1671, motions were put
before the assembly which, respectively,
would settle ministers in every county
of the province and would establish
a sectarian school. Neither motion
passed.52
Cecil Calvert died in 1675. Like his
father, he had never had the pleasure
of seeing his American colony. "The
Administration of Maryland was marked
by conciliation and humanity. To fos-
ter union, to cherish religious peace,
these were the honest purposes of Lord
Baltimore during his long supremacy."53
The outstanding achievement of Cal-
vert's career was "the fact that he was
the first man in history to establish a
form of government where all religious
sects were absolutely equal before the
law. For this alone he is entitled to
immortal fame."54
Despite the noble policies espoused
by the Calverts and their subordinate
governors, and the glowing pictures
painted by optimistic poets of the age,
an undercurrent of hostility persisted.
Protection rather than toleration was
the keynote of the Maryland refuge.
Catholics, Puritans and Anglicans were
three parties living side by side and with
50
Reprinted by the Maryland Historical
Society. Quoted id. at 240-41.
51 skirven, supra note 17 at 11.
52 A. werline, problems of church and
state in maryland 14-15 (1948).
53 bancroft, supra note 12 at 437 (1882).
54 ives, supra note 7 at 247.

equal privileges; but while they respected
one another's rights, they did not love
one another's faith.55 The seeds of
Protestant dissent were evidenced by a
1676 "plea for the maintenance of the
Protestant ministry."56 Charles Cal-
vert, the third Lord Baltimore, answered
by way of a "Paper setting forth the
Present State of Religion in Mary-
land."57 This document firmly stated
that the colonists would not want to be
made to support the ministers of an-
other religion. However, there was fur-
ther demand for a Protestant establish-
ment in a "Complaint from Heaven with
a Hue and crye and a petition out of
Virginia and Maryland."58 By 1676,
there were three Protestants for every
Catholic in the colony; the Catholics,
for whom some say the colony was estab-
lished, never formed the majority of its
inhabitants.59 In 1685, the wife of the
sheriff of Calvert County petitioned
English churchmen for help in estab-
lishing Protestantism in Maryland,60
and received considerable support.
King James II was forced to abdicate
in 1687 and William of Orange ascended
to his throne. This signalled the begin-
ning of the Protestant Revolution.
THE PROTESTANT REVOLUTION AND
ITS AFTERMATH
1689-1700
Several reasons have been advanced
as to the causes of the revolution of
1689, beyond the obvious one that a
growing unrest, sooner or later, had to
come into the open. Because of the
death of a messenger sent to proclaim
55
allen, supra note 17 at 64.
56 5 archives 130-32 (1887).
57 5 archives 133-34 (1887).
58 5 archives 134-49 (1887). See also
petrie, supra note 20 at 37.
50 gambrall, supra note 46 at 108-09. See
supra
note 45.
60 wroth, supra note 19 at 23, 24.
23

 

 
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Constitutional Revision Study Documents of the Constitutional Convention Commission, 1968
Volume 138, Page 23   View pdf image (33K)
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