[Ken H]

"During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity been on trial. What have been its fruits? More or less in all places, pride and indolence in the Clergy, ignorance and servility in the laity, in both, superstition, bigotry and persecution."

James Madison, Memorial and Remonstrance against Religious Assessments, 20 June 1785

http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/amendI_religions43.html

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Strongly guarded as is the separation between Religion & Govt in the Constitution of the United States, the danger of encroachment by Ecclesiastical Bodies may be illustrated by precedents already furnished in their short history.

James Madison, Detached Memoranda ca. 1817

--http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/amendI_religions64.html

[Jeff Head]

When speaking of the Church of England or other state operated religions...he was precisely correct. But that was not the model developing in America...nor has it developed.

When speaking of the fundamental values underlying religion of his day, where those religions were not state religions but operated by the people themselves, IMHO Mdison was just as clear on his advocacy.