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herdingkittens
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| Posted: June 11 2012 at 4:57pm | IP Logged
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I am wondering if anyone has used Maria Rioux's St. Thomas School curriculum with a large-ish/large family?
I am salivating at her plans (mmm.... books....  ), but at the same time shifting into a new season of life with next year planning for 5 children in K, K, 2, 4, 5 (a first for me!  ), and knowing that I need to really get things planned and sorted out ahead of time, plus reconfiguring life to make it all happen. The plan does seem like it would be difficult to implement with lots of children, but I could be wrong. Has anyone used it yet, and have any tips on making it work for many small folk?
We currently do Mater Amabilis as a jumping of place, but I am starting to want a breakdown of plans without having to reinvent the wheel, and I love how Maria has her plans all set. I was thinking about making my modifications, and printing them out and putting them in a binder for each child to use to check off as they go.
Also, has anyone shared this kind of document for MA, or do we know if Michelle is doing lesson plans?
Thanks!!!
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herdingkittens
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| Posted: June 11 2012 at 5:17pm | IP Logged
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Ha ha - just realized that Maria has 8!  So, now I know it can be done! 
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Marcia
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| Posted: June 11 2012 at 9:21pm | IP Logged
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I only looked at the 8th grade plans...too tired to look at more.
Personally it is very classical...and less great books IMHO. Also it seemed like a lot of check boxes to me. CM has been so "atmosphere, discipline, life" for us that I think this list would limit my daughter who will begin 8th grade shortly. (yes we are schooling through the summer)
:) I totally get you on needing some plans. But your kids are still young. :)
I'm realizing it will be a interesting year this coming fall when we add #6 to the mix and have four that are schooling....but God will give you grace to make the perfect choice for your school! Good luck!
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Marcia
Mom to six and wife to one
Homeschooling 10th, 7th, 5th, 2nd, PreK and a toddler in tow.
I wonder why
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Becky Parker
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| Posted: June 13 2012 at 7:16am | IP Logged
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Herding Kittens, (still love that name by the way!)
As I read your first post I was thinking that Maria has a large family. I think, and I'm not Maria so this is an assumption, that that is the reason for the checkboxes. She has many to keep track of and the checkboxes makes that a bit easier. I've never used her plans but I do like the way they are layed out. I did that with my own plans one year - took the summer to write everything out with check boxes. It worked well at first, but then i realized a couple of resources I had chosen weren't really working. I had to do a few switches and that messed up the system! Now that we have been doing this for ten years and I have a better idea of things it might work better. I know Maria has been homeschooling for quite a few years.
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Becky
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: June 13 2012 at 7:48am | IP Logged
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I find that a checkbox system meshes well with a Charlotte Mason education. This way, if you miss reading from a certain book one week, you can pick right back up the next without ever being "behind" as you are in traditional lesson plans that would have "Read chapter 3 of x" as the assignment specifically for Wednesday June 13th.
I have been inspired by her syllabi, and I usually reference them when making my own. My own are usually not so rigorous as hers, though.
However, I wonder if she worries about covering everything in every subject, especially in the younger years. There is a thread about her syllabi that you might bump that might encourage a response from her (I don't think she checks in here often). As I said, I appreciate the flexibility of a checklist, so for instance, she's listed all of the books from Catholic Mosaic, but I doubt that means she's actually using ALL of them on top of all the other saints books she has listed. Again, I could be wrong, but I wouldn't use her curriculum expecting to have all of those checkboxes checked at the end of the year. I'm guessing that if you add up the checkboxes and look at the reference "twice weekly" or whatever above, they do not add up. I would assume that "twice weekly" is the primary goal rather than covering all the material listed, and the checkboxes represent her favorite resources to choose from when making her weekly assignments. I imagine I would skip around as well according to season or a child's particular interests and abilities.
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: June 13 2012 at 7:51am | IP Logged
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I really liked Sarah's system for color coding her checklists. I think her lists are a little easier on the eyes for me, and if I were to try and implement Maria's curriculum, I would probably modify is according to Sarah's system to make it a little easier to use.
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: June 13 2012 at 8:06am | IP Logged
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Sorry, serial posting.
I don't think it would be so difficult to modify Michelle's plans to look like Maria's. All you would be doing is typing the Table of Contents from each of the books.
I, personally, have had a lot of success using Suzanne's system in implementing some of Mater Amabilis. I just put a post-it in the front of the books with assignments listed. On my child's checklist it says "Read and narrate Life of Our Lord or whatever. So, my son reads the next assignment on the sticky, crosses it off, and then checks it off on his list. I do have that one broken down to 3-4 page chunks rather than chapters, but it really didn't take long to sit down with the book, a post-it, and pencil.
I think that navigating all those pages of checklists independently would overwhelm my son who is 8. My weekly assignment list for him is fairly simple to put together as we go. It does not change much from week to week unless he has finished a book.
Another consideration for using Michelle's curriculum with so many children might be the Simply Charlotte Mason online planner. It has always seemed very intuitive to me, and switching out one resource for another would be very simple, not messing anything up. It would still require that you spend a chunk of time entering in the resources, but about the same as typing out the contents and chapters for a checklist.
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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herdingkittens
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| Posted: June 13 2012 at 10:04am | IP Logged
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Becky Parker wrote:
Herding Kittens, (still love that name by the way!)
As I read your first post I was thinking that Maria has a large family. I think, and I'm not Maria so this is an assumption, that that is the reason for the checkboxes. She has many to keep track of and the checkboxes makes that a bit easier. I've never used her plans but I do like the way they are layed out. I did that with my own plans one year - took the summer to write everything out with check boxes. It worked well at first, but then i realized a couple of resources I had chosen weren't really working. I had to do a few switches and that messed up the system! Now that we have been doing this for ten years and I have a better idea of things it might work better. I know Maria has been homeschooling for quite a few years. |
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Thanks , it describes my like pretty accurately. 
Yes, Becky, the checkboxes are a huge draw for me. When I saw Maria's plans, it struck me how similar they are to our plans, but the layout really drew me in. We all need the checkboxes here. I have a very "go with the flow" sort of way of being, and without something keeping me/us on track, we end up being solely comprised of rabbit trails. Because of my personality, checkboxes do not dictate or make me feel stifled, but rather, they set me free! I need a plan to keep me from my own wandering brain (if that makes any sense).
We've been doing weekly checklists this last year, which worked great, but I am noticing that we may benefit from a big picture format. I think the weekly thinking gave me this feeling of being "behind" when we missed stuff, which we always seemed to do. (CrunchyMom, you totally get what I mean!!) I want to try getting EVERYTHING together for the year this time (yes, that means printing off notebook pages, etc., in advance and putting them in folders to pull from - this year I wasted time and broke the flow of the day by sneaking off to look up and print...  ), so that we are all set and just pulling things out as we go. Maria's plan format ties in perfectly to this idea.
What I was thinking is going through Maria's plans, making changes that suit us (we do different math, history, etc., plus group work would need to be altered), and putting the plans in a little binder, one for each child. The olders can check off their own, and the youngers would get help from mama.
So glad this program was posted - it made me read some of her articles, which are packed with wisdom. I may need to start a fan club!
CrunchyMom wrote:
However, I wonder if she worries about covering everything in every subject, especially in the younger years. There is a thread about her syllabi that you might bump that might encourage a response from her (I don't think she checks in here often). |
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I went through K, 2, 4, and 5, and it looks like for some subjects, the list is ling because she offers options to choose from (i.e. Sixty Saints for Girls AND Sixty Saints for Boys - assuming we would choose one based on the gender of the student ). Also, her booklists for Lit are LONG (YES! ), so I would think that her thinking is to have a wide range to choose from to suit the needs of the child, some reading more, some less, some picking different choices. This actually, is another big draw for me, as I am always wasting time looking up different booklists - hers are all put together (and her suggestions rock), so my children would get a big range to pick from without me having to dig around, you know?
CrunchyMom wrote:
| I really liked Sarah's system for color coding her checklists. I think her lists are a little easier on the eyes for me, and if I were to try and implement Maria's curriculum, I would probably modify is according to Sarah's system to make it a little easier to use. |
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Ooooo.. me likey. Thanks for sharing that!
CrunchyMom wrote:
I don't think it would be so difficult to modify Michelle's plans to look like Maria's. All you would be doing is typing the Table of Contents from each of the books.
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Agreed - and I will be adding some MA things we use to the plans, but again, the fact that most of the work is done for me is delightful! I can never take any plans as they are - I need to make them tailored to our family, but it just so happens that Maria seems to make sense to my brain, and is so similar to our learning style.
This is one of the things I LOVE about learning at home - what a blessing that we get to learn right along with our children, figuring out who we are and how we work, and what we like. I am so thankful to be on this path, I cannot even tell you!
CrunchyMom wrote:
Another consideration for using Michelle's curriculum with so many children might be the Simply Charlotte Mason online planner. |
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Now I am serial quoting you! ha ha! Great suggestion - we did Homeschool Skedtrack a while back, which worked for us then, but I am finding that I need paper to work from. Plus, I won't shell out cash for an online program (need the $ for books ).
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Becky Parker
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| Posted: June 13 2012 at 12:48pm | IP Logged
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Thanks for bringing this up, Herding Kittens. I've been thinking about how I'm going to organize things this year. We did the file thing for a while and I absolutely loved it, but with my older kids there is less to actually file since they read so much more. Maybe we'll revisit the check system.
Lindsay, thanks for the link to Sarah's post. I really like the way she color coded her lists. I will certainly borrow that idea! My plan is to divide my year into 6 shorter terms so I will have six colors instead. What a great way to check at a glance if some of the academic goals are being met. I can see this working quite well for subjects like math where, around here, I simply write the lesson numbers.
Marcia, I'm thinking it's a personality thing. I am envious of homeschool moms with children who embrace the life of learning I so want my children to have. Unfortunately, we get so distracted from our goal around here that I get frustrated on a regular basis. My dd, also going into 8th, is quite the go-getter. She loves to wake up early and get started on her school work. If I don't have plans organized for her though, she doesn't really accomplish much and she is frustrated as well. Having something that she can check off keeps her focused and actually inspires her to take the occasional rabbit trails.
I think it's the same for me and my housework. I really, really don't like a check list for that, but if I don't use one I find I am spinning my wheels and accomplishing nothing. My friend, on the other hand, has a beautifully clean home (for a homeschool family I mean )she does a great job homeschooling her children, and is generally a joyful, peaceful person, but she never uses lists of any kind. She takes things as they come. I don't know how she does it, but I would love to be a fly on her wall. So, I guess it's just doing what works for the individual. I love this list because we are all so different. It's interesting to talk about how we all accomplish the many things that we are required to do.
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herdingkittens
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| Posted: June 20 2012 at 8:10pm | IP Logged
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Becky Parker wrote:
| I love this list because we are all so different. It's interesting to talk about how we all accomplish the many things that we are required to do. |
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Agreed!
It is so helpful to bounce ideas off of other mother's brains! Thanks for all of your input, ladies! I will be praying over my plans, and taking all your great advice into consideration.
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: June 20 2012 at 8:28pm | IP Logged
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herdingkittens wrote:
Now I am serial quoting you! ha ha! Great suggestion - we did Homeschool Skedtrack a while back, which worked for us then, but I am finding that I need paper to work from. Plus, I won't shell out cash for an online program (need the $ for books ).
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This doesn't affect the cost aspect, but you might just try the free month subscription to experiment. You can print out the individual as well as whole family weekly assignments to work from, it just does all the work figuring out what that will be. I know what you mean about having it in paper form, but it has always seemed intuitive to me when I've tried it, and I've kept it in mind for when I'm juggling more students. *I* can't justify the cost right now, either, but maybe later.
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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Maria Rioux
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| Posted: June 26 2012 at 2:02pm | IP Logged
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Hello. I don't do very well with the forum format, so I almost never duck in here, but I recently got a notification that Kris had sent along the links to my husband's website that also has our curricula. (Thanks, Kris!) Now that I'm here, I thought I try to quickly address some of your concerns/questions. It'll have to be quick, though, because our first little grandbaby is now home (our daughter and her husband live about a mile from here) and we're pretty busy delighting in her and getting ready for her Baptism on Sunday. :) I'm also majorly reorganizing for the coming schoolyear. It's coming along great, but if I sit here too long, I won't get much done!
Anyway, we now have 9 children (oldest is 28; youngest is 4). Three are college grads (2 TAC and 1 Benedictine), one is a sophomore at Benedictine, one is straddling high school and 6 hours at Benedictine/semester, 1 is a sophomore in high school, one a 5th grader, and one will be in kindergarten. We've been using this approach for 24 years, though it didn't look like this when we started.:) When we started there was almost nuthin' out there and we were stuck with science books that hoped we might one day go to the moon. The other option was science books that spewed all kinds of scientific garbage. Anyway, if we can do this, anyone can. :) It might not suit you, and you should always adjust and pitch as you please and as does suit you, but it sure helped me over the years to have it all planned out and scheduled. Did we always follow it exactly? Are you serious? There are clearly things in there that are bootable... and we gave them the boot whenever we needed to. I don't have time right now to more specifically tell you how we implemented this concretely, but I can tell you it saved our bacon when our 4 year old was diagnosed with leukemia. That was 1 year of intense chemo and 1.5 of maintenance level...chemo every day your liver can take it for 2.5 years. Adrienne was diagnosed mid-semester, and because we had a plan and every child had a syllabus and schedule, even when I was not there, they knew what to do. One of the ways they helped was to do what they could diligently...but they couldn't really have done that if we had not already had the year mapped out.
Anyway, I hope it's helpful to you. I am working on a FAQ's on how we implement it, sample tests, teacher helps, and also plan to post my five different homeschooling talks on Jean's website...but it's really busy right now. I don't think I'll get to updating the website until mid-July. The Shakespeare notes are my own from an independent study I took at Benedictine years ago. It's my notes for class/my papers and don't be a bit surprised if some Shakespearean scholars totally disagree with me. My professor certainly did here and there. :) I always backed my argument up with text, and I did great in the course, so it can't be total garbage, but I did think you should know this is ...what it is. :)
God bless, Maria
P.S. Since I find the forum means truly painfully difficult (techno-challenged), if you have questions and would like to correspond, write me privately: jrioux@bbwi.net.
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herdingkittens
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| Posted: July 02 2012 at 10:46pm | IP Logged
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Maria - thank you so much for your reply! Reading this makes me laugh a little at my original post.
I have spent a nice chunk of time combing through your plans, and getting familiar with them. The format makes quite a bit of sense to my brain, and I am eager to get it all worked out for us. Ooo, and I got my hands on a few of the books you recommended and they are GEMS!
Thank you for sharing your family's plans - it has been a real blessing to see a 12 year plan embracing the methods we have grown to love, and very helpful, to say the least. Also, I wanted to thank you for the various articles you have up - I am not sure how you find the time to do all that you do, but know that there are a number of us that are very fortunate to be able to glean from your experiences, and your time doing that is very much appreciated!
A FAQ section would be amazing! 
Oh, and congrats on your grandbaby and all the excitement and joy in your family! What an amazing time of life for you!
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Maria Rioux
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| Posted: July 03 2012 at 12:25am | IP Logged
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Hello, again,
When my husband wakes up I'll ask him to help me post a couple things. He had to switch me to a new mail program and I can't for the life of me figure out how to access my old out-box. :( But I did think of something that might be helpful to those of you wondering about how to implement our curricula and the reasoning underlying it: Two of my homeschooling talks are available online here
https://sites.google.com/site/aninha77/mariarioux%27sarticle s3
https://sites.google.com/site/aninha77/mariarioux%27sarticle s2
The one is titled, "The Best of Both: Merging Classical Education Principles with Charlotte Mason's Methods" and the other, "The Blessings in Crosses". I have three others: "Ora et Labora: Service as Prayer", one on CM alone, and one for newbies titled, "Great Ideas for Small Minds". :) I'll try to get those up on our website tomorrow and send you the links. I can't send you just the one link to Jean's site (shirreware.com) because, for some technological reason, that only allows access to his stuff, and our things have to be accessed individually. I'm just pleased to have been able to find a way to make it accessible to you for free as scribd started charging for downloads on the Homeschool Connections site.
Hope that helps. :)
God bless, Maria
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Maria Rioux
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| Posted: July 03 2012 at 12:37am | IP Logged
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Huh, I tried the links I sent just now, and they don't work. This will, though: Google my name (Maria Rioux) and scroll down to "mariariouxs'articles3-aninha77" That will get you to the Best of Both talk. If you google my name and add "Blessings in Crosses" it'll get you to that one. Ana posted them for me ages ago on her blog, which is where that takes you. I don't blog. :)
Sorry for the defunct links, and can't account for why they don't work even when you copy and paste them in...but at least this does.
God bless, Maria
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mariB
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Thank you so much, Maria. I just love your selections and have been spending a lot of time planning this school year with your plans. It is so appreciated and such a godsend. Bless you!
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Maria Rioux
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| Posted: July 04 2012 at 5:33am | IP Logged
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Okay, this is probably the wrong spot on this forum to post this, but...oh, well. I'll try to navigate this site and figure that out, but, as I think you guys will appreciate this today, the 4th of July, I'm going to post it here.
I've been reading the thoughts of our founding fathers. Given the current fight we're facing with regard to religious liberty, I thought it would be helpful to point you to Madison, who writes on this issue so beautifully. Would that our own leaders would not just dare to speak of the duty owed to our Creator, but protect it.
It's not a long read, it's certainly pertinent, and it's heartening…at least I think so. Hope you do, too.
Happy 4th of July!
God bless, Maria
"Let us contemplate our forefathers, and posterity, and resolve to maintain the rights bequeathed to us from the former, for the sake of the latter. The necessity of the times, more than ever, calls for our utmost circumspection, deliberation, fortitude and perseverance. Let us remember that ‘if we suffer tamely a lawless attack upon our liberty, we encourage it, and involve others in our doom." Samuel Adams
To the Honorable the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia
A Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments
We the subscribers , citizens of the said Commonwealth, having taken into serious consideration, a Bill printed by order of the last Session of General Assembly, entitled "A Bill establishing a provision for Teachers of the Christian Religion," and conceiving that the same if finally armed with the sanctions of a law, will be a dangerous abuse of power, are bound as faithful members of a free State to remonstrate against it, and to declare the reasons by which we are determined. We remonstrate against the said Bill,
Because we hold it for a fundamental and undeniable truth, "that religion or the duty which we owe to our Creator and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and conviction, not by force or violence." The Religion then of every man must be left to the conviction and conscience of every man; and it is the right of every man to exercise it as these may dictate. This right is in its nature an unalienable right. It is unalienable, because the opinions of men, depending only on the evidence contemplated by their own minds cannot follow the dictates of other men: It is unalienable also, because what is here a right towards men, is a duty towards the Creator. It is the duty of every man to render to the Creator such homage and such only as he believes to be acceptable to him. This duty is precedent, both in order of time and in degree of obligation, to the claims of Civil Society. Before any man can be considerd as a member of Civil Society, he must be considered as a subject of the Governour of the Universe: And if a member of Civil Society, do it with a saving of his allegiance to the Universal Sovereign. We maintain therefore that in matters of Religion, no man's right is abridged by the institution of Civil Society and that Religion is wholly exempt from its cognizance. True it is, that no other rule exists, by which any question which may divide a Society, can be ultimately determined, but the will of the majority; but it is also true that the majority may trespass on the rights of the minority.
Because Religion be exempt from the authority of the Society at large, still less can it be subject to that of the Legislative Body. The latter are but the creatures and vicegerents of the former. Their jurisdiction is both derivative and limited: it is limited with regard to the co-ordinate departments, more necessarily is it limited with regard to the constituents. The preservation of a free Government requires not merely, that the metes and bounds which separate each department of power be invariably maintained; but more especially that neither of them be suffered to overleap the great Barrier which defends the rights of the people. The Rulers who are guilty of such an encroachment, exceed the commission from which they derive their authority, and are Tyrants. The People who submit to it are governed by laws made neither by themselves nor by an authority derived from them, and are slaves.
Because it is proper to take alarm at the first experiment on our liberties. We hold this prudent jealousy to be the first duty of Citizens, and one of the noblest characteristics of the late Revolution. The free men of America did not wait till usurped power had strengthened itself by exercise, and entagled the question in precedents. They saw all the consequences in the principle, and they avoided the consequences by denying the principle. We revere this lesson too much soon to forget it. Who does not see that the same authority which can establish Christianity, in exclusion of all other Religions, may establish with the same ease any particular sect of Christians, in exclusion of all other Sects? that the same authority which can force a citizen to contribute three pence only of his property for the support of any one establishment, may force him to conform to any other establishment in all cases whatsoever?
Because the Bill violates the equality which ought to be the basis of every law, and which is more indispensible, in proportion as the validity or expediency of any law is more liable to be impeached. If "all men are by nature equally free and independent," all men are to be considered as entering into Society on equal conditions; as relinquishing no more, and therefore retaining no less, one than another, of their natural rights. Above all are they to be considered as retaining an "equal title to the free exercise of Religion according to the dictates of Conscience." Whilst we assert for ourselves a freedom to embrace, to profess and to observe the Religion which we believe to be of divine origin, we cannot deny an equal freedom to those whose minds have not yet yielded to the evidence which has convinced us. If this freedom be abused, it is an offence against God, not against man: To God, therefore, not to man, must an account of it be rendered. As the Bill violates equality by subjecting some to peculiar burdens, so it violates the same principle, by granting to others peculiar exemptions. Are the quakers and Menonists the only sects who think a compulsive support of their Religions unnecessary and unwarrantable? can their piety alone be entrusted with the care of public worship? Ought their Religions to be endowed above all others with extraordinary privileges by which proselytes may be enticed from all others? We think too favorably of the justice and good sense of these demoninations to believe that they either covet pre-eminences over their fellow citizens or that they will be seduced by them from the common opposition to the measure.
Because the Bill implies either that the Civil Magistrate is a competent Judge of Religious Truth; or that he may employ Religion as an engine of Civil policy. The first is an arrogant pretension falsified by the contradictory opinions of Rulers in all ages, and throughout the world: the second an unhallowed perversion of the means of salvation.
Because the establishment proposed by the Bill is not requisite for the support of the Christian Religion. To say that it is, is a contradiction to the Christian Religion itself, for every page of it disavows a dependence on the powers of this world: it is a contradiction to fact; for it is known that this Religion both existed and flourished, not only without the support of human laws, but in spite of every opposition from them, and not only during the period of miraculous aid, but long after it had been left to its own evidence and the ordinary care of Providence. Nay, it is a contradiction in terms; for a Religion not invented by human policy, must have pre-existed and been supported, before it was established by human policy. It is moreover to weaken in those who profess this Religion a pious confidence in its innate excellence and the patronage of its Author; and to foster in those who still reject it, a suspicion that its friends are too conscious of its fallacies to trust it to its own merits.
Because experience witnesseth that eccelsiastical establishments, instead of maintaining the purity and efficacy of Religion, have had a contrary operation. 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. Enquire of the Teachers of Christianity for the ages in which it appeared in its greatest lustre; those of every sect, point to the ages prior to its incorporation with Civil policy. Propose a restoration of this primitive State in which its Teachers depended on the voluntary rewards of their flocks, many of them predict its downfall. On which Side ought their testimony to have greatest weight, when for or when against their interest?
Because the establishment in question is not necessary for the support of Civil Government. If it be urged as necessary for the support of Civil Government only as it is a means of supporting Religion, and it be not necessary for the latter purpose, it cannot be necessary for the former. If Religion be not within the cognizance of Civil Government how can its legal establishment be necessary to Civil Government? What influence in fact have ecclesiastical establishments had on Civil Society? In some instances they have been seen to erect a spiritual tyranny on the ruins of the Civil authority; in many instances they have been seen upholding the thrones of political tyranny: in no instance have they been seen the guardians of the liberties of the people. Rulers who wished to subvert the public liberty, may have found an established Clergy convenient auxiliaries. A just Government instituted to secure & perpetuate it needs them not. Such a Government will be best supported by protecting every Citizen in the enjoyment of his Religion with the same equal hand which protects his person and his property; by neither invading the equal rights of any Sect, nor suffering any Sect to invade those of another.
Because the proposed establishment is a departure from the generous policy, which, offering an Asylum to the persecuted and oppressed of every Nation and Religion, promised a lustre to our country, and an accession to the number of its citizens. What a melancholy mark is the Bill of sudden degeneracy? Instead of holding forth an Asylum to the persecuted, it is itself a signal of persecution. It degrades from the equal rank of Citizens all those whose opinions in Religion do not bend to those of the Legislative authority. Distant as it may be in its present form from the Inquisition, it differs from it only in degree. The one is the first step, the other the last in the career of intolerance. The maganimous sufferer under this cruel scourge in foreign Regions, must view the Bill as a Beacon on our Coast, warning him to seek some other haven, where liberty and philanthrophy in their due extent, may offer a more certain respose from his Troubles.
Because it will have a like tendency to banish our Citizens. The allurements presented by other situations are every day thinning their number. To superadd a fresh motive to emigration by revoking the liberty which they now enjoy, would be the same species of folly which has dishonoured and depopulated flourishing kingdoms
Because it will destroy that moderation and harmony which the forbearance of our laws to intermeddle with Religion has produced among its several sects. Torrents of blood have been split in the old world, by vain attempts of the secular arm, to extinguish Religious disscord, by proscribing all difference in Religious opinion. Time has at length revealed the true remedy. Every relaxation of narrow and rigorous policy, wherever it has been tried, has been found to assauge the disease. The American Theatre has exhibited proofs that equal and compleat liberty, if it does not wholly eradicate it, sufficiently destroys its malignant influence on the health and prosperity of the State. If with the salutary effects of this system under our own eyes, we begin to contract the bounds of Religious freedom, we know no name that will too severely reproach our folly. At least let warning be taken at the first fruits of the threatened innovation. The very appearance of the Bill has transformed "that Christian forbearance, love and chairty," which of late mutually prevailed, into animosities and jeolousies, which may not soon be appeased. What mischiefs may not be dreaded, should this enemy to the public quiet be armed with the force of a law?
Because the policy of the Bill is adverse to the diffusion of the light of Christianity. The first wish of those who enjoy this precious gift ought to be that it may be imparted to the whole race of mankind. Compare the number of those who have as yet received it with the number still remaining under the dominion of false Religions; and how small is the former! Does the policy of the Bill tend to lessen the disproportion? No; it at once discourages those who are strangers to the light of revelation from coming into the Region of it; and countenances by example the nations who continue in darkness, in shutting out those who might convey it to them. Instead of Levelling as far as possible, every obstacle to the victorious progress of Truth, the Bill with an ignoble and unchristian timidity would circumscribe it with a wall of defence against the encroachments of error.
Because attempts to enforce by legal sanctions, acts obnoxious to go great a proportion of Citizens, tend to enervate the laws in general, and to slacken the bands of Society. If it be difficult to execute any law which is not generally deemed necessary or salutary, what must be the case, where it is deemed invalid and dangerous? And what may be the effect of so striking an example of impotency in the Government, on its general authority?
Because a measure of such singular magnitude and delicacy ought not to be imposed, without the clearest evidence that it is called for by a majority of citizens, and no satisfactory method is yet proposed by which the voice of the majority in this case may be determined, or its influence secured. The people of the respective counties are indeed requested to signify their opinion respecting the adoption of the Bill to the next Session of Assembly." But the representatives or of the Counties will be that of the people. Our hope is that neither of the former will, after due consideration, espouse the dangerous principle of the Bill. Should the event disappoint us, it will still leave us in full confidence, that a fair appeal to the latter will reverse the sentence against our liberties.
Because finally, "the equal right of every citizen to the free exercise of his Religion according to the dictates of conscience" is held by the same tenure with all our other rights. If we recur to its origin, it is equally the gift of nature; if we weigh its importance, it cannot be less dear to us; if we consult the "Declaration of those rights which pertain to the good people of Vriginia, as the basis and foundation of Government," it is enumerated with equal solemnity, or rather studied emphasis. Either the, we must say, that the Will of the Legislature is the only measure of their authority; and that in the plenitude of this authority, they may sweep away all our fundamental rights; or, that they are bound to leave this particular right untouched and sacred: Either we must say, that they may controul the freedom of the press, may abolish the Trial by Jury, may swallow up the Executive and Judiciary Powers of the State; nay that they may despoil us of our very right of suffrage, and erect themselves into an independent and hereditary Assembly or, we must say, that they have no authority to enact into the law the Bill under consideration.
We the Subscribers say, that the General Assembly of this Commonwealth have no such authority: And that no effort may be omitted on our part against so dangerous an usurpation, we oppose to it, this remonstrance; earnestly praying, as we are in duty bound, that the Supreme Lawgiver of the Universe, by illuminating those to whom it is addressed, may on the one hand, turn their Councils from every act which would affront his holy prerogative, or violate the trust committed to them: and on the other, guide them into every measure which may be worthy of his [blessing, may re]dound to their own praise, and may establish more firmly the liberties, the prosperity and the happiness of the Commonwealth.
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Topic: Mater Amabilis and St. Thomas School
