--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: So the question is, First, Whether the…" description: "\"So the question is, First, Whether the civil magistrate hath power to force men in things religious to do contrary to their conscience, and if they wil..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c2/robert-barclay-50254_conscience_so-the-question-is-first-whether-the-civ_1061038.jpg" --- # So the question is, First, Whether the civil magistrate… ![“So the question is, First, Whether the civil magistrate hath power to force men in things religious to do contrary to their conscience, and if they will not to punish them in their goods, liberties, or lives? this we hold in the negative.” quote by Robert Barclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c2/robert-barclay-50254_conscience_so-the-question-is-first-whether-the-civ_1061038.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c2/robert-barclay-50254_conscience_so-the-question-is-first-whether-the-civ_1061038.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c2/robert-barclay-50254_conscience_so-the-question-is-first-whether-the-civ_1061038.jpg) > “So the question is, First, Whether the civil magistrate hath power to force men in things religious to do contrary to their conscience, and if they will not to punish them in their goods, liberties, or lives? this we hold in the negative.” [Robert Barclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-barclay/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The civil authority should not compel religious actions against conscience, nor punish for such dissent. **In simple terms:** Government cannot force religion; Key Takeaway Respect religious freedom. Themes religion government conscience rights Mood thoughtful serious Type ethical political When to use this quote - legal judgments - policy making - human rights advocacy Key Concepts civil liberty separation of church and state Questions to Reflect On - How should societies balance liberty and order? - What limits should state power have over belief? A Different Perspective Enforcement may clash with public order. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conscience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscience/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) ## Related quotes > [...You can only subject people to anguish who have a conscience. You can only punish people who have hopes to frustrate or attachments to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-shriver/you-can-only-subject-people-to-anguish-who-have-a-conscience-you-can/) [Lionel Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-shriver/) > [The care of souls cannot belong to the civil magistrate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-locke/the-care-of-souls-cannot-belong-to-the-civil-magistrate/) [John Locke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-locke/) > [Forget the laws. If the laws don't make sense, if they run contrary to your conscience, you have to disobey them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/forget-the-laws-if-the-laws-don-t-make-sense-if-they-run-contrary-to/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [Even if the civil magistrate is so gifted as to prophesy in the church, yet in the sphere of his civil duties he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-williams/even-if-the-civil-magistrate-is-so-gifted-as-to-prophesy-in-the/) [Roger Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-williams/) > [I cannot choose but adhere to the word of God, which has possession of my conscience; nor can I possibly, nor will I even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/i-cannot-choose-but-adhere-to-the-word-of-god-which-has-possession-of/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [Congress should not establish a religion, and enforce the legal observation of it by law, nor compel men to worship God in any Manner…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/congress-should-not-establish-a-religion-and-enforce-the-legal/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [The opinions of men are not the object of civil government, nor under its jurisdiction; that to suffer the civil magistrate to intrude his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-opinions-of-men-are-not-the-object-of-civil-government-nor-under/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Wherever I look, I see signs of the commandment to honor one's parents and nowhere of a commandment that calls for the respect of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/wherever-i-look-i-see-signs-of-the-commandment-to-honor-one-s-parents/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) > [The third umpires should be changed as often as nappies and for the same reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/navjot-singh-sidhu/the-third-umpires-should-be-changed-as-often-as-nappies-and-for-the/) [Navjot Singh Sidhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/navjot-singh-sidhu/) > [A good umpire is the umpire you don't even notice. He's there all afternoon but when the game is over, you don't even remember…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ban-johnson/a-good-umpire-is-the-umpire-you-don-t-even-notice-he-s-there-all/) Ban Johnson > [“Sachin is a genius in the world of cricket leaving behind all those who are only talented and intelligent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/sachin-is-a-genius-in-the-world-of-cricket-leaving-behind-all-those/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Whenever you have a tight situation and there's a close pitch, the umpire gets a squawk no matter how he calls it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/red-barber/whenever-you-have-a-tight-situation-and-there-s-a-close-pitch-the/) [Red Barber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/red-barber/) > [I was never given a trial. I never went before any magistrate, nor did my parents. To this day, I do not know what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-was-never-given-a-trial-i-never-went-before-any-magistrate-nor-did/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'd always have grease in at least two places, in case the umpires would ask me to wipe one off. I never wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaylord-perry/i-d-always-have-grease-in-at-least-two-places-in-case-the-umpires/) [Gaylord Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaylord-perry/) > [I don't know what I'm doing, but I'm damn well gonna do it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geri-halliwell/i-don-t-know-what-i-m-doing-but-i-m-damn-well-gonna-do-it/) [Geri Halliwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geri-halliwell/) ## More by Robert Barclay > [Since we have placed justification in the revelation of Jesus Christ formed and brought forth in the heart, there working his works of righteousness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-barclay/since-we-have-placed-justification-in-the-revelation-of-jesus-christ/) [Robert Barclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-barclay/) > [“And so it is happening. But from where will I find the strength to endure this?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-barclay/and-so-it-is-happening-but-from-where-will-i-find-the-strength-to/) [Robert Barclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-barclay/) > [According to which principle or hypothesis all the objections against the universality of Christ's death are easily solved; neither is it needful to recur…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-barclay/according-to-which-principle-or-hypothesis-all-the-objections-against/) [Robert Barclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-barclay/) > [Therefore 'Christ hath tasted death for every man:' not only for all kinds of men, as some vainly talk, but for every one, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-barclay/therefore-christ-hath-tasted-death-for-every-man-not-only-for-all/) [Robert Barclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-barclay/) > [He that desireth to acquire any art or science seeketh first those means by which that art or science is obtained. 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So I feel bad about spending excess amount of money on things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd/my-conscience-is-really-active-so-i-feel-bad-about-spending-excess/) [Syd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd/) > [Let us be thankful for health and competence, and, above all, for a quiet conscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/izaak-walton/let-us-be-thankful-for-health-and-competence-and-above-all-for-a/) [Izaak Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/izaak-walton/) > [Making money doesn't oblige people to forfeit their honor or their conscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-de-rothschild/making-money-doesn-t-oblige-people-to-forfeit-their-honor-or-their/) [Guy de Rothschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-de-rothschild/) > [“If we cannot be happy and powerful and prey on others, we invent conscience and prey on ourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/if-we-cannot-be-happy-and-powerful-and-prey-on-others-we-invent/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [The God in whose hands are all our days and ways, did cast into my hand one day a book of Martin Luthers; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bunyan/the-god-in-whose-hands-are-all-our-days-and-ways-did-cast-into-my/) [John Bunyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bunyan/) > [My morals are important to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-parrish/my-morals-are-important-to-me/) [Hunter Parrish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-parrish/) > [Being tolerant does not mean that I share another ones belief. 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At…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hanks/i-ve-worked-with-people-who-are-much-further-to-the-left-than-i-am/) [Tom Hanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hanks/) > [If all the world hated you and believed you wicked, while your own conscience approved of you and absolved you from guilt, you would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/if-all-the-world-hated-you-and-believed-you-wicked-while-your-own/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [ \[D\]on't grow old. With age comes caution, which is another name for cowardice… Whatever else you do in life, don't cultivate a conscience. Without… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesketh-pearson/d-on-t-grow-old-with-age-comes-caution-which-is-another-name-for/) [Hesketh Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesketh-pearson/) [Browse all 3,490 Conscience quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscience/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "So the question is, First, Whether the civil magistrate hath power to force men in things religious to do contrary to their conscience, and if they will not to punish them in their goods, liberties, or lives? this we hold in the negative.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert Barclay" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-barclay/so-the-question-is-first-whether-the-civil-magistrate-hath-power-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Conscience" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-barclay/so-the-question-is-first-whether-the-civil-magistrate-hath-power-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c2/robert-barclay-50254_conscience_so-the-question-is-first-whether-the-civ_1061038.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c2/robert-barclay-50254_conscience_so-the-question-is-first-whether-the-civ_1061038.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c2/robert-barclay-50254_conscience_so-the-question-is-first-whether-the-civ_1061038.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“So the question is, First, Whether the civil magistrate hath power to force men in things religious to do…” — Robert Barclay", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Robert Barclay", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-barclay/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "So the question is, First, Whether...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-barclay/so-the-question-is-first-whether-the-civil-magistrate-hath-power-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-barclay/so-the-question-is-first-whether-the-civil-magistrate-hath-power-to/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```