be corrupted, or corrupt religion, they shall be capable of no
other kind of employment or preferment in this commonwealth. And
whereas a directory for the administration of the national
religion is to be prepared by this council, they shall in this
and other debates of this nature proceed in manner following: a
question arising in matter of religion shall be put and stated by
the council in writing, which writing the censors shall send by
their beadles (being proctors chosen to attend them) each to the
university whereof he is chancellor, and the vice-chancellor of
the same receiving the writing, shall call a convocation of all
the divines of that university being above forty years of age.
And the universities, upon a point so proposed, shall have no
manner of intelligence or correspondence one with another, till
their debates be ended, and they have made return of their
answers to the Council of Religion by two or three of their own
members, that they may clear their sense, if any doubt should
arise, to the council, which done, they shall return, and the
council, having received such information, shall proceed
according to their own judgments, in the preparation of the whole
matter for the Senate: that so the interest of the learned being
removed, there may be a right application of reason to Scripture,
which is the foundation of the national religion.

"Secondly, this council, as to the protection of the liberty
of conscience, shall suffer no coercive power in the matter of
religion to be exercised in this nation; the teachers of the
natural religion being no other than such as voluntarily
undertake that calling, and their auditors or hearers no other
than are also voluntary. Nor shall any gathered congregation be
molested or interrupted in their way of worship (being neither