ButmuchIfear，thatwhenthisgreattruthshallbere-established，itsvotarieswillfallintothefatalerroroffabricatingformulasofcreedandconfessionsoffaith，theengineswhichsosoondestroyedthereligionofJesus，andmadeofChristendomamereAceldama；thattheywillgiveupmoralsformysteries，andJesusforPlato。HowmuchwiseraretheQuakers，who，agreeinginthefundamentaldoctrinesofthegospel，schismatizeaboutnomysteries，and，keepingwithinthepaleofcommonsense，suffernospeculativedifferencesofopinion，anymorethanoffeature，toimpairtheloveoftheirbrethren。BethisthewisdomofUnitarians，thistheholymantlewhichshallcoverwithinitscharitablecircumferenceallwhobelieveinoneGod，andwholovetheirneighbor！Iconcludemysermonwithsincereassurancesofmyfriendlyesteemandrespect。
SERIATIMOPINIONSANDTHEHISTORYOFPARTIES
_ToJusticeWilliamJohnson_
_Monticello，Oct。27，1822_
DEARSIR，——IhavedeferredmythanksforthecopyofyourLifeofGenl。Greene，untilIcouldhavetimetoreadit。ThisI
havedone，andwiththegreatestsatisfaction；andcannowmoreunderstandinglyexpressthegratificationithasaffordedme。I
reallyrejoicethatwehaveatlengthafairhistoryoftheSouthernwar。Itproveshowmuchwewerelefttodefendourselvesaswecould，whiletheresourcesoftheUnionweresodisproportionatelydevotedtotheNorth。IamgladtootoseetheRomanceofLeeremovedfromtheshelfofHistorytothatofFable。Somesmallportionofthetransactionsherelateswerewithinmyownknolege；
andoftheseIcansayhehasgivenmorefalsehoodthanfact；andI
haveheardmanyofficersdeclarethesameastowhathadpassedundertheireyes。Yetthisbookhadbeguntobequotedashistory。Greenewastrulyagreatman，hehadnotperhapsallthequalitieswhichsopeculiarlyrenderedGenl。Washingtonthefittestmanonearthfordirectingsogreatacontestundersogreatdifficulties。
Difficultiesproceedingnotfromlukewarmnessinourcitizensortheirfunctionaries，asourmilitaryleaderssupposed；butfromthepennylessconditionofapeople，totallyshutoutfromallcommerce&
intercoursewiththeworld，andthereforewithoutanymeansforconvertingtheirlaborintomoney。ButGreenewassecondtonooneinenterprise，inresource，insoundjudgment，promptitudeofdecision，andeveryothermilitarytalent。Inadditiontotheworkyouhavegivenus，Ilookforwardwithanxietytothatyoupromiseinthelastparagraphofyourbook。Lee’smilitaryfableyouhaveputdown。LetnottheinvidiouslibelontheviewsoftheRepublicanparty，andontheirregenerationofthegovernmentgodowntoposterityashypocriticallymasked。Iwasmyselftoolaboriouslyemployed，whileinoffice，andtoooldwhenIleftit，todojusticetothosewhohadlaboredsofaithfullytoarrestourcoursetowardsmonarchy，andtosecuretheresultofourrevolutionarysufferingsandsacrificesinagovernmentbottomedontheonlysafebasis，theelectivewillofthepeople。Youareyoungenoughforthetask，andIhopeyouwillundertakeit。
Thereisasubjectrespectingthepracticeofthecourtofwhichyouareamember，whichhaslongweighedonmymind，onwhichI
havelongthoughtIwouldwritetoyou，andwhichIwilltakethisopportunityofdoing。Itisintruthadelicateundertaking，&yetsuchismyopinionofyourcandoranddevotednesstotheConstitution，init’struespirit，thatIamsureIshallmeetyourapprobationinunbosomingmyselftoyou。ThesubjectofmyuneasinessisthehabitualmodeofmakingupanddeliveringtheopinionsofthesupremecourtoftheUS。
YouknowthatfromtheearliestagesoftheEnglishlaw，fromthedateoftheyear-books，atleast，totheendoftheIIdGeorge，thejudgesofEngland，inallbutself-evidentcases，deliveredtheiropinionsseriatim，withthereasonsandauthoritieswhichgovernedtheirdecisions。Iftheysometimesconsultedtogether，andgaveageneralopinion，itwassorarelyasnottoexciteeitheralarmornotice。Besidesthelightwhichtheirseparateargumentsthrewonthesubject，andtheinstructioncommunicatedbytheirseveralmodesofreasoning，itshewedwhetherthejudgeswereunanimousordivided，andgaveaccordinglymoreorlessweighttothejudgmentasaprecedent。Itsometimeshappenedtoothatwhentherewerethreeopinionsagainstone，thereasoningoftheonewassomuchthemostcogentastobecomeafterwardsthelawoftheland。WhenLd。
Mansfieldcametothebenchheintroducedthehabitofcaucusingopinions。Thejudgesmetattheirchambers，orelsewhere，secludedfromthepresenceofthepublic，andmadeupwhatwastobedeliveredastheopinionofthecourt。OntheretirementofMansfield，Ld。
Kenyonputanendtothepractice，andthejudgesreturnedtothatofseriatimopinions，andpracticeithabituallytothisday，Ibelieve。
Iamnotacquaintedwiththelatereporters，donotpossessthem，andstatethefactfromtheinformationofothers。TocomenowtoourselvesIknownothingofwhatisdoneinotherstates，butinthisourgreatandgoodMr。Pendletonwas，aftertherevolution，placedattheheadofthecourtofAppeals。HeadoredLd。Mansfield，&
consideredhimasthegreatestluminaryoflawthatanyagehadeverproduced，andheintroducedintothecourtoverwhichhepresided，Mansfield’spracticeofmakingupopinionsinsecret&deliveringthemastheOraclesofthecourt，inmass。JudgeRoane，whenhecametothatbench，brokeupthepractice，refusedtohatchjudgments，inConclave，ortoletothersdeliveropinionsforhim。AtwhattimetheseriatimopinionsceasedinthesupremeCourtoftheUS。，Iamnotinformed。TheycontinuedIknowtotheendofthe3dDallasin1800。LaterthanwhichIhavenoReporterofthatcourt。AboutthattimethepresentC。J。cametothebench。WhetherhecarriedthepracticeofMr。Pendletontoit，orwho，orwhenIdonotknow；butI
understandfromothersitisnowthehabitofthecourt，&Isupposeittruefromthecasessometimesreportedinthenewspapers，andotherswhichIcasuallysee，whereinIobservethattheopinionswereuniformlypreparedinprivate。Someofthesecasestoohavebeenofsuchimportance，ofsuchdifficulty，andthedecisionssogratingtoaportionofthepublicastohavemeritedthefullestexplanationfromeveryjudgeseriatim，ofthereasonswhichhadproducedsuchconvictionsonhismind。Itwasinterestingtothepublictoknowwhetherthesedecisionswerereallyunanimous，ormightnotperhapsbeof4。against3。andconsequentlyprevailingbythepreponderanceofonevoiceonly。TheJudgesholdingtheirofficesforlifeareundertworesponsibilitiesonly。1。Impeachment。2。Individualreputation。Butthispracticecompleatlywithdrawsthemfromboth。
Fornobodyknowswhatopinionanyindividualmembergaveinanycase，noreventhathewhodeliverstheopinion，concurredinithimself。
Betheopinionthereforeeversoimpeachable，havingbeendoneinthedarkitcanbeprovedonnoone。Astothe2dguarantee，personalreputation，itisshieldedcompleatly。Thepracticeiscertainlyconvenientforthelazy，themodest&theincompetent。Itsavesthemthetroubleofdevelopingtheiropinionmethodicallyandevenofmakingupanopinionatall。Thatofseriatimargumentshewswhethereveryjudgehastakenthetroubleofunderstandingthecase，ofinvestigatingitminutely，andofforminganopinionforhimself，insteadofpinningitonanother’ssleeve。Itwouldcertainlyberighttoabandonthispracticeinordertogivetoourcitizensoneandall，thatconfidenceintheirjudgeswhichmustbesodesirabletothejudgesthemselves，andsoimportanttothecementoftheunion。DuringtheadministrationofGenl。Washington，andwhileE。
RandolphwasAttorneyGeneral，hewasrequiredbyCongresstodigestthejudiciarylawsintoasingleone，withsuchamendmentsasmightbethoughtproper。HepreparedasectionrequiringtheJudgestogivetheiropinionsseriatim，inwriting，toberecordedinadistinctvolume。Otherbusinesspreventedthisbillfrombeingtakenup，anditpassedoff，butsuchavolumewouldhavebeenthebestpossiblebookofreports，andthebetter，asunincumberedwiththehiredsophismsandperversionsofCounsel。
Whatdoyouthinkofthestateofpartiesatthistime?Anopinionprevailsthatthereisnolongeranydistinction，thattherepublicans&Federalistsarecompleatlyamalgamatedbutitisnotso。Theamalgamationisofnameonly，notofprinciple。AllindeedcallthemselvesbythenameofRepublicans，becausethatofFederalistswasextinguishedinthebattleofNewOrleans。Butthetruthisthatfindingthatmonarchyisadesperatewishinthiscountry，theyrallytothepointwhichtheythinknextbest，aconsolidatedgovernment。Theiraimisnowthereforetobreakdowntherightsreservedbytheconstitutiontothestatesasabulwarkagainstthatconsolidation，thefearofwhichproducedthewholeoftheoppositiontotheconstitutionatit’sbirth。HencenewRepublicansinCongress，preachingthedoctrinesoftheoldFederalists，andthenewnick-namesofUltrasandRadicals。ButI
trusttheywillfailunderthenew，astheoldname，andthatthefriendsoftherealconstitutionandunionwillprevailagainstconsolidation，astheyhavedoneagainstmonarchism。Iscarcelyknowmyselfwhichismosttobedeprecated，aconsolidation，ordissolutionofthestates。Thehorrorsofbotharebeyondthereachofhumanforesight。
Ihavewrittenyoualongletter，andcommittedtoyouthoughtswhichIwoulddotofewothers。IfIamright，youwillapprovethem；ifwrong，commiseratethemasthedreamsofaSuperannuateaboutthingsfromwhichheistoderiveneithergoodnorharm。Butyouwillstillreceivethemasaproofofmyconfidenceintherectitudeofyourmindandprinciples，ofwhichIprayyoutoreceiveentireassurancewiththatofmycontinuedandgreatfriendshipandrespect。
RELIGIONANDTHEUNIVERSITY
_ToDr。ThomasCooper_
_Monticello，November2，1822_
DEARSIR，——YourfavorofOctoberthe18thcametohandyesterday。Theatmosphereofourcountryisunquestionablychargedwithathreateningcloudoffanaticism，lighterinsomeparts，denserinothers，buttooheavyinall。Ihadnoidea，however，thatinPennsylvania，thecradleoftolerationandfreedomofreligion，itcouldhavearisentotheheightyoudescribe。ThismustbeowingtothegrowthofPresbyterianism。TheblasphemyandabsurdityofthefivepointsofCalvin，andtheimpossibilityofdefendingthem，rendertheiradvocatesimpatientofreasoning，irritable，andpronetodenunciation。InBoston，however，anditsneighborhood，Unitarianismhasadvancedtosogreatstrength，asnowtohumblethishaughtiestofallreligioussects；insomuchthattheycondescendtointerchangewiththemandtheothersects，thecivilitiesofpreachingfreelyandfrequentlyineachothers’meeting-houses。InRhodeIsland，ontheotherhand，nosectarianpreacherwillpermitanUnitariantopollutehisdesk。InourRichmondthereismuchfanaticism，butchieflyamongthewomen。Theyhavetheirnightmeetingsandprayingparties，where，attendedbytheirpriests，andsometimesbyahen-peckedhusband，theypourforththeeffusionsoftheirlovetoJesus，intermsasamatoryandcarnal，astheirmodestywouldpermitthemtousetoamereearthlylover。InourvillageofCharlottesville，thereisagooddegreeofreligion，withasmallspiceonlyoffanaticism。Wehavefoursects，butwithouteitherchurchormeeting-house。Thecourt-houseisthecommontemple，oneSundayinthemonthtoeach。Here，EpiscopalianandPresbyterian，MethodistandBaptist，meettogether，joininhymningtheirMaker，listenwithattentionanddevotiontoeachothers’preachers，andallmixinsocietywithperfectharmony。ItisnotsointhedistrictswherePresbyterianismprevailsundividedly。Theirambitionandtyrannywouldtoleratenorivaliftheyhadpower。Systematicalingraspingatanascendencyoverallothersects，theyaim，liketheJesuits，atengrossingtheeducationofthecountry，arehostiletoeveryinstitutionwhichtheydonotdirect，andjealousatseeingothersbegintoattendatalltothatobject。Thediffusionofinstruction，towhichthereisnowsogrowinganattention，willbetheremoteremedytothisfeveroffanaticism；whilethemoreproximateonewillbetheprogressofUnitarianism。Thatthiswill，erelong，bethereligionofthemajorityfromnorthtosouth，Ihavenodoubt。
InouruniversityyouknowthereisnoProfessorshipofDivinity。Ahandlehasbeenmadeofthis，todisseminateanideathatthisisaninstitution，notmerelyofnoreligion，butagainstallreligion。OccasionwastakenatthelastmeetingoftheVisitors，tobringforwardanideathatmightsilencethiscalumny，whichweighedonthemindsofsomehonestfriendstotheinstitution。
Inourannualreporttothelegislature，afterstatingtheconstitutionalreasonsagainstapublicestablishmentofanyreligiousinstruction，wesuggesttheexpediencyofencouragingthedifferentreligioussectstoestablish，eachforitself，aprofessorshipoftheirowntenets，ontheconfinesoftheuniversity，sonearasthattheirstudentsmayattendthelecturesthere，andhavethefreeuseofourlibrary，andeveryotheraccommodationwecangivethem；preserving，however，theirindependenceofusandofeachother。Thisfillsthechasmobjectedtoours，asadefectinaninstitutionprofessingtogiveinstructionin_all_usefulsciences。