Religious test

The Test Act of 1673 in England obligated all persons filling any office, civil or military, to take oaths of supremacy and allegiance, to subscribe to a declaration against transubstantiation, and to receive the sacrament within three months of taking office.

The oath for the Test Act of 1673 was:

In 1678 the act was extended thus:

Following is a sequential list of Religious Tests, along with clauses from State constitutions about them in the United States during the founding period:

1. From the CONSTITUTION of NEW JERSEY, 1776: "that there shall be no establishment of any one religious sect in this province, in preference to another; and that no Protestant inhabitant of this colony shall be denied the enjoyment of any civil right, merely on account of his religious principles; but that all persons, professing a belief in the faith of any Protestant sect, who shall demean themselves peaceably under the government, as hereby established, shall be capable of being elected into office of profit or trust, or being a member of either branch of the legislature........." In 1844, new constitution changes language to read: "there shall be no establishment of one religious sect in preference to another; no religious test shall be required as a qualification for any office or public trust; and no person shall be denied the enjoyment of any civil right merely on account of his religious principles"

2. From the CONSTITUTION of PENNSYLVANIA, 1776: "that all men have a natural and unalienable right to worship almighty god according to the dictates of their own consciences and understanding: nor can any man, who acknowledges the being of a god, be justly deprived or abridged of any civil right as a citizen, on account of his religious sentiments of peculiar mode of religious worship......." "and each member, before he takes his seat, shall make and subscribe the following declaration, viz: "I do believe in one god, the creator and governor of the universe, the rewarder of the good and the punisher of the wicked, and I do acknowledge the scriptures of the old and new testament to be given by divine inspiration" In 1790 and then again in 1838, 1873, constitutions add language to read: "that no person, who acknowledges the being of a god and a future state of rewards and punishments, shall on account of his religious sentiments, be disqualified to hold any office or place of trust or profit under this commonwealth" In 1790, 1838 & 1873 no direct constitutional language involving religious test can be found.

3. From the CONSTITUTION of DELAWARE, 1776: "every person who shall be chosen a member of either house, or appointed to any office or place of trust, before taking his seat, or entering upon the execution of his office, shall take the following oath, or affirmation, if conscientiously scrupulous of taking an oath, to wit: I, A.B., do profess faith in god the father, and in Jesus Christ his only son, and in the holy ghost, one god, blessed for evermore; and I do acknowledge the holy scriptures of the old and new testament to be given by divine inspiration" In 1792, 1831 and 1897, new constitutions remove previous test and adds language to read: "no religious test shall be required as a qualification to any office, or public trust, under this state"

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