Once again I will be posting a quote from THE TRAIL OF BLOOD by J. M. Carroll.  This is from pages 51 & 52.  This is good information.

“21. We venture to give one early Congressional incident.  The question of whether the United States should have an established church or several established churches, or religious liverty, was being discussed.  Several different bills had been offered, one recommending the Church of England as the established church; and another the Congregationalist Church, and yet another the Presbyterian.  The Baptists, many of them, though probably none of them members of Congress, were earnestly contending for absolute religious liberty.  James Madison (afterwards President) seemingly was their main supporter.  Patrick Henry arose and offered a substitute bill for them all, ‘That four churches (or denominations) instead of one be established” — the Church of England, or Episcopal, Congregationalist, Presbyterian, and the Baptist.  Finally when each of the others saw that IT could not be made the sole established church, they each agreed to accept Henry’s compromise. (This compromise bill stated that each person taxed would have the right to say to which denomination of these four his money should go.)  The Baptists continued to fight against it all, that any combination of Church and State was against their fundamental principles, that they could not accept it even if voted.  Henry pleaded with them, said he was trying to help them, that they could not live without it, but they still protested.  The vote was taken–it carried nearly unanimously.  But the measure had to be voted on three times.  The Baptists, led by Madison and possibly others continued to fight.  The second vote came.  It also carried almost unanimously, swept by Henry’s masterful eloquence.  But the third vote had yet to be taken.  Now God seemingly intervened.  Henry was made Governor of Virginia and left Congress.  When the third vote came, deprived of Henry’s  irresistible eloquence, the vote was lost.’

‘Thus the Baptists came near being an established denomination over their own  most solemn protest.  This is not the only opportunity the Baptist ever had of becoming established by law, but is probably the nearest they ever came to it”

My how we should be grateful for our forefather’s who were wise in seeing the danger of being an established State Church.  This Nation would have been back to what many of the forefather’s of this Nation had fled.