Next, Madison prefaced his Remonstrance with a short preamble referencing the postponement of the bill. After which, Virginians arrived at the conclusion contained in the document. Madison purposefully used the term We the subscribers, instead of I. This indicated he was speaking on behalf of the entire Virginian population rather than just himself and as a result, strengthened his statements because it showed popular opinion supported Madisons own beliefs. Furthermore, it emphasized he was writing as a representative of the people, which was an important element of self-government that was valued at the time. In the preamble, Madison stated his overarching claim that if the bill became a law, it would be a dangerous abuse of power. As such, he proclaimed all faithful members of a free state were bound to protest it. Even while he made an argument for the disestablishment of religion, he called on the faithful of Virginia to do it. Therefore, he assumed the audience were both Christian and devoted citizens. While he might have done this to play to his skeptical audience in order to gain political advantage, he also established the dual character of American life which was made relevant in his later arguments about where religion fit among the duties of Civil Society.
Madison then defended his claim. First, he reminded the legislature of its own laws by restating a quote from the Virginia Declaration of Rights procl
aiming it was a fundamental and undeniable truth that religion can be directed only by reason and conviction, not by force or violence. Second, he implied a link between Virginias laws and the truths of the Declaration of Independence by using language such as fundamental and undeniable truth. Thus, his argument that every man had the right to exercise religious freedom was convincing because he had already established common principles most Americans at that time would agree with. Madison also stated the free exercise of religion was not only a right, but this right is in its nature an unalienable right as well. This was because man was born in a natural state of freedom. If man was truly created free, his freedom included the mind too. Therefore, no man dictated the reason of another man and since conscience was directed by reason, no man could determine another mans freedom of conscience either. Furthermore, stated Madison, it was unalienable because there exists a divine duty towards the Creator and every man decided for himself what was acceptable to him in discharging that duty. In effect, Madison implied people should only pay homage based on what they saw fit. Therefore, if a tax was required but did not match a mans own individual convictions, it violated his unalienable rights. Furthermore, it undermined religion because when a person was forced to do something, instead of choosing it, belief was devalued.