In 1773, two years before the commencement of the Revolution, the Ministers and Elders of the Presbytery of Hanover inaugurated a movement for the "Separation of Church and State in Virginia," and during the twelve succeeding years, never relaxed their efforts until every law on the statute-book of that State which interfered with the religious rights of the people was swept away. Owing to the exciting incidents of that period - the Revolutionary contest - this remarkable episode in the progress of religious freedom was partially overlooked, and has since been only very briefly noticed by writers on the general history of the country.