rights of conscience

The constitutional declaration that "no human authority can control or interfere with the rights of conscience" refers to the right to worship the Supreme Being according to the dictates of the heart: to adopt any creed or hold any opinion on the subject of religion; and, for conscience sake, to do, or to forbear to do, any act not prejudicial to the public weal. Commonwealth v. Lesher,

Source: William C. Anderson, A Dictionary of Law (1893)