"It was under a solemn consciousness of the dangers from ecclesiastical ambition, the bigotry of spiritual pride, and the intolerance of sects... that is was deemed advisable to exclude from the national government all power to act upon the subject"

This quote by Joseph Story speaks to the dangers of religious disturbance in government. He is cautioning against the aspiration of religious leaders, the pride of spiritual groups, and the intolerance of various sects. He believes that it is necessary to keep the federal government separate from spiritual matters in order to safeguard the nation from the possible damage that could originate from religious disturbance. He is advocating for a separation of church and state, so that the federal government can stay neutral and unbiased when it pertains to spiritual matters. This quote is a suggestion of the significance of keeping the federal government and religion separate, in order to protect the nation from the prospective dangers of religious disturbance.