Thomas Jefferson's letter to the Danbury Baptist Association

This is, according to those who want a greater influence of Christianity over all Americans, "the letter," the one that some assert was only intended to quell the concerns of this group, and that President Jefferson was just humoring them. I post not only the letter, to which I'm including the portion deleted [in brackets] as found in "Jefferson and Madison on Separation of Church and State," by Lenni Brenner, plus, in the next post, the letter Jefferson wrote to Attorney General Levi Lincoln the same day. According to the text of Jefferson and Madison, Historians presume that Lincoln told Jefferson to delete this passage; as this is the only reference I've seen, I will leave it at Mr. Brenner's assertion, for you to believe or disbelieve as you see fit.

The affectionate Sentiments of esteem and approbation which you are so good as to express towards me, on behalf of the Danbury Baptist Association, give me the highest satisfaction. My duties dictate a faithful and zealous pursuit of the interests of my constituents, and in proportion as they are persuaded of my fidelity to those duties, the discharge of them becomes more and more pleasing.
Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American People which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church and State. [Congress thus inhibited from acts respecting religion, and the Executive authorised (sic) only to execute their acts, I have refrained from prescribing even those occasional performances of devotion, practiced indeed by the Executive of another nation as the legal head of its church, but subject here, as religious exercises only to the voluntary regulations and discipline of each respective sect.] Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties.
I reciprocate your kind prayers for the protection and blessing of the common Father and Creator of man, and tender you for yourselves and your religious association, assurance of my high respect and esteem.