The daily gazette., 1879-07-25
"POOR RICHARDS" RELIGION.
THOMAS HUGHES ON FRANKLIN's RE-
LIGIOUS BELIEF.

THOMAS HUGHES ON FRANKLIN's RE- |
LIGIoUs BELIEF.
Thomas Hughes writes thus in the
Contemporary Rerieo:--
The prejudice against Franklin on re-
ligious grounds is more ineligible, bu.
quite as unreasonable. He was suspect
ed of being free thinke-, and was pro-
fessedly philosopher and man of science;
he was friend of Tom Paine and other
dreadful persons; he had actually pub
lished An Abridgment of the Church
Prdycr-book, dedicated to the serious and
discerning, by the use Of which he had
the audacity to suppose that religion
would be fuithered, unanimity increas-
ed, and more frequent attendance on
the worship of God secured. Any one
of these charges was sufficient to ruin
mans religious reputation in respectable
England of the last generation, but it is
high time that amends were made in
these days. Let us glance at the real
facts. AS boy, Franklin had the dis
ease which all thoughtful boys have to
pass through, and puzzled himself with
speculations as to the attributes of God
and the existence of evil, which landed
him to the conclusion that nothing
could possibly be wrong in the world,
and that vice and virtue were empty dis
tinctions. These views he published at
the ma ure age of nineteen, but became
disguised with them almost Immediate
ly, and abandoned metaphysics for other
more sa isfactory studies. Living in the
eighteenth century, when happiness was
held to be sour beings's end and aim,"
he seems to have now conformed to that
popular belief; but as he came also to
The conclusion that ''the felicity of life"
was to be attained through "truth, sim
cerity, and integrity in dealings between
man and man," and acted up to his con-
clusion, no great objection from a moral
or ,liglous standpoint can be taken to
this stage of his development.
At the age of twenty-five he composed
a little liturgy for his own use, which he
| fell back on when the sermons Of the
ministers of the only Presbyterian
church in Philadelphia had driven him
from attendance at Chapel. He did not,
however, long remain unattached, and
after his marriage joined the Church Ol
England, in which he remained till the
end of his life. What his sentiments
were in middle life may be gathered
from his advice to his daughter on the
eve of his third departure for England
-"Go constantly to church whoever
breaches. The act of devotion in the
Common Prayer-book is your principle
business there, ard If properly attended
to will do more towards amending the
heart than sermons. L do not
mean you should daspise sermons, even
of the preachers you dislike, for the dis
course is often much better than the
man, as sweet and clean waters come
through very dirty earth. am the
more particular on this head as you
seemed to express some inclination to
leave our Church, which l would moi
have you do" AS an old man Of eighty
he reminded his colleagues of the Ma.
tional Convention Gin moving unsuccess
fully that there should be daily prayer:
before business) how IN the beginning
of the contest with Britain "we hat
daily prayers in this room.
, Do we imagine we no longer need assist
ance? l have lived now long time
and the longer live the more convinc
ing proofs Sc of this truth, that Coz
rules in the affairs of men." Later yet
in answer to President Yates, of TIN
Yale College, who had pressed him ol
the subject, he writes, at the age o
! eighty-four
Here is my creed Il believe in on
: God, the Creator of the universe tina
He governs it by His providence that n
ought to be worshipped that the mos
acceptable service we render Him is dc
ing good to His other children; that tn
! soul of man is immortal, and will b
s treated with justice IN ano Ler life re
j specting its conduct in this" These ar
. his Fundamentals" beyond which h
I believes that Christ's system of moral
: and religion is the best the world is eve
likely to see, though 1t has been mucl
corrupted. As to the ues.ion of Christ
s divinity, he will not dogmatize, "hIvin
ne ;er studied it, and thinking it needles
I O busy IN, self with it now, when ex
q pect soon an opportunity of knowing III
d truth with less tr.uble." To anothe
!, fii nd he speaks with cheerful courag
a of death, which ~ shall submit to wit
. the |. IS regret as, having seen during
long | fe a good deal of this world, fee
Is a growing curiosity to be acquainte
r with some other, and can cheerful!
e with filial confidence, resign my spir
to the conduct of that great and goo
Parent of mankind who has SO graciousl
protected and prospered me from m
birth to the present hour" One mol
J, quotation we cannot resist it is his far
e we'll letter to his old friend David Har
n ley:- cannot quit the coasts of FL
j rope withouttaking leaveof my old frien'
:, We were long fellow-laborers III the be-
q of all works, the work of peace. lea,
q you sti in the field, but, having finishe
$! my days task, an going home to be-
If Wish me good nights rest, as do yo
a pleasant evening. Adieu, and belle,
g me yours most afiectionately,
6 B. FRANKLIN"
5
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