Benjamin Franklin: A Picture of the Struggles of Our Infant Nation One Hundred Years AgoAbbott, John S. C. (John Stevens Cabot)
History
Benjamin Franklin: A Picture of the Struggles of Our Infant Nation One Hundred Years Ago
Abbott, John S. C. (John Stevens Cabot)
Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790; Statesmen -- United States -- Biography
The book which Franklin thus prepared was entitled "Articles of
Belief, and Acts of Religion." His simple creed was that there was one
Supreme God who had created many minor gods; that the supreme God was
so great that he did not desire the worship of man but was far above
it.
The minor gods are perhaps immortal, and perhaps after the ages lapse
they are changed, others supplying their place. Each of these
subordinate gods has created for himself a sun with its planetary
system, over which he presides and from the inhabitants of which he
expects adoration. He writes,
"It is that particular wise and good God, who is the author
and owner of our system that I propose for the object of my
praise and adoration. It is to be inferred that this God is
not above caring for us, is pleased with our praise, and
offended when we slight him."
He then prepares an invocation to this god of our solar system. It is
founded on the style of the Psalms, but is immeasurably inferior to
most of those sublime utterances of the Psalmist of Israel. And still
the sentiments breathed were ennobling in their character; they proved
that Franklin was vastly superior to the thoughtless, reckless deists
who surrounded him, and that his soul was reaching forth and yearning
for higher and holier attainments. In this invocation, the whole of
which we cannot quote, he writes,
"O Creator! O Father! I believe that thou art good; and that
thou art pleased with the pleasure of thy children. Praised
be thy name forever. By thy power thou hast made the
glorious sun with his attending worlds. By thy wisdom thou
hast formed all things. Thy wisdom, thy power, and thy
goodness are everywhere clearly seen. Thou abhorrest in thy
creatures treachery and deceit, malice, revenge,
intemperance, and every other hurtful vice. But thou art a
lover of justice and sincerity, of friendship and
benevolence, and every virtue. Thou art my friend, my
father, and my benefactor. Praised be thy name; O God,
forever. Amen."
The prayer which followed, doubtless giving utterance to his most
inward feelings, is beautiful.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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