I've read through some of this, not all.
But the more I read these early American texts, the more I appreciate the Deist ideal. I am so glad that Deists established our country--and not Christians.
Quote from Franklin's Autobiography:
"Tho' I seldon attended any Public Worship, I had still an Opinion of its propriety, and of its utility, when rightly conducted, and I regularly paid my annual subscription for the Support of the only Presbyterian minister or Meeting we had in Philadelphia. He used to visit me sometimes as a friend, and admonish me to attend his Administrations, and I was now and then prevailed upon to do so, once for 5 Sundays successively. Had he been, in my opinion, a good preacher perhaps I would have continued, nothwithstanding the occasion I had for the Sunday's leisure in my Course of Study: but his Discourses were chiefly either polemic arguments, or explications of the peculiar doctrines of our sect, and were all to me very dry, uninteresting and unedifying, since not a single moral principle was inculcated or enforced, their Aim seeming to be rather to make us Presbyterians rather than good Citizens.
At length he took for his text that verse of the 4th chapter of Phillippians, "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, or of good report, if there be any virtue, or any praise, think on these things," and I imagined in a sermon on such a text, we could not miss of having some Morality. But he confined himself to five points only as meant by the Apostle, vis., 1. keeping holy the Sabbath day. 2. being dillgent in Reading the Holy Scriptures. 3. attending duly the public worship. 4. partaking of the Sacrament. 5. Paying a due respect to God's ministers.
These might be all good things, but as they were not the kind of good Things that I expected from that Text, I despaired of ever meeting with them from any other, was disgusted, and attended his preaching no more."
This message has been edited by robinrohan, 07-21-2005 11:26 PM
This message has been edited by robinrohan, 07-21-2005 11:28 PM
This message has been edited by robinrohan, 07-21-2005 11:30 PM
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