Benjamin Franklin and His Religion

In a letter to Reverend Ezra Stiles, dated March 9, 1790, Benjamin Franklin dismissed any doubt as to his firm adherence to Deism as he gives what he calls "my Creed". Franklin lived less than a month after writing the letter having died on April 17, 1790, at the age of eighty-four.

Franklin writes, "I believe in one God, Creator of the Universe. That he governs it by his Providence. That he ought to be worshipped. That the most acceptable Service we render to him is doing so to his other Children. That the soul of Man is immortal, and will be treated with Justice in another Life respecting its Conduct in this. These I take to be the fundamental Principles of all sound Religion, and I regard them as you do in whatever Sect I meet with them.

"As to Jesus of Nazareth, my Opinion of whom you particularly desire, I think the System of Morals and his Religion, as he left them to us, the best the World ever saw or is likely to see; but I apprehend it has received various corrupting Changes, and I have, with most of the present Dissenters in England, some Doubts as to his Divinity; tho' it is a question I do not dogmatize upon, having never studied it, and think it needless to busy myself with it now, when I expect soon an Opportunity of knowing the Truth and with less Trouble. I see no harm, however, in its being believed, if that Belief has the good Consequence, as probably it has, of making his Doctrines more respected and better observed; especially as I do not perceive, that the Supreme takes it amiss, by distinguishing the Unbelievers in his Government of the World with any peculiar Marks of his Displeasure."

This extract was from "Benjamin Franklin: the autobiography and other writings" by L. Jesse Lemisch, publ. in 1961 by Signet Classics. This particular letter to Reverend Stiles is from "The Writings of Benjamin Franklin: Collected and Edited with a Life and Introduction", 10 vols. by Albert Henry Smyth, publ. in New York: 1905-1907. (Reverend Stiles was a Congregationalist and president of Yale College.)


posted by john d.