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Thefe are invincible prejudices to an uniformity of faith The effects of education, the ideas inftilled into the human mind, during infancy and youth, thofe religious defcriptions which infpire the imagination with awful terrors, the cuftomary practice of adoration, the fanction of feif-love in behalf of received dogmas, a thousand acts of virtue practifed by fincere believers in a particular faith; all these may inevitably detain the moft righteous and just men in the religion of their fathers, although it may be mingled with error.

The fage himself, who by means of the activity of his mind, and the force of his reflections, raifes himself, while he implores the divine affiftance, above vulgar ideas and popular fuperftitions, only floats in the immenfity of eternal conceptions, and redefcends, with a holy fear, to the elements of his primitive faith; he does nothing more than feparate it from that impure mixture, by which fanaticifm, in his eyes, has evidently altered its venerable fimplicity. Undoubtedly, the indolence that precludes reflection, the animal paffions, the abufe of our faculties, may retain, or draw us, in refpe&t to religion, into thofe errors which are imputable to us. But it appertains to us, and to Him only, who reads the heart, and probes the thoughts, to mark them down for reprobation, and to punish them at the day of judgment.

Thofe actions alone, which are manifeftly contrary to the laws of univerfal morality, are fubmit ted to the infpection of men, and the fentence of fociety. The vicious, the base, the wicked, even when they profefs the true faith, are the enemies of humanity. The virtuous, the good, the bone

volent, even while their faith is erroneous, are the friends and the benefactors of mankind.

Such, Gentlemen, were the doctrines of the fage, whofe memory we are now doing honour to; and, if this were the place, it would be eafy to prove, as he himself has demonftrated, that the true fpirit of the gofpel confifts in indulgence, charity, brotherly love, concord, peace, and univerfal uni

ty.

Notwithstanding this, "out of the pale of Ca"tholic faith," fays one," there is no falvation "for mankind!"

This maxim is true, Gentlemen; but thofe who deduce from it the reprobation of all thofe whoare of a different religion, and a frightful intolerance towards nearly the whole human race, are fanatics and impoftors.

It is one of the avowed principles of the Catholic faith, that all those who strictly obferve the natural law, that is to fay, all virtuous men, appertain to the true church, and have Jefus Chrift, the light of fouls, for their master and inspector.

I pronounce this facred name with fo much more fatisfaction in this difcourfe, as Franklin was accustomed to invoke it with the most respectful awe. But those who do not know, and who "practise naturally," as the Apoftle fays, his divine law, fhall be judged after the teftimony of their own consciences, and arrive, by means of the miracles wrought through his grace, at the true light. Thus according to the principles of our religion, no one can pronounce upon the reprobation of a single man, because all men are in the hands of a Father who can, and who wishes to, fave all; he has exprefsly told us fo; and, al

though his justice may profcribe incorrigible finners, he has left to himself the final determination of their doom, that fo our hearts may not be tortured in regard to any of our brethren, who purfue along with us the paffage to eternity. A doctrine truly Catholic, which places all men in the communion of our love, and points out to us the fages of all the countries in the world who have done honour to their lives by a series of useful vir tues, and thus become the friends of God, and the adopted children of the univerfal church.

This religion of virtue, by which we are inftruct ed to love God and man, and which, according to the facred Scriptures, is the only one pure and fpotlefs, was vifible in the heart of Franklin, and in all his works.

He preached it in the inftructions which he com pofed, and which he printed at Philadelphia. He adorned them by means of a fimplicity, a plainnefs, and, at the fame time, an intelligence, a fenfibility, and a happy air of calmness and tranquility, which affected every bofom.. He excelled in thefe religi ous parables, of which the Scriptures furnish fo many amiable and fublime examples.

Permit me, Gentlemen, to quote one compofed by him against intolerance and perfecution. In it he describes, in the fame ftyle in which Genefis is written, the Patriarch Abraham exercifing hofpitality towards an old man, who refufes to join him in thanksgiving to the Almighty God, the Creator of heaven and earth.

The ftranger tells him, that he will not adore any one but the God of his own country, and that he will on no account participate in any other wor fhip. On this, the zeal of Abraham is kindled, he

pushes the man out of his tent, in the dead of night, and chafes him into the defert. In a fhort time, the voice of the Almighty is heard: "Abra"ham, where is the ftranger?" On this, Abraham replies "Lord, he refufed to adore thee, " and I chafed the infidel away!" And God faid "for one hundred four score and eighteen years "I have bore with this unbeliever; I have nou"rifhed and clothed him all this time, notwithઃઃ ftanding his rebellion against me, and yet thou, "who art thyfelf a finner, could not bear with "him for one night !"

On this, Abraham cried out-"I have finned, "O Lord! let not thy anger fall upon me!" And he arofe and ran to the defert; he fought the old man; he found him; he brought him to his tent; he treated him with kindnefs, and fent him away next morning with many prefents!

How much does this, Gentlemen, refemble the ftyle of the holy Scriptures! every perfon participates in the infpiration with which it is written; we are tempted to fearch the book of Genefis, and wish to believe that we fhall find it there! Another allegory, compofed by Franklin, and borrowed from the art which he exercifed, offers a convincing teftimony of his belief in the immortality of the foul, the purification of it in another life, and the refurrection of the body; Tallude to his epitaph, written by himfelf. How admirable, how fhort, and yet how full of fentiment, are the expreffions contained in every line; evangelic faith and religious hope are here evident, and they forcibly point out the end of life, and the prize of virtue.

*See page 162+

It was thus that Franklin, in his periodical works, which had prodigious circulation on the Continent of America, laid the facred foundations of focial morality. He was no lefs inimitable in the developement of the fame morality, when applied to the duties of friendship, general charity, the employment of one's time, the happiness attendant upon good works, the neceffary combination of private with public welfare, the propriety and neceflity of industry, and to that happy and blissful ftate which puts us at ease with fociety and with ourselves. The Proverbs of Old "Henry," and "Poor Richard," are in the hands both of the learned and the ignorant; they con tain the moft fublime morality, reduced to popular language and common comprehenfion, and form the catechifm of happiness for all mankind.

Franklin was too great a moralift, and too well acquainted with human affairs, not to perceive that women were the arbiters of manners. He ftrove to perfect their empire, and accordingly engaged them to adorn the fceptre of virtue with their graces. It is in their power to excite courage, to overthrow vice by means of their difdain, to kindle civifm, and to light up in every heart the holy love of our country.

His daughter, who was opulent, and honoured with the public efteem, helped to manufacture and to make up the clothing for the army with her own hands, and fpread abroad a noble emulation among the female citizens, who became eager to affift those by means of the needle and the fpindle, who were ferving the state with their fwords and their guns,

With the charm ever attendant upon true widom and the grace ever flowing from true fentiment,

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