FOREWORD The writer of the following pages is not a historian. One who takes up this book thinking to find a specimen of the work of the professional will be disappointed. It was written for pure pleasure in the hours stolen from the crowded days of a large and active parish. If it gives to any reader a shadow of the quiet delight that the composition of it has produced, it has fulfilled its mission. A word should be said about the reason for its undertaking. As a graduate of the university that Benjamin Franklin founded, and saturated with traditions about him, I had more than ordinary interest in his personality. There formed gradually in my mind a wonder as to what sort of religion he might have had. The casual friend to whom the religion of Benjamin Franklin was mentioned generally replied that he didn't know that Franklin had any religion. I could not believe, however, that the autobiography with its frequent references to moral standards and expressions of confidence in God could grow from a wholly irreligious soil. About this time I had the good fortune to be introduced to a private library so rich in Franklin material that I could not resist the inclination to give more time to pursue my question as to what sort of religion, if any, this great national character had. If the result has any merit it is largely due to the unimaginable wealth of material to which I have had access and to the friendly guidance and assistance of Mr. W. S. Mason in whose library most of the work has been done. I am greatly indebted also to Mr. Theodore W. Koch, librarian at Northwestern University, and to Mr. George Simpson Eddy of New York, who have read the manuscript and made suggestions that have added to the value of the work. If the book has any claim to attention it is due to the fact that it is the first attempt to deal at any length with this aspect of Franklin's character and also that it has had the advantage of practically all known and much hitherto little known and unpublished material. J. M. S. |