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"Ben Franklin"
Benjamin Franklin, Autobiography: Page 81
of 154
for Virtue, by forming the virtuous and good men of all nations into a regular
body, to be govern'd by suitable good and wise rules, which good and wise men
may probably be more unanimous in their obedience to, than common people are to
common laws.
"I at present think that whoever attempts this aright, and is well qualified,
can not fail of pleasing God, and of meeting with success. B. F."
Revolving this project in my mind, as to be undertaken hereafter, when my
circumstances should afford me the necessary leisure, I put down from time to
time, on pieces of paper, such thoughts as occurr'd to me respecting it. Most of
these are lost; but I find one purporting to be the substance of an intended
creed) containing, as I thought, the essentials of every known religion, and
being free of every thing that might shock the professors of any religion. It is
express'd in these words, viz.:
"That there is one God, who made all things.
"That he governs the world by his providence.
"That he ought to be worshiped by adoration, prayer, and thanksgiving.
"But that the most acceptable service of God is doing good to man.
"That the soul is immortal.
"And that God will certainly reward virtue and punish vice either here or
hereafter."(9)
My ideas at that time were, that the sect should be begun and spread at first
among young and single men only; that each person to be initiated should not
only declare his assent to such creed, but should have exercised himself with
the thirteen weeks' examination and practice of the virtues) as in the
before-mention'd model; that the existence of such a society should he kept a
secret, till it was become considerable, to prevent solicitations for the
admission of improper persons, but that the members should each of them search
among his acquaintance for ingenuous, well-disposed youths, to whom, with
prudent caution, the scheme should be grad ually communicated; that the members
should engage to afford their advice, assistance, and support to each other in
promoting one another's interests, business, and advancement in life; that, for
distinction, we should be call'd The Society of the Free and Easy: free, as
being, by the general practice and habit of the virtues, free from the dominion
of vice; and particularly by the practice of industry and frugality, free from
debt, which exposes a man to confinement, and a species of slavery to his
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