Franklin was not a member of the visible church, nor did he ever become the adherent of any sect. With the Unitarian creed Dr. Frank lin had more in common than with any other, though he was much too wise a man to sup pose that there was but one gate of admission to the Holy City.
Franklin made a somewhat more definite statement of his views on the subject of reli gion, in reply to an inquiry from President Styles of Yale College, who expressed a desire to know his opinion of Jesus of Nazareth. Franklin's reply was written the last year of his life, and in the 84th of his age: "You desire to know something of my reli gion. It is the first time I have been questioned upon it. But I cannot take your curiosity amiss, and shall endeavor in a few words to gratify it. Here is my creed. I believe in one God, the creator of the universe. That He governs it by His providence. That He ought to be wor shipped. That the most acceptable service we render to Him is doing good to His other chil dren. That the soul of man is immortal and will be treated with justice in another life re specting its conduct in this. These I take to be the fundamental points in 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 His sys tem of morals and His religion, as He left them to us, the best the world ever saw or is like 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; though 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 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 more observed; especially as I do not per ceive that the Supreme takes it amiss, by dis tinguishing the unbelievers in His government of the world with any peculiar marks of His displeasure.
"I shall only add, respecting myself, that, having experienced the goodness of that Being in conducting me prosperously through a long life, I have no doubt of its continuance in the next, though. without the smallest conceit of meriting such goodness. My sentiments on this head you will see in the copy of an old letter enclosed, which I wrote in answer to one from an old religionist whom I had relieved in a paralytic case by electricity, and who, being afraid I should grow proud upon it, sent me his serious though rather impertinent caution." See FRANKLIN'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY.
Bibliography.—A list of works by or re lating to Benjamin Franklin appeared in the Bulletin of the New York Public Library for January 1906; Ford, W. C., 'List of the Benja min Franklin Papers in the Library of Con gress' (Washington 1905) ; Ford, P. L., 'Franklin Bibliography: a List of Books writ ten by or relating to Benjamin Franklin> (Brooklyn 1889); 'Autobiography' (edited by John Bigelow, Philadelphia 1868); 'Life of Benjamin Franklin, written by Himself' (edited by Bigelow, rev. ed., ib., 1888) ; 'Complete works' (10 vols., edited by Bigelow, New York 1887-8.8); Mignet, F. A. M., 'Vie de Franklin' (Paris 1848) ; Parton, J., 'Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin> (New York 1867); Mc Master, J. B. 'Benjamin Franklin, as a Man of Letters' B., 1887); Hale, E. E. and E. E., Jr., 'Franklin in France' (ib. 1887-88); Morse, J. T., 'Benjamin Franklin> (ib. 1889) ; Ford, P. L. (edited), 'Sayings of Poor Rich ard' (New York 1890); Ford, P. L., 'The Many-Sided Franklin' (ib. 1899); Fisher, S. G., 'The True Benjamin Franklin) (Philadelphia 1899) ; Mere, P. E., 'Benjamin Franklin' (Boston 1900) ; Oswald, S. C., 'Benjamin Franklin, Printer' (1918).