"The Faith you mention has doubtless its use in the World. I do not desire to see it diminished, nor would I endeavour to lessen it in any Man. But I wish it were more productive of good Works, than I have generally seen it: I mean real good Works, Works of Kindness, Charity, Mercy, and Publick Spirit; not Holiday-keeping, Sermon-Reading or Hearing; performing Church Ceremonies, or making long Prayers, filled with Flatteries and Compliments, despis'd even by wise Men, and much less capable of pleasing the Deity. The worship of God is a Duty; the hearing and reading of Sermons may be useful; but, if Men rest in Hearing and Praying, as too many do, it is as if a Tree should Value itself on being water'd and putting forth Leaves, tho' it never produc'd any Fruit."
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AphoristsEngineers from the United StatesFounding Fathers of the United States of AmericaElectrical engineersGovernors of Pennsylvania
Original Language: English
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Letter to Joseph Huey (6 June 1753); published in Albert Henry Smyth, The Writings of Benjamin Franklin, volume 3, p. 145thumb|Every Body cries, a Union (American Civil War)|Union is absolutely necessary, but when they come to the Manner and Form of the Union, their weak Noddles are perfectly distracted.
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Benjamin_Franklin
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Benjamin Franklin
1706 – 1790
US-amerikanischer Staatsmann, Naturwissenschaftler und Schriftsteller
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