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Franklin, Benjamin

"Philadelphia 1726-1757"

_It would, to be sure, because he comes to them for their
good._
_S._ And if the _Turks_, believing us in the wrong, as we think
them, should out of the same charitable Disposition, send a
Missionary to preach _Mahometanism_ to us, ought we not in the same
manner to give him free Liberty of preaching his Doctrine?
T. _It may be so; but what would you infer from that?_
_S._ I would only infer, that if it would be thought reasonable
to suffer a _Turk_ to preach among us a Doctrine diametrically
opposite to _Christianity_, it cannot be reasonable to silence one of
our own Preachers, for preaching a Doctrine exactly agreeable to
_Christianity_, only because he does not perhaps zealously propagate
all the Doctrines of an old _Confession_. And upon the whole, though
the _Majority_ of the Synod should not in all respects approve of Mr.
_H_'s Doctrine, I do not however think they will find it proper to
condemn him. We have justly deny'd the Infallibility of the _Pope_
and his _Councils_ and _Synods_ in their Interpretations of
Scripture, and can we modestly claim _Infallibility_ for our selves
or our _Synods_ in our way of Interpreting? Peace, Unity and Virtue
in any Church are more to be regarded than Orthodoxy. In the present
weak State of humane Nature, surrounded as we are on all sides with
Ignorance and Error, it little becomes poor fallible Man to be
positive and dogmatical in his Opinions.


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