them from Philadelphia at a great expense, I thought it
would have been better to have built the house at
Philadelphia, and brought the children to it. This I
advised. But he was resolute in his first project, rejected
my counsel, and I therefore refused to contribute.

"I happened soon after to attend one of his sermons, in the
course of which I perceived he intended to finish with a
collection, and I silently resolved he should get nothing
from me. I had in my pocket a handful of copper money, three
or four silver dollars, and five pistoles in gold, (about
twenty-five dollars). As he proceeded I began to soften, and
concluded to give the copper; another stroke of his oratory
made me ashamed of that, and determined me to give the
silver; and he finished so admirably that I emptied my
pockets wholly into the collector's dish, gold and all.

"Some of Mr. Whitefield's enemies affected to suppose that
he would apply these collections to his own private
emolument. But I, who was intimately acquainted with him,
being employed in printing his sermons and journals, never
had the least suspicion of his integrity; but am to this day
decidedly of the opinion, that he was in all his conduct a
perfectly honest man; and methinks my testimony ought have
the more weight, as we had no religious connection. He used,
indeed, sometimes to pray for my conversion, but never had
the satisfaction of believing that his prayers were heard.
Ours was a friendship sincere on both sides, and lasted to
his death."[19]

[Footnote 19: "Autobiography of Franklin," as given by Sparks, p.
139.]

At one time Franklin wrote to Whitefield, in Boston, inviting him, as
he was about to come to Philadelphia, to make his house his home. The
devout preacher replied,

"If you make this offer for Christ's sake you will not lose your
reward."

Promptly the philosopher rejected any such motive, and rejoined,

"Do not be mistaken. It was not for Christ's sake I invited you, but
for your own sake."

In all the numerous letters, essays, and philosophical and religious
disquisitions of Franklin, we seldom, I think, find a sentiment
indicative of any high appreciation of the character of Jesus Christ;
or the debt of gratitude we owe to him, either for his teaching or for
his example. As Franklin discarded all idea of the Atonement,