Colonial America
Original 1745 Benjamin Franklin Historic Religious Imprint
(Benjamin Franklin, Printer) 1745-Dated, “The Confession of Faith...,” PHILADELPHIA: Pinted and Sold by B. FRANKLIN, M.DCC.XLV.” With “B. FRANKLIN” name on the title page, Very Fine.
This historic Imprint is fully entitled, “The Confession of Faith, Agreed upon by the Assembly of Divines at Westminster, With the Assistance of Comissioners From the Church of Scotland,...” Printed by Benjamin Franklin, 144 pages, measuring 6.75” x 4.25” with a Full Title Page with his imprinted name at bottom. Some pages have minor tears or tone and scattered stains, still fully readable and clear. This is one of the eight major separate imprints by Benjamin Franklin that together comprise the composite book entitled, “Westminster Confession of Faith, the Larger and Shorter Catechisms, with the Scripture Proofs at Large Together with the Sum of Saving Knowledge (Contained in the Holy Scriptures, and held forth in the said Confession and Catechisms) and Practical Use thereof; Covenants National and Solemn League, Acknowledgment of Sins and Engagements to Duties, Directories, Form of Church Government, &c. of Public-Authority in the Church of Scotland. With Acts of Assembly and Parliament, relative to, and approbative of the same. Philadelphia: Printed and Sold by B. Franklin, 1745.” That combined complete volume contained 567 pages with an additional 24 unnumbered pages that are comprising "A Table of the Chief Matters Contained in the Confession of Faith and Larger Catechisms."

The pages measure about 6.75” x 4.25” (Octavo), disbound, the title page nice and clear, boldly printed upon proper laid period paper. Printed by Benjamin Franklin on his historic, famous press in Philadelphia and an excellent example of a circulating religious tract of the early Colonial Era in America.
Benjamin Franklin was commissioned by the Philadelphia Synod to print this edition of the Westminster Confession of Faith. The “Synod of the Trinity,” was founded as the Synod of Philadelphia in 1717. After the Presbytery of New Brunswick was expelled from the Synod in 1741 during a major division in the Church. Jonathan Dickinson left the Synod in 1745 to form the Synod of New York. An advocate of the Great Awakening, Dickinson founded a seminary that later became Princeton University. The first American publication of the Confession, with the larger catechism and brief summary of Christian Doctrine added, was done in Boston, by S. Kneeland for D. Henchman in 1723, from Rothwell's London edition of 1658. [Benjamin Franklin, as printer] used as his copy text, the Thomas Lumisden of John Robertson edition of Edinburgh, 1728, which with its completed 'canon' and accurate texts based on William Dunlop's edition of 1719 which represented the norm of Scottish editions. (Miller). See: Miller, Benjamin Franklin's Philadelphia Printing, page 371. Sabin, 15445.