History is a tale, Franklin came to believe, not of immutable forces but of human endeavors.
This outlook clashed with some of the tenets of Calvinism, such as the essential depravity of man and the predestination of his soul, which Franklin would eventually abandon as he edged his way closer to the less daunting deism that became the creed of choice during the Enlightenment. Yet, there were many aspects of Puritanism that made a lasting impression, most notably the practical, sociable, community-oriented aspects of that religion.
-Walter Isaacson, Benjamin Franklin: An American Life
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