Observations on “The Two Sons of Oil” (LF ed.)

Observations on “The Two Sons of Oil” was written in 1811 in response to the Reverend Samuel B. Wylie’s work, The Two Sons of Oil, , Wylie pointed out what he considered to be deficiencies in the constitutions of both Pennsylvania and the United States and declared them to be immoral. Findley’s response to Wylie’s criticisms in Observations showed that it was neither the purpose nor the design of the United States government to have a federal religion and a federal creed.

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In a broader sense the book is also a passionate defense of a civil government guided by moral principles that allow for essential freedoms. Findley’s defense of religious liberty and the American constitutions affords a grand window through which to view early American understanding about the relationship between politics and faith and why it is essential for both liberty and piety to resist any attempt to unite government and Church.

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Citation

Observations on “The Two Sons of Oil”, Containing a Vindication of the American Constitutions, and Defending the Blessings of Religious Liberty and Toleration, against the Illiberal Strictures of the Rev. Samuel B. Wylie, edited and with an introduction by John Caldwell (Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 2007).

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James Madison (Author)

A key architect of the First Amendment, Madison defended freedom of conscience as an inalienable right. Like Findley, he also argued government should not enforce sectarian beliefs.
John Witherspoon (Author)

A Presbyterian minister and signer of the Declaration of Independence, Witherspoon wrestled with balancing theology and republican governance. His thought shows the tensions that Findley and Wylie were trying to resolve from different angles.
David Ramsay (Author)

A historian and politician, Ramsay reflected on republican experiments in terms of civic virtue. Offers context for the civic anxieties about dissent and order that framed the Wylie–Findley debate.

Key Quotes

Religion & Toleration

All who are acquainted with the nature of government, must at once see the absurdity of considering civil government, and the government of the church of Christ, as different branches of the same government. In all free governments, the governing power is separated into different departments or…

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Critical Responses

Book

Agreeing to Disagree: How the Establishment Clause Protects Religious Diversity and Freedom of Conscience

Nathan S. Chapman & Michael W. McConnell

A modern legal and historical defense of religious pluralism, this acclaimed book reframes the Establishment Clause as a vehicle for protecting diversity—echoing many of the concerns Findley raised about imposing religious uniformity.

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Connected Readings

Book

The Two Sons of Oil

Samuel B. Wylie

Start with the original text that prompted Findley’s rebuttal. Wylie’s work advocates for a government bound to Christian principles and claims dissenters cannot, in good conscience, obey a secular constitution. Comparing it directly with Findley’s response offers rich insight into early American…

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What to read next.

Religious Liberty and the American Founding: Natural Rights and the Original Meanings of the First Amendment Religion Clauses

Vincent Phillip Muñoz

Muñoz presents a natural-rights framework explaining how the Founders viewed religious liberty as inalienable. Drawing from state constitutions, ratification debates, and the First Amendment’s drafting, he argues for a minimalist church–state jurisprudence that emphasizes authority residing with…

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