Founding father, yes, but politician still. It sounds like a hyperbole to make people think and then settle on something less extreme. To say that there is "no precept for doctrines, creeds" and so on is plain untrue. (Thanks, Mike in Norwalk for the great references.) His point that the divinity of Jesus has been used as a cover for hypocrisy, sure... but not every instance of a creed or confession or oath is hypocrisy. Just the opposite. Faithful Christians have spoken and still speak confessions and creeds and oaths and doctrine as legitimate, sincere expressions of their saving faith.