The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1867-09-06
a CAPITAL LETTER.

We publish below letter from Jas.
f. Skunk, Esq, of York, Pa, to a reli
gious paper published at Cleveland, O.
hio. His anxious inquiries" are well
put, and will doubtless make the obi
ographer" of the Sunday-School book
"scratch his head" for an answer:
York, Pa, July 18th, 1867.
Editor Christian Standard: i observe
ina recent issue ofyour paper you COM
menced a Life of Abraham Lincoln
for the Sabbath school and Home cir
Gle" as book proper for your subscri-
berS to introduce into their families,
and you refer to "the moral and relig-
iOuS characteristic" of "the Great T.
mancipator" as of excellent and prof
table example to Christians. There is
nothing to indicate that you have a
pecuniary interest in the book, and it
is fair to presume that you have en-
deavored to speed its sale from an hon
cot belief that Its hero was follower
of Christ. On this assumption alone
can you escape the grave charge of hold
ing up the example Ofan unregenerate
man, wilfully and knowingly, for imi-
tation by young people and the emula-
ton of grown disciples. Since, there
fore, cannot, without peaching your
integrity and zeal for the Gospel, doubt
that you truly regard the late Mr.. Lin
coin as having been an eminent and adj
mirable example of devoted piety, |
shall really take it as kindness if you
will be pleased in an early number Of
the Standard to inform an anxious, in
quirer on what ground you rest an o.
piniOn of such grave consequence, and
which you avow with such boldness.
The inquiry is especially pertinent in
view of the fact that Mr.. Lincoln new
er made any profession Of faith in Christ
before the world, that he was never
buried with Him in baptism, and new
er partoOk of any of the ordinances or
shared any of the duties which he ap-
pointed for His disciples-and that
while others, since his unhappy death,
which took place in an edifice not com
monty regarded among Christians as
an anteroOm to Heaven, have made
large religious claims for him, he new
er in all his life made any for himself.
1t will be gratifying indeed, and Of
substantial service to the memory ofthe
late President, if you can, in the face
of these unpleasant facts, show that his
fee, we're planted on the Rock of Ages
and that his walk with God was close
and constant.
1t will be of especial comfort to the
unregenerate if you can make it plain
that the scripture which calls for faith,
repentance, baptism, and a godly life, as
the conditions of salvation, is obsolete,
and that there are broad and easy ways
to Heaven by which one may escape
the narrow and thorny path which leads
up to the door of Christ and which is
the only one of which the word of God
gives any account. And it Will GER
tainly tend to liberaIize society, loosen
the uneasy and conventional bands
which restrain the tongues of men from
smut, and promote general and bolster
Gus mirth, if a class of jokes Of which
his late EXcellency was notoriouSIy
fond and which are as yet confined to
bar-rooms or worse places, can be shown
to be proper studies for little boys and
girls in sunday school, and harmless
chat for Christian parents around the
winter fire.
write this note on my own behalf
as we'll as on that of sister of
the church who is subscriber to your
paper and a constant reader of it,
Please publish it in conjunction with
your answer. Respectfully yours,
JAS. +. SKUNK.
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