The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1874-04-16
Lincoln's Religious Belief.
Letter fron Ward n. Lamon 10 Hen
~ Ward Beschcr.

lcsIllOn my htscntlon vas DIRECTED TO 4 "Re
'iew Of the Life Lincoln, which appeared
IN the Christian Union, in July, 1872.
This paper was by many attributed to -FOUR
pen it certainly must have received your
editorial sanction.
do not conceal the fact that some of its
criticism touched me sharply bat deter
mined, after 20 little deliberaticn, that /.
WIS better to submit in silence to whatever
might be said or written of that biography.
To THE determination ! have heretofore ad.
hered very strictly, and may act very IN.
wisely in departing from it now. 1t hap
pens. however, that certain lectures deiiv-
cred by Mr. IIerndon, of Illinois, have re.
newed the discussions OF Mr.. Lincoln's re-
iigious belief /; incident to that discussion
some OF the bitteres' enemies of nv own
have taken occasion 10 renew their assaults
upon me for what my bore,t duty a. q
bi0grapher made it necessary for me to re.
cord IN regard to so irnpor,nn. an element
IN Mr.. Lineo,n's character.
They could have no connection with this
letter were it not that in tie assault upon
M character they have claimed the author
ity Of the Union to sustain one of their
most unjust charges. refer to tina. por-
ton Of the review which touches upon nv
own religious belief.
In your comment uFon that part Of hr
biography which treats Of SIR Lincoln.
religion, you say "A certain doubt ia
cast upon his argument hy the heartlpess OF
it. We cannot avoid an impression tina. an
ant Christian animus inspires him And
you Further say, GLOW irr was Lincoln a
man, he does not know, in that he
Goes not know y hat Lincoln was, nor wha,
religion IS" That did not know what
Mr.. Lincoln was must take leave to con-
tridIes with some emphasis /; chat / do
know What religion is, in the presence Of
80 many illus'rious failures to comprehend
lis true character, may be permitted to
doubt. Speaking Of Mr.. Lincoln in refer
ence to this feature Of lis character, *
press the decided opinion tina. he va. an
emlnentiy moral man, the symmetry Of his
conduct Ueing marrtG by the single biemisL
which gave to his conversation at times
some faint Of intecency, If not unchaste
II J.
my views upon the relations existing be-
tween the two characteristic, have no
ii.@c2lty in believing him 20 have been :,
moral man. Yet he was not q Chri,;ian.
lie possessed, j: is true, system Of faith
and worship, but it was one which orthodox
Christianity stigmatizes as false religion
The language employed in the orig inal Ms.
on this subject was somewhat Of this char
acter, viz:
II surely cannot be difficult matter to
determine whether n man who lived so re
Gently and famousl y was Christian or not.
IF lie was Christian lie mast have been
sincere, for sincerity is one Of the Christ m
virtues. and ii sincere he must ayailed him,
self Of the promises Of the Lord by pub.
lie profession Of his faith baptism in bis
name, and membership Of his Church.
Dil Mr.. Lincoln DO ths' No one IRE
tends tia; lie did, and those that maintain
that be was nevertheless Christian mu.t
hold HAT man may be a Christian and
not keep one of the plainest command.
ments that he may follow yet deny him
hat he may be ashamed to own hi, Re.
icemer and yet claim his interces-ion that
he may serve him acceptabiy forsaking
nothing. rrpent;ng nothing. When it i,
establish by the testimony Of the Christ
ian ministry tina. sinners may enter heaven
by a broad back gate like this, few will
think 1t worth while to continue in the
straight and narrow path prescribed by the
word OF God. They who would caaon,ze
Mr. Lincoln as q saint SHOULD pause and
rchcc, q brief moment upon the inca!eula-
them profess to love. The dedication OF
prOhigate Caesars vas shocking enough to
the moral sense Of decent heather, but
what is 10 become Of the Christian Church
when mere politicians, who never go much
as pretended 70 accept a siugl, one Of the
least important pFecepts, an thrust into
the highest places 10 the calendar Of saints'
This is sacr,legc. I have never assert
ell that Mr.. Lincoln was ekeptic lie
entertained the belief that the Holy Scrip
lures were not Of divine inspiration. On this
POINT his mind had reached a fi,ea and tn
al;era''e decision. lie was an in6'el. and
rested in his concl sous. Itwoud certain.
" have heen Pleasant to me to have clcsed
the chapters Of his biography without
touching upon his religions opinions: but
such an omission would have violated the
fundamental prime pie upon which every
line of the book was traced. Had It heen
possible to have sruthfully asserted that he
WAS a member OF the Church of Christ, or
that he believed in the teachings Of the
New Testament, the facts would have been
proclaimed with glow Of earnest and un-
feigned salts faction.
come now to complain Of the injustice
which you have done me personally when
Won say that, "the hea-tiness of his argu-
ments upon Mr.. Lincelns religion casts
certain doubt upon it. and leaves the i'm
preston tina, he was inspired by an anti
Christian animu.." Pardon me, mv danr
sir: although not protesting Christian
myself, may say tina. few men possess a
deeper venernti0n for the Christian religion
and all that the orthodox Church regards
"a sacred than the humble individual whom
you make the subject of yarr somewhat
severe criticism. ! nav not ALWAYS en-
p!ny the language which would best declare
my meaning, but when so many Yerv good
people in pious and loyal zenl sought to
make their idol land might say mine)
''evout and rigid Christian. deemed it
unjust to him and injurious to Christianity
itself to permit such an error to pass with
out cor, ectiou and fefutation