, 1879-05-11
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
HE WAS NOT AN 1NF1pEL.
Tn the Editor af The Tribune

fHE Editor a. lA< 1ftOuHc-
CHICAGO, May 10-1n THE TRIBUNE of last
Sunday morning correspondent says Aofa-
ham Lincoln was undoubtedly an inhdcl."
In the light OF facts accessible to all who seek
and try to tell the truth, it is difficult to believe
the w,itef of such statement to be candid anu
sincere -.
Lincoln was one OF the most reverent Chris
tians WHO ever filled the Executive CHAIR not
excepting Washington. few wcll-known 1acts
will prove this.
When he left Springfield for the National
Capitol he "begged his friends to pray thathe
might receive Divine assistance, Wltaoni & %nsn'
cess is certain." Declarations OF his trust 10
God, bis belief in the efficacy OF PRAYER, und
q special Providence pcrVaue ms state papeIs'
letters, and speeches. might verify TINS slate-
meut bv pages Of quotations; but his reply to
the. negroes Of Baltimore, who in the summer
of 1864. the last year OF his life, presented nm
with q magnificent Bible as token o. their
love and Gratitude, ought to silence forever
those who charge him with inflclity. He con
cludcd his speech to them with the 1ollo"ne
emphatic and comprehensive words:
In reeard to the Great Book have only to say
Tint it is the best siltwhich God has given to man.
All the good from tne SAVIOR OF the @ worla M Is % eom
we could not know right from "rons AT taose
things desirable to man are contained IN IT, re.
turn you my sincere THANKS 1or tals very eIesant
COPY ct the Great Book of God which you present.
itis not necessary to prove that Lincoln was
man Of truth, who meant what he said, ailu II
there is in the language more explicit 1eclara-
ton that the Bible is the word Of God. The
Book of God" and the "bcst git = dc has given
to man. know not where to find It. Like many
others. Mr. Lincoln in early life passed through
| a neriod of doubt and unbelief, and he gave ex-
preston to his doubts; but in his r7pened ]udg-
| ment be became u firm believer Ia the blb'e as
the word of God. do not mean that ne oe-
| ljeved in the verbal inspiration OF every sen.
| tence but in the sense in which Dean Stanley
and most intelligent Christians believe the
| Bible to be the word Of God, he lived and died a
! firm believer.
ing bis religious views in 1851, 2 few months
befure his death. Eiuian W. Edwards, who
| married Mrs. Lincoln's sister, and whose aoso-
| Into truth h[ulness needs no Endorsement, SPEAK
ing of conversation between himself and Alr.
latter's election to the Presidency declares Mr.
| Lincoln said: II am now convinced OF the
! truth Of the Christian religion" ..-.
| Noah Brooks declares, 1act Known 70 many
of hr, Lincon's intimate friends, that alter ne
went to the Whtte-House, 'he kept up the
habit OF daily prayer"
Testimony corroborating the above could be
| added TO almost any extent. I will quote from
| VERY many similar expressions in MS speecnes
| aud writings one other paragraph. On tue os1
OF Nav, 1852, committee OF the General Synod
| Of the Iutherans called upon him ut the White
House, and in reply to them he said:
You all rccollcct that, in taking up the sword
forced into our hands, this Government appealee
tn the PRAYERS OF the piuns and tue good, and de-
clared that it placed its wiiule dependence upor
the favor of God. I now humbly and rererent1y.
in your presence, reiterate the acknowledgment os
| that dependence.
lie cared little for creed and dogma The c1
,stence of God and Ills divine government, tn
| Rible, IS the word OF GOD, teaching man hl:
duty; the future existence, and the immortality
OF tie soul; GOO our common Father aud tht
brotherhood of mau,-On these fundamental
nripciples he based bis religion.
Col. Dcming, late member OF Congress:
from Connecticut, in an eulogy upon Lincoln
saws that, knowing his religious character, h
one dav asked him why he had not united Will
some Church. Lincoln replied:
have never united with any Church because
found difficulty in giving my assent without menta
reservation to the long and complicated statement
Of Christian doctrine which constitute their article
~ " hslief and confessions OF faith. When an:
Church will nscrbe over lta atar as Us sole guam
deatiou Of membership. the Savior's condenss
love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with Al
thy soul, and with al thy mind; and thy neiEhbo
as aa' thyself," that Church will join with all m
heart and soul.
The ahoye is fraction only Of the proof i
aristence that Abraham Lincoln was not an il
6dc3 let him who wishes to know whcthc
Lincoln was Christian study bis writings al
speeches from the day when he asked IN
Of bis neigh6ors at GOVT %as
towards t % none, with charity for all, With firmnes
IN % lie right as God gives Us to see the ngh
let ip M ns finish our work." etc. And after sue
study be viii have no aogbt aEta INT f greA
naies ISAAC n. ARNOLD.
NEW YORK'S CATHEDRAL.
TO BE DEDICATED AAT %.
l. c,..,,, Correspondents Of The Tribune.
>v--vo,p MovS-By all odds the most in