The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-02-12
Hald That He Was Not a Christian
In the Greed Sense.
xAnrep TO GET ON GODS SIDE
Alfred w. Martin md w. d.
sironds Discuss Beliefs ms to the
creed Of the Martyred President
u.,a That He Was n Follower of
80 Great Free Thinkers ana Did
80 neIieve in Orthodox Views.

!. .ntIeipatIon Of the arrival OF the an
~ of the birth OF President Lin
a,. two OF the leading preachers OF Sc
e es.,s YESTERDAY presented addresses on
~ Religious side of the life OF the mar
Ia. y. nresident. Both men have strongly
us.,ssd on this much-debated topic. hold
- mat Lincoln was not Christian in
~ sense OF creed, but was straight and
,r6ependent follower Of his conceptions
n t,e laws OF God. There is much SINH
,s,1tv In the views OF Rev. Alfred Martin.
= ,he society of Universal Religion. and
NV w. y. Simonds, OF the Unitarian
rhurch. in their discussion on this topic,
~ they followed somewhat similar lines
n their discourses.
the theme of Mr.. Martin was "Lincolns
rsfeion." After briefly sketching the dra-
matic career of the president. which the
sueaker described as enacted In strict ac-
cora with the rules OF classical tragedy"
be said
A the Christian church idealized him. re.
nefously eager to get him into heaven
ikrough their creed doors. anxious to
nov that he was genuine orthodox
earning the Bible, God, Jesus and saliva
lion a. were entertained by orthodox
Christianity. Similarly the extreme radi-
cab OF the day endeavored TO demonstrate
but both these idealizing efforts mis-
represented him. Let us get away from
this ideallxing tendency and go to the his
iorcal facts furnished by reliable biogra-
piers. such as Morse. Herndon, Nicolay
and Hay" Mr.. Martin then quoted from
these authorities TO show that Lincoln
Umpatbized with the rational views OF
Paine Parker and other free-thinking
minds, on the crucial questions OF relg-
Referring to I.incolns alleged belief in
Tho divinity OF Christ, the lecturer quoted
The challenge. OF Prof Remsburg. Of the
University or Kansas. who has offered
~ to any one who will produce a single
sentence from either Washington's or
flncolns speeches showing that he held
this cardinal Christian belief IT." said
N. Martin. Ito be religious means to ac-
cept beliefs which Lincoln clearly reject
Cd. then was he most irreligious man.
But " 10 be religious means to be, what
Jesus was, sincere in thought, faithful to
ones honest emotions, sympathetic to the
suffering and needy, conscientious In the
nlhment OF duty, then was Lincoln n
most religious man. Like Jesus, he
hunGered after righteousness and was
70 the truth he saw even to the bitter end
To Get On Gods side.
The greatest religious remark that ever
feii from Lincoln's lips was his answer
to the clergyman who asked him to pray
70 God 70 help our side In the war. 1 am
not anxious. he said, TO get God on my
slde. what most concerns me IL to find
where God Is and get on His side That,
friends. IN the profoundest spiritual wis-
dom, the most thorough science. the most
PRACTICAL religion. Lincoln knew that the
main thing for man TO do was not to fancy
he could change God by prayers. but to
md out where God Is and get into har-
nony with his laws.
Lincoln told Nicolay. his secretary.
that he could never bring himself TO toin
any Of the Christian churches. He want
~ church based on the golden rulc--in
Character, not on creed
Idncoln's beliefs on religion have been
recorded as follows: First he did not
hehcve In special creation his idea being
that all creation was an evolution under
law. second he did not believe that the
Bible was special revelation from God:
third, he did not believe In miracles hti.
emily In miracles under law; fourth, he did
not believe that Jesus was the Christ. as
the Christian world contends; Attn he be-
heved that all things, matter and mind,
ws!e governed by laws. universal and eter-
Conserving the statement OF rincoin's
beliefs. made by Herndon the man who
NEW Lincoln for the last thirty years of
nis HE, and was his friend and law part
per, Nicuay says, There Is no reason to
believe that Lincoln ever changed these
IeliGious opinions The simple truth Is
Lincoln's religion was his life. and to that
ne world VIII ever appeal as the revealer
The Men Who Inspired Him.
:, ! hold II true that among all our pub
10 men not one presents To the youth OF
~ classes and sections so inspiring an ex-
ample as that afforded by the life or our
nsatsst eommoner, Abraham Lincoln
sAu Rev Simonds, yet that life as us
aaliy portrayed contains no real lesson
w anyone. Careless writers ana speak
esS agile rhctoriciaus, IA foolish eulogy
pace Lincoln SO far above the normal
ANA M -
soc the current OF his time that the true
inspiration OF that wise, patient, noble
many struggle with adverse conditions
Wen nigh lost.
i Three men are known TO us who--eaeh
~ different way and above all others
aroused and inspired Abraham lincoln.
n"iotians have sometimes been inclined
s y asfy % Henry Clay the honor due a
WA statesman. Orator. politician
les A master OF statecraftf Douatfnl.
aei ludsed by the number OF noble men
rhs gladly called him leader. teacher.
sasarloI Clay must rank among the ilrst
49, kteattas or Americans About iSat a
smpaisn NE OF Henry CLAY fell into the
~ Sshds OF Abe lincoln, He was then In
a,,n sseehth year, poor, ignorant and am
Eagerly he read the story lie was
saefinsd. better. he was Inspired, Ciay's
10y life OF extreme poverty. his honor.
1870 conquest ~ fame and fortune against
$500 IN arms appealed directly to the
49, os the frontier laa, What CLAY had
s soar ~ miEht Dc This has hcen called
~ sufning point 10 IinColn's life Some,
y we ablcst OF L4lueOln's sthte PAGERS
wa the ieoi ne owed and ever frank
.s1.snNhaNledsci 20 one who was grand
s sssssh g say. l had rather De right than
From MAS whom Lincoln completed hla
~ .sftn " the house % representatives
f... when he Was candidate for the
.s'el states senate against Douglas hts
49,. Nle NE of an attorney of moderate
Practice ana ~ a leader az the msnoTlit.
49, N politics. II Was In this Period
sa,sne Ncgan 20 read the sermons and
tNrs et Theodore Parker AnaonS
ensrs, aapH'ent % Judge there Is hst one
Ranon as 90 the far reschire frn,Ienr~ ~
sSs,sei teachings both in rvligiou and
se,s.sss ss0n Tits uuschooiea western att
49,. hNrn sAncolns famous phrase
'sNfnent of tae people, rs the people