The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1908-09-14

have any insight into his character)
had deeply religious nature.
Alienated, as Ingersoll was, in early
years by the hardness of orthodox
Christianity, Lincoln possessed a poise
of character which Ingersoll lacked,
and this, with grave responsibility,
rescued him from shallow infidelity.
As a youth he wrote an atheistic
book, but as man he came to have
not only a deep interest in religion,
but a sincere love for its essential
principles, and grounded faith in
the goodness and justice of God. He
believed in prayer. He read daily
portion of Scripture to little Tad, COM
menting on the chapter with his rare
sense and discrimination.
Would that the theologians who
called him in infdel had possessed a
small part of his intrinsic piety
But his faith was reasonable, and
he had a scathing word for the as
SYMPTOMS of Creeds in general.
! Il have never united myself to any
church." he said to one who lived
, with him for months, because I have
found difficulty in giving my assent
without mental reservation, to the long
complicated statements of Christian
doctrine which characterize their Ar
ticles of Belief and Confession of
Faith"
Later, he expressed his entire will
lingness to accept all that the Unfair
ian church asks OF its membership,
and what (Lincoln said) was 1.-The sub
stance of both Law and Gospel"
/ Channing's Biblical creed was his.
he said Trust in the Lord and do
good"
| And to a ministerial delegation he
gave the following, as the whole Of
his religion:
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God
with all thy neart, and with all thy
soul and with all thy mind, and thy
neighbor as theyself." Lincolns ten
der heart was easily touched by any
true appeal, but he was repealed by
. emotional Christianity" and he chung
as firmly as the early Christians did
to the worship of one God"
81 have always taken cause of Him, -
he said to friend, and referred to
Him my plans, and have never adopt
ed a course of proceeding without be-
ing assured, so far as | could be, of
Ills appreciation. Dear, honest Chris
tian Abe.
When, during the perils of the Cri-
sis, a clergyman remarked to him:
THE Lord is on our side,' Lincoln
quickly answered:
Il am not at all concerned about
that. for | know that the Lord is al
ways on the side of right. But it is
my constant anxiety and prayer that
l and this nation should be on the
Lords side"
Character, goodness, love, gentle
ness, temperance, purity,-these were
the factors of Christian life, he said
81 should be the most presumptuous
, blockhead upon this footstool, If l fol
one day thought that 1 could discharge
the duties which have come upon me
! since 1 came into this place, without
[ the aid and enlightenment of the one
God who is wiser and stronger than al
Others"
Yet this religious man was called
an infidel by his political opponents
and mistrusted by several meddlesom'
ministers who undertook to reform
him.
DR.. Vinton bothered him greatly by
+ his insistence on the "blood of Jesus.
r To another delegation who wished t,
= warn him of breakers ahead" h
, avoided the point at issue by telling
r story:
"You remind me of the second boy,
: he said with twinkle in his eye, "wh,
found difficulty in prOnouncing thu
. Scripture names, fShadrach, MeshacI
r and Abednego.' The teacher had drill
= ed him repeatedly in the pronunciation
= of these names.
i, One day the teacher purposely too
. the same lesson in Bible reading an
= managed to have the boy read the pas
}, sages, containing these names, again
. And as the dull pupil came to them
he stopped, looked up, and said
4 Teacher, there's them three feIler
= ag'n.'"
}, After the supreme test put upon hi
a soul by the trial of the War; to hav
!, some third-rate intellect come to hir
|, with the question: do you believ
in the atoning blood of Jesus?"
r No wonder Lincoln answered wit
/, sigh: "Ah friend these are trivia
- mo tfarc tO mo now I am THINKING n