El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-02-11
Why Abraham Lincoln Never Joined Church
Man Of Deep Religious Convictions He Was Opposed To Theology and Dogma

one outside his own family, tells US:
Mr.. Lincoln was a praying man;
know that to be a fact And I have
heard him request people to pray for
him, which he would not have done
had he not believed that prayer is an
swered. Many a time I have heard Mr..
Lincoln ask ministers and Christian
women to pray for him and he did not
do this for effect. He was no hypocrite,
and had such reverence for sacred
things that he would not trifle with
them. 1 have heard him say that he
prayed for this or that, and remember
one occasion on which he remarked
that If a certain thing did not occur
he would lose his faith in prayer It is
cabinet he had promised his Maker to
issue the emancipation proclamation,
and it was not an idle remark"
No sympathy With TheOIogians.
Abraham Lincoln had no sympathy
with theologians. He frequently de-
clared that it was blasphemy for a
preacher to twist "thte words of
Christ around so as to sustain his own
doctrine and confirm his own private
views" and he often remarked that
The more a man knows of theology
the further he got away from the
spirit of Christ"
The opposition of the Springfield
clergy to his election was chiefly due
to remarks he made about them. One
careless remark was widely quoted An
eminent clergyman was delivering
series of doctrinal discourses that at
tracted considerable local attention.
Although Lincoln was frequently iu-
vited, he would not be induced to at
tend them. He remarked that he
wouldn't trust brother to
eonstrue the statutes of Illinois. and
much less the laws of God, that people
who know him wouldn't trust his ad-
vice On an ordinary bushes transaction
because they. did not consider him
competent. hence he didn't see why
they did so in the most important OF
all human affairs. the salvation Of
their souls"
These remarks were widely quoted
and misrepresented TO Lincoln's injury
In those days people were not so lib
eral as now and to criticise a preacher
was to proclaim oneself an infideL
In the agitation OF the slave ques-
ton, the preachers were mostly silent
theodore Parker, bishop Simpson. Al
bert Barnes, E. H. Chaplin Rabbis Sa-
oato Morals and David Einhorn, and
above all Henry Ward Beecher. eonsti.
tuted the few conspicuous examples
or the preachers who came out strongly
Tor abolition. In Springfield when
Lincoln found that 20 of the 2S minis
ters of the different denominations and
the majority of the leading churches
were arrayed against him in his pres
idential campaign. he drew forth from
his pocket New Testament saying
to some friends present: Il have care
fully read the Bible and I do not so
understand this book. These men well
know that am for freedom in the
territories, freedom everywhere, as
free as the constitution and laws will
permit, and that my opponents are
Tor slavery. They know this and yet,
with this book in their hands. in the
light OF which human bondage cannot
live a moment they are going to vote
against me. know that liberty Is !
right, for Christ teaches it and Christ |
Is God l shall be indicated and these !
men will find that they have not read
their Bible Alright"
Illustrated the Golden Rule.
Every phase of Lincoln's character