The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-02-16
FAITH OF LINCOLN
STRONG AND BROAD
Great Emancipation Was
Christian Without Being
Narrowly Orthodox.

Taking for bis subject, Lincoln
Faith" the Rev. john Malirk at the Fir:
Unitarian church last night described Ii
great cmancipator as a Christian man
broad view. WHO declined orthodox churc
because he regarded IN
Nects of too limited beliefs 10 properl
serve hnmanity's needs. His address
part follows;
The first act of the nav step
the local church. Lincoln was not
so disposed. In the midst of re-
ligion of small horizon. he absorbed
IFS beauty and poetry without its
limitations. In Ara bian Nights and
the Bible he felt the symbolism.
literally and called II "a pack Of lies.
Few were his equals in Bible kncwl-
edge, yet in him was the higher critic
as well
II was the Quaker strain that made
him open to tho STILL small voice
OF present God. 1t was this Quaker
blood which gave him appreciation
of their dilemma-slavery- (which they
could not endure. and the sword
which they could not WELD.
His free spirit the Quaker strain.
the spirit of the higher critic and the
influence Of Robert Burns. made him
open TO free thought, In this period
ney, Paine and Theodore Parker,
with whom he most nearly agreed.
No leader OF theoracy was ever
surer that no was being led. History
moves in the wake OF those who carry
a light, which, they say, is not their
own-these human hands must help.
IT believe he will compel us to do
right II these human hands do their
part, God has to approve because
the work is His own, "The way is
MA in ,.nf,, II
which, il followed, God must for
ever bless"
Honesty. faith. mercy. patience.
these are his marks par excellence.
He got rio OF no original sin, was not
baptized the religious world said his
views were wrong and he belonged
TO no church.. Yet. "by their fruits
ye shall know them.''
Flo belonged to the senosticism
which has taught us that we can see.
were totally blind. His law further
says I'm order to believe he must see
and feel and thrust his hands into the
place Mrs. Lincoln says he was
not technical Christian" but
religious man. II was kind OF
poetry in his nature which lowered
anew after Nellie died and his trip
TO Gettysburg
Right TO him was the ladder which
leads to all there is TO come. II DO
1IS very DeSl can, ana mean 10 keep
on doing so until the end" II this
brings him out right. what any one
says Will make no difference II II
brings him out wrong, ten angels
swearing he was right would make
no difference.
We celebrate the birth Of Lincoln
and Darwin on the same day. Both
endured much, both looked at life
IN about the same way, both we're
emancipators. One SET our bodies
free, the other unshackled our
thought. One with the travail OF
two races In his heart" the other
the prophet of the great inquest
Lincoln appeared TO be a man OF
sorrow, inclined to the ascetIo, not
given TO taking his ease. ate sparingly,
dressed simply, never willing planted
a thorn In another mans bosom, and
called the Golden Rule his creed He
said, II have never Joined myself TO
any church, because I have found
difficulty In giving my assent. with
out mental reservation. to the long
compi1cated statements of Christian
doctrine which chara cterIze their artl-
cles OF belief and confessions of
faith. When any church Will lnscrlbe
over its altar as Its sole qualifics-
ton Tor membership, the Say!or's con-
dcnsed statement OF the substance OF
both law and gospel, Thou shalt love
the Lord thv God with all thy heart,
and with all thy soul, and with ali
thy mind. and thy neighbor as thy-
SELL, that church will join with all
my heart and soul"