The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1920-09-04
HARDING A BAPTIST
COX EP|SCOPAL|AN
IF ELECTED WILL BE FIRST
BAPTIST PRESIDENT-NlN
WERE EPISCOPALIANS.

will be the first member OF the Bap-
fist Church to become President Of
the United States.
If James M Cox receives a plural
ity in the Electoral College he will be
the ninth Episcopalian to become
President.
In a letter to "The Boston Travel
er" Mr.. James C. Duncan of Clinton
Mass, calls attention to the fact that
no matter how the November cleo
tions result the Episcopalians will
continue to have plurality in the
Electoral College. Eight Episco-
palians have been President, as
against six Unitarians, six Presby-
terians, four Methodists, two Reform
ed formerly known as Reformed
Dutch, and one member of the Dis
ciples of Christ.
In chronological order Washington
was an Episcopalian and John Adams
Unitarian. jefferson is vaguely
Classified as liberal" Mr.. Duncan
explains that "Jefferson's liberalism
in religious belief was a part of his
democracy. While he attended the
Episcopal church in the neighborhood
of his home, sometimes joining in it's
communion, he was nevertheless, in
tellectually a pronounced Unitarian.
He definitely takes his stand for Uni
tarianism in mo one sees with greater
pleasure than myself the progress of
reason in it's advance toward rational
Christianity. When we shall have
done away with the incomprehensible
iargon of the Trinitarian arithmetic,
that three are one, and one are three;
when we shall have knocked down the
superficial structure of Jesus: when,
ia short, we have unlearned every
thing taught since His day, and got
back to the pure and simple doctrines
He inculcated we shall then be truly
and worthily His Disciples
again, in letter written in 1922,
he says: 4 hope that there is not a
young man now living who will not
die Unitarian.
Incidentally it was jefferson who
took the stand that guaranteed the
rlgnt OF every man to define his re-
ligion for himself in that when the
freedom, which begins: Whereas
Almighty God hath created the mind
Free and goes on to assert that the
Holy Author of our religion ordains
that religion shall be free, was sub
iect to an amendment to insert the
name of Jesus Christ as the Author
of our religion jefferson refused
to accept the amendment. To him the
Jew or the Mohammedan had equal
rights in the state, and the state ac-
~, dyed the right of every man
!. me his religion for himself"
! blowing jefferson came two Epis-
copalians, Madison and Monroe, then
Jonn Quincy Adams, a Unitarian, and
after him the first of the six Presby-
terians, jackson. In order, there fol-
lowed Van Buern, Reformed; William
Henry Harrison, and Tyler, Episco-
palian; Polk, Presbyterian; Taylor,
Episcopalian; Fillmore, Unitarian;
Pierce Episcopalian; and Buchanan,
Presbyterian.
Lincoln is assigned by some Stats
ticans, Mr.. Duncan points out, to the
Presbyterians because he occasional
ly attended their church although he
was not member. He thinks the
Uhitarians have a greater claim on
him, and quotes from Francis Car
pentsr's "SiX Months at the White
House with Abraham Lincoln" with
reference to the religious belief of the
great war President. Mr. Carpenter
says:
1.-THE conversation turned upon reli-
gious subject, and Mr.. Lincoln made
this expressive remark:
81 have never united myself to any
church, because / have found diff
Guilty in giving my assent, without |
mental reservation, to the long, COM
plicated statements of Christian doc
trine which characterize their Arti
cles of Belief and Confessions of |
Faith. When any church will inscribe
over it's altar, as it's sole qualififica
ton for membership the Savior's con-
densed statement of both Law and
Gospel, "Thou shalt love the Lord
they God with all thy heart and with
all thy soul and with all thy mind,
end thy neighbor as myself" that
church will | join with all my heart
and all my SOUL"
Mr. Duncan assigns Lincoln to the
Unitarians because "this liberal ex-
preston of the fundamentals of
does belong to church
which 'inscribes over its altar, as its
sole qualifications for membership,
Jesus"
Andrew Jackson is included among
he Methodists, apparently being
among those who are now described
is "having their religion in their
wives names" Grant and Hays were
and the martyred Gar
ield member of the Disciples of i
,hrjst. Arthur was an Episcopalian, ,
he last of long line The Presby-
arians then had Cleveland, Benjamin
harrison and Cleveland again. Nc 6
Iinley was Methodist. \
Then came Roosevelt, the second of
he Reformed Presidents, who was,
owever, tower Of strength to the
Episcopal church in Oyster Bay in
ybich his funeral service was held +
efore he was laid away in the ceme- a
ery overlooking Long Island Sound.
D their attitude toward religion
and his successor, Taft,
nitarian, were strikingly alike. r
after a not inconsiderable contact /
it'll many religions" Mr.. Taft has !
i'd. 4 do not find my views changed
! to the profound Importance OF G
the Christian religion as a
, indispensable element in the prog
as of civilization to better and high !,
J, ideals and of the persistent up :.
,lding of liberality in Christian re-
nous thought as a means OF stlmu- n
ting and elevating the lives OF those o