The _Nation_ thus refers to it: "The sincerity and honesty of the biographer appear on every page." The New York _Sun_ says: "The marks of unflinching veracity are patent in every line." The Washington _Capital_ says that it places "Lincoln before the world as he really was." The _Commercial Gazette_, of Cincinnati, says: "He describes the life of his friend Lincoln just as he saw it." The _Morning Call_, of San Francisco, affirms that it "contains the only true history of the lamented President." The St. Louis _Republic_ says: "It will do more to shape the judgment of posterity on Mr. Lincoln's character than all that has been written or will be hereafter written." In this work Mr. Herndon states in brief the substance of the articles already quoted in this chapter. I quote as follows: "No man had a stronger or firmer faith in Providence--God--than Mr. Lincoln, but the continued use by him late in life of the word God must not be interpreted to mean that he believed in a personal God. In 1854 he asked me to erase the word _God_ from a speech which I had written and read to him for criticism, because my language indicated a personal God, whereas he insisted that no such personality ever existed" (Life of Lincoln, pp. 445, 446). "The world has always insisted on making an orthodox Christian of him, and to analyze his language or sound his belief is but to break the idol" (Ibid). "The benevolence of his impulses, the seriousness of his convictions, and the nobility of his character, are evidences unimpeachable that his soul was ever filled with the exalted purity and the sublime faith of natural religion" (Ib.). CHAPTER VI. TESTIMONY OF HON. WILLIAM H. HERNDON--UNPUBLISHED TESTIMONY Extracts from Herndon's Letters--The Books Lincoln Read--His Philosophy--His Infidelity--Refutation of Christian Claims-- Attempts to Invalidate Herndon's Testimony--Reed's Calumnies--Vindication. In the preceding chapter has been submitted the evidence of Mr. Herndon that has already been published. In this chapter will be presented some hitherto unpublished testimony. The writer corresponded with Mr. Herndon for many years. Much of this correspondence related to Abraham Lincoln, and no inconsiderable portion of it to the subject under consideration. Permission was granted by Mr. Herndon to use such parts of this correspondence as may be deemed of value. The limits of this work preclude the presentation of much that is really interesting, but no apology is needed for devoting space to the following extracts from his letters, written at various intervals between 1880 and 1890: