His knowledge of the Bible is clearly seen in his debate with Judge Douglas, for when the latter described man in the garden with evil or good to choose from Lincoln's reply was: "God did not place good and evil before man, telling him to take his choice. On the contrary, he did tell him there was one tree of the fruit of which he should not eat upon pain of certain death." Later Judge Douglas said that Lincoln had a proneness for quoting the Scriptures, and Lincoln replied in his Springfield address, July 17, 1858: "If I should do so now it occurs that he places himself somewhat upon the ground of the parable of the lost sheep which went astray upon the mountains, and when the owner of the hundred sheep found the one that was lost and threw it upon his shoulders, and came home rejoicing, it was said that there was more rejoicing over the one sheep that was lost and had been found than over the ninety and nine in the fold. The application is made by the Saviour in this parable thus: 'Verily I say unto you, there is more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner that repenteth than over ninety and nine just persons that need no repentance.' Repentance before forgiveness is a provision of the Christian system." In his fragments of a speech he claims "the revelation in the Bible, and his revelation the Bible." Lincoln has before his mind the ideas of the early church when he says: "'Give to him that is needy' is a Christian rule of charity." In 1859 he gave a lecture on "Discoveries, Inventions, and Improvements," in which he gives a description of our first parents: "It was the destined work of Adam's race to develop by discoveries, inventions, and improvements, and the first invention of which we have any account is the fig-leaf apron. Speech was used by our first parents, and even by Adam before the creation of Eve." At Cincinnati he speaks of "the loaves and fishes," and concludes his speech almost with Bible words: "The good old maxims of the Bible are applicable, and truly applicable, to human affairs; and in this as in other things we may say here that he who is not for us is against us; and he who gathereth not with us scattereth." He concludes his speech in Kansas in the same year with the same words. When the people were anxious to hear and see him on his way to the White House he was desirous of keeping silence, and often quoted: "Solomon says there is a time to keep silence." At Philadelphia, in Independence Hall, he spoke: "All my political welfare has been in favor of the teachings that come from these sacred walls. May my right hand forget its cunning, and my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if ever I prove false to these teachings." When Lincoln proclaimed a national fast day he declared that all must be done in full conviction "that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."