The Soul of Abraham LincolnBarton, William E. (William Eleazar)
Religion
The Soul of Abraham Lincoln
Barton, William E. (William Eleazar)
Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865 -- Religion; Presidents -- United States -- Biography
Again, Mr. Herndon, in his Abbott letter (I believe it is), says: "It
is not to be found in print that Lincoln ever used the word Christ." In
fact, Herndon says, "he never did use it, only to deny Christ as the
son of God." Now that statement may be true, that he did not use the
term Christ: but if Mr. Herndon will examine the speeches of the public
men of this nation, I believe I am safe in saying that Mr. Lincoln used
and
QUOTED MORE SCRIPTURE
than any man in the nation; and that he quoted the parables and
language of Christ oftener than any public man living. Not only did
Lincoln quote Scripture, but he used it as being of Divine authority,
and applicable to the affairs of earth. Mr. Herndon gives us to
understand that Lincoln did not believe the New Testament Scriptures to
be any more inspired than Homer's songs, Milton's "Paradise Lost," or
Shakspeare. If Herndon is correct, it seems strange Lincoln made no use
of those books. On the 16th of January, 1858,[74] as a foundation for
an argument, he used the language of Christ
"A HOUSE DIVIDED AGAINST ITSELF CANNOT STAND,"
in reply to Douglas. In the same campaign he four times used the
parables of Christ; in his second inaugural address--"woe unto the
world because of its offenses"--Christ's language, again.
But I need not multiply quotations. His speeches, proclamations, and
messages are so full of quotations of scripture, always the language
of Christ himself, that if an angel of light should proclaim it
trumpet-tongued from the skies, that Lincoln was an unbeliever in
Christ, I could not believe it. He could not have been an infidel
without being a base hypocrite; and I don't believe a more honest man
lived on earth.
THE EVIDENCE
Now I will take up some evidence on the question being discussed. Mr.
Herndon has said that, in Lincoln's early life, he wrote
A PAMPHLET
book, or manuscript against Christianity. I propose to show that the
manuscript written by Lincoln was
IN FAVOR OF CHRISTIANITY
To do so, I will offer the evidence of Mr. Graham, who knew Lincoln
when he was a boy in Kentucky, with whom Lincoln boarded some two
years; and if any man on earth ought to know Lincoln's religious faith
or belief, that man is Mentor Graham, who was intimate with Lincoln
from the time he came to Illinois to the time he left for Washington
City. I will give the letter in full.
STATEMENT OF MR. GRAHAM
PETERSBURG, ILL., March 17, 1874.
B. F. IRWIN:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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