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
SIR--In reply to your inquiries, Abraham Lincoln was living at my
house in New Salem, going to school, studying English grammar and
surveying, in the year 1833. One morning he said to me, "Graham, what
do you think about the anger of the Lord?" I replied, "I believe
the Lord never was angry or mad and never would be; that His loving
kindness endurest forever; that He never changes." Said Lincoln, "I
have a little manuscript written, which I will show you"; and stated
he thought of having it published. Offering it to me, he said he had
never showed it to anyone, and still thought of having it published.
The size of the manuscript was about one-half quire of foolscap,
written in a very plain hand, on the subject of Christianity and a
defense of universal salvation. The commencement of it was something
respecting the God of the universe never being excited, mad, or
angry. I had the manuscript in my possession some week or ten days. I
have read many books on the subject of theology and I don't think in
point of perspicuity and plainness of reasoning, I ever read one to
surpass it. I remember well his argument. He took the passage, "As in
Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive," and followed
up with the proposition that whatever the breach or injury of Adam's
transgressions to the human race was, which no doubt was very great,
was made just and right by the atonement of Christ.
As to Major Hill burning the manuscript, I don't believe he did, nor
do I think he would have done such a thing. About the burning of a
paper by Hill, I have some recollection of his snatching a letter from
Lincoln and putting it into the fire. It was a letter written by Hill
to McNamur. His real name was McNeal. Some of the school children
had picked up the letter and handed it to Lincoln. Hill and Lincoln
were talking about it, when Hill snatched the letter from Lincoln and
put it into the fire. The letter was respecting a young lady, Miss
Ann Rutledge, for whom all three of these gentlemen seemed to have
respect. Yours truly,
MENTOR GRAHAM.
Now the next point I wish to notice is Mr. Herndon's statement, in
his Abbott letter, that Lincoln, in 1846, was charged with being an
infidel. Herndon says he [Lincoln] did not deny the charge, because it
was true. As I have before stated, I admit the charge was made, and I
think at the time there was no public denial by Lincoln, for the reason
that the canvass was made on political grounds, and not religious faith
or belief. Nevertheless, the charge was denied, as the following letter
will show.
STATEMENT OF THOMAS MOSTILLER
PLEASANT PLAINS, ILL., April 28, 1874.
B. F. IRWIN:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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