honest man, but preeminently an upright manever ready, so far as in his power, to render unto all their dues. "It was my honor to place before Mr. Lincoln arguments to prove the Divine authority and inspiration of the Scriptures, accompanied by the arguments of infidel objectors in their own language. To the arguments on both sides Mr. Lincoln gave a most patient, impartial and searching investigation. To use his own language, he examined the arguments as a lawyer, anxious to reach the truth, investigates testimony. The result was the announcement by himself that the argument in favor of the Divine authority and inspiration of the Scriptures was unanswerable. I could say much more on this subject, but as you are the person addressed, for the present I decline. The assassin Booth, by his diabolical act, unwittingly sent the illustrious martyr to glory, honor and immortality; but his false friend, has attempted to send him down to posterity with infamy branded on his forehead, as a man who, notwithstanding all he suffered for his country's good, was destitute of those feelings and affections, without which there can be no real excellence of character." "N. B. It will no doubt be gratifying to the friends of Christianity to learn that very shortly after Mr. Lincoln became a member of my congregation, at my request, in the presence of a large assembly, at the annual meeting of the Bible society of Springfield, he delivered an address the object of which was to inculcate the importance of having the Bible placed in possession of every family in the state. In the course of this he drew a striking contrast between the Decalogue and the moral codes of the most eminent law-givers of antiquity, and closed (as near as I can recollect) in the following language: 'It seems to me that nothing short of infinite wisdom could by any possibility have devised and given to man this excellent and perfect moral code. It is suited to men in all conditions of life, and includes all the duties they owe to their Creator, to themselves, and to their fellow-men.'" In disclaiming the statements purporting to have been made by him as set forth in Lamon's Life of Lincoln, Hon. John T. Stuart wrote, under date of December 17, 1872: "The language of that statement is not mine; it was not written by me, and I did not see it till it was in print. I was once interviewed on the subject of Mr. Lincoln's religious opinions, and doubtless said that Mr. Lincoln was, in the earlier part of his life, an infidel. I could not have said that 'Dr. Smith tried to convert Lincoln from infidelity so late as 1858, and couldn't do it.' In relation to that point, I stated, in the same conversation, some facts which are omitted in that statement, and which I will briefly repeat: That Eddie, a child of Mr. Lincoln, died in 1848 or 1849, and that he and his wife were in deep grief on that account; that Dr. Smith, then pastor of the First Presbyterian church in Springfield, at the suggestion of a lady friend of theirs, called upon Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln, and that first visit resulted in great intimacy and friendship between them, lasting till the death of Mr. Lincoln, and continuing with Mrs. Lincoln till the death of Dr. Smith. (July 3, 1871.) I stated that I had heard, at the time, that Dr. Smith and Mr. Lincoln, had much discussion in relation to the truth of the Christian religion, and that Dr. Smith had furnished Mr. Lincoln with books to read on that subject, and among others, one which had been written by himself sometime previously, on infidelity; and that Dr. Smith claimed that after this investigation Mr. Lincoln had changed his opinion, and became a believer in the truth of the Christian religion; that Mr. Lincoln and myself had never conversed on the subject, and I had no personal knowledge as to his alleged change of opinion. I stated, however, that it was certainly true, that up to that time Mr. Lincoln had never regularly attended any place of religious worship, but that after that time he rented a pew in the First Presbyterian church, and with his family constantly attended worship in that church until he went to Washington as President* * I would further say that Dr. Smith was a man of very great ability, and on theological and metaphysical subjects had few superiors and not many equals. Truthfulness was a prominent trait in Mr. Lincoln's character, and it would be impossible for any intimate friend of his to believe that he ever aimed to deceive, either by his words or his conduct." Mr. Ninian Edwards' statement on the subject is as follows: "A short time after the Rev. Dr. Smith became pastor of the First Presbyterian church in this city, Mr. Lincoln said to me, 'I have been reading a work of Dr. Smith on the Evidences of Christianity, and have heard him preach and converse on the subject, and I am now convinced of the truth of the Christian religion.” Mr. James H. Matheny wrote: "The language attributed to me in Lamon's book is not from my pen. I did not write it, and it does not express my sentiments of Mr. Lincoln's entire life and character. It is a mere collection of sayings gathered from private conversations that were only true of Mr. Lincoln's earlier life. I would not have allowed such an article to be printed over my signature as covering my opinion of Mr. Lincoln's life and religious sentiments. While I do believe Mr. Lincoln to have been an infidel in his former life, when his mind was as yet unformed, and his associations principally with rough and skeptical men, yet I believe he was a very different man in later life; and that after associating with a different class of men, and investigating the subject, he was a firm believer in the Christian religion." The testimony of these well-known citizens ought to be a sufficient answer to the charge that Mr. Lincoln held infidel sentiments which he studiously concealed from those with whom he held his religious associations, and it confirms the opinion that he was a believer in the truths of Christianity. It |