Thoughitspassagewascertain，hepreparedavetomessage。Hethenpermittedthecongressionalleaderstoknowwhatheintendedtodowhenthebillshouldreachhim。GallandwormwoodareweaktermsforthebitternessthatmaybetastedinthespeechesoftheVindictives。When，inordertosavethebill，aresolutionwasappendedpurgingitoftheinterpretationwhichLincolncondemned，TrumbullpassionatelydeclaredthatCongresswasbeing“coerced“bythePresident。
　　“Nooneatadistance，“isthedeliberateconclusionofJulianwhowaspresent，“couldhaveformedanyadequateconceptionofthehostilityoftheRepublicanmemberstowardLincolnatthefinaladjournment，whileitwasthebeliefofmanythatourlastsessionofCongresshadbeenheldinWashington。Mr。Wadesaidthecountrywasgoingtohell，andthatthesceneswitnessedintheFrenchRevolutionwerenothingincomparisonwithwhatweshouldseehere。“[16]
　　LincolnenduredtherageofCongressinunwaveringserenity。
　　Onthelastdayofthesession，CongresssurrenderedandsenttohimboththeConfiscationActandtheexplanatoryresolution。Thereupon，heindulgedinwhatmusthaveseemedtothosefiercehystericalenemiesofhisawantonstrokeofirony。Hesentthemalongwithhisapprovalofthebillthetextofthevetomessagehewouldhavesenthadtheyrefusedtodowhathewanted。[17]TherecouldbenoconcealingthefactthatthePresidenthadmatchedhiswillagainstthewillofCongress，andthatthePresidenthadhadhisway。
　　Outofthisstrangeperiodofintolerableconfusion，agiganticfigurehadatlastemerged。TheouterandtheinnerLincolnhadfused。Hewasnowacoherentpersonality，masterfulinspiteofhisgentleness，withhisownpeculiarfashionofself-reliance，havingapolicyofhisowndevising，hiscolorsnaileduponthemasthead。
　　Lincoln’sfinalemergencewasadeeperthingthanmerelytheconsolidationofacharacter，thetransformationofadreamerintoamanofaction。Thefusionoftheouterandtheinnerpersonwastheresultofaprofoundinteriorchange。Thoseelementsofmysticismwhichwereinhimfromthefirst，whichhadgleameddarklythroughsuchdeepovershadowing，wereatlastestablishedintheirpermanentform。Thepoliticaltensionhadbeenmatchedbyaspiritualtensionwithpersonalsorrowastheconnectinglink。Inaword，hehadfoundhisreligion。
　　Lincoln’sinstinctivereticencewasespeciallyguarded，asanyonemightexpect，inthematterofhisbelief。Consequently，theprecisenatureofithasbeenmuchdiscussed。Aswehaveseen，theearliestcurrentreportchargedhimwithdeism。ThedevotedHerndon，himselfanagnostic，eagerlyclaimshisheroasamemberofthenoblearmyofdoubters。Elaborateargumentshavebeendevisedinrebuttal。Thefaultonbothsidesisintheattempttobaseanimpressionondetachedremarksandinthefurthererroroftreatingallthesefragmentsasofonetime，ormoretruly，asofnotime，asifhissoulwereaphilosopheroftheabsolute，speakingoracularlyoutofavoid。
　　Itisliketheviciousreasoningthattorturessystemsoftheologyoutofdisconnectedtexts。
　　Lincoln’sreligiousliferevealsthesamegeneraldivisionsthataretobefoundinhisactivelife：fromthebeginningtoaboutthetimeofhiselection；fromthecloseof1860tothemiddleof1862；theremainder。
　　Ofhisreligiousexperienceinthefirstperiod，verylittleisdefinitelyknown。Whatglimpseswehaveofitbothfulfillandcontradicttheforestreligionthatwasabouthiminhisyouth。
　　Thesuperstition，thefaithindreams，thedimsenseofanotherworldsurroundingthis，thebeliefincommunionbetweenthetwo，thesearethepartsofhimthatarebasedunchangeablyintheforestshadows。Butthoseotherthings，thespiritualpassions，theecstacies，thevaguesensingoftheterriblenessofthecreativepowers，——tothemalwayshemadenoresponse。
　　Andthecrudephilosophizingoftheforesttheologians，theirfiercelysimpledualism——GodandSatan，thunderandlightning，theeternalwarintheheavens，theeternallakeoffire——itmeantnothingtohim。Likeallthefuriousthingsoflife，evilappearedtohimasmerenegation，amysteriousfoolishnesshecouldnotexplain。Hisaimwastoforgetit。Goodnessandpityweretheactiveelementsthatrousedhimtothinkoftheotherworld；especiallypity。Theburdenofmen’stears，fallingeverintheshadowsatthebacksofthings——thiswasthespiritualhorizonfromwhichhecouldnotescape。Outofthecircleofthathorizonhehadtorisebyspiritualapprehensioninordertobeconsoled。Andthereisnoreasontodoubtthatattimes，ifnotinvariably，inhisearlydays，hedidrise；hefoundconsolation。Butitwasallwithoutform。Itwasasentiment，amood，——philosophicallybodiless。Thisindefinitemysticismwastherealheartoftheforestworld，closerthanhandsorfeet，butelusive，incapableofformulation，apresence，notanidea。Beforethetaskofexpressingit，theforestmysticstoodhelpless。Justwhatitwasthathefeltimpinginguponhimfromeverysidehedidnotknow。Hewaslikeasensitiveman，neitherscientistnorpoet，inthemidstofanightofstars。Therealityofhisexperiencegavehimnopowereithertoexplainortostateit。
　　ThereislittlereasontosupposethatLincoln’sreligiousexperiencepreviousto1860wasmorethanarecurrentvisitorinhisdailylife。Hehassaidasmuchhimself。HetoldhisfriendNoahBrooks“hedidnotrememberanyprecisetimewhenhepassedthroughanyspecialchangeofpurpose，orofheart，buthewouldsaythathisownelectiontoofficeandthecrisisimmediatelyfollowing，influentiallydeterminedhiminwhathecalled’aprocessofcrystallization’thengoingoninhismind。“[1]
　　Itwastheterriblesenseofneed——thehumility，thefearthathemightnotbeequaltotheoccasion——thatsearchedhissoul，thatbredinhimthecravingforaspiritualup-holdingwhichshouldbeconstant。Andatthiscrucialmomentcamethedeathofhisfavoriteson。“InthelonelygraveofthelittleonelayburiedMr。Lincoln’sfondesthopes，andstrongashewasinthematterofself-control，hegavewaytoanovermasteringgriefwhichbecameatlengthaseriousmenacetohishealth。“[2]
　　Thoughfirsthandaccountsdifferastojusthowhestruggledforthoutofthisdarkness，allagreethattheordealwasverysevere。TraditionmakesthecrisisavisitfromtheReverendFrancisVinton，rectorofTrinityChurch，NewYork，andhiseloquentassertionofthefaithinimmortality，hisappealtoLincolntorememberthesorrowofJacoboverthelossofJoseph，andtorisebyfaithoutofhisownsorrowevenasthepatriarchrose。[3]
　　AlthoughLincolnsucceededinputtinghisgriefbehindhim，heneverforgotit。Longafterward，hecalledtheattentionofColonelCannontothelinesinKingJohn：
　　“AndFatherCardinal，IhaveheardyousayThatweshallseeandknowourfriendsinheaven；
　　Ifthatbetrue，Ishallseemyboyagain。“
　　“Colonel，“saidhe，“didyoueverdreamofalostfriend，andfeelthatyouwereholdingsweetcommunionwiththatfriend，andyethaveasadconsciousnessthatitwasnotareality？
　　Justso，Idreamofmyboy，Willie。“Andhebenthisheadandburstintotears。[4]
　　Asheroseinthesphereofstatecraftwithsuchapparentsuddennessoutofthedoubt，hesitation，self-distrustofthespringof1862andinthesummerfoundhimselfpolitically，soatthesametimehefoundhimselfreligiously。Duringhislaterlifethoughtheevidencesareslight，theyareconvincing。Andagain，asalways，itisnotaviolentchangethattakesplace，butmerelyabetterharmonizationoftheouterandlesssignificantpartofhimwiththeinnerandmoresignificant。Hisreligioncontinuestoresistintellectualformulation。Heneveracceptedanydefinitecreed。Totheproblemsoftheology，heappliedthesamesortofreasoningthatheappliedtotheproblemsofthelaw。Hemadeadistinction，satisfactorytohimselfatleast，betweentheessentialandtheincidental，andrejectedeverythingthatdidnotseemtohimaltogetheressential。
　　Inanothernegativewayhisbasalpartasserteditself。Justasinallhisofficialrelationshewascarelessofritual，soinreligionhewasnotdrawntoitsritualisticforms。Again，theforesttempersurviving，changed，intosuchdifferentconditions!Realandsubtleasistheritualisticelement，notonlyinreligionbutinlifegenerally，onemaydoubtwhetheritcountsformuchamongthosewhohavebeenformedmainlybytheinfluencesofnature。Itimpliesmoredistancebetweentheemotionanditssource，moreneedofstimulustoarouseandorganizeemotion，thanthechildrenoftheforestareapttobeawareof。Toinvokeaphilosophicaldistinction，illuminationratherthanritualism，thetensebutvariableconcentrationonaresult，nottheorderedmodeofanapproach，iswhatdistinguishessuchcharactersasLincoln。Itwasthisthatmadehimcareless&fforminallthedepartmentsoflife。
　　ItwasonereasonwhyMcClellan，bornritualistofthepompofwar，couldneverovercomeacertaindislike，oratleastadoubt，ofhim。
　　Puttingtogetherhishabitofthinkingonlyinessentialsandhispredispositiontoneglectform，itisnotstrangethathesaid：“IhaveneverunitedmyselftoanychurchbecauseIhavefounddifficultyingivingmyassent，withoutmentalreservation，tothelong，complicatedstatementsofChristiandoctrinewhichcharacterizetheirArticlesofBeliefandConfessionsofFaith。Whenanychurchwillinscribeoveritsaltar，asitssolequalificationformembership，theSavior’scondensedstatementofthesubstanceofbothLawandGospel，’ThoushaltlovetheLordthyGod，withallthyheartandwithallthysoul，andwithallthymind，andthyneighborasthyself，’thatchurchwillIjoinwithallmyheartandwithallmysoul。“[5]
　　Butitmustnotbesupposedthathisreligionwasmereethics。
　　Ithadthreecardinalpossessions。ThesenseofGodisthroughallhislaterlife。Itappearsincidentallyinhisstatepapers，clothedwithlanguagewhich，insodeeplysincereaman，mustbetakenliterally。Hebelievedinprayer，intherealityofcommunionwiththeDivine。Histhirdarticlewasimmortality。
　　AtWashington，Lincolnwasaregularattendant，thoughnotacommunicant，oftheNewYorkAvenuePresbyterianChurch。WiththePastor，theReverendP。D。Gurley，heformedaclosefriendship。Manyhourstheypassedinintimatetalkuponreligioussubjects，especiallyuponthequestionofimmortality。[6]Toanotherpiousvisitorhesaidearnestly，“I
　　hopeIamaChristian。“[7]Couldanythingbutthemostsecurefaithhavewrittenthis“MeditationontheDivineWill“whichhesetdownintheautumnof1862fornoeyebuthisown：“ThewillofGodprevails。IngreatcontestseachpartyclaimstoactinaccordancewiththewillofGod。Bothmaybe，andonemustbe，wrong。Godcannotbeforandagainstthesamethingatthesametime。InthepresentcivilwaritisquitepossiblethatGod’spurposeissomethingdifferentfromthepurposeofeitherparty；andyetthehumaninstrumentalities，workingjustastheydo，areofthebestadaptationtoeffectHispurpose。Iamalmostreadytosaythatthisisprobablytrue；thatGodwillsthiscontest，andwillsthatitshallnotendyet。ByHismeregreatpoweronthemindsofthenowcontestants，HecouldhaveeithersavedordestroyedtheUnionwithoutahumancontest。Yetthecontestbegan。And，havingbegun，Hecouldgivethefinalvictorytoeithersideanyday。
　　Yetthecontestproceeds。“[8]
　　Hisreligionfloweredinhislatertemper。Itdidnot，tobesure，overcomehismelancholy。Thatwastoodeeplylaid。
　　Furthermore，wefailtodiscoverinthesurvivingevidencesanycertaintythatitwasagladphaseofreligion。Neithertheecstaticjoyofthewildwomen，whichhismotherhad；northeplacidjoyoftheritualist，whichhedidnotunderstand；northoseothervariantsofthejoyoffaith，wereincludedinhisportion。Itwasaloftybutgravereligionthatmaturedinhisfinalstage。Wasitduetofar-awayPuritanancestors？Hadaustere，reticentIron-sides，sureoftheLord，buttakingnolibertieswiththeirsouls，atlastfoundouttheirdescendant？
　　Itmaybe。Cromwell，insomeways，wasundeniablyhisspiritualkinsman。Inboth，thesamealoofnessofsoul，thesameindifferencetothejudgmentsoftheworld，thesamecourage，thesamefatalism，thesameencompassmentbytheshadowoftheMostHigh。Cromwell，inhisbestmood，hadhebeengiftedwithLincoln’sliterarypower，couldhavewrittentheFastDayProclamationof1863whichisLincoln’smostdistinctivereligiousfragment。
　　However，Lincoln’sgloomhadinitacorrectingelementwhichtheoldPuritangloomappearstohavelacked。Itplacednovetouponmirth。Rather，itvaluedmirthasitsonlyredeemer。
　　AndLincoln’sgrowthinthereligioussensewasnotthecauseofanydiminutionofhissurfacehilarity。Hesavedhimselffromwhatotherwisewouldhavebeenintolerablemelancholybyseizing，regardlessoftheconnection，anythingwhatsoeverthatsavoredofthecomic。
　　Hisreligioussecuritydidnotdestroyhissuperstition。HecontinuedtobelievethathewoulddieviolentlyattheendofhiscareerasPresident。Buthecarriedthatbeliefalmostwithgaiety。Herefusedtotakeprecautionsforhissafety。