Lincoln speech on the Bible?

[Anita]

The First Presbyterian Church of Springfield has a page on their website titled "Lincoln and First Church". http://www.lincolnschurch.org/history-ar...church.cfm
Q. The church has archives back to 1823. Additionally the church is a major tourist site with displays related to the Lincolns. The website talks about Lincoln reading Smith's book but there is no mention that Lincoln gave a speech as described by the Rev. Smith or any speech for that matter. Surely they should know. Have they been contacted?

Rob, in your lead post you say "....but I don't see any other reference other than second-hand testimony that Lincoln ever read The Christian's Defense nor was moved by its arguments. Even Robert Bray, in his article "What Lincoln Read" calls it unlikely that Lincoln read the book. (Bray, Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association, Summer 2007 Pg. 75) "

An article by William E. Phipps in the Journal of Presbyterian History ( http://phs-app-media.s3.amazonaws.com/s3...H_80_1.pdf ) states Lincoln came across "The Christian's Defense" while browsing Robert S. Todd's library. Is it known whether Robert Todd owned a copy of Smith's book?

Phipps article on pages 19-20: Lincoln told Ninian Edwards, his brother-in-law, "I have been reading a work by Dr. Smith on the evidences of Christianity and have heard him preach and converse on the subject and am now convinced on the truth of the Christian religion." The footnote is from Reed, "Religious Sentiments", 338 from a letter about Lincoln's religion that Edwards wrote him on 24 Dec. 1872. Did Edwards have a motive to make up such a story?

Personally, I agree that there's no evidence to support Lincoln gave the speech/lecture described by Smith. I do believe it's possible Lincoln read The Christian's Defense, because he knew Dr. Smith personally and enjoyed the intellectual challenge of discourse with him, and/ or he told Smith he read it for motives James H Matheny stated in Roger's post.
"James H. Matheny tells me that from about 1854 to 1860 Lincoln played a sharp game here on the religious world, that Lincoln knew that he was to be a great man, was a rising man, was looking to the Presidency, etc., and well knowing that the old infidel, if not atheistic, charge would be made and proved against him, and to avoid the disgrace, odium, and unpopularity of it, trampled on the Christian toes, saying: "Come and convert me." The elders, lower and higher members of the churches, including ministers, etc., flocked around him and that he appeared openly to the world as a seeker; that it was noised about that Lincoln was a seeker after salvation, etc., in the Lord; that letters were written more or less all over the land that Lincoln was soon to be a changed man, etc., and thus it was he used the Reverend James Smith of Scotland, old man Bergen, and others. I have often thought that there was something in this, but can't affirm it to be so. This is Matheny's honest opinion, and no man is superior to Matheny's judgments, etc., of human nature, actions, and motives, etc. He knew Lincoln as well as I did, I think."

So it could be Smith and Lincoln used each other to their own ends.