"I am glad to see you so profitably engaged," said Speed.
"I am profitably engaged," replied Lincoln.
"Well," said Speed, "If you have recovered from your skepticism (of religion), I have not."
Lincoln replied, "You are wrong, Speed. Take all of this book upon reason that you can and the balance on faith and you will live and die a happier man."
Claims that Lincoln was an athiest or scoffed at religion or people who were religious are not supported by the facts.
Joseph Lewis quoting Lincoln in a 1924 speech in New York: " The Bible is not my book nor Christianity my profession. I could never give assent to the long, complicated statements of Christian dogma."