"I believe in God, in Jesus Christ, and in the exaltation of the human family, and consequently have acted and do act in accordance with that belief. If others choose to do otherwise, that is their business. 'But,' says one, 'don't you want to send them all to hell?' No, I don't; but I would be glad to get them out of it; and if I could do them any good, I would do it with pleasure. I do not believe in this wrath and dread, but if a man acts meanly I will tell him that he is a poor, mean cur. Then if I find him hungry, I would feed him; or if I found him naked, I would clothe him; for the gospel teaches me to do good and benefit mankind as far as lies in my power.
"I remember reading a few lines of some very zealous Protestant who wrote over some public building:
"'In this place may enter
Greek, Jew or Atheist,—
Any thing but a Papist.'
"Now, I say, let the Papist come in, too, the Moslem, the Greek, the Jew, the pagan, the believers and the unbelievers, and the whole world. If God sends His rain on the good and the evil, and makes His sun to shine on the just and the unjust, I certainly shall not object. Let them worship as they please and have full freedom and equal rights and privileges with us and all men."
It will be seen from the foregoing that while he claimed absolute religious liberty for himself, he accorded the same right to others. "There are two things," he remarks, "that I have felt very decided upon ever since I could comprehend anything; one is that I would worship God as I pleased, without anybody's dictation; and that I would dictate to no man his faith, neither should any man dictate to me my faith; the other is that I would vote as I pleased."
Of the deep religious convictions of President Taylor it is scarcely necessary to speak. His whole life demonstrates how deep was the religious soil in his nature, into which the seeds of truth were sown to bring forth an hundred fold. His devotion to his religion was not only sincere, it was without reserve. He gave himself and his whole life to it. His faith, his trust and confidence in God were complete. "I do not believe in a religion that cannot have all my affections," he would sometimes remark, "but I believe in a religion that I can live for, or die for.
"I would rather trust in the living God than in any other power on earth. I learned [while on missions] that I could go to God and He always relieved me. He always supplied my wants. I always had plenty to eat, drink and wear, and could ride on steam-boats or railroads, or anywhere I thought proper: God always opened my way, and so He will that of every man who will put his trust in Him.
"I would rather have God for my friend than all other influences and powers outside."
Such were his sentiments, such his devotion to his religion, such his testimony to the goodness of God.
"He was a man," said one who knew him well nigh half a century, "that could not get down to grovel with the low-lived, the vicious, the ribald, nor any who indulged in the follies and vanities of mortal life." Referring himself to those who did love the abomination of wickedness, with all its crookedness, deceitfulness and crime he ever exclaimed: "My soul, enter thou not into their secret; and mine honor, with them be thou not united!" In all these things he not only lived above reproach, but above suspicion.