Nathan W. Bingham

And that's why in 1923 he produced this little popular book, Christianity and Liberalism, because he was concerned about what was going on in the church. He wanted to be an influence in the life of the church. He wanted to be sure that influence would be genuine and healthy.

And that's why in 1923 he produced this little popular book, Christianity and Liberalism, because he was concerned about what was going on in the church. He wanted to be an influence in the life of the church. He wanted to be sure that influence would be genuine and healthy.

And he would look around the church, and part of his concern he expressed in this term, already as early as 1915, he wrote, "...the mass of the church here is still conservative, but conservative in an ignorant, non-polemic, sweetness-and-light kind of way, which is just meat for the wolves. I do not mean to use harsh phrases in a harsh way, and my language must be understood to be biblical."

And he would look around the church, and part of his concern he expressed in this term, already as early as 1915, he wrote, "...the mass of the church here is still conservative, but conservative in an ignorant, non-polemic, sweetness-and-light kind of way, which is just meat for the wolves. I do not mean to use harsh phrases in a harsh way, and my language must be understood to be biblical."

Now what's he really saying there? It's that the church still felt conservative. The church still felt comfortable with conservative practices and ideas, but the church no longer really understood why these things were important. The church no longer could defend these things in the face of an onslaught, and that seriously troubled Dr. Machen and worried him about what the future would hold.

Now what's he really saying there? It's that the church still felt conservative. The church still felt comfortable with conservative practices and ideas, but the church no longer really understood why these things were important. The church no longer could defend these things in the face of an onslaught, and that seriously troubled Dr. Machen and worried him about what the future would hold.

And as he analyzed the forces with which he disagreed in the life of the church, he felt those forces needed to be exposed for what they were. He wrote at one point, "...here as elsewhere the destructive forces have been content to labor for the most part in the dark." I think Dr. Machen really put his finger on something.

And as he analyzed the forces with which he disagreed in the life of the church, he felt those forces needed to be exposed for what they were. He wrote at one point, "...here as elsewhere the destructive forces have been content to labor for the most part in the dark." I think Dr. Machen really put his finger on something.

He said, those who want to change our church are not going out publicly and saying, these are the changes we espouse. What do you think of them? But they were working in the background. They were working behind the scenes. They were working in ways that most of the laity didn't observe in the life of the church. And Dr. Machen thought there was a dishonesty about that.

He said, those who want to change our church are not going out publicly and saying, these are the changes we espouse. What do you think of them? But they were working in the background. They were working behind the scenes. They were working in ways that most of the laity didn't observe in the life of the church. And Dr. Machen thought there was a dishonesty about that.

Again, he would write in Christianity and liberalism, honesty is being relinquished in a wholesale fashion by the liberal party in many ecclesiastical bodies today. By the equivocal use of traditional phrases.

Again, he would write in Christianity and liberalism, honesty is being relinquished in a wholesale fashion by the liberal party in many ecclesiastical bodies today. By the equivocal use of traditional phrases.

by the repetition of differences of opinion as though they were only differences about the interpretation of the Bible, entrance into the church was secured for those who are hostile to the very foundation of the faith. Again, as the very title of the book said, you are free to be a liberal. You're not free to call that Christian. That's not honest. That's not fair.

by the repetition of differences of opinion as though they were only differences about the interpretation of the Bible, entrance into the church was secured for those who are hostile to the very foundation of the faith. Again, as the very title of the book said, you are free to be a liberal. You're not free to call that Christian. That's not honest. That's not fair.

and Dr. Machen all his life remained what I would call a southern gentleman. He was always charitable to his opponents. He always tried to represent them fairly. He was never mean-spirited. Well, I can't say he was never, but he was largely not mean-spirited or nasty in the way in which he conducted himself. In fact, if anything, maybe he was a little too

and Dr. Machen all his life remained what I would call a southern gentleman. He was always charitable to his opponents. He always tried to represent them fairly. He was never mean-spirited. Well, I can't say he was never, but he was largely not mean-spirited or nasty in the way in which he conducted himself. In fact, if anything, maybe he was a little too

trusting of the other side to also behave like gentlemen. And they didn't. They were nasty and mean-spirited, some of them in reference to him. And he would write about that too. He wrote at one point, what is thoroughly evil, what leads to strife, bitterness, hypocrisy, and every evil thing is a unity of organization which covers radical diversity of aim.

trusting of the other side to also behave like gentlemen. And they didn't. They were nasty and mean-spirited, some of them in reference to him. And he would write about that too. He wrote at one point, what is thoroughly evil, what leads to strife, bitterness, hypocrisy, and every evil thing is a unity of organization which covers radical diversity of aim.

And that's what he became concerned was more and more characteristic of what was going on in the Presbyterian church in his day. They were still all Presbyterians. They all insisted they were evangelical. But in fact, the theological differences were becoming immense and increasingly separating different people in the church. These issues began to come to the General Assembly increasingly.

And that's what he became concerned was more and more characteristic of what was going on in the Presbyterian church in his day. They were still all Presbyterians. They all insisted they were evangelical. But in fact, the theological differences were becoming immense and increasingly separating different people in the church. These issues began to come to the General Assembly increasingly.