Machen in love

We found these quotations here

“Machen did have a brief romance with Mildred B. Stearns that blossomed in the summer of 1920. He met her at Seal Harbor, where she also vacationed with her family. The major obstacle to their marriage was religion. Stearns was Unitarian … Machen corresponded with her throughout his life and visited her whenever in Boston. Members of Machen’s family say she traveled alone from Boston to Baltimore to attend Machen’s burial service at Greenmount Cemetery,”

D. Hart, Defending the Faith (P&R 2003), 130.

“There was however one real romance in his life, though unhappily it was not destined to blossom into marriage … He identified the lady by name, as a resident of Boston, and as ‘intelligent, beautiful, exquisite.’ He further stated that apparently they were utterly devoted to each other for a time, but that the devotion never developed into an engagement to be married because she was a Unitarian. [She] made a real effort to believe, but could not bring her mind and heart to the point where she could share his faith.”

N. Stonehouse, J. Gresham Machen (Banner of Truth 1987), 318.

Van Til on Machen's Death

In John Muether's biography of Cornelius Van Til (Reformed Apologiust and Churchman) it says that Van Til was devastated at the death of Machen. "No one has meant so much to me" he wrote to John De Waard a few days after the funeral, "I have never felt so forsaken". In a Dutch magazine article he lamented the loss of Machen but concluded "Enough about that - God has taken him. God will continue his work. To be disheartened would be sinful."

Debate with Speer

NOT in many years has the Presbyterian Church witnessed such a dramatic and significant event as the clashing in debate on April 11th, before the Presbytery of New Brunswick of Dr. Robert E. Speer and Dr. J. Gresham Machen. ...

This is how a contemporary description of Machen's debate with Robert Speer in 1933 begins. The article can be fond here.

Review of Speer

Machen's review of The Finality of Jesus Christ (New York: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1933) by Dr Robert E Speer can be found here.

Child Labor Amendment

In 1925 Machen wrote against what he labelled "The so-called Child Labor Amendment". What he had to say can be found here.

On Paul's fearless honesty

And in these sad days, when Christian language so often conceals a profoundly unchristian mind and heart, would to God that we had, in all our churches, less empty pious words, less of a foolish optimism, and more of the fearless honestly of Paul.

From Notes on Galatians

On Applied Christianity

Liberals are constantly talking about 'applied Christianity' without having any Christianity to apply.

On modern scientific materialism

Modern, scientific utilitarianism, in other words, did not succeed in producing the millennium prior to 1914; and there is not the slightest evidence that it has producted the millenium since that time or that it ever will produce the millenium in the ages to come. Indeed modern scientific utiltiarianism may produce something far more terrible than anything that we have seen as yet.

From the Baccalaurete Address at Hampden-Sydney College on June 9, 1929

Found here

On Law

A new and more powerful proclamation of law is perhaps the most pressing need of the hour; men would have little difficulty with the gospel if they had only learned the lesson of the law. As it is, they are turning aside from the Christian pathway; they are turning to the village of Morality, and to the house of Mr. Legality, who is reported to be very skillful in relieving men of their burdens ... 'Making Christ Master' in the life, putting into practice 'the principles of Christ' by one's own efforts-these are merely new ways of earning salvation by one's obedience to God's commands.

From What is faith?

On simplicity and theology

I'm not sure where this oft quoted gem comes from

The more we know of God, the more unreservedly we will trust him; the greater our progress in theology, the simpler and more childlike will be our faith.