BINGHAM,
JOHN ARMOR

(January 21, 1815–March 19, 1900), was a U.S. Representative, 1855–63, 1865–73. He served as the U.S. Minister to Japan, 1873–85. He was Judge Advocate at the trial of President Abraham Lincoln’s assassin, and one of the managers of President Andrew Johnson’s impeachment trial. John Armor Bingham stated:

I was instructed in early youth by precept and example of my father and mother. I hereby became convinced of the truth of Christ’s teaching, and of the inspiration of the Holy Scriptures. My convictions on this subject must suffice for me; I will not surrender them to any man.

I do not hesitate to say, however, as a strong belief of mine, that Christ, by His living and His dying and His reappearance after crucifixion brought life and immortality to light. It seems to me not to be a question that the Christ of the New Testament lived and will live forevermore.

My inner consciousness teaches me that in His discourse on the Mount He is chiefly revealed to be more than a man, and that He was and is Divine.2482