Church history, C. H. Spurgeon, and Wine

[rlvaughn]

The evolution of the views of England’s “Prince of Preachers,” Charles Haddon Spurgeon, mirror the 19th-century evolution of the views of many a Baptist on the temperance/abstinence question. In 1865 he states he is not a teetotaler.

In 1877, Spurgeon reviewed The Wines of the Bible: an Examination and Refutation of the Unfermented Wine Theory by A. M. Wilson in his paper The Sword and the Trowel. Wilson’s book refuted the new-fangled idea that there could be any such thing as “unfermented wine.” Spurgeon recommended the book and agreed with Wilson. Spurgeon writes,

“‘UNFERMENTED wine’ is a non-existent liquid. Mr. Wilson has so fully proved this that it will require considerable hardihood to attempt a reply...Mr. Wilson has written the thick volume now before us to settle the matter, and we believe that he establishes beyond reasonable debate that the wines of the Bible were intoxicating, and that our Lord did not ordain jelly or syrup, or cherry juice to be the emblem of his sacrifice.”

Nevertheless, within ten years Spurgeon’s Metropolitan Tabernacle was using “unfermented wine” at the Lord’s table! In response to the question raised as to what they used at their communion services, Spurgeon wrote in June of 1887,

“We use Frank Wright’s unfermented wine at the Tabernacle, and have never used any other unfermented wine…Mr. Wright’s is the pure juice of the grape…So far as we are concerned, we use no wine but that produced by Messrs. Frank Wright, Mundy, and Co.”

Because of this evolution his views, quotations may be used to show that C. H. Spurgeon supported the drinking of wine and its use in communion – or that he opposed it both as a beverage and in communion!

Longer version is HERE.

 

[Jerome]

Yes, here's another instance when he changed his views to embrace the truth:

Charles Spurgeon, sermon "The Necessity of Increased Faith":

"perhaps Calvin is made the standard and what business has any man to think a single thought beyond Calvin? Blessed be God, we have gone a little beyond that; and we can say, 'Increase our faith.' With all our admiration for these great standard divines, we are not prepared to shut ourselves up in their little iron cages; but we say, 'Open the door, and let me fly—let me still feel that I am at liberty. Increase my faith, and help me to believe a little more.' I know I can say I have had an increase of faith in one or two respects within the last few months. I could not, for a long time, see anything like the Millenium in the Scriptures; I could not much rejoice in the Second Coming of Christ, though I did believe it; but gradually my faith began to open to that subject, and I find it now a part of my meat and drink, to be looking for, as well as hastening unto, the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."

 

[Yeshua1]

Yes, here's another instance when he changed his views to embrace the truth:

Charles Spurgeon, sermon "The Necessity of Increased Faith":

"perhaps Calvin is made the standard and what business has any man to think a single thought beyond Calvin? Blessed be God, we have gone a little beyond that; and we can say, 'Increase our faith.' With all our admiration for these great standard divines, we are not prepared to shut ourselves up in their little iron cages; but we say, 'Open the door, and let me fly—let me still feel that I am at liberty. Increase my faith, and help me to believe a little more.' I know I can say I have had an increase of faith in one or two respects within the last few months. I could not, for a long time, see anything like the Millenium in the Scriptures; I could not much rejoice in the Second Coming of Christ, though I did believe it; but gradually my faith began to open to that subject, and I find it now a part of my meat and drink, to be looking for, as well as hastening unto, the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Yes, as many consider that he held to a historical premil viewpoint in latter days of his life...

 

[The Biblicist]

The evolution of the views of England’s “Prince of Preachers,” Charles Haddon Spurgeon, mirror the 19th-century evolution of the views of many a Baptist on the temperance/abstinence question. In 1865 he states he is not a teetotaler.

In 1877, Spurgeon reviewed The Wines of the Bible: an Examination and Refutation of the Unfermented Wine Theory by A. M. Wilson in his paper The Sword and the Trowel. Wilson’s book refuted the new-fangled idea that there could be any such thing as “unfermented wine.” Spurgeon recommended the book and agreed with Wilson. Spurgeon writes,

Nevertheless, within ten years Spurgeon’s Metropolitan Tabernacle was using “unfermented wine” at the Lord’s table! In response to the question raised as to what they used at their communion services, Spurgeon wrote in June of 1887,

Because of this evolution his views, quotations may be used to show that C. H. Spurgeon supported the drinking of wine and its use in communion – or that he opposed it both as a beverage and in communion!

Longer version is HERE.

Spurgeon gave his reason for admitting that wine is the proper element to be used in the Supper as far as scripture and history are concerned and why he chose not to use wine. His reason was very pragmatic, as alcoholism was rampant in England and he simply chose to use grape juice as a declaration against alcoholism.

In Charles Haddon Spurgeon's The Sword and the Trowel 1878 and page 406 he says:


"YANIM; OR, THE BIBLE WINE QUESTION: TESTIMONY OF SCRIPTURE, OF THE RABBIS, AND OF BIBLE LANDS AGAINST RECENT SACRAMENTARIAN INNOVATIONS BY PROFESSORS WATTS, WALLACE, AND MURPHY, BELFAST; AND REV. WILLIAM WRIGHT, B.A., DAMASCUS..EDITED BY PROFESSOR WATTS. BELFAST: WILLIAM MULLAN. 6D. Tatar ministers whose churches are tormented by the unfermented wine question will here find much help in keeping to the old paths. The document signed by Dr. Thomson of” The Land and the Book,” and by others of the more eminent missionaries in Syria and the Holy Land, ought to settle the question for ever. They bear witness that they have never met with unfermented wine in the East, nor are there any records, or traditions, that such wine was ever known there. The fact is — there is not, and there never was, and never can be such a thing as unfermented wine,though it suits some men to call their messes by that name. At the same time it should be observed that much which is called wine in this country is not worthy of the name, and it is a shame to remember our Lord’s death by drinking such vile decoctions. Let it be really wine, as pure and good as can be had, and no communicant has then any Scriptural right to object. As the slightest word on this subject generally brings a flood of angry letters, we beg to intimate that our columns are not open to discussion, and that our own mind is made up. We are at one with those temperate temperance friends who forbear to divide churches, and mar the unity of the saints upon this point: to them we wish Godspeed, and we hope ever to cooperate with them. They have their own sphere of action, and a very important one it is; and when pursued in subservience to the gospel, for the noble object of preventing and curing the great and crying sin of drunkenness, their work is philanthropic in the highest degree; nay, more, it is Christlike, and tends to benefit the souls as well as the bodies of men. To make men sober is one thing, to make them quarrelsome is another: we are content with the former."

Spurgeon believed in total abstinence but when it came to the Biblical use of the term "wine" he did not support the unfermented wine myth.

 

[tyndale1946]

Spurgeon gave his reason for admitting that wine is the proper element to be used in the Supper as far as scripture and history are concerned and why he chose not to use wine. His reason was very pragmatic, as alcoholism was rampant in England and he simply chose to use grape juice as a declaration against alcoholism.

In Charles Haddon Spurgeon's The Sword and the Trowel 1878 and page 406 he says:


"YANIM; OR, THE BIBLE WINE QUESTION: TESTIMONY OF SCRIPTURE, OF THE RABBIS, AND OF BIBLE LANDS AGAINST RECENT SACRAMENTARIAN INNOVATIONS BY PROFESSORS WATTS, WALLACE, AND MURPHY, BELFAST; AND REV. WILLIAM WRIGHT, B.A., DAMASCUS..EDITED BY PROFESSOR WATTS. BELFAST: WILLIAM MULLAN. 6D. Tatar ministers whose churches are tormented by the unfermented wine question will here find much help in keeping to the old paths. The document signed by Dr. Thomson of” The Land and the Book,” and by others of the more eminent missionaries in Syria and the Holy Land, ought to settle the question for ever. They bear witness that they have never met with unfermented wine in the East, nor are there any records, or traditions, that such wine was ever known there. The fact is — there is not, and there never was, and never can be such a thing as unfermented wine,though it suits some men to call their messes by that name. At the same time it should be observed that much which is called wine in this country is not worthy of the name, and it is a shame to remember our Lord’s death by drinking such vile decoctions. Let it be really wine, as pure and good as can be had, and no communicant has then any Scriptural right to object. As the slightest word on this subject generally brings a flood of angry letters, we beg to intimate that our columns are not open to discussion, and that our own mind is made up. We are at one with those temperate temperance friends who forbear to divide churches, and mar the unity of the saints upon this point: to them we wish Godspeed, and we hope ever to cooperate with them. They have their own sphere of action, and a very important one it is; and when pursued in subservience to the gospel, for the noble object of preventing and curing the great and crying sin of drunkenness, their work is philanthropic in the highest degree; nay, more, it is Christlike, and tends to benefit the souls as well as the bodies of men. To make men sober is one thing, to make them quarrelsome is another: we are content with the former."

Spurgeon believed in total abstinence but when it came to the Biblical use of the term "wine" he did not support the unfermented wine myth.

All I know is we never used grape juice in The Old Line Primitive Baptist Church in communion, or in our sister churches... Now what others do is no concern of mine... We used wine... Mogen David if I'm not mistaken... Brother Glen