The Truth on Spurgeon Please.

"I do not come into this pulpit hoping that perhaps somebody will of his
own free will return to Christ. My hope lies in another quarter. I hope
that my Master will lay hold of some of them and say, "You are mine, and
you shall be mine. I claim you for myself." My hope arises from the
freeness of grace, and not from the freedom of the will." - Charles Haddon Spurgeon

[ September 08, 2002, 02:31 PM: Message edited by: Ken Hamilton ]

 

For more information, see "The Forgotten Spurgeon" and "Spurgeon vs. Hyper-Calvinism", both published by Banner of Truth I believe and both by Iain Murray I also believe. Spurgeon was calvinistic but as evangelistic as they came. Much should be learned from this.

 

No authority, just a learner. The portion entitled "A Defence of Calvinism" is, I think, from Volume 1 of Spurgeon's Autobiography.

Ken
A Spurgeonite

 

As to the question as to whether Spurgeon changed from believing in the doctrines of God's grace, please read the following from 1891(he died in 1892). This is from "The Greatest Fight in the World: C.H. Spurgeon's Final Manifesto".

But we are told that we ought to give up a part of our old-fashioned
theology to save the rest. We are in a carriage travelling over the steppes
of Russia. The horses are being driven furiously, but the wolves are close
upon us! Can you not see their eyes of fire? The danger is pressing. What
must we do? It is proposed that we throw out a child or two. By the time
they have eaten the baby, we shall have made a little headway; but should
they again overtake us, what then? Why, brave man, throw out your wife!
'All that a man hath will he give for his life'; give up nearly every truth in
hope of saving one. Throw out inspiration, and let the critics devour it.
Throw out election, and all the old Calvinism; here will be a dainty feast for
the wolves, and the gentlemen who give us the sage advice will be glad to
see the doctrines of grace torn limb from limb. Throw out natural
depravity, eternal punishment, and the efficacy of prayer. We have
lightened the carriage wonderfully. Now for another drop. Sacrifice the
great sacrifice! Have done with the atonement! Brethren, this advice is
villainous, and murderous; we will escape these wolves with everything, or
we will be lost with everything. It shall be 'the truth, the whole truth, and
nothing but the truth', or none at all. We will never attempt to save half the
truth by casting any part of it away. The sage advice which has been given
us involves treason to God, and disappointment to ourselves. We will stand
by all or none. We are told that if we give up something the adversaries
will also give up something; but we care not what they will do, for we are
not in the least afraid of them. They are not the Imperial conquerors they
think themselves. We ask no quarter from their insignificance. We are of
the mind of the warrior who was offered presents to buy him off, and he
was told that if he accepted so much gold or territory he could return home
in triumph, and glory in his easy gain. But he said, 'The Greeks set no store
by concessions. They find their glory not in presents, but in spoils.' We
shall with the sword of the Spirit maintain the whole truth as ours, and
shall not accept a part of it as a grant from the enemies of God. The truth
of God we will maintain as the truth of God, and we shall not retain it
because the philosophic mind consents to our doing so. If scientists agree
to our believing a part of the Bible, we thank them for nothing: we believe
it whether or no. Their assent is of no more consequence to our faith than
the consent of a Frenchman to the Englishman's holding London, or the
consent of the mole to the eagle's sight. God being with us we shall not
cease from this glorying, but will hold the whole of revealed truth, even to
the end.

As you can see, Spurgeon never veered away from Biblical Calvinism. Anyone who tells you he did is either ignorant or lying.

Ken
A Spurgeonite

 

Ps104_33 asked:

Do know at what point in his ministry Spurgeon wrote his "Defence on Calvinism."

It is Chapter 16 of Volume 1 of his Autobiography. I couldn't find a publication date on the Net, but the four-volume set would appear to have been compiled posthumously by his wife.

Considering, therefore, that Vol. 1 covers the first 20 years of CHS's life, and that Chapter 16 falls in between his conversion and the beginning of his ministry, I think it is safe to assume that "contextually" it falls somewhere in his late teens even if he actually wrote the words of the chapter later.

However, note these words from his sermon "Christ Crucified," preached Feb. 11, 1855:

Note that this was during the first year of his ministry at the New Park Street Chapel. There you have it: Spurgeon was a Calvinist and an advocate of limited atonement from the beginning of his pastorate.

 

Here's a great place to read about spurgeon. Mike and Bob Ross are friends of mine, they live right down the way from me. Bob publishes spurgeon's entire life work, it is the largest volume of christian work. They have lots of great info on Spurgeon.

http://members.aol.com/pilgrimpub/spurgeon.htm

And by the way, I have listened to over 100 of Spurgeon's sermons, he is without question a 5 point calvinist. He mentions the Doctrines of Grace in every sermon I have ever heard him preach. You can download his audio sermons for free at

www.sermonaudio.com

direct link:

http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermonsspeaker.asp?range=S-T

If you have any direct questions about spurgeon you can email pilgrim publications and they will answer them for you. It really is amazing how people who dislike the five points of calvinism, will contort history and peoples words to support buttress their points.

 

Dear Brethren,

Spurgeon, though he is dead, yet speaks:

III. This brings us to the third point: that Eternal Life is Given to all who come for it.

"There never was a man who came to Christ for eternal life, for legal life, for spiritual life, who had not already received it, in some sense, and it was manifested to him that he had received it soon after he came. Let us take one or two texts--"He is able to save to the uttermost them that come unto him." Every man who comes to Christ will find that Christ is able to save him--not able to save him a little, to deliver him from a little sin, to keep him from a little trial, to carry him a little way and then drop him--but able to save him to the uttermost extent of his sin, unto the uttermost length of his trials, the uttermost depths of his sorrows, unto the uttermost duration of his existence. Christ says to everyone who comes to him, "Come, poor sinner, thou needst not ask whether I have power to save. I will not ask thee how far thou hast gone into sin; I am able to save thee to the uttermost." And there is no one on earth can go beyond God's uttermost."
"Now another text: [and one which shall speak for itself concerning Spurgeon's view of the matter] "Him that cometh to me, {mark the promises are nearly always to the coming ones} I will in no wise cast out." Every man that comes shall find the door of Christ's house opened--and the door to his heart too. Every man that comes--I say it in the broadest sense--shall find that Christ has mercy for him. The greatest absurdity in the world is to want to have a wider gospel than that recorded in Scripture. I preach that every man who believes shall be saved--that every man who comes shall find mercy. People ask me, "But suppose a man should come who was not chosen, would he be saved?" You go and suppose nonsense and I am not going to give you an answer. If a man is not chosen he will never come. When he does come it is a sure proof that he was chosen. "Suppose any one should go to Christ who had not been called of the Spirit." Stop my brother, that is a supposition thou hast no right to make, for such a thing cannot happen; you only say it to entangle me, and you will not do that just yet. I say every man who comes to Christ shall be saved. I can say that as a Calvinist, or as a hyper-Calvinist, as plainly as you can say it. I have no narrower gospel than you have; only my gospel is on a solid foundation, whereas yours is built upon nothing but sand and rottingness. "Every man that cometh shall be saved, for no man cometh to me except the Father draw him."

Taken from "Free Will--A Slave" a Sermon preached on Sabbath Morning December 2, 1855 at New Park St. Chapel, Southwark.

Found on-line at: http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/0052.htm

The idea of sufficiency is really no question, except in the mind of ourselves. The Blood of the Lamb of God most certainly is sufficient for all; but is applied to only those who "come" because they are those chosen. Remember Ex. 12, the night the angel of death passed through the land of Egypt, the token of the passover is the blood applied to the doorposts of the homes of the Israelites, it was not the nationality of the Israelite per say, if an Egyptian had heard the command of God and had applied the blood of that lamb upon his own doorposts, God, by warrant of His nature could not have permitted death to have visited that home; on the other hand, if an Israelite, knowing the command as well, but did not heed (or come) by applying the blood; then the nature of God would have necessarily permitted death to visit that household. Is this not true, if not, then we have no business proclaiming the gospel, only to wait until someone either stumbles upon the idea, or are coaxed by the Spirit, to visit our churches, thus our missions and such work would be useless.

May God richly bless each of you in your walk and service to Him.

Brother Dallas Eaton
Glasgow, KY
The text for the above sermon is: "And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life." John 5.40

[ September 14, 2002, 12:01 AM: Message edited by: Frogman ]

 

Dave Hunt's book is very poorly researched and very poorly written. He makes a number of careless remarks (that is putting it rather politely) in his work.

Yes, Spurgeon was a Calvinist - and a very consistent one at that. Those who say that Mr. Spurgeon was not a Calvinist or was a "moderate" Calvinist have never read or studied the man.

Rev. G