Calvinist Flyswatter

Spurgeon "quote" distorted by Hybrids

ANOTHER SPURGEON "QUOTATION" DISTORTED
AND MISUSED BY HYBRID CALVINISTS

In C. H. Spurgeon's ministry, the use of the "inquiry room" was quite common. This was a room or perhaps a lecture hall to which the unconverted were invited to come to be instructed by Ministers and Christian workers in the way of salvation -- somewhat similar to the "altar call" or "invitation" today.

In regard to inquiry rooms, Spurgeon once said --

"It is all very welt to have an enquiry-room, and I have not a word to say against it" (Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Volume 26, page 233), and in the same volume on page 186 he says, "I do not condemn that action" (of going into an inquiry room).

In his Lectures to My Students, Second Series, page 190, he taught his ministerial students to "hold numerous enquirers meetings."

He emphasized a "reasonable" approach:
"Hope for the best, but in your highest excitements be reasonable. Enquiry-rooms are all very well, but if they lead to idle boastings they will grieve the Holy Spirit and work abounding evil" (The Sword and the Trowel, November 1879, page 505).

Spurgeon was very aggressive in seeking to win souls, and he said he expected unconverted hearers to come to Christ and be saved in every service. He approved of reasonable methods, such as the inquiry room, in encouraging his hearers to become believers and confess their faith in Christ. He even had some members whom he called his "dogs" and "sharpshooters" who would seek to win souls to Christ immediately after the services had concluded.

Spurgeon: We mean never to let you have any rest till you come to Christ. I have heard that there are some friends about this Tabernacle who “bother” people concerning their souls; and I hope they will keep on “bothering” them. They will not let them come and go out of this building without having an earnest word with them; I hope it will always be so. We have some brethren here who are sharpshooters; they are just now lying low in the rifle-pit, taking aim at some of you; and they will shoot at you before you get away tonight. I hope they will hit you, too, because whosoever hears the gospel is bidden to say to others, “Come.” You will get girdled round with a ring of invitations, for God means to bless you; and, therefore, if you escape one, he will not let you escape another. -- Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Volume 46, page 357.

Spurgeon: There is a wonderful work to be done in those lobbies, and in those pews, after a service. There are some dear brethren and sisters who are always doing it; they call themselves my “dogs”; for they go and pick up the birds that I have wounded. I wish that they might be able to pick up many tonight. -- Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Volume 38, page 549.

It's true, Spurgeon warned against the misuse of any and all tactics and practices which might inappropriately become substitutes for the simple Gospel of salvation by simply believing in Jesus. But -- he never opposed the inquiry room, for he actually used it at the Tabernacle. He would indeed oppose putting anything before believing on Christ for salvation, whether it be prayer, the inquiry room, baptism, the preacher, the church, or anything else. He regarded anything which was put ahead of believing as a "superstition" and salvation by "works."

Yet, I have often seen a distorted "quotation" from C. H. Spurgeon in some Hybrid Calvinist sources which is frequently misused by certain writers to create the impression that Spurgeon opposed invitations and inquiry rooms. The chopped up quotation" is lifted out of context and has Spurgeon supposedly advising the unconverted person to "Go home" rather than go into the inquiry room. You can find the authentic material in the Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Volume 30, Year 1884, page 456.

I think I first saw the mangled quotation in the Founders' founder Ernest Reisinger's book, Today's Evangelism, page 75. I later saw the same mangled item in Errol Hulse's The Great Invitation, page 149, and then Robert B. Selph's Southern Baptists and the Doctrine of Election, page 140.

I think I have also seen it evidently copied and used in some Internet articles which oppose invitations. I have received the impression that few, if any, of these sources have actually read Spurgeon's original words in context, and none of them even gives a reference where the words are found! It's as if someone does not want you to read the words in context.

In context, Spurgeon was simply urging upon the sinner that his FIRST, foremost, and immediate need was to believe in Christ for salvation, and to put nothing ahead of that believing, not even prayer or going to the inquiry room.

Notice Spurgeon's emphasis in the first part of the paragraph which is NOT quoted by the Hybrid Calvinist writers:

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Oh, that you would trust in the Lord Jesus! Repose in him, and in his finished work, and all is well. Did I hear you say, “I will pray about it”? Better trust at once. Pray as much as you like after you have trusted, but what is the good of unbelieving prayers? “I will talk with a godly man after the service.” I charge you first trust in Jesus. Go home alone, trusting in Jesus. (MTP, Vol. 30, 1884, page 456).
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The idea that Spurgeon is advising an unconverted person to "go home" BEFORE trusting in Jesus is obviously not what he is saying.

There are some other places in Spurgeon's sermons where he uses the words "Go home," and the following examples clearly demonstrate that he wanted the unconverted who heard him preach to immediately believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation:

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Take care thou dost not try to make a righteousness out of thy feelings. If you say, “I may not go to Christ till I feel my need of him” — that is clear legality; you are on the wrong track altogether, because Christ does not want you to feel your need in order to prepare for him; he wants no preparation, and anything which you think to be a preparation is a mistake. You are to come just as you are — to-day, as you are, now — not as you will be, but just now, as you now are.

I do not say to you, “Go home and seek God in prayer; I say come to Christ now at this very hour;” you will never be in a better state than you are now, for you were never in a worse state, and that is the fittest state in which to come to Christ. (NPSP, Volume 6, page 403).

* * *

Again, I am afraid some persons with the water at their feet, do not drink it because of the bad directions that are given by ministers. When a minister closes up an address to the unconverted with this exhortation -- "Now, my dear friends, go home and pray,” that is a very right exhortation; but it is given to the wrong people, and in the wrong place.

I do not say to you this morning, I dare not say to you, as though it were the Gospel message, “Go home and pray.” I hope you will pray; but there is another matter to come before prayer, namely, faith in Jesus.

When Christ told his disciples to go and preach the Gospel to every creature, he did not say to them, “He that prayeth shall be saved,” though that would be true if he prayed aright; but “he that believeth shall be saved.” Your present duty is, not praying, but believing.

You are to look to Jesus Christ upon the cross just as the poor serpent-bitten Israelites looked to the brazen serpent and lived. Your prayings will not do you a farthing’s worth of good if you refuse to trust Jesus Christ. . . . It is depending upon the Lord Jesus Christ alone which is the true vital act by which the soul is quickened into spiritual life. (MTP, Volume 12, Year 1866, page 163).

* * *

Suppose I should go home to-night and spend the night on my knees, and think that by that means I should satisfy God? What should I have done but made my knees ache? . . .

But while I remark upon these things, let me also say that to obey the precept “Believe and live” is certainly a great deal more effectual to the soul’s salvation than all the sacrifice and all the fat of rams which you can offer. . . . I would not give a penny for a wagon-load of them. The whole of them are just what Paul calls them --”refuse.” He says, “I count them but dung that I may win Christ, and be found in him.” All your best works are but so much rubbish to be carted out of the way, and if you trust in them they will be your ruin, and all we say to you is, “BELIEVE AND LIVE.”

. . . “Believe and live,” oh! that is too simple! What! just trust Christ and be saved on the spot? Why, it cannot be, you think. If we bade you do some great thing you would do it, but you refuse to do so simple a thing as to believe.

But if Naaman had gone to Abana and Pharpar he would not have been healed, and if he had sought out all the physicians in Syria and paid away all his money, he would have been white with leprosy still. There was nothing but washing in Jordan that would heal him.

And so with you, sinner, you may go and do fifty thousand things, but you will never get your sins forgiven, and you never, never shall have a hope of heaven unless you will obey this one precept: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,” but if you do this you shall find that “to obey is better than sacrifice” indeed, and “to hearken than” all “the fat of rams.” Again, I am afraid some persons with the water at their feet, do not drink it because of the bad directions that are given by ministers. When a minister closes up an address to the unconverted with this exhortation -- "Now, my dear friends, go home and pray,” that is a very right exhortation; but it is given to the wrong people, and in the wrong place.I do not say to you this morning, I dare not say to you, as though it were the Gospel message, “Go home and pray.” I hope you will pray; but there is another matter to come before prayer, namely, faith in Jesus. When Christ told his disciples to go and preach the Gospel to every creature, he did not say to them, “He that prayeth shall be saved,” though that would be true if he prayed aright; but “he that believeth shall be saved.”Your present duty is, not praying, but believing. You are to look to Jesus Christ upon the cross just as the poor serpent-bitten Israelites looked to the brazen serpent and lived. Your prayings will not do you a farthing’s worth of good if you refuse to trust Jesus Christ. . . . It is depending upon the Lord Jesus Christ alone which is the true vital act by which the soul is quickened into spiritual life. (MTP, Volume 12, Year 1866, pages 224, 225, 226).
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It seems to be a trait of Hybrid Calvinist writers to "quote" Spurgeon piece-meal, out of context, and to the disregard of what he says in other places on a subject. It seems that most of them have Iain Murray's writings for their source material, and few if any are as adept as Murray at disfiguring Spurgeon.

posted by Bob L. Ross @ 7:55 PM