Calvinist Flyswatter

Spurgeon vs. Galyon, etc.

SPURGEON COLLIDES WITH GALYON
AND OTHER HYBRID CALVINISTS

Some Hybrid Calvinists dislike the term "decision" in the matter of salvation, and some talk about a so-called "decisional regeneration" idea in an effort to discredit the use of the word "decision."

So be it. They can choose their own poison. But to try to drag Spurgeon into their leaky tent is preposterous.

SPURGEON vs. GALYON

In the case of James Galyon, it is indeed "2 Worlds Collide" -- namely, Galyon's Hybrid Calvinist World colliding with C. H. Spurgeon's world.

Spurgeon preached the Gospel to "dead sinners," called upon the dead sinners to repent and believe, and thereby he made converts to Christ.

The Pedo-infected Hybrids (on the whole) rely on "infant regeneration," which is supposedly an "inheritance" in consequence of the infants being born to believers. That is why there are no "evangelists" among the Hybrid Calvinists. Their chief business is to seek proselytes to Hybrid Calvinism from among believers who were previously converted by "non-Calvinists."

Spurgeon:
>>
If thou believest in Jesus Christ and him crucified, in the moment that thou believest, this great change of nature is effected in thee; for faith has in itself a singularly transforming power. . . . . So, faith towards God in itself produces a total change of mind in the man who has it. But, beside that, there goes with faith a divine energy which changes the heart of man.
>>
(Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Vol. 41, page 235, Despised Light Withdrawn).

Spurgeon did indeed teach that there was a pre-faith work ("prevenient grace") done by the Word and Spirit in the sinner, such as in the case of Lydia, but Spurgeon did not call this the "new birth" or "regeneration," as if one is born again before he has believed on Christ.
The fact is, Spurgeon said the sinner is "not saved" by the preceding or prevenient work before he is brought to "decision," or faith (Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Volume 11, Year 1865, pages 596, 597).

Ian Murray Acknowledges Spurgeon's View

No less than Pedobaptist and Hybrid Calvinism advocate, Mr. Ian Murray of The Banner of Truth, has often in the past twisted and spun Spurgeon in an effort to make a Hybrid Calvinist out of Spurgeon. But it seems that Murray, for some unknown reason, in more recent times, has felt under obligation to acknowledge the fact that Spurgeon indeed held that faith "occurs at the same time as the new birth" (The Old Evangelicism, page 65), which conflicts with the "pre-faith" notion of the Hybrids.

This acknowledgment was called to my attention a while back by a brother Ian Elsasser and I am deeply indebted to him for the reference. If some Hybrid Calvinist tries to use Murray's past twists of Spurgeon to teach Hybrid Calvinism, you can refer the person to Murray's acknowledgment in this book published in 2005 by the Banner of Truth.

We have also before called attention to --
SPURGEON'S IMMACULATE SYLLOGISM

Here is C. H. Spurgeon's Immaculate Syllogism, which is based on 1 John 5:4. This is on page 142 of Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Volume 17, 1971, Sermon #979, "Faith and Regeneration" which Galyon has posted on his blog:

Spurgeon:

"Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world:
But faith overcomes the world,
Therefore the man who has faith is regenerate;

And what means that but that he is saved, and that his faith is the instrument by which he achieves victories."

To state the syllogism summarily:

1. "WHATSOEVER is BORN OF GOD overcometh the world."
2. But FAITH overcomes the world.
3. Therefore, the instant that FAITH is born in a man by the Word and Spirit he is BORN OF GOD in that instant -- and not before.

There is no way under the Sun to squeeze a "born again before faith" situation into that syllogism!

No one can find a person who is "born again" who does not have faith in Christ!

FAITH is that which is BORN OF GOD,
therefore the man who has faith begotten in him
is REGENERATED -- and NO OTHER!

Until faith in Christ has been born in a man, the man has not been born again. It's that simple.

There is simply no room in Spurgeon for the Pedobaptist/Hardshell doctrine of "regeneration precedes faith" -- advocated by the likes Turretin, Shedd, Berkhof, Spoul, Packer, and Packer's disciple, James Galyon -- which alleges that "regeneration" is a separate and distinct preceding act distinguished from effectual calling simultaneously by the Word and Spirit.

posted by Bob L. Ross @ 6:59 PM