Copy of Spurgeon's Letter

A Copy of C. H. Spurgeon's Letter
Regarding the
"Down Grade" Controversy

A few weeks ago, I was furnished with a copy of a C. H. Spurgeon hand-written letter, sent to me by our longtime friend, Pastor Gary W. Long of Sovereign Grace Baptist Church and Particular Baptist Press, Springfield, Missouri.

The letter, dated February 17, 1888, serves to further substantiate what Spurgeon himself wrote in some issues of The Sword & the Trowel magazines -- namely, that "Calvinism" was not an issue in the Down Grade Controversy. This is what we have have always represented as a matter of authentic history on this particular matter.

I did not have this letter when we reprinted the book, THE DOWN GRADE CONTROVERSY, a few months ago; otherwise, I would have included the letter in that book. But after I received the letter, we had copies made which we now insert into the book.

If you want a copy of the letter, send a postage-paid self-addressed envelope to --

Bob L. Ross, Box 66, Pasadena, Texas 77501.

I have a lot of interest in and respect for authentic history, but not much interest in someone's "interpretation" of history, especially their "eisegesis" of history (reading their own ideas into history). Nothing chafes me more than someone who -- for whatever reason -- distorts authentic history.

Some of our Calvinistic brethren, such as Iain Murray and Erroll Hulse, who have written about Spurgeon and the Down Grade Controversy, have unfortunately strayed from authentic history and have attempted to inject Calvinism into the DGC, and I sometimes see comments by some who are evidently influenced by Murray and/or Hulse. I suppose that Murray and Hulse, ever zealous to promote their version of Calvinism, think it adds weight to associate Spurgeon and Calvinism to the Down Grade Controversy. But Spurgeon staunchly denied this accusation when it was made in his lifetime by his detractors, as we learn from his magazine and also from this letter. According to Spurgeon, the issues involved were of greater significance than one's theoretical understanding relating to Arminian-Calvinist squabbles over differing views. He said:

"Certain antagonists have tried to represent the Down-Grade controversy as a revival of the old feud between Calvinists and Arminians. It is nothing of the kind. Many evangelical Arminians are as earnestly on our side as men can be."

If you want a free copy of Spurgeon's letter, send a stamped SAE and I will mail it to you.

If you want the DOWN GRADE CONTROVERSY book itself, it sells for $8.99 plus $3 to mail -- $11.99 -- but we will settle for $10.

******************************************

Permission granted to copy and use this article.

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By request, names are added to my Email List, or removed.

Publishers of C. H. Spurgeon's Sermons & Other Works

Send your snail-mail address for a printed Price List.

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Phone: (713) 477-4261. Fax: (713) 477-7561

VIDEOS ON INTERNET:

"Charles Haddon Spurgeon Country"

Other Pilgrim videos are now available on
YOUTUBE, YAHOO Video and GOOGLE Video --
Simply enter "Larry Wessels" in Search box.

YOUTUBE channel page:

YAHOO VIDEO:


GOOGLE VIDEO:

Other Internet Resources:

Writings of Bob L. Ross

Calvinist Fllyswatter blogs by Bob:
King James Only Resource Center

*******

"C. H. SPURGEON WORLD WIDE WEB NETWORK"

68:11

Spurgeon Gems
Spurgeon Archive

Spurgeon sermons in SPANISH

SingleVision Ministries

"The Prince of Preachers Live!"

Christian Classics

Spurgeon's Devotionals

CHS' Sermons on CD / Cassette

Pilgrim Publications

*******

Please report any defective links.

Spurgeon's Sermons on Internet

61 Volumes of C. H. Spurgeon's Sermons
Now on the Internet [05/21--2010]

The following email from Brother Emmett O'Donnell is a report on Emmett's remarkable progress in putting C. H. Spurgeon's New Park Street Pulpit (1855-1860) and Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit (1861-1917) on the Internet, available around the world.

Spurgeon never had any idea that his sermons would one day "miraculously" be available in this form!

Thank the Lord that He inspired Brother O'Donnell to give himself to this task, and thank the Lord that Bro. Emmett has been enabled to persevere in doing it!

Here is his recent report:

May 15, 2010
Dear Ones,
Let us pray for Grace to give our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, all the praise and honor for using me to complete the modernization of 61 volumes of Brother Spurgeon's sermons. -- Brother Emmett O'Donnell.

Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to God The Father!
Not Mary. Not Mohammed. Not a future Messiah.
Jesus Christ is the ONLY way.(John 14:6).

Visit http://www.spurgeongems.org/ for over 3,500 C. H. Spurgeon sermons in today'slanguage.

"All the history of an elect child of God, even before conversion, will be found to be full of traces of the preventing goodness of the Lord."--Volume 60, Sermon #3413, Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit.

READ Brother Emmett's testimony here.

Permission granted to copy and use this article.

Pilgrim Website: http://www.pilgrimpublications.com/

By request, names are added to my personal Email List, or removed.

Publishers of C. H. Spurgeon's Sermons & Other Works

Send your snail-mail address for a printed Price List.

Pilgrim Publications, Box 66, Pasadena, TX 77501

Phone: (713) 477-4261. Fax: (713) 477-7561

VIDEOS ON INTERNET:

"Spurgeon Country"
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/1044139/3888336

Other Pilgrim videos are now available for viewing on
YOUTUBE, YAHOO Video and GOOGLE Video --
Simply enter "Larry Wessels" in the Search box.

YOUTUBE channel page:
http://www.youtube.com/user/CAnswersTV

YAHOO VIDEO:
http://video.yahoo.com/search/?p=LARRY+WESSELS

GOOGLE VIDEO:
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=LARRY+WESSELS&hl=en&emb=0&aq=f#

Other Internet Resources:

Selected Email Articles by Bob L. Ross at http://writingsofbobross.tripod.com/1toc1.html

Articles on blogs by Bob:

http://calvinistflyswatter.blogspot.com/
and

http://reformedflyswatter.blogspot.com/

King James Only Resource Center

http://www.kjvonly.org/

*******

"C. H. SPURGEON WORLDWIDE WEB NETWORK"

Psalm 68:11
Spurgeon Gems http://www.spurgeongems.org/
Spurgeon Archive http://www.spurgeon.org/mainpage.htm

Spurgeon sermons in SPANISH http://www.spurgeon.com.mx/
SingleVision Ministries http://www.seegod.org/

"The Prince of Preachers Live!" http://www.charlesspurgeon.net/

Christian Classics http://www.ccel.org/s/spurgeon/

Spurgeon's Devotionals http://www.gospelweb.net/table1fcb.htm

CHS' Sermons on CD / Cassette

http://www.chspurgeon.com/

Pilgrim Publications

http://www.pilgrimpublications.com/

Videos on Hardshellism

LINKS TO
VIDEOS ON HARDSHELLISM

Cultic Hyper-Calvinistic Doctrines of the Primitive Baptist Church Part #1
from CAnswersTV
Bob L. Ross, Director of Pilgrim Publications of Pasadena, Texas, a leading publisher of the works of Charles Haddon Spurgeon in the world, is joined for this...
59:54

Cultic Hyper-Calvinistic Doctrines of the Primitive Baptist Church Part #2
from CAnswersTV
Bob L. Ross, Director of Pilgrim Publications of Pasadena, Texas, a leading publisher of the works of Charles Haddon Spurgeon in the world, is joined for this...
59:26

Cultic Hyper-Calvinistic Doctrines of the Primitive Baptist Church Part #3
from CAnswersTV
Bob L. Ross, Director of Pilgrim Publications of Pasadena, Texas, a leading publisher of the works of Charles Haddon Spurgeon in the world, is joined for this...
59:54

Blessings,

Larry Wessels
1 Peter 3:15

Hardshell Liberal Movement

Stephen Garrett on the Hardshell
"Liberal Movement"

Bob L. Ross' note:

Stephen Garrett, at the BaptistGadfly, has written a very enlightning summary of modern "Hardshellism," especially in relation to Pastor Lasserre Bradley Jr. of Cincinnati, the "radio voice" of the Hardshells (aka Primitive Baptists) for many years. We are publishing a few of his opening paragraphs and the remainder can be read at BaptistGadfly. The modern Reformed "regeneration precedes faith" heresy is at the heart of Hardshellism, as it was in the case of Bradley when he left missionary Bapists for the anti-missionary Hardshell sect.

Also, you may view a video on Hardshellism which I made with Stephen Garrett, a former Hardshell preacher, at --http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5943967/15468873

Hardshell Liberal Movement
by Stephen Garrett

Since I began writing my book against those today who call themselves "Primitive Baptists" (see the link titled "Hardshellism" for chapters published in my ongoing book "The Hardshell Baptist Cult"), I have had several interactions with elders in the PB church. Some of the discussions have involved the "liberal movement," which began among the Hardshells in the 1990's, chiefly as a result of Elder Lasserre Bradley Jr., pastor of the Cincinnati Primitive Baptist Church.

Elder Bradley began his ministry as a young teenager among Sovereign Grace Baptists until the late 50's when he and his flock became converted to "Primitive Baptist" teachings and were re-baptized and reconstituted as a Hardshell Church. This event was heralded and applauded by the "Primitive Baptists" as a second Pentecost. Elder Bradley became an overnight sensation among the Hardshells and was the most popular preacher among them, travelling far and wide to hold meetings for them. His radio program, the Baptist Bible Hour, became a leading voice in promoting the denomination.

I know Elder Bradley personally. I have been in his home and have had several telephone conversations with him during the years when I preached for the PB's. I was invited by him to stand in for him at the Cincinnati church. When a young preacher, living in the Cincinnati area, in the mid 70's, I use to visit the Cincinnati church frequently.Elder Bradley and the Cincinnati church were instrumental in constituting my dad's church, which had also formerly been a Sovereign Grace Missionary Baptist church, into a Hardshell church in the mid 60's. They re-baptized my dad and his small church, after they united with the Cincinnati church, and then reconstituted them into a church.

What led Elder Bradley, and my father, and some other Sovereign Grace Missionary Baptists, to join the Hardshells was their coming to see that regeneration precedes [faith] in the new birth. This led them to believe that the gospel, and faith and repentance, were not means or accompaniments in regeneration, and were therefore not necessary for regeneration. They embraced the idea that regeneration was distinct from conversion, that the former was necessary for salvation, but the latter was not. They were also led to believe that this view was the view of the Baptists prior to 1832, the formal date when the Hardshells declared non-fellowship with Mission Baptists and became a distinct denomination.

This view also led Elder Bradley to take an unbiblical view of what constitutes the experience of regeneration and what it means to "persevere." He was given the Hardshell hermeneutic regarding passages which seem to teach the necessity of faith in Christ, and the means of the gospel, in order to be eternally saved. He was told that those passages which teach the necessity of faith in Christ for "salvation" did not relate to "eternal" salvation from sin and eternal hell, but to a "timely" salvation from errors, a topic I have addressed exhaustively in my book on the Hardshells.

After several years of preaching for the Hardshells, however, Elder Bradley seems to have become disillusioned with the Hardshells, just as I had in the early 80's. He began to swing back to his older views.

His turning back seems to have started when he organized a "preacher's school" at the Cincinnati church, at first designed for the benefit of young preachers, to help them counsel with their members on many social and spiritual issues. He at once began to be attacked by the hardliners, they accusing him of being "liberal" and departing from the faith and practice of PB's, who had stood against the practice of having anything akin to a seminary, Sunday School, or bible classes.

See here and here for more information by the hardliners against Elder Bradley.

READ THE REMAINDER OF THE ARTICLE AT
BAPTISTGADFLY

Galyon's Gregious Omission

Galyon's Glaring Omission as to
the Heresy of Hyper-Calvinism

Our sometime nemesis, "the rev" James Galyon, has attempted to define for his readers what constitues "Hyper-Calvinism," to which he refers as "Heinous Error."

Yet Galyon himself is guilty of a gregiously heinous error on this matter.

As we have found to often be the case with "the rev," he omits information which would present a more complete representation of the subject under discussion. In the current instance, he lists 16 items which he alleges as characteristics of Hyper-Calvinism, but he does not bother to point out the fact that all Hyper-Calvinists hold to a theory on "Regeneration" which we prefer to categorize as HYBRID CALVINISM. Every Hybrid Calvinist may not agree to all of the 16 items mentioned by "the rev," but if there is a Hyper-Calvinist who does not hold to Hybrid Calvinism, I have failed to learn of him (or her).

We have pointed out that Hybrid Calvinism is a departure from Creedal Calvinism on Effectual Calling whereby the Hybrids separate the Word and Spirit in the work of regeneration, which is contrary to all the Calvinistic creeds.

Hybridism alleges that "regeneration" takes place without the use of the Gospel or Word of God as the instrumental means of the Holy Spirit in producing the New Birth. Supposedly, the elect get "born again before, apart from, and without faith" -- most of them even "born again" either in infancy or "possibly" before the physical birth.

R. C. Sproul, for example, says, "It is possible that God gave me new life within the womb, and over time I came into a deeper understanding of the faith He gave me." Likewise, John Frame alleges, "I hold the Reformed view that children in infancy, even before birth, can be regenerated and saved, presumably before they have any conscious doctrinal beliefs."

The heart of Hybrid Calvinism is what they prefer to call the "ordo salutis," and its evolution is traced by Dr. Shedd to Pedobaptist Francis Turretin. The "regeneration precedes faith" notion is therefore a post-reformation creation of the Pedobaptists.

W. G. T. Shedd, Dogmatic Theology, Volume 2, pages 492-494:
"The divines [Puritans] of the seventeenth century very generally do not distinguish between regeneration and conversion, but employ the two as synonyms. Owen does this continually: On the Spirit, III. v. And Charnocke likewise: Attributes, Practical Atheism. The Westminster does not use the term regeneration. In stead of it, it employs the term vocation, or effectual calling. This comprises the entire work of the Holy Spirit in the application of redemption. . . . But this wide use of the term regeneration led to confusion of ideas and views. As there are two distinct words in the language, regeneration and conversion, there are also two distinct notions denoted by them. Consequently, there arose gradually a stricter use of the term regeneration, and its discrimination from conversion.

Turretin (XV. iv. 13) defines two kinds of conversion, as the term was employed in his day. . . . After thus defining, Turretin remarks that the first kind of conversion is better denominated 'regeneration,' because it has reference to the new birth by which man is renewed in the image of his Maker; and the second kind of conversion is better denominated 'conversion,' because it includes the operation and agency of man himself. . . . We shall adopt this distinction between regeneration and conversion. . . . Regeneration is a cause; conversion is an effect."

Thus, Shedd admittedly is a disciple of the Turrentin phantasmagoria.

J. I. Packer likewise attributes this Hybrid theory to post-reformation pedobaptists:

"Many seventeenth century Reformed theologians equated regeneration with effectual calling and conversion with regeneration . . . LATER REFORMED THEOLOGY has defined regeneration more narrowly, as the implanting of the 'seed' from which faith and repentance spring (I John 3:9) in the course of effectual calling."

Louis Berkhof also acknowledged that the theory had post-Creedal development:

"It is true that some Reformed authors have occasionally used the term 'regeneration' as including even sanctification, but that was in the days when the ORDO SALUTIS was not as fully developed as it is today" (Systematic Theology, page 468).

These are well-known "Reformed" Pedobaptist sources, and they are revealing that the "ordo salutis" of modern Reformed theology, which puts "regeneration" prior to faith, is in fact a hybrid development which arose "later" than Calvin, Owen, Watson, Sibbes, and the seventeenth century divines (Puritans) who regarded regeneration and conversion as synonymous.

It should be significant for a Baptist to take note of the fact that many, if not most, of the current notable advocates of Hybrid Calvinism are from the Reformed Pedobaptist (baby baptizers) camp. And even those who are not Pedos generally have been significantly impacted in their thinking by the influence of Pedobaptists. Hybrid Calvinist advocates have never been especially noted for emphasis upon evangelism, soul-winning, and witnessing, but they have made reputations for themselves via their academic writings and "registration fee required" conference appearances.

As Phil Johnson, John MacArthur's associate, has said, "modern Calvinism is producing mostly students and polemicists, not evangelists and preachers." They conduct no evangelistic meetings and do not plant churches as a result of their lack of effort.

Furthermore, no less a Calvinist "reformer" than Iain Murray (a Pedobaptist Hybrid Calvinist) apparently recognizes the lack of evangelistic emphasis in the so-called "resurgence" of Calvinism in our time. In the Preface of his 1995 book, Spurgeon v. Hyper-Calvinism, Murray says:

In the 1960s it seemed to many of us that Spurgeon's continuing significance had to do with his witness to the free-grace convictions of the Reformers and Puritans over against the shallow and non-doctrinal evangelicalism of our day. Thirty years later that witness remains relevant and yet it is apparent that the recovery of doctrinal Christianity is not necessarily our chief need today. In many churches there has been a real increase in knowledge and a resurgence of Calvinistic belief has occurred across the world. The word 'forgotten' is happily far less applicable to Spurgeon than it was forty years ago. But it may well be that the time has come when we need to be MUCH MORE FAMILIAR with a rather different emphasis in Spurgeon. While I know of no evidence that Hyper-Calvinism is recovering strength, it would appear that THE PRIORITY WHICH SOUL-WINNING HAD IN SPURGEON'S MINISTRY IS NOT COMMONLY SEEN TO BE OUR PRIORITY.

The revival of DOCTRINE has scarcely been matched by a revival of EVANGELISM. While not accepting the tenets of Hyper-Calvinism it may well be that we have not been sufficiently alert to the danger of allowing a supposed consistency in doctrine to OVERRIDE THE BIBLICAL PRIORITY OF ZEAL FOR CHRIST AND SOULS OF MEN.

Doctrine without usefulness is no prize. As Spurgeon says, 'You may look down with contempt on some who do not know so much as you, and yet they may have twice your holiness and be doing more service to God.'

Spurgeon's Publishers: Passmore & Alabaster

"Passmore & Alabaster" --
Original Publishers of
C. H. Spurgeon's Sermons and Works

Historian Terry Wolever, who is in association with Pastor Gary W. Long and their publishing work, Particular Baptist Press of Springfield, Missouri, sent me the following most interesting information about C. H. Spurgeon's publishers, Joseph Passmore and James Alabaster --

Bob, awhile back I had asked you if you knew when the two Spurgeon publishers, Passmore and Alabaster, were born. At the time neither of us knew. I have since pursued this further and with the help of a friend in England I can share more about the two.

JOSEPH PASSMORE, the senior partner in the firm, is stated in Boase, Modern English Biography, page 1376, to have been born in 1822. But according to the 1881 British Census, FHL film 1341147, Folio 57, page 12, which was taken on March 31st of that year, he more likely was born in 1823, as his age is shown to be 57. Boase goes on to say of Passmore that he was "a member of C.H. Spurgeon's church, actively assisted in building the Tabernacle institutions and in founding the Stockwell orphanage 1867; [he] suggested the weekly issue of Spurgeon's Sermons 1855 and continued printing it without intermission [for] 36 years; [he] printed and published the whole of Spurgeon's works 1855-1895." Passmore died at his residence in London on August 1, 1895.

JAMES ALABASTER, the junior partner, was born ca.1826 and died on November 19, 1892 (the same year as Spurgeon). His death was recorded in this notice in the Sword and Trowel:

"On Saturday, November 19, just as these 'Notes' were being printed, Mr James Alabaster was 'called home,' after being laid aside less than a week. His loss is most keenly felt by his family and partners in business, especially by the head of the firm, Mr. Joseph Passmore, with whom Mr. Alabaster had been in close personal friendship for nearly forty years. We have tried to picture the meeting [in heaven] between the beloved Pastor and his esteemed publisher; for, although Mr. Alabaster was a staunch adherent of the Church of England, he loved the same Lord whom Mr. Spurgeon served, and was an equally devout believer in the faith once for all delivered to the saints."

At the time of their deaths, Passmore would have been 71 and Alabaster about 66. As all of us who appreciate the writings of Spurgeon know, we owe a great deal under God to the diligence of these two men and their associates for preparing the extensive works of Sprugeon for publication. I hope Mike is doing much better. With kind regards, Terry Wolever

Bob's Note:

We are deeply grateful for this -- as well as for other information which Brother Wolever has provided for us over time. He has done a remarkable job with the historical works which have been reprinted by Particular Baptist Press, and I would urge my readers to take a look at these works and make them a part of your library.

Pilgrim Publications has made it our practice to always use original, unedited editions of Passmore & Alabaster productions when we have done a reprint of a Spurgeon book. -- Bob L. Ross

"The Internet Monk"

Dim Health Report on Michael Spencer,
Known on the Web as "The Internet Monk"

I had not visited the blog of Michael Spencer, "The Interent Monk," for a long time, to the best of my recollection. Back when blogging was somewhat in its "heyday," Michael was one of the most notorious of the bloggers, especially noted for his rather brash style and verbiage.

However, what "stirred my feathers" about Michael was when he tried to implicate C. H. Spurgeon in his pot of cauldron against the use of public invitations. He wrote extensively against invitations, and I replied to his exorbitancies in a short series of emails to my list [I was not blogging at the time]. Michael alleged that public invitations had "corrupted evangelical Christianity." I replied to his exaggerations point-by-point, and he wrote me some emails, demanding that I cease my criticisms.

[On The Calvinist Flyswatter, I commented:
And, as if to salve over his past approval of invitations, he said that "nearly every evangelical Christian" he knows responded to an altar call at the outset of their faith journey. He went on to explain that he later "met the Calvinists" and he was "ruined." He mentions Iain Murray's anti-invitation booklet, and goes on to embellish the names of a few notable Pedobaptist theologians who teach the "pre-faith regeneration" theory. He arrived at the conclusion that invitations had "corrupted evangelical Christianity," and it appears that he may be trying to demonstrate the reality of that corruption by furnishing himself as Exhibit A.]

Michael's other obsession to which I ventured to take exception was his extreme antagonism against Joel Osteen, our neighbor here in this area. He seemed to be determined to mount a "holy crusade" of sorts against Joel, while Joel just kept minding his own affairs and paid no attention to Michael's boisterous deprecations. We defended Joel and this infuriated Michael even more.

He alleged more than once that I was a "man without honor" or "integrity," but paid no attention to our critiques of what he had written on invitations, his Hybrid Calvinism, and other issues.

For some reason, and as blogging declined, we gradually more or less lost interest in what the Monk was saying about anything. We devoted a few stabs at humor about the Monk on the Calvinist Flyswatter, and soon had little to no contact with his website.

Yesterday, I was going thru my "Favorites" list of links, deleting some dead links, and I came upon The Internet Monk's. I checked to see if it was still functioning, and in doing so I came upon the unexpected report of his declining health -- which you may consult at this link.

Michael is only 53, and we regret that this is his condition. Despite our strong differences, we would have desired for him a long and enjoyable time for years to come. We pray for him, his family, friends, and entrust him to the Providence of our Lord and His Will for his life.