TruthTruth and Unity in the Church: a Conflict?
Charles Spurgeon on “Spurious Charity”
“But, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ” (Ephesians 4:15)
Charles Spurgeon spent much of his ministry defending the old Christian truths that were increasingly fading from the public consciousness. Fewer and fewer people seemed interested in this fact, and they considered Spurgeon negative and divisive for pointing it out to them. As in our day, rather than searching the Scriptures for themselves, the public seemed content to follow the opinions and directives of their popular Christian leaders. A form of political correctness developed that scorned those who challenged the shallow pop-Christianity of the masses. Responding to this new reality, in a sermon entitled “Search the Scriptures,” preached in January of 1858, Spurgeon said,
I feel at this particular crisis of religious affairs, it is imperative upon the Christian minister to urge his people to hold fast the doctrines of the truth—the words of God. This [age] seems likely to become the age of preaching, rather than the age of praying. We now see everywhere large congregations assembling … to listen to the Word preached; and it is an ominous sign of the times … that whoever now arises who has some powers of oratory and some graces of eloquence, is likely to attract the multitude, preach what he may, though the word that he utters be as false as God’s Word is true, and as contrary to the gospel as hell is opposed to heaven. Does it not seem probable that in this age he would attract a multitude of followers? and is it not also very likely that through that spurious charity [i.e., political correctness] which is now growing upon us, which would gag the mouths of honest reprovers, we shall find it hard to rebuke the impostor when he arises, and difficult to expose the falsehood, even though it may be apparent unto us? We are now happily so well commingled together, the Dissenter and the Churchman have now become so friendly with each other…. We have some reason now to be upon the watchtower, lest some should arise in our midst, who will [demand] our charity, whilst they are preaching that which we in our hearts totally condemn. [i.e, why can’t you people who talk about doctrine be more charitable?] And what better advice can the minister give in such times as these? To what book shall he commend his hearers? How shall he keep them fast? Where is the anchor which he shall give them to cast into the rocks? or where the rocks into which they should cast their anchor? We are furnished [in Is. 8:20] with a great answer to the inquiry—“To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”
We believe Spurgeon’s day in England is much like our day in America. Certainly there are many secondary issues which according to true Christian charity, should not divide the church. We have tried, in these pages, to avoid spilling too much cyber-ink on those issues. But when the very gospel is at stake, as is the case in the America’s current evangelical downgrade, we must stand, for we are fighting principalities, powers, spiritual wickedness in high places. In England, although Spurgeon stood almost alone in his day, his name is remembered while most of the popular preachers who opposed him are long forgotten. His assessment then was that evangelical Christianity was in decline, and that without a change of course, it would fade away. He was exactly correct: church attendance in England is now at around five percent. Many of us are now sounding the alarm about American Christianity, and calling for a return to the biblical doctrinal foundations established by Christ and the Apostles, and re-established during the Reformation. We pray, if it is not already too late, that the American church will heed these warnings.
About the Author
John Newton (1725-1807) received godly instruction from his mother as a young child, but she died when he was seven, and after the unwholesome influences of a stepmother and boarding school, he followed his father’s influence and became a sailor. Onboard ship, he became an infidel of the most ungodly sort. Of his condition in those days, he writes, “My breast was filled with the most excruciating passions; eager desire, bitter rage, and black despair”; “I was capable of any thing; I had not the least fear of God before my eyes” and “I was tempted to throw myself into the sea … But the secret hand of God restrained me.” According to one biographer, “It is reported that at times he was so wretched that even his crew regarded him as little more than an animal.” He fell into the hands of a slave-trader in Africa, and suffered all manner of hardships there, being continually insulted and almost starved. He survived to make several voyages to Africa in that shameful occupation of slave-trader, but after being influenced by the reading of a devotional book, followed by a “great deliverance” from a violent storm, he experienced a life-changing conversion to Christ in 1748, at the age of 23. He was ordained to the Anglican ministry about fifteen years later, but the intervening period brought intense biblical study and influential friendships with men of God such as George Whitefield and John Wesley. His 16 years as pastor at Olney brought about his longtime friendship with poet and hymnwriter William Cowper, during which Newton himself wrote the hymns for which he is most famous: “Amazing Grace,” “Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken,” “How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds,” and nearly 300 others. When asked to give up preaching because of the infirmities of old age, he replied, “What! shall the old African blasphemer stop while he call speak?” He remained throughout his life a convinced Calvinist in his theology, and a loving shepherd of souls. Shortly before his death he said, “My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things, that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Saviour.”