Following Judah's Lion

The Spurgeon Some Don't Want

You to Hear!

Snippets of Spurgeon’s sermons have been used lately to promote that fact that he was stern with deceivers and had no patience with false teachers. Surely there were times that he was so, but which false teachers did he deal with? Was it just the compromisers that some mold into their convenient packages, or were there others to which Spurgeon took out his verbal whip? So with that in mind, let us read some more of Spurgeon, some parts that some people do not want you to read. This is what Spurgeon had to say about men who teach that baptism saves, and notice how he connects those who teach infant baptism with holding hands with the Roman Catholic Church. You want Spurgeon, you got him!

"We will confront this doctrine with the assertion, that BAPTISM WITHOUT FAITH SAVES NO ONE."

"But," then I hear many good people assert, that "there are many good ministers in the Church of England who do not believe in baptismal regeneration." To this my answer is prompt. Why then do they belong to a Church which clearly teaches that doctrine? If baptism does, in fact, regenerate and save people, then let the fact be preached with a loud voice, and let no man be ashamed of his belief in it. If this is really their belief, then by all means let them have full liberty in its propagation. My brethren, those are honest ministers, who in this matter, uphold the doctrines of the Church, believing in baptismal regeneration, and plainly preach it."

Here Spurgeon tells those who teach such doctrine not to be so silent about it. Why did Slice of Laodicea hardly ever mention the fact that Ingrid herself believes in baptismal regeneration? Spurgeon implies compromise.

Spurgeon continues:

“We ourselves are not unsure on this point, we declare that persons are not saved by being baptized. In such an audience as this, I am almost ashamed to go into the matter, because you surely know better than to be misled. Nevertheless, for the good of others we will discuss it. We firmly believe that persons are not saved by baptism, for we understand, first of all, that it appears completely out of character with the spiritual religion, which Christ came to teach, that he should make salvation depend upon mere ceremony.”

Spurgeon claims he is absolutely sure about this false doctrine.

Spurgeon continues:

“The false religions of the heathen might teach salvation by a physical process, but Jesus Christ claims for his faith that it is purely spiritual, and how could he connect regeneration with a particular application of water to the body? If this is your teaching, that regeneration is a result of baptism, I say it looks like the teaching of a false Church, which has cleverly invented a mechanical salvation to deceive ignorant, and carnal minds, rather than the teaching of the most profoundly spiritual of all teachers, who rebuked Scribes and Pharisees for regarding outward rites as more important than inward grace."

See what Spurgeon calls a church that teaches this baptismal regeneration? He calls it a false church. And yet these false churches quote Spurgeon as if he is their mouthpiece!

Spurgeon continues outlining a general format for the ceremony:

“The minister is suppose to tell these people, "You have heard that our Lord Jesus Christ has promised in his gospel to grant all these things that you have prayed for: which he promised, and will most surely keep and perform. Wherefore, after this promise made by Christ, this infant must also faithfully, on his part, promise, by you, his representatives (until he comes of age to take it upon himself) that he will renounce the devil and all his works, and constantly believe God's holy Word, and obediently keep his commandments."

"This small child is to promise to do this, or more truly others are to take upon themselves to promise, and even vow that he will do so. But we must not break the quotation, and therefore let us return to the Church’s Prayer Book, it continues, "I demand therefore, that you, in the name of this child, renounce the devil and all his works, the vain pomp and glory of the world, with all covetous desires of the same, and the carnal desires of the flesh, so that you will not follow, nor be led by them?" The godparents answer "I renounce them all." That is to say, on the name and behalf of this tender infant about to be baptized, these godly people, these enlightened Christian people, these who know better, who are not fools, who know all the while that they are promising impossibilities—renouncing on behalf of this child what they find very difficult to renounce in themselves—"all covetous desires of the world and the carnal desires of the flesh, so that they will not follow nor be led by them."

Listen now what the “Prince of Preachers” says.

"How can they harden their faces to utter such a false promise, such a mockery before the presence of the Almighty Father? Most likely angels weep as they hear the awful promise uttered! I can understand a simple, ignorant farmer, who has never learned to read, doing all of this at the command of a priest. I can even understand persons doing this when the Reformation was in its beginning, and men had barely crept out of the darkness of Roman Catholicism; but I cannot understand gracious, godly people, standing at the baptismal font, insulting the all-gracious Father with vows and promises based on fiction and lies. How can intelligent believers in Christ, dare to utter words, which they know in their conscience to be wicked and opposed to truth? I have a confirmed belief that the God of truth never did and never will confirm a spiritual blessing of the highest order in connection with the utterance of such false promises and untruthful vows. My brethren, does it not strike you that declarations so fictitious are not likely to be connected with a new birth brought about by the Spirit of truth?"

Spurgeon says he can understand Luther and others still having Roman Catholic grave clothes, but how can they adhere to heresy now?

Spurgeon continues:

"My brethren, do not think I that I am speaking too harshly. I really think there is something here to cause devils to mock Christianity. Let every honest man grieve, that God's Church should tolerate such a thing as this, and that there should be found gracious people who will feel grieved because I, in all kindness of heart, rebuke the atrocity. Unregenerate sinners promising for a poor baby that he will keep all of God's holy commandments, which they themselves flagrantly break every day! How can anything but the patience of God endure this? What! Do you expect me not to speak against it? The very stones in the street would cry out against the disgrace of wicked men and women, promising that another should renounce the devil and all his works, while they themselves serve the devil and do his works with greediness! As a climax to all of this, I am asked to believe that God accepts that wicked promise, and as the result of it, regenerates that child. You cannot believe in regeneration by this procedure, regardless of whether saints or sinners are the performers. If they are godly, then they are wrong for doing what their conscience must condemn. If they are ungodly, then they are wrong for promising what they know they cannot perform; and in either case, God cannot accept such worship, much less provide spiritual regeneration through such a baptism as this."

How is it that some blogs will use Spurgeon as their ally against those they wish to castigate, but they refuse to print these words of stinging rebuke and clear heresy?

Spurgeon continues:

"But you will say "Why do you preach out against it?" I preach out against it because I believe that baptism does not save the soul, and that the preaching of such a doctrine has a wrong and evil influence upon men and women. Now, let me bring in another point. It is a most fearful fact, that in no age since the Reformation has the Roman Catholic Church made such fearful strides in England as during the last few years. I say, with every ground of probability, that it is no marvel that Roman Catholicism should increase when you have two things to make it grow: first of all, the lie of those who profess a faith which they do not believe, which is quite contrary to the honesty of the Roman Catholic, who does, no matter what, hold to his faith; and then you have, secondly, this form of error known as baptismal regeneration. You have this baptismal regeneration preparing stepping-stones to make it easy for men and women to step into Roman Catholicism."

Spurgeon ends his message by openly decreeing that people who teach this doctrine are helping the Roman Catholic Church to increase within God’s true church and the community at large. The thousands of sermons that Spurgeon preached on mercy and love, the cross and the resurrection, but many will not post those but take from his treasure those harsh rebukes that fit their agenda.

Well what will you do with these words? Why have you not posted these words from the mouth of Spurgeon to prove he rides with you? And those of you who do not believe in baptismal regeneration but cooperate with those who do, Spurgeon says, “When worldly men hear ministers denouncing the very things which their own Church doctrine teaches, then they assume that words have no meaning among ministers, and that vital differences in religion are merely a matter of tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum.” Let me connect the dots for us, the same things that some accuse the emergent church of are the same deaf ear they themselves turn to vital differences about redemption. If you believe baptism saves and cooperate with those who deny that, you are a compromiser. And if you do not believe in baptismal regeneration and you cooperate with those who do, you are a compromiser. I am just quoting Spurgeon, like you do.