Spurgeon v. Hyper-Calvinism

by Iain H. Murray

C.H. Spurgeon (1834-1892) is best-remembered today for the remarkable ministry he exercised in London during the Victorian era. His influence was incalculable. Thousands listened to his preaching every week, while hundreds of thousands throughout the world later read his sermons in published form. A man of great natural gifts, charm and wit, Spurgeons master passion was evident in everything he did to preach Jesus Christ to all as the only Saviour. But as early as 1855 this brought him into a serious and prolonged doctrinal controversy with Hyper-Calvinism. By tracing this conflict, exploring the issues involved in it and showing what was at stake in them.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Biography, History, Church History, Nonfiction, Christianity

179 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1995

About the author

Iain Hamish Murray is a British pastor and author. He was educated in the Isle of Man and at the University of Durham before entering ministry in 1955. He served as assistant to Martyn Lloyd-Jones at Westminster Chapel (1956–59) and subsequently at Grove Chapel, London (1961–69) and St. Giles Presbyterian Church, Sydney, Australia, (1981–84). In 1957 he and Jack Cullum founded the Reformed publishing house, the Banner of Truth Trust, of which he continues to serve as a trustee.

Reviews

[Brian Pate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! Hard to put down. This is my kind of Calvinism -- biblical, balanced, and evangelistic. Yes, Spurgeon fought against Arminianism, but he also warned about the other extreme. In his day, there were hyper-Calvinists who denied man's responsibility to believe, refused to give the free offer of the gospel, explained away God's desire to save all, and minimized the universal love of God. In our day, we have seen a renewal of interest in Calvinism, making this is a timely warning. We should be reading more Spurgeon -- and less of John Gill. Better yet, we should read and believe and proclaim the Bible.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this.
Some of the material in Spurgeon’s four-fold rebuttal was great.
It did raise some questions which I will have to look into. Thought provoking.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gospel preacher, read this book.
Lover of the doctrines of grace, read this book.

[Philip Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. I procrastinated before getting to this book for a long time, and am now wondering why I did. Iain Murray is a machine.

[Matt]

This little book packed a big punch. For anyone struggling with the doctrine of Calvinism. This doesn’t pit Arminianism vs. Calvinism, but Hyper-Calvinism against Calvinism. Don’t miss Chapter 11!


A couple takeaways:

“The great error of Hyper-Calvinism is to neglect one side of the Word of God because it does not know how to explain both that the will of God is effective and sovereign in all things AND that man is free and responsible for all his actions. ‘Both are true; no two truths can be inconsistent with each other; and what you have to do is believe them both.’”

“...man is wholly responsible for his own sin. God is not its author. Those who hear the gospel and reject the Savior will not be able to plead that sovereignty prevented them from exercising the obedience of faith. None will be able to claim that God excluded them.”

[Jeremy Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent! This book if more widely read would help to dispel many mischaracterizations of Reformed believers.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

A necessary and insightful treatment of an often overlooked aspect of Spurgeon's ministry. He is known for teaching Calvinism up and against Arminianism, but here in this book the author details Spurgeon's Calvinism compared with that of the Hyper-Calvinism (bordering on Antinomianism), which was also popular in his day, particularly in his earlier years of ministry. The author effectively and engagingly highlights Spurgeon's uncompromising commitment to God's Word, even when it teaches two truths - God's sovereignty and man's responsibility - that are difficult for our finite minds to harmonize.

[Pig Rieke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luther once compared the world to a drunken man upon a horse who inevitably falls to one side or the other. Unfortunately, when men deviate from God’s Word, even orthodox doctrine does not fair any better than Luther’s drunken man, it will fall to one error or another. In Iain Murray’s work, the theologian and historian demonstrates that many Particular Baptists in the early 19th century deviated from their 17th century forefathers and embraced Hyper-Calvinism. Spurgeon in contrast stood against a growing Arminianism on one side and Hyper-Calvinism on the other. His faithfulness to the Scriptures allowed him to persevere in the face of public persecution and relay right doctrine to future generations. It is unfortunate that Spurgeon’s example and others are so quickly forgotten.

[Mette Larsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

En utrolig bra bok om bibelsk evangelisk forkynnelse! Evangeliet skal deles til alle. Alle mennesker er kommandert til å omvende seg og tror på Jesus. Alle som kommer til Jesus tar Han i mot! Samtidig snakker bibelen om utvelgelse. At Gud før verdens grunnvoll var lagt har utvalgt sine utvalgte til tro. To doktriner som ikke motstrider hverandre, fordi Guds ord sier det. Selv om vi ikke kan forstå det.

[Daniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is useful for understanding C. H. Spurgeon's battles with genuine hyper-Calvinism. The problem is that the author lumps high-Calvinism in with hyper-Calvinism, and thus assumes that anyone who denies that God sincerely loves and desires the salvation of the reprobate is a hyper-Calvinist. Like Spurgeon, Iain Murray delights in Paradox Theology as a cloak for the irrationality of his views. Neither man understood the difference between a mystery that is beyond full comprehension by human beings (such as the Trinity) and a blatant contradiction.

I first read the book when I was 18 and thought it was brilliant. As a "cage-stage" Calvinist, it seemed to give me a good defence mechanism against Arminian charges of hyper-Calvinism. Reading it nearly 16 years later, I am not so convinced as I was upon first reading. Certainly, we should shun the genuine hyper-Calvinism that denies duty faith or advocates only preaching to sensible sinners. High Calvinism has a place within the Reformed tradition, though it is not the only legitimate expression of the Reformed tradition. Spurgeon seemed to have some realisation of that point; it would appear that the Banner of Truth do not. Reading it again, I can see why reprobation is not something emphasised by the Banner of Truth men. Hence, A. W. Pink's teaching on the subject was removed from their edition of the Sovereignty of God.

[Tom Brennan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murray knows his English Protestants. Here he provides us an excellent little book with an insight into one of Spurgeon's by now largely forgotten battles, a tangle with hyper-Calvinism that occurred early in his ministry. In this book, Murray shows us how Spurgeon took a stand against the more egregious aspects of Calvinism, especially those that prevented an active pursuit of the sinner. I am not a Calvinist, and sometimes that bothers me when I read Spurgeon. This book reassures me that Spurgeon kept his Calvinism in check in this respect. It also reminds us that battles come to all of us in the ministry, big or little, famous or nondescript. Additionally, the book contains numerous excerpts and quotes from Spurgeon's sermons of that era that would be excellent all on their own.

In short, this is not a good book. It is a very good bordering on excellent book.

[James Hogan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's interesting. Most people, when they think of Spurgeon (if they think of him at all!) know of him as a rather old-fashioned, strongly Calvinistic preacher from the late 19th century. And indeed, that's pretty accurate. To me, old-fashioned is not pejorative, rather, I would say we need a bit more of that old-time religion. But I digress. While Spurgeon most certainly believed in the tenets of the Christian faith more commonly known as Calvinism (Spurgeon said that he preached what was found in the Word of God, but used the term as it sufficiently communicated what he believed on the doctrines of grace), what many people do not know is that he spent the early years of his ministry combating what is known as Hyper-Calvinism. Now thankfully less common, in Spurgeon's day it was much more prevalent and indeed, many of the more established pastors of his day (early on, at least) were known to be rigid Hyper-Calvinists. That label is a bit of a dirty one these days, and there are few that would own it, but to understand this doctrinal and ecclesiastical battle is to know more about Christian history and to also provide a guard for our own Christian lives, as there is truly nothing new under the sun. Murray is one of my very favourite authors and he does a brilliant job here in pulling from the myriads of primary sources that give tell to this period in Spurgeon's ministry. As always, Murray is scholarly but also passionate for the truths of the gospel and this book was thrilling and most encouraging reading. This book is short and in my mind very worth reading - also a perfect book to read between volumes 1 & 2 of Spurgeon's autobiography! (Yes, now reading volume 2 of that work) While I appreciated Spurgeon's clarion call for gospel preaching, no matter what we believe about God's sovereign election of the saints, I think what I almost appreciated even more was the grace and love with which Spurgeon dealt with those whom he disagreed. Even those who attacked him in print and in the pulpit, Spurgeon still acknowledged as brothers in Christ. And yes, I heartily agree and echo Spurgeon in that while we can have all the sound doctrine and pristine orthodoxy in the world, without the presentation of the free gospel of God to sinners (all sinners!), our churches might as well be repositories for wax figures. Rather than err with the Hyperists and say that we cannot present the gospel unless we see signs of grace in the recipient, let us cry out to all of God's boundless love - for all sinners that call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ!!

[Geni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely excellent and very underrated. Spurgeon was an excellent example of how to deal with controversy in the church (especially among his embittered and frankly quite arrogant contemporaries), handle tensions and contradictions in doctrine (namely, the sovereignty of God and free will coexisting) and just..read the Bible humbly. Spurgeon's passion for God and His Word is infectious, whether you agree with him or not. Read it if you love Calvinism, if you hate Calvinism, if you love Spurgeon or don't even know who he is, or if you have any interest in theology or church history at all. Hyper-Calvinism is rare and/or nonexistent today, but there's certainly equivalently extreme doctrines. Despite the heady-sounding title, Spurgeon v. Hyper-Calvinism very readable and broken up into a pleasing mix of articles, letters and biography to keep it from dragging much (it's pretty short, too). That having been said, good luck finding a copy of it.

[Brandon Vaughan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve always been really impressed with Iain Murray. He is very readable and engaging, and his research is always up to the task. I’m also a huge fan of Spurgeon. He was just so Christ honoring and balanced. He was a true nonconformist and didn’t get sucked into the clan warfare of his day. Because of this, he had enemies in just about every religious camp. It’s also a reason that I believe Spurgeon is highly misunderstood today by many. He was too conservative for the liberals, too liberal for the law dogs, too evangelistic for the hyper-Calvinists and too doctrinally sound for the Arminians. There were even good men who openly fought against Spurgeon, but Spurgeon sought unity among true believers. This was a great read that helps us to understand some of the historical battles within the Baptist church and what we need to learn from them today. Not everything is as cut and dry as we would like for them to be.

[Bradley Endsor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Book.

Iain Murray writes in an enjoyable fashion that I read this in one sitting.
He outlines what the actual controversy was and shows how Spurgeon by placing the bible as his priority was able to not only deal with the error of hypercalvinism but also remain true to the reformers and puritan calvinism which is biblical.

The Practical fourfold appeal to scripture to deal with hypercalvinism error of not preaching the gospel to all, seeking signs of regeneration, denial of duty of all to repent and believe was really helpful.

One issue is that there is no distinction between hyper calvinism and high calvinism. The brief discussion in the book on the differing views of the love of God does need to be expanded and I would reccomend the difficult doctrine of the love of God (which I need to reread)

Overall this was a well written and clear explanation of what Spurgeon dealt with in his day

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent study into the life and ministry of Spurgeon. This deals with some deep theological thought that can be overwhelming at times. Murray does an amazing job with handling the nuances, but he relied on quoted material way too much. Would be an easier read--and probably easier to comprehend--if he had limited his quotations to what was really necessary. With that said, I am looking at purchasing Murray's other book, "Forgotten Spurgeon," that deals with the opposite tack, Spurgeon vs. Arminianism.

[Jonah Stricklin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent and short!

Ian Murray is a biographer, but in this little book, he concisely and helpfully compiles and explain’s Spurgeon’s battle agains hyper-calvinism through the mid 19th century:

Men were arguing that you could not even say to your congregation, “repent that you might be saved”, for fear that they might lie to the unelect who could be listening.

Spurgeon not only needed to defend the integrity of the doctrine he taught, but he also needed to protect it from misguided preachers, stuck in their ivory towers, discouraging evangelism and love for the yet unsaved.

[Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

According to the author's own admission, this book was the product of over research for a previous book! As such, the book has little to offer except in chapter 5. Spurgeon's Fourfold Appeal to Scripture - this is the heart of the book!

The book has value in Spurgeon's defence of the biblical gospel, as set out in chapter 5 above; but other than that, there is little value in the book!

4-star at best!

[Parker Bentley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insightful work on Spurgeon’s battle against hyper-Calvinism during his ministry. Readers will see that Spurgeon followed the paths of the Puritans by calling sinners to repentance and faith in Christ. Many in England and abroad during this time overemphasized God’s sovereignty or necessary prerequisites for sinners to come to the Savior. Would recommend to those wanting to see Spurgeon’s graciousness amidst trials, or his evangelistic zeal exemplified throughout his ministry.

[Robert Luff · Rating 5 out of 5]

A pretty easy read that helped me better understand both the Truth and the error. Iain Murray is a dynamic yet thoughtful historian whom I would recommend to all Christians. This particular book is so short and easy to read that it would be a great first book for anyone interested in learning more about Calvinism, or as someone's first theological biography.

[Andrew · Rating 2 out of 5]

Regrettably the least of all Banner books I have read to date. The topic is a nuanced one, but it goes undefined until page 70, a whole two fifths of the way into the book. The most practical piece is Spurgeon’s own writings included in the appendices. While I will return again to Murray’s works, it will not be this book again.

[Asher Hougo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good detailed read into the Baptist era of Spurgeon and his fight against Hyper-Calvinism.
I love how much detail Ian Murray has put into this book, including some of Spurgeon's letters and articles written at that time. It was a delightful read, and it went far beyond what I thought this book was going to cover.

[Cody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thankful for Spurgeon's willingness to stand in defense of Scripture and not roll with the normal preaching of his day. Ian Murray's structure, format, and writing was all very easy to follow along with and understand. I'd recommend to anyone.

[Micah Larsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spurgeon had to defend himself against hypers for preaching that God offers salvation to all who come to him. Not a common problem for preachers today. The value in this book for me was to show how different were the controversies of the past and yet the solution is the same.

[Blake Henson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful read that tackled the fine line of God’s sovereignty and the church’s role in his redemptive plan for the world. It’s a bit dense at times, but a thorough work that I’d recommend for someone figuring our reformed theology.

[A.J. Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A much needed correction to the dreary error of hyper-Calvinism

[Logan Almy · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books of all time

[Coram Deo Church]

Spurgeon v. Hyper-Calvinism is not currently available at local libraries.

[Zach Hollifield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, for more Spurgeons.

[Shaun Marksbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book discussing the various aspects of the debate, including a discussion on relevant texts. Recommended.