Spurgeon and the Downgrade--First steps to heresy.

In 1887, Charles Spurgeon published some articles by a friend of his, Robert Shindler about the theological liberalism that was spreading throughout the churches. Although some pastors today believe that Spurgeon did not handle this issue in a Christian manner, I for one am thankful for a man who had the backbone to stand up for the truths of scripture. You can read an entire excerpt of book written on the subject here. However, I was particularly encouraged by the following quote. Mr. Shindler answers the question "How does one start down a road to heresy?"

The first step astray is a want of adequate faith in the divine inspiration of the sacred Scriptures. All the while a man bows to the authority of God's Word, he will not entertain any sentiment contrary to its teaching. "To the law and to the testimony," is his appeal concerning every doctrine. He esteems that holy Book, concerning all things, to be right, and therefore he hates every false way. But let a man question, or entertain low views of the inspiration and authority of the Bible, and he is without chart to guide him, and without anchor to hold him.In looking carefully over the history of the times, and the movement of the times, of which we have written briefly, this fact is apparent: that where ministers and Christian churches have held fast to the truth that the Holy Scriptures have been given by God as an authoritative and infallible rule of faith and practice, they have never wandered very seriously out of the right way. But when, on the other hand, reason has been exalted above revelation, and made the exponent of revelation, all kinds of errors and mischiefs have been the result.

Spurgeon Mistaken in the Downgrade Controversy?

I recently read a blog post where a Southern Baptist pastor tried to make the point that Charles Spurgeon did not handle himself in a manner befitting a minister of the gospel in what was called "The Downgrade Controversy". We see the same sorts of problems creeping into our churches today--a lack of concern for sound biblical doctrine, a lack of care in proper interpretation of scripture, and a willingness to cave in to cultural demands rather than a conviction to stand on the truths of scripture. I highly commend an excerpt from John MacArthur's book Ashamed of the Gospel if you're looking for background on this controversy. I found the following to be most thought provoking.

Some who abandoned the faith did so openly, Shindler said. But many purposely concealed their skepticism and heresy, preferring to sow seeds of doubt while posing as orthodox believers. "These men deepened their own condemnation, and promoted the everlasting ruin of many of their followers by their hypocrisy and deceit; professing to be the ambassadors of Christ, and the heralds of his glorious gospel, their aim was to ignore his claims, deny him his rights, lower his character, rend the glorious vesture of his salvation, and trample his crown in the dust."

Thus within only a few decades, the Puritan fervor that had so captured the soul of England gave way to dry, listless apostate teaching. Churches became lax in granting membership privileges to the unregenerate. People who were, in Shindler's words, "strangers to the work of renewing grace" nevertheless claimed to be Christians and were admitted to membership—even leadership—in the churches. These people "chose them pastors after their own hearts, men who could, and would, and did, cry 'Peace, peace,' when the only way of peace was ignored or denied."

And this, friends, was written about the church about 120 years ago. Sounds eerily similar to what we see today, huh?