In certain quarters of the evangelical world, C. H. Spurgeon is viewed as a doctrinaire crusader. Some paint him as a theological pugilist, always ready for a fight. The time for retiring this inaccurate and cartoonish distortion of the Prince of Preachers is long overdue.
At various points in Spurgeon’s ministry, he was drawn into conflict, sometimes by the provocation of others and sometimes by his own initiative. During the Baptismal Regeneration Controversy of 1864 he took aim at the Anglican establishment. In the Down-Grade Controversy of the late 1880s, Spurgeon found himself in conflict with members of his own denomination. But should these controversies define Spurgeon? What about the intervening quarter-century between these two episodes when he knew no major controversy?
He rejoiced in the unity he shared in the gospel with scores of other pastors with whom he otherwise maintained disagreements on secondary issues.
Spurgeon was not a native controversialist who loved the smell of a good fight. Rather, he was oriented toward peace and unity. He abhorred partisan wrangling and spent much of his time pursuing wide Christian fellowship. He rejoiced in the unity he shared in the gospel with scores of other pastors with whom he otherwise maintained disagreements on secondary issues. Spurgeon was together for the gospel before Together for the Gospel.
Love and Affection Across Divides
Spurgeon’s affections and associations were broad. He collected friends across denominational lines, eagerly participating in various evangelical groups and pursuing fellowship with men of differing convictions. Though a staunch Calvinist, Spurgeon befriended the Arminians of his day. Though a convinced Baptist, he happily hired paedobaptists to lead his pastors’ college and the Stockwell Orphanage. Though a proud nonconformist, he even counted some Anglicans among his close friends. Of his love for one famous Anglican, Spurgeon said,
Where the Spirit of God is there must be love, and if I have once known and recognized any man to be my brother in Christ Jesus, the love of Christ constraineth me no more to think of him as a stranger or foreigner, but a fellow citizen with the saints. Now I hate High Churchism as my soul hates Satan; but I love George Herbert, although George Herbert is a desperately High Churchman. . . . Let me find a man who loves my Lord Jesus Christ as George Herbert did and I do not ask myself whether I shall love him or not; there is no room for question, for I cannot help myself; unless I can leave off loving Jesus Christ, I cannot cease loving those who love him. (Sermon #668)
Spurgeon gloried in the gospel unity he shared with Christians with whom he differed on issues such as politics, baptism, or predestination. When he engaged conflicts such as the Down-Grade Controversy, Spurgeon’s grievances were over matters of basic Christian orthodoxy, and thus matters of primary doctrinal importance. If Spurgeon had Christ in common with a man, he was eager to overcome every hurdle to be his friend.
3 Lessons for Christians Today
Spurgeon’s determined pursuit of gospel unity can teach us several useful lessons.
1. Love peace.
Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matt. 5:9). Paul told the Ephesians to be “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3). The fruit of the Spirit includes love, peace, patience, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22–23). Though conflict and controversy are necessary at times, Scripture doesn’t teach pastors to relish a fight. Spurgeon hated war, and he loved peace. He entered the former with great reluctance; the latter was always his aim.
2. Promote unity.
Pastors must teach their flocks to recognize matters of basic Christian orthodoxy and primary doctrinal importance. We must train our people to rejoice in the common bond we share with all “who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 1:2).
Spurgeon hated war, and he loved peace. He entered the former with great reluctance; the latter was always his aim.
Sadly, pastors can be the first to obscure and diminish gospel unity. One way we do this is by taking an unnecessarily dogmatic and strident posture on all debatable issues, whether small or great. Through some twisted view of faithfulness, we can mistake doctrinaire militancy for courage, confusing being pugnacious with being upright.
For those who feel a natural bent toward conflict and controversy, consider Paul’s words in 1 Timothy 3: “An overseer must . . . not [be] quarrelsome.” Then consider these words from Spurgeon’s Lectures to My Students:
The sensible minister will be particularly gentle in argument. He, above all men, should not make the mistake of fancying that there is force in temper, and power in speaking angrily. . . . Try to avoid debating with people. State your opinion and let them state theirs. If you think that a stick is crooked, and you want people to see how crooked it is, lay a straight rod down beside it; that will be quite enough. But if you are drawn into controversy, use very hard arguments and very soft words. Frequently you cannot convince a man by tugging at his reason, but you can persuade him by winning his affections.
3. Tolerate differences.
Spurgeon didn’t require agreement in secondary matters as a condition for Christian friendship, nor did he require uniformity of opinion with respect to the political and social issues of his day as a necessary precursor for gospel fellowship. He was never so narrow-minded as to believe unity required uniformity, nor so fragile as to think fellowship cannot tolerate differences.
In an evangelical climate marked by division and strife, it has become increasingly difficult to be together for the gospel. For some, this has no place in the scale of priorities. But men like Spurgeon remind us that Christian unity is to be prized and pursued. Unity among God’s people is precious in Christ’s eyes and deserving of our earnest efforts and sacrifices. As Spurgeon put it, “If you are in Christ and I am in Christ, we cannot be two, we must be one.”
The Gospel Coalition