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No new doctrine?
By Spurgeon
It is no novelty, then, that I am preaching; no new
doctrine.
I love to proclaim these strong old doctrines that are called by
nickname Calvinism, but which are truly and verily the revealed
truth of God as it is in Christ Jesus. By this truth I make my
pilgrimage into the past, and as I go, I see father after father,
confessor after confessor, martyr after martyr, standing up to
shake hands with me . . .
Taking these things to be the standard of my faith, I see the
land of the ancients peopled with my brethren; I behold
multitudes who confess the same as I do, and acknowledge
that this is the religion of God's own church.
I have my own opinion that there is no such thing as preaching
Christ and Him crucified, unless we preach what nowadays is
called Calvinism. It is a nickname to call it Calvinism;
Calvinism is the gospel, and nothing else. I do not believe we
can preach the gospel if we do not preach justification by faith
without works; nor unless we preach the sovereignty of God in
His dispensation of grace; nor unless we exalt the electing
unchangeable eternal, immutable, conquering love of Jehovah;
nor do I think we can preach the gospel unless we base it
upon the special and particular redemption of His elect and
chosen people which Christ wrought out upon the cross.
George Whitefield said, "We are all born Arminians."
It is grace that turns us into Calvinists.
I do not ask whether you believe Calvinism. It is possible that
you do not. But I believe you will before you enter heaven. I
am persuaded that as God may have washed your hearts, He
will wash your brains before you enter heaven.
Calvinism did not spring from Calvin. We believe that it sprang
from the great founder of all truth.
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