CHARLES SPURGEON AND THE DOCTRINE OF ELECTION

C. H. Spurgeon:

At the very announcement of the text some will be ready to say, “Why preach upon so profound a doctrine as election?” I answer, “Because it is in God’s word, and whatever is in the Word of God is to be preached.”

“But some truths ought to be kept back from the people,” you will say, “They should make an ill use thereof.” That is Popish doctrine, it was upon that very theory that the priests kept back the Bible from the people, they did not give it to them lest they should misuse it.

“But are not some doctrines dangerous?” Not if they are true and rightly handled. Truth is never dangerous, it is error and reticence that are fraught with peril.

“But do not men abuse the doctrine of grace?” I grant you that they do; but if we destroyed everything that men misuse, we should have nothing left. Are there to be no ropes because some fools will hang themselves? And, must cutlery be discarded and denounced, because there are some who will use dangerous weapons for the destruction of their adversaries? Decidedly not. Besides all this, remember that men do read the Scriptures and think about these doctrines, and therefore often make mistakes about them; who then shall set them right if we, who preach the Word, hold our tongues about the matter? (From a sermon entitled, “Election: Its Defenses and Evidences”)