Did Charles G. Finney instigate a method which evolved into the "public invitation," as alleged by some, or did it develop from methods used by C. H. Spurgeon — at least among the Baptists and other evangelicals?

"C. H. Spurgeon earnestly exhorted those who had accepted Christ as their Saviour to come forward amongst his people and avow their attachment to His person and name. Words of kindly encouragement and of loving persuasiveness, were addressed to the timid and retiring ones, who feared to avow themselves to be the Lord's lest they should fall back into sin and dishonor His name. This was followed by an appeal to those who had confessed the name of Jesus — an appeal of so stirring and searching a nature, that many must have felt constrained to say, 'Lord what wilt thou have me to do?' Prayer for more earnest living, abiding, practical godliness, followed this address." — The Sword and The Trowel Magazine, 1865, pg. 70

An "innovator" is not necessarily a "creator," nor even an "inventor." Rather, an innovator is one who introduces, instigates, or pioneers something that is considered "new" or relatively new in a certain context of life. Bill Gates is an innovator; he neither invented nor created the elements of technology we call the Internet, but he certainly brought on a "new" and expanded use of this technology. The "innovators" are those who tap the existing resources and utilize their elements in "new" methods and products.

C. H. Spurgeon was the Great Innovator in Baptist life, if not in all of evangelical Christianity, in the 1800s. Even today, more Christian publishers have something in print by Spurgeon than any other author, living or dead.

We received a very interesting phone call a week ago from Multnomah Publishers, the Oregon-based Christian company which published Bruce Wilkinson's little book on "The Prayer of Jabez," which has sold millions of copies the past few years. The impression I got from the lady at Multnomah was suspicion, that perhaps we had infringed upon their marketing trademark for "Prayer of Jabez" products. She was inquiring after having noticed the Pilgrim original edition of Spurgeon's "Prayer of Jabez" sermon booklet, being offered on our website: www.pilgrimpublications.com/sstitle.htm (and she wanted to know "when that was first published.")

After giving the Multnomah representative a short history on Spurgeon, I think I finally convinced her that "The Prayer of Jabez" was not something deriving from Bruce Wilkinson and Multnomah, but Spurgeon used that as a sermon title in 1871, [read the sermon on A. G. Veal's website: www.seegod.org/prayer_of_jabez.htm

In fact, I told her that even Brother Wilkinson himself is a reader of Spurgeon's sermons, has purchased some of Pilgrim's books in the past, and for all we know he may have gotten some degree of inspiration from reading Spurgeon.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon was an INNOVATOR. He was utilizing the prayer of Jabez before Brother Wilkinson and Multnomah had seen the light of day! Spurgeon's sermon on "The Prayer of Jabez" was published in the weekly "Penny Pulpit" series, and also in the bound volume (year 1871) of sermons in the Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, and it had been read by thousands around the world since that year in which Mrs. O'Leary's cow got blamed for the Great Chicago Fire! Spurgeon had preached and published "The Prayer of Jabez" before Oregon ever had an auto drive on a paved surface! Spurgeon was ahead of Bruce Wilkinson and Multnomah in publishing on "The Prayer of Jabez" by well over a hundred years.   >> SPURGEON BIOGRAPHICAL BOOKS << (click here)

Spurgeon was an innovator of no small significance in several other things, such as —

(1)  the "ONE WAY" Sign  (index finger pointing heavenward - see above images)

(2)  the "WORDLESS BOOK"  (view on our website)

(3)  the use of "WWJD" - What Would Jesus Do? " (view on our website)

(4)  the idea in the "FOOTPRINTS" Poem  (view on our website)

(5)  the emphasis on Child Conversions  (inspiring J. Irvin Overholtzer to start the Child Evangelism Fellowship ministry)

(6)  Preacher-Training Bible Institutes  (his Pastor's College inspired D. L. Moody to start the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago)

(7)  Orphanages for Younger Girls and Boys

(8)  Colportage Work  (inspiring D. L. Moody to start the Moody Press publishing ministry)

(9)  Outreach Missions Stations  (church plantings);

(10)  Almshouses and Schools for the Poor

(11)  Women's Bible Classes  (such as Mrs. Bartlett's class of hundreds at the Tabernacle)

(12)  Bible Conferences  (such as the one at the Tabernacle in 1861 on the theme of GRACE)

(13)  Evangelist Societies  (such as his Society of Evangelists)

(14)  Open-air Preaching  (which had not been popular in his time)

(15)  Preaching in Large Municipal-type Halls  (which was not being done)

(16)  A Book Fund  (providing books to poor ministers & students, & similar innovative endeavors)     —  C. H. Spurgeon was a very significant innovator in EVANGELISM in the years at

New Park Street Chapel and at its successor, the newly constructed Metropolitan Tabernacle.

(1855-1860)                                 (1861-1917)

Baptist churches in the London of the early 1850s were what some might regard as relatively "dead" or "dying." When Spurgeon came to the spiritually and architecturally "gloomy" New Park Street Chapel from distant Waterbeach, near Cambridge in the Fen country where he had just about single-handedly been used of the Lord in converting the entire village, it was like the crashing of a red-hot meteor into a stagnant pond of water — things began to "snap, crackle, and pop."

Spurgeon says, "In a very short time after I began to preach in London, the congregation so multiplied as to make the chapel, in the evening, when the gas was burning, like the Black Hole of Calcutta" (Autobiography, Vol. 1, page 369).

Spurgeon felt so stifled that when the deacons ignored his request to do something about the upper windows, he took matters into his own hands. Later, in regard to the mysteriously missing windowpanes, he said, "I shall have to confess that I have walked with the stick which let the oxygen into that stifling structure" (ibid).

He not only knocked the windows out, his soul-winning preaching virtually knocked down the old edifice itself. The sparsely attended church began to grow in attendance at such a pace that the building could not contain the crowds. Even an enlargement would not hold them, so they had to build the new Tabernacle, and at times even it was inadequate.

Appropriately, the 673rd sermon of his ministry — but the very first he delivered at Park Street Chapel on December 18, 1853, to a congregation he described as "a mere handful" (Metropolitan Tabernacle: Its History and Work, page 71) — was rather prophetic of his own entrance upon the London Baptist scene:

Spurgeon himself proved to be a "good gift" — even if not perfect — to the Christianity of his age, and especially at the New Park Street Chapel where they were in such desperate need of spiritual blessings.

The Baptist preachers and churches of Park Street Chapel variety were mostly either hyper-Calvinists or ultra-Calvinists, and did not have anyone to lead them in any other direction. The killing effects of "mere doctrine" and too great an emphasis upon "the Calvinist system" had virtually choked out any aggressive evangelistic efforts such as the "going into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in" approach.

Spurgeon's success in preaching the "simple Gospel" made him the object of resentment, jealousy, criticism, and even cynical ridicule by some of the Baptists, especially some of the "scribes and Pharisees" among the "high Calvinists." At least one of the notable leaders of the time even questioned Spurgeon's conversion! Spurgeon said in one of his New Park Street sermons, "I do not hesitate to say, that Phariseeism is mixed with Hyper-Calvinism more than with any other sect in the world" (New Park Street Pulpit, Year 1860, #336 — STRUGGLES OF CONSCIENCE, page 403).

In a letter to his family, Spurgeon wrote of the "high" Calvinism which prevailed at the church at that time. "It is the Calvinism they want," he said:

“December __, 1853.

“My Dear Father, ...

“Should I be settled in London, I will come and see you often. I do not anticipate going there with much pleasure. I am contented where I am; but if God has more for me to do, then let me go and trust in Him. The London people are rather higher in Calvinism than I am; but I have succeeded in bringing one church to my own views, and will trust, with Divine assistance, to do the same with another. I am a Calvinist; I love what someone called ‘glorious Calvinism,’ but ‘Hyperism’ is too hot-spiced for my palate...

“My people are very sad; some wept bitterly at the sight of me, although I made no allusion to the subject in the pulpit, as it is too uncertain to speak of publicly. It is Calvinism they want in London, and any Arminian preaching will not be endured. Several in the church are far before me in theological acumen; they would not admit that it is so, but they all expressed their belief that my originality, or even eccentricity, was the very thing to draw a London audience. The chapel is one of the finest in the denomination; somewhat in the style of our Cambridge Museum. A Merry Christmas to you all; a Happy New Year; and the blessing of the God of Jacob! — Yours affectionately, C. H. SPURGEON.”

Spurgeon not only knocked out the windows of the chapel, and knocked down the building in consequence of the need for greater seating capacity for the crowds, he would soon strike blow-after-blow at what he often called the "false Calvinism" of his "ultraists" brethren.

One of the innovations which Spurgeon put to good use, out of the practical necessity for the hearing of confessions of Christ by those responding to his evangelistic preaching, was the use of inquiry-rooms. Spurgeon's doctrine and practices had a great effect upon the American evangelist, D. L. Moody (1837-1899), who purposely made his way to London to observe Spurgeon's work and methods.

D. L. Moody, before he ever started preaching, went to London to hear Spurgeon for the first time in 1867. Moody became Spurgeon's devoted disciple and ardent protege. He said, "Everything I could get hold of in print that he ever said I read," and he said that he "followed Mr. Spurgeon everywhere" to hear him preach and teach. He prayed, "Oh, Lord, help me to preach and minister like Charles Spurgeon!" (D. L. Moody by Harvey, page 81). In 1872, Moody made a second voyage to London to learn even more, firsthand, from Spurgeon. Today, Moody might be called a "groupie," he was so attracted to Spurgeon's ministry.

Moody was gifted with the love of evangelism, not with a deep theological inclination or with a seminary education, yet one finds a great deal of the theology advocated by Spurgeon in the small books by Moody, manifesting at whose feet Moody learned. In this regard, Moody was indeed a sort of "Timothy" in relation to C. H. Spurgeon.

Moody — after he started his own preaching ministry — began to adopt many of Spurgeon's means of implementing the work of the Gospel, including starting a Bible Institute similar to Spurgeon's Pastor's college, a colportage or publishing work similar to Spurgeon's, preaching to the masses in large halls as did Spurgeon, and using the inquiry-room to deal with converts, as did Spurgeon.

The inquiry-room method, in its essential elements, became the forerunner of what we today call the "public invitation." It evidently derives from C. H. Spurgeon.

This method did not derive from Charles G. Finney's "anxious seat," as some allege, for the inquiry-room was not on that order at all. Moody never even heard Finney preach, nor saw the "anxious seat" used in a Finney revival meeting. By 1860, Finney could not even travel, much less hold revival meetings, and that was long before Moody even started preaching.

But Moody did hear Spurgeon, followed Spurgeon, reading everything of Spurgeon's, and he saw how Spurgeon dealt with souls. He adopted Spurgeon's methods.

If the only "C. H. Spurgeon" you know about is the disfiguration presented in several contexts in Iain Murray's "The Forgotten Spurgeon," you are still very much "in the dark." Mr. Murray's purpose, seemingly, is often to take snippets from Spurgeon which he can utilize in the promotion of what Spurgeon might regard as a form of the "rigid system of Calvinism." The greatest barriers to evangelism Spurgeon ever encountered in London were the "rigid" Calvinists, embellishing soundness in doctrine as of more importance than evangelism.

In fact, if certain laborious features in Mr. Murray's version of Spurgeon is all you know of him, it might be more healthy for your knowledge of Spurgeon if the "Spurgeon" of Mr. Murray's writings were indeed simply "forgotten." If the only "D. L. Moody" you know about is the one presented by Mr. Murray, you can also most likely improve your mind's concept of Moody by simply "forgetting" that image of Moody. That also applies to Mr. Murray's image of John Gill in his "Spurgeon v. Hyper-Calvinism." Pedobaptist Murray seems to have a peculiar distaste for some of our Baptistic heroes!

We grant that Mr. Murray is a very knowledgeable, widely read, and crafty writer, but unfortunately his devotion to his Pedobaptist theology and practice apparently encumbers his noteworthy abilities from always accurately rendering objective, impartial facts and theological views. He ofttimes, we think, practices the refined literary craft of creating the figure he desires "after his own image." He will have his own "Spurgeon" and his own "Moody," clipping a patch here, and a patch there, and pasting all the snippets together to compose the images desired.

Here is an example of Spurgeon's method, later adopted by D. L. Moody, demonstrated in the year 1865. In contrast to the "mere handful" to which he first preached as a 19-year old in 1853, we move onward to observe Spurgeon's dealing with the massive crowds and the harvest of souls which were the fruits of his preaching, now at the age of 31.

A Prayer Meeting of Six to Seven Thousand!

This is from the March 1865 issue of The Sword and The Trowel, Spurgeon's magazine, page 128, during a high period of intense, ongoing revival, with many being converted to Christ, and a fervent spirit abounding in the church:

>>  NOTICES  [Reported by George Rogers, Principal of Spurgeon's Pastors' College]

The second proposed special prayer meeting, mentioned in our last number, was held in the Metropolitan Tabernacle on the evening of the 6th February. Long before the time of commencement the building was crowded in every part.

Between six and seven thousand persons assembled — not to witness a theatrical exhibition — not to hear an eloquent preacher — not to witness a select and diversified display of platform oratory — but for a prayer meeting!

This was a sight that could not fail to gladden the hearts of good men, and prepare them for the higher enjoyment that followed. It was evident that the impression of the former meeting had not passed away, but its influence had become more widely extended, as the attendance was not only more numerous, but some hundreds were unable to gain admission.

No extraordinary efforts were made to provide for the meeting; no sensational speakers were engaged; no novelty was either thought or desired. The ministers of the new fraternity, as on the former occasion, in the spirit of prayer, and confident reliance upon the Spirit of God, quietly and solemnly came upon the platform. Several of the ministers who took part in the proceedings, and two of them were students yet in the college; but all were of one mind and of one heart.

Mr. Spurgeon, after a few words of gratitude and joy for the return of such an occasion, gave out some verses of the 100th Psalm, that all might join in a song of praise. He then suggested that their next duty was to give thanks for the blessing which had attended the former meeting of the same kind, the effect of which, upon his own people, was that ninety-three [93] had sat down on the previous evening, for the first time at the table of the Lord.

Mr. Marshall and Mr. Barnard presented the incense of praise. Mr. Spurgeon then gave out the hymn, commencing with —

"Just as I am, Without one plea."

This was a prelude to confession of sin, which, after a silent confession of two or three minutes of each for himself, was offered in the name of all by Mr. Clark. Some verses of the hymn, "I will praise Thee every day," were then sung, after which petitions for the revival of the Churches were presented by Mr. Warren and Mr. Offord: those of the latter were preceded by a touching and powerful appeal to the hearts of believers.

Now came the direct reference to the unsaved. This was introduced by a most earnest and awakening address by Mr. Spurgeon, and was responded to in prayer by Mr. Stott and Mr. Varley. A hymn followed, commencing thus,

"Once a sinner near despair."

Mr. Teal and Mr. Burton then prayed, and Mr. Spurgeon closed with prayer. INQUIRERS were then encouraged to retire to the lecture hall, where ministers and elders would be glad to converse with them; and many responded to the invitation.

This was one of the most sober, the most impressive, and, we should judge, the most effective meetings we have ever witnessed. The prayers and addresses were all short, plain, fervent, and suited to the occasion. There was nothing artificial, nothing at which the most scrupulous of true Christians could take offense, nothing but what the wisest and best of men must approve. All was simplicity and godly sincerity. There was fervour without enthusiasm, pleading without presumption, familiarity without irreverence, sincerity without guile. If ever there was prayer, there was prayer then; if ever there was faith in atoning blood, there was faith then; if ever there was praise for salvation, there was praise then; if ever there was longing for the recovery of lost souls, there was longing then; if eve the expectation of some great spiritual good, there was expectations then. The hearts of the people were moved as the trees of the wood are moved by the wind; gently at first, then with a suppressed rustling sound, and, at last, with a deep and heavenly strength without violence, and solemnity without fear; such as David and his followers well knew, when it was unto the, "When thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees, then shalt thou bestir thyself; for then shall the Lord thy God go out before thee."  <<  END

Later, in the same article, we read: "His own ministry had begun in a storm of opposition, but he had been enabled to outlive it, and to obtain a position of comparative quiet in the denomination to which his Church belonged... He had to remind the Church how greatly God had blessed the preaching of the Gospel in their midst during the past year.

"Conversions had been frequent in the Sunday-schools, in the Bible and Catechumen Classes; and never had the Word come with greater power to the great congregation. The Church had received by Baptism 381 members; ...the present number of members on the Church books, 2,881" — The Sword and The Trowel Magazine, 1865, pg. 129

Here observe that all of the essential elements which characterize a sane, sound, Baptist public invitation are present: (1) Preaching, (2) Prayer,  (3) Encouragement to respond, and (4) Invitation to be conversed with. Even the great hymn, "Just As I Am," one of Spurgeon's favorites from his "OUR OWN HYMN-BOOK" (Hymn #546), was used at this meeting.

D. L. MOODY, on his extended trips to London to hear Spurgeon, dogging CHS' every move, catching every word that fell from his lips, and reading every word he printed, observed the methods Spurgeon employed during this period of great revival and harvest of souls at the Tabernacle, and Moody molded his own subsequent evangelistic work after Spurgeon's model.

If — as Mr. Murray implies — we have Mr. Moody's method to "thank" for the derivation of the modern public invitation, then must we yet not go back a bit further to Mr. Spurgeon? Moody used the same method he saw Spurgeon use, not Charles Finney.

Moody's "model" was Spurgeon, not Finney.

When D. L. Moody was engaged in evangelistic work, he held meetings in Ireland, Scotland, and England. His work began rather hopelessly, with but a scant few — "only eight persons were in attendance."

However, by "hanging in there" and "fighting the good fight of faith," his work gradually gained ground and finally became extraordinarily productive, with multitudes eventually saved. In London the professed conversions were not quite so numerous, primarily because so many of the recent enthusiastic converts were occupying so many of the seats in the meeting place, therefore many of the unconverted were thereby "kept out" — not purposefully, but circumstantially.

Also, Spurgeon cites the lack of significant interest in the meetings by the PEDOBAPTIST English churches, due to their own peculiar English coldness toward enthusiastic evangelistic preaching. [Note: That has not changed!]

Here is how Spurgeon describes the Moody-Sankey evangelistic efforts:

>>  The work in Edinburgh was repeated in many other towns of Scotland such as Perth, Dundee, Aberdeen, etc., and with similar results, the people going so far as to tolerate Mr. Sankey's "unsanctified musical machine." The campaign in Ireland which succeeded was still more remarkable when we take into account the national prejudices of the population. In Dublin the Great Exhibition building was hired for the meetings as being the only place in the city capable of accommodating the multitudes who came to hear.

This success of the evangelists in the Emerald Isle was a fine testimony to the power of the simple gospel; for while no fierce denunciations of the apostate church were heard from the platform, the converts came alike from the ranks of Romanists as well as from the houses of the Protestants. The Romish leaders raised the voice of warning, but to no purpose; and their machinations were aided by a club of atheists, who penetrated into the inquiry rooms to endeavor to turn the whole into controversy. As an illustration of Mr. Moody's carefulness in minor matters, it may be mentioned that he took pains to have the vast area of their meeting-place made warm and comfortable. "Let us get all the difficulties out of the way," he remarked: "it will not be easy to save these people while they are shivering with cold."

Of the subsequent work of the evangelists in Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, and Sheffield, want of space will preclude our speaking. We will, however, quote a passage relating to a comic singer of Liverpool:

"This man was coming upon the stage one evening to sing a comic song, when a verse of a Sunday School hymn, which he had learned years ago, flashed through his mind, producing so deep an impression that he was unable to drive it away. He attempted to sing his song but failed, and on retiring from the stage was summarily dismissed by the manager. For three weeks he plunged into the deepest dissipation, being scarcely sober for a single hour all that time. During this debauch he wrote a comedy, which he finished off with a burlesque upon Messrs. Moody and Sankey, who had just then arrived in Liverpool; and in order to give greater point to his satire, he attended one of the services in Victoria Hall, to hear them for himself. While thus watching for something of which to make sport upon the comic stage, the Holy Spirit so impressed the truth upon his heart that he remained to the after-meeting for inquirers, was instructed in the way of his duty, and that very night found peace with God. He has now entered into training for the purpose of becoming a missionary."

Of the work in London, we can only say that various opinions are held, but no one can doubt that the two beloved workers did their utmost to bring down a blessing, and that in a measure the blessing did come. The large halls were crowded with Christians, and so the unconverted were kept out, and the work was quite distinct from all places of worship, and so many who were converted have not yet found their way to regular houses of prayer.

The state of affairs in London was very different from that in Scotland, and if (as we fear) the result is different, the honoured men of God are nonetheless accepted of their Master. While we have in England the perpetual irritation of an established semi-Papal church [Pedobaptists] it will be impossible to work together as brethren do in Scotland, therefore the like blessing cannot be expected.  <<  END

Spurgeon later had reason to revise his estimate of the effectiveness of the work in London, however. Note the following —

"We rejoice to mention that during the last few months we have met with more converts from Messrs. Moody and Sankey’s meetings than in all the time before. Some-of our brethren have also made the same observation. It is probable that many held back till they saw where it was best for them to join, and if so, they are to be commended. We expressed our disappointment very plainly some time ago, because we met with so few decided conversions, and it is therefore with the utmost pleasure that we intimate more pleasing tidings. We could not believe that such earnest gospel preaching could be without saving result, but we feared that the converts would remain separate, and not unite with the churches. For a while it seemed to be so, but we are delighted to have seen and conversed with many who make good disciples and hearty workers. God be thanked for this evermore." — The Sword and The Trowel Magazine, 1876, pg. 530

At least one crafty writer has tried to utilize the earlier remark by Spurgeon to suggest that CHS was critical of Moody, but that was the furthermost thing from Spurgeon's mind. CHS was obviously aiming his gun at  the cold, "dead," disinterested pedobaptist ministers of the Church of England who had little to no use for Moody's type of evangelism. They evidently preferred their own institutionalized "evangelism" of baptizing babies, presumed to have been "regenerated" in their infancy! Without that system, their churches would have probably "gone begging" for members!

SPURGEON on MOODY: "God be thanked that Moody and Sankey ever came among our churches".... "We ne’er shall look upon his like again. He is a king of men... God bless him wherever he may be, and send him back again to us in due time!" — The Sword and The Trowel Magazine, 1876, pg. 524; and 1884, pg. 555

MOODY on SPURGEON: "I have read your sermons for twenty-five years, and what has cheered my heart has been that in them was no uncertain sound... You are never going to die." — Metropolitan Tabernacle: It's History and Work, and Mr. Spurgeon's JUBILEE Services, pg. 9

Perhaps no two men were more responsible for influencing conservative, evangelical Christianity in the last half of the nineteenth century and even throughout the twentieth century than C. H. Spurgeon and D. L. Moody. "Their works do follow them" is certainly true of these two evangels of the plain, simple, and unfettered Gospel of salvation by faith in Christ.

Although both men were opposed and harassed by the Sacramentalists and hyper-Calvinists of their day, they were used of the Lord to reap a great harvest of souls in the last half of the nineteenth century and bring a spiritual renewal to thousands of Christians in those times. The extended influence of their work into the twentieth century and beyond is still a source of inspiration to those who draw spiritual sustenance from their advocacy of salvation by grace through faith.

Spurgeon's ministry at least partially delivered the Calvinistic English Baptists, with whom he was associated, from the stranglehold of too great an emphasis upon Calvinism, and even Hyper-Calvinism. In the course of time, CHS set in motion evangelistic forces which created missions and churches by the score, fostered home and foreign missionary work, tract and literature distribution, plus sponsoring numerous special evangelistic meetings by his Society of Evangelists. He also gave encouragement to other evangelistic works, including those of D. L. Moody. The weekly publication of his evangelistic sermons served to fire the preaching of other ministers, not only Baptist ministers in England but those of other communions and in other countries. American ministers were especially inspired by Spurgeon's printed sermons, and that continues to this very day.

D. L. Moody's effective evangelistic work in Great Britain was naturally disturbing to the Hyper-Calvinist and the Pedobaptist clergy, the latter having so many of their flocks renouncing their supposed "regeneration" in infancy by professing faith in Christ. Thus, they began to look for faults in Mr. Moody, his message, and his methods — just as James Wells and his fellow-hypers among the Baptists targeted Spurgeon in London.

The "match" of the Baptist hyperist, James Wells, was the Pedobaptist John Kennedy, who advocated the normal Pedobaptist phantasmagoria about infants and the alleged benefits that derive to the infants of believing parents on the basis of the supposed "covenant." While Kennedy ostensibly wrote specifically against Moody, there is plenty of room for the suspicion that he may have had even larger game as his target — even Spurgeon himself.

Certainly, most of what Kennedy wrote against Moody was as equally applicable to Spurgeon, for Kennedy's basic attack was against "immediate" or "sudden" conversion by faith in Christ. There was no greater advocate of that truth on conversion than C. H. Spurgeon.

If there is evidence that perhaps Spurgeon himself suspected that he, too, was the object of Kennedy's attack, it is found in Spurgeon's sermon, Messrs. Moody and Sankey Defended; or, A Vindication of the Doctrine of Justification by Faith [sermon #1239 — MTP Vol 21, Year 1875, pgs. 337 to 348, Galatians 5:24]

In that sermon, Spurgeon boldly identified himself with Moody by saying, "Will you please to notice that this is no quarrel between these gentlemen and our friends Messrs. Moody and Sankey alone. It is a quarrel between these objectors and the whole of us who preach the gospel; for, differing as we do in the style of preaching it, we are all ready to set our seal to the clearest possible statement that men are saved by faith in Jesus Christ, and saved the moment they believe. We all hold and teach that there is such a thing as conversion." — MTP Vol. 21 [see above reference], page 337

Kennedy, embellished as "the greatest champion of the Reformed faith in the Highlands," held the usual Pedobaptist views on infants, their regeneration, baptism and church membership. He resorted to the usual modus operandi of hypers when they mount an attack upon evangelism. He unfurled the weapons of "preparationism" and the "pre-faith new birth" theory, both hobby-horses of the hypers, and maintained that "sudden conversions," even though occurring many times in the Scriptural record, were like miracles, a thing of the past.

Kennedy advocated the idea that conversion was a "detailed and extended process." He said: "The work of conversion includes what we might expect to find detailed in a process... it is utterly unwarrantable to expect that, as a rule, conversion shall be sudden. Indeed, the suddenness is rather a ground of suspicion than a reason for concluding that the work is God's... And is it not the fact, that those, who were most remarkable, in latter times, for their godliness and their usefulness, were the subjects of a detailed and extended process, before attaining to 'peace and joy in believing'?"

The paradox in Kennedy's position is that he had a double-standard. In the case of unregenerate infants, he had no qualms about assuming their "sudden" regeneration in infancy and "suddenly" baptizing them and receiving them into the church membership. But now, some of those, perhaps, whom he had baptized were hearing the Gospel as preached by Moody and were professing conversion. The fact is, most all the arguments Kennedy mounted against Moody would have more appropriately applied to Kennedy's baptizing of unregenerate infants.

Kennedy was also greatly upset that some of his fellow Ministers were supportive of Moody. He complained —

"Hundreds of ministers have I seen, sitting as disciples at the feet of one [Moody], whose teaching only showed his ignorance even of 'the principles of the doctrine of Christ'..."

Kennedy also griped about the hymn singing and the use of musical instruments, using the same arguments used by the CAMPBELLITES (who derived from the Pedobaptists via Thomas and Alexander Campbell in the early 1800s, who were Scottish Presbyterians). Kennedy wrote:

"The singing of uninspired hymns even in moderation, as a part of public worship, no one can prove to be scriptural; ..The use of instrumental music was an additional novelty, pleasing to the kind of feeling that finds pleasure in a concert. To introduce what is so gratifying there, into the service of the house of God, is to make the latter palatable to those to whom spiritual worship is an offense... And yet it is not difficult to prove that the use of instrumental music in the worship of God is unscriptural..."

Of course, Kennedy was very much disturbed about the use of "the inquiry room," a practice used by both Moody and Spurgeon in dealing with concerned souls, and he also complained about "public confession."

Kennedy had "the sky is falling" attitude about Moody's evangelism, even fearing dire consequences to his Pedobaptist sect and their practice of baptizing infants as if they were the children of God —

"I look on my Church, in a spasmodic state, subject to convulsions, which only indicate that her life is departing, the result of revivals got up by men. It will be a sad day for our country if the men, who luxuriate in the excitement of man-made revivals, shall with their one-sided views of truth, which have ever been the germs of serious errors, their lack of spiritual discernment, and their superficial experience, become the leaders of religious thought and the conductors of religious movements. Already they have advanced as many as inclined to follow them, far in the way to Arminianism in doctrine, and to Plymouthism in service... And if there continue to be progress in the direction in which present religious activity is moving, a negative theology will soon supplant our Confession of Faith, the good old ways of worship will be forsaken for unscriptural inventions, and the tinsel of a superficial religiousness will take the place of genuine godliness."

Mr. Kennedy is the hyper who was "resurrected" by Pedobaptist Iain Murray of The Banner of Truth in his unfortunate book, The Forgotten Spurgeon, and in other writings, and with whom Mr. Murray "takes sides" against both Spurgeon and Mr. Moody in regard to evangelism. Evidently, Mr. Murray is infected with the same type of religious paranoia about "sudden conversion" as Mr. Kennedy, which may account for Murray's zealous opposition to public invitations. Pedobaptists obviously do not appreciate the invasion of the plain Gospel of salvation by faith as preached by Spurgeon and Moody into the adult souls of those who were assumed to have been regenerated when they were infants.

If you have nothing better to do with your time, you may read Mr. Kennedy's spiel of palabber at the following ultra-Calvinist website — www.graceonlinelibrary.org/revival/full.asp?ID=409

Instead of viewing men such as Moody and Spurgeon as enemies on account of their preaching of "sudden conversion" thru believing in Christ for salvation, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Murray, and others of their school of theology might more appropriately say with Pogo, “We have met the enemy, and he is us.” If they had their way, evangelism would be strangled to death by nineteenth century hyperism.

 Author: Bob L. Ross

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