On the Evils of Undue Tolerance

Your weekly dose of Spurgeon
posted by Phil Johnson

The PyroManiacs devote some space each weekend to highlights from The Spurgeon Archive. The following excerpt is from "Good Cause for Great Zeal," a sermon preached at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, first published in 1873.

ourtesies are thrown away upon antagonists whose cause is treason. Nor are we the men who should practice reserve; for if we are maintained from the king's palace, we are cravens if we do not stand up for our king.

There have been attacks made in modern times upon the doctrine of substitution. If the doctrine of substitution be not true, I am a lost man; therefore, tooth and nail, will I fight for it. No other hope beneath the skies have I, except in the expiatory substitution of the Lord Jesus Christ. If he did not suffer in my stead, the just for the unjust, then flames of hell must be my portion. Therefore I can never give up that truth, for it is giving up my own salvation. But it has been revealed, and I cling to it with the most implicit credit.

Do you tell me that "modern thought" assails it?

How, and with what weapons, I ask? Is it with argument, with proof, or with any counter-suggestion? Oh, no, it is merely met with vague questionings, idle quibbles, and impertinent sneers—a style of answer that affects much, though it affirms nothing.

I pray you, brethren, wherever you are, defend this fundamental doctrine of our most holy faith—that the Lord Jesus Christ has laid down his life to make atonement for the sins of his people. Or should we be confronted with any other form of false doctrine, or should we be haunted with any kind of scepticism—(scepticism! an anomalous thing, which is without form and void)—are we to stand with mealy mouths, and say, "Yes, brethren, you are of that opinion, and I am of the other." Nay, but opinion is light as a bubble, when judgment is pronounced by the supreme court from which there is no appeal.

What, think ye? Is there no fact? Is there no truth? Is the word of God "yea" and "nay"? Has it come to this, that it is to be shuffled like a pack of cards, or shaped like a nose of wax, as every man may please? Oh, no! By the ever-living God there is truth somewhere, and that truth we will find out if we can; and, having found it, we will hold it fast.

Let us, in the day of battle, use our standard; and if our arm be smitten off, we hope the standard will not fall, but that others will be found to hold it up as there were in the brave days of yore—when our fathers burned at the stake for these things, or went to the galleys, or perished amidst the Alps, sooner than the truth of God's own word should be without witnesses among the sons of man!

Hear none of these things in your hearts with tolerance; but hold fast to the things which ye have been taught, and hold them fast in faith and love to Christ Jesus.

Thanks to Pyro-reader Janine for the Spurgeon vs. McLaren graphic.

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