135 Charles SPURGEON: John Gadsbys opinion: Charles Spurgeon of London was, perhaps, the most effective preacher since the apostles, and he couldwhen he wanted topreach the pure gospel as clearly, and as convincingly as any man who ever lived. But, like his Calvinist colleagues, on other occasions, he could be as heretical as any man. Sylvester Hassell and John Gadsby were both contemporaries of Spurgeon. John Gadsby was the son of William Gadsby, and he had first hand knowledge of Spurgeons vacillation between truth and error. Below is the account of a letter he sent to Sylvester Hassell. He was very complimentary of Spurgeon on those occasions when he preached the truth, but he insists that on other occasions his preaching was the very essence of heathenism.
Mr. C. H. Spurgeon, of London, one of the ablest speakers and writers of the nineteenth century, generally set forth the pure Bible doctrine of salvation by grace; but according to the testimony of the Gospel Standard, sent to me by Mr. John Gadsby, of London, when he held protracted meetings, he descended, in his remarks, into the lowest depths of Arminianism, equaling John Wesley, making the salvation of the sinner really depend upon his own works, and not upon the grace of God, the blood of His Son, or the power of His Spiritwhich doctrine is the very essence of heathenism. Sylvester Hassell