A Warning to Protestant England

A fierce effort is making to restore the Romish Antichrist to his ancient seat. Now let the people of God stand fast in their ranks, and let no man’s heart fail him. It is true that just now in England the battle is turned against us, and unless the Lord Jesus…shall lift his sword, I know not what may become of the church of God in this land; but let us be of good courage, and play the man. There never was a day when Protestantism seemed to tremble more in the scales than now. The way to Rome and so the way to hell, is paved, I suppose, with good intentions by those Anglican clergy whose vocation it seems to be to show the longsuffering patience of a Protestant country. Here we have a national church which has become the jackal for the lion of Rome, and we greatly want a bold voice and a strong hand to preach and publish the Old Gospel for which martyrs bled and confessors died. The Saviour is, by his Spirit, still on earth; let this cheer us. He is ever in the midst of the fight, and therefore the battle is not doubtful…Now by the lilies of Christian purity and by the roses of the Saviour’s atonement, by the roes and by the hinds of the field, we charge you who are lovers of Jesus to do valiantly in the Holy War; for truth and righteousness, for the kingdom and crown jewels of your Master, against the harlot of Rome, and the many-headed beast on which she rides, charge ye with doubtless courage. Those who gave your fathers to the flames and cast your sires to rot in the prison, let them know that the spirit of your sires still lives in you; let them see that there is a seed still upon the earth in whose breasts truth still finds a tabernacle – men who can suffer for truth, and can boldly declare it in the midst of foes. Never become cowardly and mean; never despair. How can ye?...Christ (is) at your Head…Christ (is) here with the holy gospel in his hand like a two-edged sword…Be strong and very courageous, and by his help who doeth valiantly ye shall yet send up the shout, Hallelujah! Hallelujah! For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

An Extract from a Sermon preached on September 23rd, 1866, by C. H. Spurgeon, at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, in London.