Spurgeon the Strict Baptist

On page 125 of Tom Nettles' new biography of Spurgeon he quotes him at the meeting of the Baptist Brethren when the Met Tab was to be opened in 1861 (see whole thing here).

Spurgeon says

 

I am glad that we have here brethren representing different views among us. Here I am a strict Baptist, and open communion in principle; some of our brethren are strict in communion, and strict in discipline; some are neither strict in discipline nor in communion. I think I am the closest to the truth, but you all think the same for yourselves, and may God defend the right.

 

It is slightly confusing at first (today we call strict communionists Strict Baptists) but what he means is that Baptists at the time (as now) may have

 

A baptised membership and a strict communion (as Strict Baptists do today)

or

A baptised membership but a communion open to all believers (as we tend to do here)

or

An open membership and communion (typical of FIEC churches and others)

 

In practice we do allow some manoeuvre on membership but each fellowship has to make a decision in this area. Who will we accept as members? Who will we accept to the communion table? It is neat to match up the answers to the questions but, like Spurgeon, many of us feel that in an imperfect world a discontinuity is right.