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I have been asked to explain what Charles Spurgeon meant when he said "Puseyism" was heretical. Apparently, Charles Spurgeon brought this up in his sermons.

I have done some initial research and found out that Edward Pusey was Regius Professor of Hebrew at the University of Oxford. He was one of the main promoters of the Oxford Movement.

What I can't find is any reliable source/link to any sermon given by Charles Spurgeon where he describes "Puseyism" as heretical. I don't have much time in which to respond and so I would be grateful for any insights/links/articles that shed light on what Charles Spurgeon thought about "Puseyism".

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The following quotes show that Spurgeon accused Pusey (and his followers) of

1. Attempting to Re-unite Anglicanism with Catholicism

Nowadays Dr. Pusey dreams that the Anglican and the Russian Church may be united, and then perhaps the Romish may chime in—and so once more all may be one. A mere dream! A mere chimera of a kindly but whimsical brain! If it should ever come to be a reality it would prove to be an upas tree at the roots of which every honest man must at once lay his axe. But what did the Savior mean, "That they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me"?

Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 12

2. Idolatry

We spoke of idolatry as being buried at Athens and consigned to its tomb at Rome, but it lives in the Puseyism of the present hour; men are naturally idolaters, and it is nothing but idolatry which nowadays, in the toyshops of the Tractarians is polluting the simplicity of our worship by thrusting their childish symbols and emblems before the sublime truth that God is to be worshipped in spirit, and only to be approached through the atoning sacrifice of His only-begotten Son.

The Heart - A Den of Evil

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  • The only charge of heresy in your answer is idolatry, but it is not at all specific as to what that idolatry consists in. A form of image worship, perhaps? – zippy2006 Dec 25 '19 at 5:05
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    You would need to define your own understanding of the word 'heresy' if you wish to argue your case. It is a matter of what Mr Spurgeon called 'heresy'. – Nigel J Dec 25 '19 at 5:22
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    You may want to re-check point #3 as I was quite wrong in attributing "worship of Mary" heresy to Dr. Pusey. Per comment on my deleted answer by @zippy2006: "You only answer the question by claiming that Pusey held to worshiping Mary, which he did not. Pusey exposed the Roman Catholic "heresy" of worshiping Mary, and Spurgeon is thanking him for it, not condemning him. The Tractarians opposed worship of Mary as one of the vital points on which they differed from Roman Catholicism. This answer is simply incorrect. " See the thanking article – GratefulDisciple Dec 26 '19 at 3:05
  • @GratefulDisciple Thank you. My mistake. Corrected by editing. – Nigel J Dec 26 '19 at 10:39
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    My thanks to zippy2006 for pointing out that error regarding worship of Mary, and to GratefulDisciple for acknowledging the misrepresentation and to Nigel J for removing that element from his answer. – Lesley Dec 26 '19 at 12:26

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