Spurgeon's Resignation from the British Baptist Union: A Microhistory of First Responders

On October 28, 1887, Charles H. Spurgeon sent a letter to Samuel Harrison Booth (1824-1902), executive of the British Baptist Union (1887-1889 and 1883-1902) and his friend, in which Spurgeon resigned from the British Baptist Union. This followed a series of articles in Spurgeon's magazine, The Sword and the Trowel, detailing what the pastor perceived as a "downgrade" of orthodox Christian belief in the Union. The Downgrade Controversy has received wide notoriety in secondary literature. (1) A few quotes from the five articles in the primary sources reveal the background and nature of the controversy.