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What are the differences between plain ordinary Calvinism and Hyper-Calvinism? Whatever it is, Spurgeon is obviously not a Hyper-Calvinist, but I would think that Palmer would have to be one, despite his apparent claims to the contrary.

In a nutshell, the hyper-Calvinist denies any responsibility on the part of man, while the Calvinist affirms that man is responsible for his choices and actions.

The hyper-Calvinist does not believe in the free offer of the Gospel, expecting that God will save men without human intervention. As a result, this is the grossest form of heresy, and invalidates Jesus' words in the Great Commission.

When William Carey, a Calvinist, proposed the missionary enterprise, he was rebuked by a hyper-Calvinist in this way: "Sit down young man. You are an enthusiast! When God pleases to convert the heathen, He will do it without consulting you or me." Carey, the Calvinist, wrote An Enquiry into the Obligations of Christians to Use Means for the Conversion of the Heathen, and then devoted his life to missions.

What makes you think that Palmer is a hyper? (BTW, I am once again 70 miles away from my bookshelf, and did not get a chance last night to confirm if I have Palmer's book.)

Also, I have yet to encounter a hyper-Calvinist on FreeRepublic, though I have met at least one in real life. Unfortunately, there are plenty of folks on this forum who either confuse us with hyper-Calvinists or accuse us as such when they should know better.

Spurgeon wasn't so lucky, and encountered considerable opposition from the formidable hyper-Calvinist contingent existing in London during the time of his ministry. This was a continual battle for him, and something that I doubt we can fully appreciate in this day when the theological tide has shifted so far towards Arminianism.