Martyn Lloyd Jones on Wesley, Arminianism and Calvinism

[prism]

Taken from his book, "The Puritans" page 297

"
Is there not a real danger of our becoming guilty of a very subtle form of Arminianism if we maintain that correct doctrine and understanding are essential to our being used by the Spirit of God … I said that John Wesley was to me the greatest proof of Calvinism. Why? Because in spite of his faulty thinking he was greatly used of God to preach the gospel and to convert souls! That is the ultimate proof of Calvinism, predestination and election."

We know only God converts souls, but I get his point.

 

[Josheb]

I wonder what Wesley would think of that appraisal.

I sometimes wonder if Wesley was truly Arminian. He was trained Anglican, which would have planted him firmly within the Calvinist end of Reform Theology. However, prior to meeting the Moravians his faith was that of intellectual assent and not that of regeneration. That alone pokes a stick in the eye of Arminianism but that's not my main point. He met the Moravians and Whitefield (who was decidedly Reformed) and only after his dark night of the soul was, he genuinely converted to Christ. It's only then that he becomes an effective missionary/evangelist, and his success was built on his own experience of experience. He's the guy that introduces the emphasis on experientialism, or what was in his day called methodism. He didn't set out to start a new sect. He theology reflects what I just summarized. Reading early Wesley is a bit different from reading late Wesley and he struggled with pietism versus Pietism all his life.

And yet, despite that mess, if his conversion was sincere then he was saved in spite of himself .

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