John Wesley… Apparently Not a Christian
Via New Demonstration:
“In a letter to his brother Charles in June 1766, the Arminian evangelist John Wesley, now in his sixties, confesses that he does not and never did love God, believe or have the direct witness of divine sonship or even of things invisible or eternal. Read for yourself.
“In one of my last [letters] I was saying that I do not feel the wrath of God abiding on me; nor can I believe it does. And yet (this is the mystery), I do not love God. I never did. Therefore I never believed, in the Christian sense of the word. Therefore I am only an honest heathen…
And yet, to be so employed of God! And so hedged in that I can neither get forward nor backward! Surely there was never such an instance before, from the beginning of the world! If I ever have had that faith, it would not be so strange. But I never had any other evidence of the eternal or invisible world than I have now; and that is none at all, unless such as faintly shines from reason’s glimmering ray. I have no direct witness (I do not say, that I am a child of God, but) of anything invisible or eternal.“
“And yet I dare not preach otherwise than I do, either concerning faith, or love, or justification, or perfection. And yet I find rather an increase than a decrease of zeal for the whole work of God and every part of it. I am borne along, I know not how, that I can’t stand still. I want all the world to come to what I do not know.”
- Quoted in Stephen Tomkins, John Wesley, A Biography [Oxford: Lion Publishing, 2003], p. 168; italics mine)
From http://arminianheresy.blogspot.com/2006_06_01_archive.html“
… so… just a really good salesman selling a really good product who had a really good career.
With all the heresies John Wesley came to espouse I wouldn’t be surprised if all that dragged him to his service is actually nothing but emotion and the pull of the moment.
Likely. I think that is probably true of anyone who is dedicated to his career.
What the cluck?! Well Arminianism does not lead to Jesus, I think. Tell me this Ginger — YOU, you surely know for sure our Lord and Saviour, yes?
yes.
I think he was being very honest. Christ’s definition of loving Him was to obey Him. If that obedience imparts some feeling in a person, all the more better. But it is not guaranteed nor required.
I absolutely give him props for honesty. Most of all for honesty with himself about where he really was. Was he as transparent publicly? Don’t know enough about him.
Yes love equates with obedience. Absolutely. But that can’t be the only part of it. If it is, that is just legalism. It would seem that true gratitude for salvation would conjure some feelings though, yes? Certainly enough that a true believer could never utter the words, “I do not love God. I never did.”