Wesleyan teaching on this is summed up in W. Burt Pope's Compendium (1880): 'Provision is made in the Christian covenant for the maintenance of religion in the soul to the end. The source of this grace is the effectual intercession of Christ. The manifestation of it is the power of the Holy Spirit; in its nature and operation it is superabundant and persistent; not indefectible however, but conditional on perseverance in fidelity.' The last clause indicates rejection (following John Wesley) of the Calvinist doctrine of the 'final perseverance of the saints', according to which the elect cannot fall irrevocably from grace and salvation. Pope discusses the texts usually cited in the controversy.

Entry written by: DJC
Category: Subject
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