Andrews University Seminary Student Journal
Volume 1
Number 2 Fall 2015 Article 6
8-2015
Wesley and Charisma: An Analysis of John
Wesley
's View of Spiritual Gifts
Dojcin Zivadinovic
Andrews University, zivadino@andrews.edu
Wesley and Ordinary Gifts
Despite many obvious outbursts of fanaticism John Wesley has never renounced
his faith in genuine work of the Holy Spirit. He firmly maintained that the
Spiritual gifts are a natural consequence of genuine holiness and dwelling of God’s
Spirit in a man. Wesley never placed a special emphasis on any gift in particular. In
contrary, he esteemed the ordinary gifts on the same level of importance as more
dynamic and supernatural charismas. Consequently, Wesley often mentions the
importance of ordinary gifts such as music, preaching, teaching, service, wisdom,
counseling and other "common gifts” bestowed on Christians.28
In his notes on 1 Cor. 12 Wesley defines the gift of wisdom as "a power of
understanding and explaining the manifold wisdom of God in the grand scheme
of gospel salvation” while the gift of knowledge is described by him as "an
extraordinary ability to understand and explain the Old Testament types and
prophecies”. Wesley maintained that the gift of faith differs from a general faith
26Ibid.
27Wesley’s Diary, April 3, 1786 in WRJW 3:329. How Wesley treated fanaticism is seen
in a letter to his brother Charles, written in 1762: "This week I have begun to speak my
mind concerning five or six honest enthusiasts. But I move only a hair’s breadth at a time.
No sharpness will profit. There is need of a lady’s hand, as well as a lion’s heart.” See
Letter 62, January 5, 1762 in WRJW 12:122, 123.
28Gift of speech ”“ "The More Excellent Way” in WRJW 7:27. Gift of teaching and gift
of knowledge ”“ Letter 704, "Letter to Miss Bishop,” September 1, 1771, WRJW 13:22, 23.
WESLEY AND CHARISMA 61
given to all believers. The special gift of faith is as Wesley puts it "an extraordinary
trust in God under the most difficult or dangerous circumstances.”29
Although particularly encouraging the use of so called "ordinary gifts”30 and
often rebuking fanatics for their charismatic claims and behaviors, Wesley did not
minimize the usefulness of more extraordinary gifts and manifestations of the
Spirit.
Wesley and Extraordinary Gifts
In his life, Wesley experienced many extraordinary activities of the Spirit that he
considered to be genuine. In the earliest days of the revival of Fatter-Lane Society,
Wesley records that the revival started with an extraordinary outpouring of the
Spirit on the entire congregation. He remembers that it is in that day he had
repented from unbelief in manifestations of God’s Spirit. Here are his words:
We met at Fetter-Lane to humble ourselves before God … we acknowledged our
having grieved him … by blaspheming his work among us, imputing it either to
nature, to the force of imagination and animal spirits, or even to the delusions of
devil. In that hour we found God with us as at the first. Some fell prostrate upon
the ground. Others burst out, as with one consent, into loud praise and
thanksgiving.31
Since that moment on, Wesley never doubted the extraordinary workings of
the Spirit. A letter written to deist scholar Conyers Middleton is Wesley's most
definitive statement on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Wesley here lists the various
extraordinary gifts that he expects to see revived in any age that manifests the true
faith and love. These are some extraordinary gifts Wesley considered useful for
the evangelizing: "1. Casting out devils; 2. Speaking with new tongues; 3. Escaping
dangers, in which otherwise they must have perished; 4. Healing the sick; 5.
Prophecy, foretelling things to come; 6. Visions; 7. Divine dreams; and, 8.
Discerning of spirits.”32 In the following pages, we shall analyze Wesley’s view of
four extraordinary gifts ”“ Prophecy, Tongues, Healing and Exorcism.
Gift of Prophecy, Visions and Dreams
In his ministry Wesley encountered an unusual number of persons who claimed
special revelations and visions. Many, according to Wesley were simply over29See Wesley’s notes on 1 Cor 12:9 in John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the New
Testament (London: 1757), 457.
30See Sermon 4, "On Christianity” in WRJW 5:37-52; Sermon 89, "The More
Excellent Way,” WRJW 7:27.
31Wesley’s Diary, June 16, 1739 in WRJW 1:204.
32Wesley, "A Letter to the Rev. Dr. Conyers Middleton,” January 4, 1749 in WRJW
10:21.
62 SEMINARY STUDENT JOURNAL 1 (FALL 2015)
enthusiastic but in some instances Wesley found prophetic revelations and special
visions to be genuine and full of holy love. One of the individuals who gained
Wesley’s confidence as having genuine visions from God was Ann Thorn. This is
what Wesley recorded concerning Ann Thorn.
I talked largely with Ann Thorn, and two others who had been several times in
trances. What they all agreed in was 1. That when they went away, as they termed
it, it was always at the time they were fullest of the love of God; 2. That it came
upon them in a moment, without any previous notice, and took away all their
senses and strength; 3. That there were some exceptions; but in general, from that
moment, they were in another world, knowing nothing of what was done or said,
by all that were round about them.33
In the case of Ann Thorn, Wesley seems to accept her revelations as genuine.
Sometimes, Wesley tested the prophets with some physical motions as in the case
of Alice Miller. After he was convinced in their genuineness, he would question
them what was the content of their visions. Here is one such account:
About five in the afternoon I heard them singing hymns. Soon after Mr. B. came
up and told me, Alice Miller (fifteen years old) was fallen into trance. I went down
immediately, and found her sitting on a stool and leaning against the wall, with her
eyes opened and fixed upward. I made a motion as if going to strike; but they
continued immovable. Her face showed an unspeakable mixture of reverence and
love … in about half an hour I observed her countenance change into the form of
fear, pity and distress … and silent tears stole down her cheeks … about seven her
sense returned. I asked: "where have you been?” "I have been with the Savior” …
"Why then did you cry?” "Not for myself, but for the world; for I saw they were
on the brink of hell.” Whom did you desire to give glory to God?” "Ministers that
cry aloud to the world; Else they will be proud; and then God will leave them, and
they will lose their own souls.”34
One of the greatest uses of visions and dreams from God for Wesley was the
power to convert both individuals who experience it and the individuals who hear
the testimony of this powerful experience. Here are his comments:
I have seen …very many persons changed in a moment from the spirit of despair
to the spirit of love, joy and peace, and from sinful desire, till then reigning over
them, to a pure desire of doing the will of God. … What I have to say touching
visions and dreams, is this: I know several persons in whom this great change was
wrought in a dream, or during a strong representation to the eye of their mind, of
Christ either on the cross, or in glory. This is the fact.35
33Wesley’s Diary, August 6, 1759 in WRJW 2:509.
34Ibid. See also Wesley’s account of the seven-year old child who had many visions
"astonishing the neighbours with her innocent, awful manner of declaring them.” See
Diary, June 14, 1759 in WRJW 2:499.
35Wesley’s Diary, May 20, 1739 in WRJW 1:195.
WESLEY AND CHARISMA 63
Another use for prophetic gift is foretelling of future, which is beneficial for
the entire community.36 Close to the prophetic spirit, Wesley placed the ability to
discern the spirits. In his notes on 1 Corinthians 12, Wesley mentions the "gift of
discernment” which according to him represents ability to know "whether men be
of an upright spirit or not; whether they have natural or supernatural gifts for
offices in the church; and whether they who profess to speak by inspiration speak
from a divine, a natural, or a diabolical spirit.”37
Although Wesley never prohibited extraordinary revelations, he did not trust
every spirit. On one occasion, Wesley wrote: "Trust not in visions and dreams; in
sudden impressions, or strong impulse of any kind. Remember, it is not by these
you are to know what is the will of God on any particular occasion; but by
applying the plain scripture rule, with the help of experience and reason, and the
ordinary assistance of the Spirit of God.”38
In his sermon touching the enthusiasm of Methodists, Wesley admits genuine
visions and dreams are not so frequent.39 Wesley was firm that all personal
revelations have to be in strict accordance with the Word of God.
Gift of Healing
In response to Middleton's insistence that no "miraculous healing” had ever been
proved, Wesley responded:
Sir, I understand you well … after all this talk about miraculous cures, we are not
sure there were ever any in the world. But it will do no harm. For although we
grant, that some recover, even in seemingly desperate cases; and, that we do not
know, in any case, the precise bounds between nature and miracle; yet it does not
follow, therefore, I cannot be assured there ever was a miracle of healing in the
world. To explain this by instance: I do not precisely know how far nature may go
in healing, that is restoring sight of the blind; yet this I assuredly know, that if a
man born blind is restored to sight by a word, this is not nature, but miracle.40
Wesley was not claiming the perpetuity of the gift of healing in theory only, he
experienced it personally. In his explanatory notes of the Bible, for the passage of
Mark 16: 17, Wesley records one of his experiences at the town of Leonberg,
where a crippled was healed through the preaching of this text.41
36See Wesley on 1 Cor 13:2 and 14:6 in Explanatory Notes, 459, 461.
37See Wesley on 1 Cor 12:9 in Explanatory Notes, 457.
38Ibid., sec. 38.
39"I do not deny that God has of old times, manifested his will in this manner; or that
he can do so now; Nay, I believe he does, in some very rare instances.” See Wesley,
Sermon 37, "On The Nature of Enthusiasm” in WRJW 5:473.
40Wesley, "Letter to Middleton "in WRJW 10:22.
41Wesley on Mark 16:17 in Explanatory Notes, 138.
64 SEMINARY STUDENT JOURNAL 1 (FALL 2015)
In another instance, Wesley shares an experience of extraordinary healing
which happened before hundreds of witnesses in Cornwall. John Trebble, a
crippled man who for sixteen years was obliged to walk on his hands because his
legs were paralyzed, was restored to health through an encounter with an angel in
his dream. Wesley writes in a short report: "I took a strict examination in my last
visitation. … he was suddenly so restored to his limbs that I saw him able to walk
and get his own maintenance.”42
Wesley was a full believer in healing by prayer. He prayed many times for his
own recovery and recorded that God healed him from many infirmities in his life.
Wesley describes one of his healings in this way: "In the evening, at the chapel, my
teeth pained me much. In coming home, Mr. Spear gave me an account of the
rupture he had for some years, which, after the most eminent physicians had
declared it incurable, was perfectly cured in a moment. I prayed with submission
to the will of God. My pain ceased, and returned no more.”43
In the early days of Methodist Revival, Wesley records having experienced
great power in praying for sick. Almost all of those who were visited by Wesley
were restored to health. Some even claimed to experience supernatural healing
with nothing but only touching Wesley’s clothes.44 Wesley reported: "I visited
several of the sick. Most of them were ill of the spotted fever; which, they
informed me, had been extremely mortal; few persons recovering from it. But
God had said: ‘Hitherto shalt thou come.’ I believe there was not one with whom
we were, but recovered.”45
All throughout his ministry, Wesley experienced countless healings through
prayer. In December 25, 1742, Wesley prayed for a man on his deathbed that
recovered before the prayer was done.46 In October 16, 1778, a woman who was
sick for seven months immediately recovered after he visited her and prayed for
her.47 Wesley found one incident (the miraculous healing of breast cancer)
especially intriguing:
December 26, 1761, I made a particular inquiry into the case of Mary Special, a
young woman then in Tottenham-Court-Road. She said: ‘Four years since I found
much pain in my breasts, and afterwards hard lumps. Four months ago my left
breast broke, and kept running continually. Growing worse and worse, after some
time I was recommended to St. George’s hospital. I was let blood many times, and
took hemlock thrice a day; But it was no better; the pain and the lumps were the
42Wesley, "An Extraordinary Cure” in WRJW 11:511.
43Wesley’s Diary, November 12, 1746 in WRJW 2: 34. See also Wesley’s self-healing on
March 21, 1741 in WRJW 1:304.
44Wesley’s Diary, May 31, 1785 in WRJW 4:20.
45Wesley’s Diary, November 16, 1740 in WRJW 1:291.
46Wesley’s Diary, December 20, 25, 1742 in WRJW 1:405, 406.
47Wesley’s Diary, October 16, 1778 in WRJW 4:139.
