John Wesley on Original sin & the human will
Depraved, but prevenient grace restores ability to respond
"God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." (Gen. 6:5, the sermon's text) "It was always the same, that it 'was only evil continually;' every year, every day, every hour, every moment. He never deviated into good."
THE POSITION
Total depravity by nature, stated as strongly as anywhere in this project, paired with universal prevenient grace such that no one is actually left in the bare state depravity describes. The fall side: humanity's every disposition is "only evil continually," with no admixture of good, aimed directly at "fair side of human nature" writers of his own day. The grace side, in the same body of work: every person already has some measure of grace restoring some capacity to respond, prior to and independent of anything they've done.
5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil all the time.
2 OTHERS HOLD THIS
ABOUT THIS FIGURE
Anglican priest and founder of the Methodist movement. His Standard Sermons and Explanatory Notes Upon the New Testament are Methodism's own doctrinal standards. The map's first researched Arminian figure, set against an otherwise Reformed-heavy list — his signature move is prevenient grace: total depravity by nature, but no one actually left in that bare state, because grace merited for everyone reaches everyone first.
Cite this page
"John Wesley on Original sin & the human will", Examined Doctrine, July 2026 edition, https://examineddoctrine.com/position/wesley/original-sin (archived at https://examineddoctrine.com/editions/2026-07/position/wesley/original-sin).