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Calvinism vs Arminianism10

The Calvinist's Fallacious Reasoning - John Wesley

In short they say: If you get it, you can't lose it; and if you lose it you never had it. May God save us from accepting a doctrine, that must be defended by such fallacious reasoning!

Biblical TheologyDec 15, 2016Updated Sep 3, 2026
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Calvinists, who deny that salvation can ever be lost, reason on the subject in a marvelous way

They tell us, that...

  • no virgin's lamp can go out; []
  • no promising harvest be choked with thorns; []
  • no branch in Christ can ever be cut off from unfruitfulness; []
  • no pardon can ever be forfeited, [ ]
  • and no name blotted out of God's book! []

They insist that...

  • no salt can ever lose its savor; []
  • nobody can ever "receive the grace of God in vain"; [ ]
  • "bury his talents"; []
  • "neglect such great salvation"; []
  • trifle away "a day of grace"; [ ]
  • "look back" after putting his hand to the gospel plow. []
  • Nobody can "grieve the Spirit" till He is "quenched," and strives no more, nor "deny the Lord that bought them"; nor "bring upon themselves swift destruction." [ ]
  • Nobody, or body of believers, can ever get so lukewarm that Jesus will spew them out of His mouth. []

They use reams of paper to argue that...

  • if one ever got lost he was never found; []
  • that if one falls, he never stood; [] and []
  • if one was ever "cast forth," he was never in, and "if one ever withered," he was never green; []
  • and that "if any man draws back," it proves that he never had anything to draw back from; []
  • that if one ever "falls away into spiritual darkness," he was never enlightened; []
  • that if you "again get entangled in the pollutions of the world," it shows that you never escaped; []
  • that if you "put salvation away" you never had it to put away, and if you make shipwreck of faith, there was no ship of faith there!! []
In short they say: If you get it, you can't lose it; and if you lose it you never had it.
May God save us from accepting a doctrine, that must be defended by such fallacious reasoning!
Calvinism vs Arminianism10
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