Controversy between John Wesley and the Countess of Huntingdon: its origin, development and consequences

Abstract

The uncompromising individualism which characterized all of Eighteenth Century England also penetrated the religious scene and was incorporated in the life and work of both Jotm Wesley and the Countess of Huntingdon. The treatment of the major controversy between these two rugged individualists naturally must begin, in Chapter One, with a brief survey of their period, its specific characteristics and needs, and the climate which it provided for the development of the children of the Evangelical Revival. Chapters Two and Three are a brief study of the two major figures in this controversy, but are not primarily biographical. However, since Lady Huntingdon has been so unfortunate in her biographers, it was necessary to ascertain exact dates and to amplify relevant facts about her life in Chapter Three. It was also necessary to re-evaluate her hitherto largely overlooked contribution to the Eighteenth Century and to the Evangelical Revival, this being unnecessary in the case of John Wesley who has always held the prominent place. In Chapter Four a specific analysis is made of Wesley's and Lady Huntingdon's basic character traits and theological presuppositions which brought them into open conflict. The myth that Lady Huntingdon held a hyper-Calvinistic viewpoint from the moment of her religious "awakening" is examined and rejected, and the personal determinant in this theological controversy is examined in detail. Chapters Five, Six and Seven deal directly with the controversy itself, tracing its development from the time of their first meeting to their deaths in 1791. The final chapter assesses the disastrous consequences of this controversy for all parties concerned, and for the Church universal.