He was a D.D. of Giessen University. From 1823 to 1854 he kept one of the Dr. Williams charity-schools which, on the death of Benjamin Jones (1756-1823) (q.v.), had been transferred from Pwllheli to Bangor. He published Pynciau Athrawiaethol, 1838, and Rhetoric, neu Areithyddiaeth Ysgrythyrol, 1810. Early in his ministry he took a prominent part in the theological controversies of the day, and was one of the first in Wales to preach the ideas of Edward Williams of Rotherham (1750-1813) (q.v.). He was regarded as a moderate Calvinist but was called to account by his fellow ministers for some of his tenets.

It was the problem of church government which brought him into the greatest prominence — that great controversy known as the ‘controversy of the county Associations,’ a controversy rooted in the development of Independency in Wales. The charge was brought against him that in his capacity as minister he had assumed dictatorial powers, and that he was a law to himself in the matter of admitting new church-members and aspirants to the pulpit. He insisted on allowing a doubtful character like Robert Parry (Robin Ddu Eryri, q.v.) to preach, which caused the conference of Caernarvonshire churches held at Conway in 1838 (under the presidency of Caledfryn) to excommunicate him and his church and to set up another church, Bethel, at Bangor. The controversy caused disgust and did much harm to Independency in the county; but, in spite of Caledfryn's opposition, Arthur Jones refused to budge.