OF the few faithful ones left in the Established Church in that degenerate
age, the best known are the two men referred to at the end of the previous
chapter. Mr. Jones of Llanddowror is to this day a family name in Wales,
so that there is no need to go into the details of his history here. Very
little is known of the vicar of Cwm Iau; but we can gather something of
his life and character from a letter he wrote to George Whitefield in April
1739.
"I rarely meet with a Brother of ye same Communion who
so exactly corresponds with me in Principles,--one who so harmoniously
concurrs with my notions in Religion. But as for our Doctrine of Regeneration
I always observe that it sounds as a Paradox to all those that are not
subjects of it in ye genuine sense ye words and are not born from Above....
But man--poor, proud and bankrupt, ten thousand talents in debt and nothing
to pay--naturally would fain be a participant in Christ, and can hardly
be brought so low as to confess himself an unprofitable servant. Moreover,
he will not drink of the water of life freely; although he has no money,
yet, to be sure, he will offer any price, he will plead a little merit....This
is ye Good old Puritan Doctrine that to my great concern I thought had
quite forsaken ye Land till about 14 months ago I met with some of your
Sermons... but my more perfect attachment to you, dear Sir, commenced
upon my reading a little while since your Journal to Georgia where I observed
that your affections clave to ye Scotch Societys at Gibraltar, tho' of
different sentiments in Religion with these of ye Established Church,
when with some warmth and vehemency you seem to brake out into these expressions
that it was a pity that ye seamless Coat of Christ should be rent, with
which words I felt such a Qualm on my Spirits with such promptness to
conclude "here is a Rara Avis," a Brother indeed that can be
in Love with ye Divine Stamp in whom so ever he beholds it.... I thought
I could with ye same sincerity say to you as Ruth did to Naomi, "Whither
so ever thou goest I will go," etc., for I thought my natural affection
to my Relations were so swallowed up in Spiritual Affections to you, but
those to my poor flock would not suffer me to quit my station.
The first Subject I ever preached upon was "Oh! taste and see that
ye Lord is good," etc., when I tho't I had such experiences of good
to my soul that if I could but be instrumental to prevail upon ye most
abandoned wretch to taste it would be no longer in his Choice whether
he would be religious or no. But Oh! good God, what Changes have I met
with since, what tossings up and down! I was cast into ye lowest pit,
into ye deep; all his waves and billows went over my Soul, without hope
in ye world, forsaken of God. To read ye promises was only to provoke
my envy to those to whom they belonged, and increasing my grief and misery....
I thought of God and I was disturbed; my judgment went past him; he had
forgotten how to have mercy upon me, and my soul refused to be comforted.
In my opinion, his promise towards me had ceased for ever. Heman's psalm
alone was appropriate to my state, and an occasional verse from Job and
Lamentations. At last I gave up ye ministry, as if it did not belong to
me to speak of his testimonies, or to take his law upon my defiled lips.
Thus his greatness turned me in the prison house.
But at last he that will not always Chide nor keep his anger for ever
put off my Sackcloth, turned my mourning into Dancing, and in a still
small voice about two years afterwards whispered to, my Soul, "Thy
sins are forgiven." He seemed to embrace my soul with his left Hand
under my head, and his right hand a-caressing me--his manhood and his
Godhead engaged for my comfort and happiness. Then I could say that "my
Beloved was mine and I was his." How vile I was in my own sight!
How elevated my soul! And how splendid was free grace!"
Such was Thomas Jones of Cwm Iau. He was a burning and a shining light
in a very dark age; but the range of his shining was more restricted than
that of Griffith Jones. We know very little of that man's inner history.
But if we are not mistaken he, too, had experienced conversion in the
distant past; one of his acquaintances told Howell Harris that he was
quite dead, as regards his body, for about two hours at that time. It
is likely that the personal experiences of the two men had a bearing upon
the character of their ministry. They both preached justification by faith,
giving prominence to Divine Grace, which was a very uncommon thing in
those days. Yet they were far from being indifferent to conduct. There
was a strong element of severity and seriousness in both of them, more
so than in any of the ministers that Harris had listened to. "Was
it not Free Grace which brought me into touch with the saints--to know
Mr. Griffith Jones, that I might be searched to the depths; and Mr. Jones,
Cwm Iau, to know a detailed examination?" But it was not through
them that he was led to embrace the Doctrine of Grace, as we shall see
later on.
At the end of May 1736, at the suggestion of Mr. Williams, the minister
of Tredwstan, and Mr. Williams of Rhos, one of his members, Harris set off
for Llanddowror. There is no indication that these men wanted to entice
him to their own camp; but on the contrary it is more than likely that they
helped to make it possible for him to take that journey. "Providence
provided me with money and a horse, and I went to see Mr. Griffith Jones,
exhorting everybody on the way." After returning home he wrote some
account of his visit to his brother:
"I have been last Week in Caermarthenshire, for six days,
where I met some of ye greatest in that County of my sentiments. If I
shall not succeed here, Mr. Griffith Jones will help me to a School till
I shall be provided for. He thought my being under age will be an objection,
ye Canon is strict. I have been introduced to Lady Bevan, Lady of ye Town
Member. She gives herself entirely to doing good, distributing Welsh Bibles
about, has several Charity Schools on her own foundation. I was in private
Conversation with her for about five hours.... She has (they tell me)
about £500 per annum at her own command--she has no children--and spends
it mostly on charitable uses. I think she is ye finest Lady I ever saw
in all Respects, twas a taste of Heaven to be with her; she made me a
present of a very fine pocket Testament and encouraged me, whatever happens,
to go on with what I am doing and that I should not want a friend. I am
to Correspond with Mr. Jones and to be directed by him entirely. As I
am too young unqualify'd and have no Title, I don't know whether tis prudent
to offer ye next publick Ordination, for tis an affront to ye Bishop to
offer ourselves under age unless he himself has first countenanced it.
If I had a Title in another Diocese I could offer there. Mr. Jones had
taken a Nephew of his to him lately else he could have help'd me to one
or two Churches he has himself."
The portrait of Mrs. Bevan is painted in strong colours; but it seems that
she was a lady of notable beauty and good sense, in addition to the excellency
of her character. Were the above schools of hers the nucleus of the Welsh
Free Schools of Griffith Jones, which were commenced a year afterwards?
It is sometimes said that those schools prepared the way for the revival.
But it seems that the revival was under way as early as they, and that it
prepared the country to welcome and to appreciate them. Joshua Thomas, the
Baptist historian, was a native of Carmarthenshire, a keen observer, and
old enough to remember the circumstances of the time. He fixes the beginning
of the revival in 1736, or before, and the commencement of the schools in
1737. For that matter, Griffith Jones himself testifies that the first of
his schools was opened in 1737. It is probable, therefore, that what he
promised to Harris was an English school under the auspices of the S.P.C.K.,
if Madam Bevan's schools were not also under his control.
By this time, Joseph Harris in London was being made very uneasy by serious
complaints that had come to his ears regarding the irregular practices of
his youngest brother. Both he and Thomas, the other brother, wrote sharp
letters to Trevecka at the beginning of this summer. But neither their reasonings
nor their threats made any difference. Howell wrote to his brother, Joseph:
"I hope you'll forbear your endeavours to quench my zeal,
for I hope tis impossible when I demonstrate so clearly tis no blind one.
I consult some of ye Wisest of People how to regulate, and if you should
read as much Divinity as you do Mathematicks I would ask your advice too.
But Religion is not a speculative knowledge. Consider what brought this
zeal to me,--twas not study'd or premeditated by me. I am only lead by
an inward Principle: and did you taste--as I hope you will--what I do,
you would not wonder how I have been able to go thro' so much. God never
furnishes us with Weapons but expects we should fight, and to tell you
my private Thoughts, whatever may become of me, till God alters my Thought,
I am resolv'd to do all ye Good I can, tho' I ruin--if you call it ruin--myself
by it....Charge me with one imprudent step, speaking with an eye to Eternity.
But as to this World, if God is God He'll rule. Let ye People be ever
so unquiet as long as I never offended any Clergyman, or any other, or
broke any Law, I am no more concern'd to hear their threats than to hear
a fly. I should tremble to hear a holy man reprimand me, but Drunkards
etc. have not ye keeping of ye Door to Christ's Vineyard. I apply to Him
and all his servants.... tis no fear of Disappointments etc. shall frighten
me."
In another letter he recalls how Joseph, too, was derided at the start of
his career, because of the uncommon bent of his genius:
"You acted as you thought best, although you had less
to say of what you did than I have. Why cannot I have the same liberty
to follow my conscience? I took not this work up of myself, it grew upon
me so that I cannot now rest unless I am doing some good to others....
You may observe something of a Particular Providence in some of ye Latter
scenes of my Life. Was not that unaccountable I should be disappointed
of ye Hampshire School, which you know was not lost by any wrong steps
of mine?... And was it not as strange I should lose Talgarth School, which
was not lost by any ill Conduct? But did it not directly come as a means
to prevent my going from hence to nay doing farther good here? Have I
not been entirely guided by your Direction? Only in this one Point I must
differ with you, not that I think it a Rule for others to do ye same,
nor for me when this zeal ceases, but now I should disobey an Immediate
Call should I not privately teach ye Ignorant tho' I neglect not to read
my Classicks as long as I can.... I can't, tho' I was to be mouther'd,
entirely give it over. I am sure that God that prompts me to it--which
I am positive of as all that consider seriously must be by ye uncommon
Blessing that attends it--will not leave me unprovided for.
Tho' I should leave all to follow such a Work, I know my enemies shall
have no room to Insult, for those that Honour Him He'll Honour. I am very
confident that God will never leave me tho' all ye World should, and that
He'll either take me to Him or provide for me while I am ready to embrace
ye first opportunity that offers for a settl'd Life.
I have been with Mr. Griffith Jones last Week, ... As I was not of age
they would not directly advise me tho' it should be prudent if I could
get in, but rather to stay for it if it be not on some emergent occasion
ye Canons require--and our Bishop is strict too--to have a Certificate
from under ye Minister's Hand that we are full 23, which as ye Ordination
is 15th August and we must bring in our Papers a month before, I shall
want 6 or 7 Months of, but if I had a Title--but none wants a curate in
these Parts--I should have offer'd, and Mr. Jones said if I should fail
he'd help to a School there, but that would put me off for 3 years farther,
for ye neighbouring Clergy must know me for 3 years ere they'll sign my
Testimonial. So that I think I must stay here till I am of age. In ye
meantime to see for a Title which I believe Madam Bevan may in ye Diocese
of Llandaff help me to, which will entitle me to be ordain'd there, and
with good Recommendation to ye Bishop we shall be ordain'd in Private.
Thus you see I have endeavour'd to let you know ye Truth, and that my
zeal does not carry me beyond Solid Reason and as much as I can I neglect
not all proper Means towards my future settlement."
He began corresponding with the patriarch of Lianddowror without delay.
At the end of June he wrote to him in the following words:
"Were my Power and Zeal of ye same Latitude not one of
ye Sons of Adam should be lost in ignorance.... Tho' it is my most ardent
Desire, if God thought me worthy, of being an Instrument to do some good
in ye World, the Honour of such a service and ye Gratitude I am in extraordinary
manner under to my dear Redeemer for bringing me back when I had blindly
gone to ye brink of Destruction, and ye Continual Joys I--an ungrateful
Wretch-- have daily shower'd on me, are Reasons sufficiently with me,
His Spirit guiding and assisting me, to run ye largest Race and ye greatest
Risques for His Glory.... As I know our Time is uncertain, so I can't
omit doing present Good,... even to qualify myself in Order to have farther
Power of doing good hereafter. So, being not of age, unqualify'd, and
having no Certainty of a Title, and as possibly I might be objected against,
I think it prudent not to offer for orders this Ordination, ye Work has
so expanded itself that I can't spare so much Time to myself if I should
only Confirm those that are, I hope, already converted without aiming
to carry it farther, as I am sent for to several Places. And I find as
my Zeal is extraordinary, so is ye Blessing that attends my endeavours
in some Places uncommon. I have had a Letter apiece from my two Brothers,
which are according to my Expectation very severe, and I fear I shall
be sent for to London if kind Providence does not interpose. Pray let
me not want ye favour of your advice, for I'll be directed by you, nor
shall I take any new steps without Consulting you,... for you are in my
Eyes my Master's Steward, and I am one of ye Day Labourers.... I am in
hopes of receiving His particular Commands thro' your mouth.... As what
I am doing is of great Moment, and I am Young and ignorant, I crave to
be recommended to ye Prayers of all God's Children in that Country, which
is ye Petition of many of our Brethren in these Parts... . There are a
great many, I hope, that have taken root, and many others that I hope
will grow,.... but much more in numbers are our Enemies and back-sliders,
and great is ye Malice of ye adversary."
As may be seen from the above passage, the work held its ground wonderfully,
in spite of all opposition. The darkest hour comes just before the dawn.
When the leaders of the people were leagued against him, lo, out of their
very midst came some to succour and protect him. Mrs. Parry, of Tal-y-llyn,
we believe, led the way in this good work. She invited him to her house
to read, and we are not at all sure but that it was there that the first
Methodist society was established. We do not gather that she herself joined
the new movement; probably she was in some perplexity as to what she should
do, and thus her conduct was not always consistent. She would frown upon
and show much displeasure towards Harris at times; but it was soon understood
that she was unwilling for others to do so. As a result, the revival met
with fewer obstacles in the parish of Liangasty than in any other part of
the country. The result of this, in turn, says Harris, was that the professors
of religion nurtured there were of a poorer quality than in any other place.
Like Orpah, almost all of them went back.
Another lady, named Madam Phillips, lived in the parish of Llanfihangel.
She, too, had heard of the stir imongst the people and, imitating her younger
neighbour, invited Harris to her house, and lent the influence of her name
and her position to support the revival. As we revere the names and memory
of those faithful women who ministered to our Saviour in the days of His
Flesh, it is fitting that we should remember, with respect, these sisters
who nurtured His cause in its defencelessness and weakness. The action of
these two women put a hook in the nose of the oppressor, and subdued to
some extent his arrogance. |