Calvinistic Methodist Fathers of Wales

The Banner of Truth have now published the never before translated Tadau Methodistaidd. These two massive volumes narrate the wonderful story of the amazing spiritual transformation that affected Wales between 1735 and 1850. Of particular value is the use the authors make of eye-witness accounts preserved in contemporary diaries, journals and letters. A truly exhilarating read!

The dust wrapper reads:

It was the French novelist Anatole France who, when feeling tired and discouraged, said, “I never go into the country for a change of air and a holiday. I always go instead into the 18th Century.” For an entirely different purpose, the great Welsh preacher, Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones, frequently borrowed France’s words when speaking to his fellow Gospel preachers: “Go to the 18th Century! In other words read the stories of the great tides and movements of the Spirit experienced in that century. It is the most exhilarating experience, the finest tonic you will ever know. For a preacher it is absolutely invaluable … There is nothing more important for preaching than the reading of Church history and biographies.” His own biographer, Iain Murray, says that for “sheer stimulus and enjoyment there were no volumes which he prized more than Tadau Methodistiaid … the lives of the fathers of Welsh Calvinistic Methodism. They were constantly in his hands.”

These stimulating and enjoyable volumes narrate the exciting story of how Wales was spiritually transformed and the men whom God used to accomplish that great work. “The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it” (Ps 68:11). In this first volume, which focuses on the revivals experienced in South Wales, we meet the well-known figures of Daniel Rowland, Howell Harris, William Williams of Pantycelyn; but within these wonderful pages are portraits of many lesser-known preachers such as Griffith Jones of Llanddowror, Howell Davies, Peter Williams, and David Jones of Llan-gan. What soon becomes evident in reading this fascinating history is the power of the Holy Spirit over congregations. From small beginnings in homes and farmhouses to great open-air gatherings of many thousands, the sermon became the foremost influence in the life of the nation. Whole neighbourhoods were turned upside-down and whole towns were subdued by the sense of God’s presence. The greatest concern of all at that time was the state of one’s soul before God. The great value of these volumes is the way they take up the words of those most involved in these remarkable events. In journals, diaries, letters and Association minutes they describe a wide range of Christian experience – conviction, repentance, faith and assurance, joy in the Holy Spirit, witness and testimony, conflict with sin and backsliding, restoration and perseverance – all are encountered and described with transparent honesty and humility. Preachers will also greatly value the many experiences here recounted in the work of preaching the gospel – above all the “demonstration of the Spirit and power”.

The first volume deals with South Wales and the second North Wales. In the Second volume two chapters (41 and 42, see pages 633-753) are given over to Elias. There are also a number of illustrations.

The English speaking world is indebted to John Aaron for his massive efforts in translating these fascinating volumes.

Welsh Biography Online

The entry at Welsh Biography Online reads thus:

ELIAS, JOHN (1774-1841), Calvinistic Methodist minister, and famous preacher; chr. 6 May 1774 (the date of his birth is not known), his parents being Elias and Jane Jones, Brynllwyn (or Crynllwyn) Bach, Aber-erch, near Pwllheli. He received a religious upbringing from his grandfather, John Elias, and when he began to preach he adopted his grandfather's name. He was admitted exhorter at Christmas 1794 and soon his fame as a preacher spread throughout Wales. For a brief period he attended the school kept byEvan Richardson (qv), Caernarvon.

On 22 Feb. 1799 he m. the daughter of Richard Broadhead, Tre'r Gof, Cemaes, Anglesey, and went to live in Anglesey, making his home in Llanfechell, near Cemaes, where his wife kept a shop. He was ordained in 1811 (at the first ordination service of the connexion).

His wife d. 2 April 1828. [On 10 Feb.] 1830 he m. [in S. David's Welsh church, Liverpool] the widow ofSir john Bulkeley of Presaddfedm Bodedern; her maiden name was Ann Williams, of Aberffraw, and she was of humble antecedents. After this marriage he moved to Fron, Llangefni, where he d. 8 June 1841; he was buried 15 June at Llanfaes, near Beaumaris.
As a preacher, he was undoubtedly the most popular and powerful of the age in Wales. He had the most profound convictions of the truths of the gospel, a thorough acquaintance with the Scriptures (without a shade of doubt as to their literal infallibility), and withal a logical mind to use them to the purpose of his preaching. He had a virile imagination, exceptional gifts of oratory, a strong face, and a powerful voice. In preaching he taxed all the resources of his mind and body, making effective use of his arms and especially his forefinger, and because of his vehemence, ardour, and deep seriousness he had a wonderful effect on his hearers. Because of his popularity as a preacher and his great oratorical powers, he became a foremost leader in the connexion, and since he was a man of strong will, an inflexible mind, and imperious nature, he could not be easily opposed. He entertained ultra-Calvinist views on Election and the Atonement. For a time he preached what was called a ‘limited’ Atonement, i.e. that the merits of the death of Christ exactly balanced the sins of the Elect, and of them alone; and he opposed men like Thomas Jones 1756-1820 (qv) of Denbigh and John Jones 1796-1857 (qv) of Tal-y-sarn, whose views were more liberal.
He played a prominent part in the drawing up of the Confession of Faith (1823) and the constitutional deed (1826) which incorporated all property (such as chapels) as the property of the connexion as a whole; and it was on his advocacy that this property-right was tied up with belief in the strict letter of the Confession. As a politician he was conservative in his views and he opposed every movement towards freedom of thought and action, e.g. the Catholic Emancipation Act and the Reform Bill of 1832. He called the supporters of these measures ‘rebels,’ while some of his opponents dubbed him ‘the Pope of Anglesey.’ To the end of his life he looked upon the idea ‘vox populi, vox Dei’ as a proof of infidelity. As a social reformer his zeal for temperance and purity of morals brought his powerful preaching to bear on many customs of the times and was thereby the means of putting down many corrupt and degrading practices such as wakes, hiring-fairs on Sundays, etc. He was a keen supporter of the Bible Society and travelled far and wide to establish branches of it, and also of the London Missionary Society. In spite of his conservatism, we find him in his later years advocating better education for the ministry, and he encouragedLewis Edwards to open a school at Bala (1837) to this end. [His published works are listed in the Cardiff Welsh Library Catalogue.]

His brother DAVID ELIAS (1790-1856), b. at Brynllwyn Bach, 16 June 1790, began to preach in 1815 and was ordained in 1835. He opened a school at Holyhead in 1817, but afterwards lived at Bryn-du, moving thence to Pentraeth, where he kept a shop. Of melancholic temperament, he was a stern preacher; like his brother, he was a hyper-Calvinist — he published Yr Arfaeth Dragwyddol (Caernarvon, 1847). David Elias d. 29 May 1856, and was buried at Pentraeth. His son, John Roose Elias, is separately noticed.

Bibliography:
W. Pritchard, John Elias a'i Oes;
Owen Thomas, Cofiant John Jones, Talysarn;
R. T. Jenkins, Hanes Cymru yn y Bedwaredd Ganrif ar Bymtheg.

Author of the above article:
Rev. John Edward Hughes, B.D., (1879-1959), Brynsiencyn

Britannica 1911

The Encyclopedia Britannica of 1911 spoke of John Elias in these terms:

JOHN ELIAS (1774-1841), Welsh Nonconformist preacher and reformer, was born on the 2nd of May 1774, in the parish of Abererch, Carnarvonshire. In his youth he came under the influence of the Calvinistic Methodist revival and became a preacher at 19.

In 1799 he married and settled at Llanfechell, Anglesey, giving up his trade as a weaver to become a small shopkeeper. His fame as a preacher increased, and under the direction of Thomas Charles of Bala he established numerous Sunday schools, and gave and secured considerable Welsh support to the founding of the London Missionary Society, the British and Foreign Bible Society and the Religious Tract Society.

On Charles's death in 1814 he became the recognised leader of the Calvinistic Methodist Church, and the story of his life is simply a record of marvellously successful preaching tours.

He died on the 8th of June 1841; ten thousand people attended his funeral.
His eloquence was so remarkable that he was known as "the Welsh Demosthenes". His strength lay in his intense conviction of an intimate connection between sin and punishment and in his power of dramatic presentation. As an ecclesiastic he was not so successful; he helped to compile his church's Confession of Faith in 1823, and laid great stress on a clause which limited the scope of the atonement to the elect. He was a stout Tory in politics and had many friends among the Anglican clergy; he opposed the movement forRoman Catholic emancipation. Several of his sermons were published in Welsh.