Anti-slavery

Abolition did not become a popular movement until 1787 but you get this preparatory period where people like Williams Pantycelyn are saying that this slave trade is not right.

Later in the 1790s when abolition was a popular – even fashionable – movement Welsh Christians like Morgan John Rhys are outspoken against slavery. One important evangelist of the time – John Elias from Anglesey – preached against slavery in Britain’s biggest slave port, Liverpool.

“Much was said about the sinfulness of the slave trade when we were in Liverpool recently. We found that some of the brothers were working on the ships which were used in this vile trade, yes, and one of them was forging the chains which would be used to enslave these poor souls; we urged them to abandon his task immediately; we urged everyone not to be involved with any aspect of this cruel institution. It is better to die of hunger than to have plenty of bread by being partakers of blood.”

(Not sure of the soiurce for this)

Edward Morgan Biography

The Edward Morgan Biography can be accessed here.

Anecdote 4

This is from Edward Morgan's original memoir of 1844 with an introduction by J K Foster

Rev. E. Williams, of Radnorshire, favoured me with the following anecdote respecting Elias's increasing renown from the commencement: “I heard my father, one of the heavenly pilgrims in those days, who went to glory about the same time as Elias, say, that when the report of his popularity first reached South Wales, the church sent him and another leader to the Bala Association, under strict orders to prevail on him to visit them in that country. My father arriving there, met with one of the first preachers, Mr. John Roberts, of Llangwm, and asking him, will it be agreeable that we should solicit Elias this year to preach in South Wales? He answered, “Pray, don't attempt that now, leave him alone that we may see what the Lord means to do with him. It is probable that he will be raised up very high, or permitted to come down greatly. Our opinion of him is, that he will be a great minister, if he should not be spoiled as he is reared up.” Such was their fear lest young preachers should be injured, by being puffed by popularity.”

Anecdote 3 An Elias Sermon

John Elias was preaching at an open air meeting in Holyhead when some drunkards joined the throng, attempting to disrupt his sermon. This was John Elias' response -

"Are there drunkards here? I’m afraid there are: May I make an appeal to you? Will you just for today try to control yourselves? …What shall we do with them brothers? ...I feel a desire," he said, as he became more agitated, "to put them up for auction to anyone who will take them, so that they will never bother us any more." Then stretching forth his arm as though he were holding them in his hand, he shouted at the top of his voice, "Who’ll take them? Who’ll take them? Anglicans, will you take them? ‘Us!! In our baptism we profess to reject the devil and all his works. No, we will not take them.’"

Are there drunkards here? I’m afraid there are: May I make an appeal to you? Will you just for today try to control yourselves? …What shall we do with them brothers? ...I feel a desire," he said, as he became more agitated, "to put them up for auction to anyone who will take them, so that they will never bother us any more." Then stretching forth his arm as though he were holding them in his hand, he shouted at the top of his voice, "Who’ll take them? Who’ll take them? Anglicans, will you take them? ‘Us!! In our baptism we profess to reject the devil and all his works. No, we will not take them.’"

"Then a moment of silence followed. "Congregationalists, will you take them? ‘What? Us! Many years ago we left the Church of England because of its corruption. No! We will not take them.’" Silence again.

Then, with his arm stretched out, he shouted again, "Baptists, will you take them? ‘Us! We immerse all our people in water to show that only the clean are acceptable to us. No! We will not take them.’" Silence again. "Wesleyans, will you take them? ‘What Us! Good works are an issue of life with us; we do not wish to have them.’"

Then stretching his hand out as though he were holding them in it, and casting a glance over the crowd, he shouted at the very highest volume of his voice, "Who will take them? Who will take them? Who will take them?"

…He turned his face towards the left, and in a rather low voice, and yet distinct enough for the whole congregation to hear, he said, "I rather thought I heard the Devil at my elbow saying, Knock them down to me; I will take them.’" Then, he raised his eyes, and with a grave, extremely serious look on his face, he searched the congregation with his eyes and for about a quarter of a minute, he never said a word.

…and then [he] shouted with tremendous force until his voice echoed thought the town, "I was going to say, Satan, that you could have them: but…"

and he raised his eyes towards heaven, and with a victorious, yet tender voice, he cried, "I hear Jesus shouting, ‘I will take them; I will take them; to wash them of their filth, to sober them in their drunkenness; to purify them of all their uncleanness in my own blood.’"

See here for this