no further than 1737.* He was an animated preacher; well versed in scripture; diligent, laborious, and very successful in his work. Though this renouned champion for the faith kept within the pale of the Established Church, yet he frequently itinerated to preach at many other churches besides his own, and was a means of preparing in that part of the country, the way for the revival among the Methodists. He was in the ministry about twenty-eight years before Mr. Harris began to preach ;† and we have been told, but cannot vouch for the authenticity of the statement, that it was through his ministry Mr. Harris was called. The first minister of the Establishment who ventured without her walls, to assist Mr. Harris, in promoting the revival among the Methodists, was the Rev. and justly renouned Daniel Rowlands, of Llangeitho, Cardiganshire. His popularity and eloquence were such, that persons have been known to come the distance of one hundred miles to hear him preach, on the Sabbaths of his administering the Lord's Supper! And it would appear, that in the pulpit he seemed more like an angel sent down from the immediate presence of Jehovah, with a commission to fallen man, than like a messenger chosen from among the children of Adam. Here we subjoin an extract from a work published by one of another denomination, who was cotemporary with the above mentioned individuals, and acquainted with them. "A great number of the youth and others in Wales, were wholly irreligious, and accustomed to meet for the purposes of dancing, intoxication, and other sinful practices. These, for the greater part, reckoned themselves among the members of the Church of England. Mr. Harris, in his journies through the country, thundered terribly against swearers, blasphemers, drunkards, fighters, liars, sabbath-breakers, &c. so that, if we may so speak, he showered among them living sparks of the fire and brimstone of the bottomless pit. He exhorted in and out of doors; he cared not where, so long as he could attract people to listen to his message from God; in this respect he was preceded by Mr. Walter Cradoc, and Mr. Vavasor Powell, about a century before. But in our days, this was a great novelty, and vast multitudes therefore congregated to hear him. About the same time, the Rev. Daniel Rowlands, a clergyman of the Established Church, in Cardiganshire, began to preach in a very extraordinary manner in the church. I recollect having heard him about the year 1737, in Carmarthenshire; a great number were present, and I heard some of the Independents in returning home, say, 'We never A full, particular, and interesting account of these schools was published in a Tract in English, entitled "Welsh Piety." + Taysorfa, llyfr 2. Hanes y Parchedig Griffith Jones. See also his Life in the Gospel Magazine, for July, 1777. heard any one to be compared with him in the Churc unless it were Mr. Griffith Jones. In our days there no such light among the members of the Establis Soon afterwards, the Rev. William Williams, and t Williams, in Carmarthenshire; the Rev. Howel Da brokshire; and several others in the Principality, le and attached themselves to the Methodists. They rants through the whole country, and many aros degrees of usefulness, to exhort the people; some o talents, and others who preached occasionally; so t try became greatly moved. The people forsook pleasures and began to converse about religion, an gether as religious assemblies. Thus a great reviv in the country, and from that to the present period, t of God has been wonderfully diffused through Wal tudes who were never used to approach a chapel, a church, now went gladly to hear the word to dwel yea, even to the highways and hedges "* Another author speaks of the revival in this mai awakening was the means of not only establishing a Wales, but also of reviving the old sects which h existence there for though there were celebrated an among the Independents in the Principality, yet a t listlessness in spiritual concerns had to a great degr every denomination. This revival by the Methodis by all the Calvinistic sects in Wales and in England, for dawn of day, and the rising of the sun, after a p wearisome and starless night." The whole kingdom wore the same gloomy aspect point of view, as Wales exhibited at the commence Welsh revival. "It is said, that the whole kingdom was rapidly verging to infidelity. It has come,' Butler, I know not how, to be taken for granted b sons, that Christianity is not so much as a subject of that it is now at length discovered to be fictitious dingly they treat it, as if in the present age this we point among ALL PEOPLE OF DISCERNMENT, and remained, but to set up as a principal subject for mi cule by way of reprisals for its having so long, interrupted the pleasures of the world.' There is ev believe that the Methodists were the instruments d this torrent."§. * Hanes y Bedyddwyr yn mhlith y Cymry, tu dal. 59. + Hanes Prydain Fawr, tu dal. 567, 568. Preface to the Analogy, 1786. ch of England, e has appeared shed Church.' he Rev. Peter avies, in Pem. -ft the Church, became itinese of different of very bright that the counx their sinful d to meet toal took place he knowledge es, and multind seldom a ling-houses ner:-"This new sect in nd a previous d useful men orpidity and ee crept over Is was hailed as the longed otracted and n a religious ment of the of England says Bishop y many perinquiry, but = and accorre an agreed that nothing irth and ridias it were, ery reason to of stemming CALVINISTIC METHODISTS. An eminent minister of the Established Church, speaking Mr. Whitfield, says, "He was raised up to shine at a dark seaso Religion was at a very low ebb in our church, when he began appear in public. I speak the truth, though it may give offent to some. Before his time, the doctrines of grace were seldo spoken of in the pulpit; and there existed only a faint glimm of the life and power of godliness. Many of the more spiritu among the Independents, mourned when they beheld so great decay in their midst."* Another person, quoting Mr. Newton words, says, "I believe (in a few words) this to be the trut regarding religion through England and Wales, before the reviv among the Methodists.† The revival, like a mighty conflagration, spread wider and wide in spite of all the torrents of opposition with which it had contend they served only to make it burn brighter and stronge By the year 1742, ten ministers of the Church of England ha become auxiliary to this revival, so that Mr. Harris, in a letter Mr. Whitfield, dated Oct. 15, 1742, observes, "I have heard mo glorious news from Wales, of the success which attends the br ther Rowlands, and many others. Sinners are pricked to t heart' by scores, and thousands assemble to hear the preache word. There are ten clergymen now in Wales, who are own in a remarkable manner by the Lord Jesus Christ.‡ Another individual, in a letter to the publisher of the Glasgo Weekly History, in the above-mentioned year and month, givin an account of religion in Wales at that period, and of the Re Daniel Rowlands, says, "He has for some time past, had tv thousand communicants in his church. Almost all the lower pa of Cardiganshire is become religious, since Mr. Harris and t Methodists labour there.§ It is supposed that the Rev. William Williams was the fir minister who entirely separated from the communion of the Esta lished Church during this revival. He left in the year 1743, havi been a minister therein three years. He was never in full orde as the Bishop refused to ordain him priest, because of his d orderly conduct in preaching in unconsecrated places. About the same year, the first Association among the Calvin tic Methodists, was held at the house of Mr. Jeffery Davies, Rhiwiau, in the parish of Llanddeusant, in the County of Ca marthen. There were present at this meeting, Mr. Howel Harr the Rev. Daniel Rowlands, the Rev. William Williams, and tv or three lay preachers. Though it was small with regard *The Rev. John Newton's Funeral Sermon for Mr. Whitfield, fro John v. 35. + Hanes y Bedyddwyr yn mhlith y Cymry. Rhagym. tu dal. 4. number, yet it was greatly honoured by the presence of A pious gentleman (Mr. Joseph Williams, of Kid has inserted in his diary, under date of June 28, 1746 after the period above spoken of, that he had that w an Association at Trevecca, which met to worship in a Mr. Howel Harris's house; that there were present th men, the Rev. Daniel Rowlands, the Rev. Howel D the Rev. William Williams, together with about preachers; and that one of these preachers, Mr. Rich vered a sermon, and prayed in Welsh. Having brotherly love and union which existed among them, which accompanied them, and having offered several marks on the meeting, which we have not room to inse on to say, "I learned from them how the Lord had, in ordinary manner raised up the Rev. Daniel Rowlands, ganshire; and Mr. Howel Harris, in Brecknockshi same time as Whitfield and the Wesleys appeared in and that He had mightily prospered their endeavours the gospel over the greater part of Wales, and all in th eleven years from their commencement." He then pi state, that there were in Wales at that time, about si clergymen,† forty lay preachers, and one hundred and fort societies, belonging to the connexion of Calvinistic M "Mr. Rowlands," he adds, "informed me that he l thousand communicants; and that Mr. Howel Davies thousand in Pembrokeshire: so mightily and powerfull word of God prevail there."+ From that time to the present we have continued to h Associations quarterly We are informed that Monthly were in being among the Methodists so early as 1747. year a chapel was erected by them at Builth, in Breckn which was the first ever built by this connexion in Wal following year, two others were raised in Carmarthenshin While the great cause prospered in many places i Wales, it was cruelly persecuted and oppressed in Nort Some poor people, who gave reception to the gospel at t were fined in the sum of eighty pounds. Some were ruined, being robbed by this means of all their little pitta hard-earned fruit of honest labours. To such a height enemy's rage ferment, that in some instances it deprive * Trysorfa, llyfr 2, tu dal. 445. +He does not appear to have been correctly informed of the numb clergy, as Mr. Harris tells us, that in the year 1742, ten were ass the revival. Evangelical Magazine for November, 1814, page 418. See the Christian History, or a General Account of the Progre An eminent minister of the Established Church, speaking of Mr. Whitfield, says, "He was raised up to shine at a dark season. Religion was at a very low ebb in our church, when he began to appear in public. I speak the truth, though it may give offence to some. Before his time, the doctrines of grace were seldom spoken of in the pulpit; and there existed only a faint glimmer of the life and power of godliness. Many of the more spiritual among the Independents, mourned when they beheld so great a decay in their midst.' >* Another person, quoting Mr. Newton's words, says, "I believe (in a few words) this to be the truth, regarding religion through England and Wales, before the revival among the Methodists.† The revival, like a mighty conflagration, spread wider and wider, in spite of all the torrents of opposition with which it had to contend they served only to make it burn brighter and stronger. By the year 1742, ten ministers of the Church of England had become auxiliary to this revival, so that Mr. Harris, in a letter to Mr. Whitfield, dated Oct. 15, 1742, observes, "I have heard most glorious news from Wales, of the success which attends the brother Rowlands, and many others. Sinners are pricked to the heart' by scores, and thousands assemble to hear the preached word. There are ten clergymen now in Wales, who are owned in a remarkable manner by the Lord Jesus Christ.‡ Another individual, in a letter to the publisher of the Glasgow Weekly History, in the above-mentioned year and month, giving an account of religion in Wales at that period, and of the Rev. Daniel Rowlands, says, "He has for some time past, had two thousand communicants in his church. Almost all the lower part of Cardiganshire is become religious, since Mr. Harris and the Methodists labour there.§ It is supposed that the Rev. William Williams was the first minister who entirely separated from the communion of the Established Church during this revival. He left in the year 1743, having been a minister therein three years. He was never in full orders, as the Bishop refused to ordain him priest, because of his disorderly conduct in preaching in unconsecrated places. About the same year, the first Association among the Calvinistic Methodists, was held at the house of Mr. Jeffery Davies, of Rhiwiau, in the parish of Llanddeusant, in the County of Carmarthen. There were present at this meeting, Mr. Howel Harris, the Rev. Daniel Rowlands, the Rev. William Williams, and two or three lay preachers. Though it was small with regard to The Rev. John Newton's Funeral Sermon for Mr. Whitfield, from John v. 35. + Hanes y Bedyddwyr yn mhlith y Cymry. Rhagym. tu dal. 4. Gillies' Historical Collections, vol. 2, page 34. Gillies' Hist. Collections, page 135. |