EVAN WILLIAMS
13 July 1850 Letter
published in Udgorn Seion (Zion’s Trumpet)
“Sectarianism at a
Funeral”
Dear Brother Davis,
I am writing to you to inform you of that which happened in Pelican Road in the
village of Ysdtradgynlais
on Thursday, the 11th of this month. A young man named Phillip Phillip, who is a member with the Saints, and in a mournful
situation because of the death of his mother, had desired me to preach at her
funeral. I told him that I was quite willing to do that if I had peace from the
people, who were threatening to stone me if I came near the place. They let it
be known during the week that Mr. P. Griffiths, Alltwen,
was to preach there also. P. Phillip was willing for his sisters to allow this
on the condition that I be allowed to preach with him.
I went up with Elder D. J. Jones to the house where the dead body was waiting.
There were around the house from one hundred and fifty to two hundred people,
Independents and Methodists. I went into the house in a respectful manner,
taking off my hat; but before I had time to sit down, P. Phillip’s sister,
daughter of the deceased, got up and ordered me out of the house, grabbing hold
of me and saying while swearing that I was not wanted there. At this, all the
people were stirred up, and they picked up stones and were ready to stone me
and spill my blood. The chief persons in this persecution were four members of
the Independents and one Methodist. They dragged me out of the house. Then I
asked them if they had respect for Jesus Christ and the gospel; and they
answered that they did not want Jesus Christ or my sermon, but Mr. Griffiths
only. I said that I did not wish to preach if Mr. Griffiths was unwilling. The
reverend said if he were to preach, no one else would be able to do so with
him. When this came out of his mouth, all the people shouted, “Well done, Mr.
Griffiths”. They sent to the furnaces of Ynyscedwyn
for a fighter to defend them and to destroy the Saints; but he did not come to
the tumult in time. I walked in a gentlemanly fashion with several of the
elders and Saints in the funeral towards Sardis,
the name of the Independent Chapel in the place. The reverend preached there
from Luke 10:42, and said during his sermon that hundreds of the Jews believed
when they saw Lazarus being resurrected, and that it was not reasonable for
anyone to believe unless they saw the
thing. Now, that is a little of the history of Christianity in Ystradgynlais, and make of it what you will.
Yours in humility,
Evan Williams, Skiwen.
[The reverend is to be commended for not preaching with the
Saints; it is better for darkness to be alone, than stand next to the light. As
for the stones, there is nothing that suits the pious sectarians better,
because it was with stones that their brethren stoned Stephen of old. The
reverend desired faith to come through seeing, instead of hearing; but an evil
generation seeks a sign, and a good
generation only receives it. “If any
man will do his will,” said Jesus Christ, “he will know of the doctrine”, or in
other words, he will receive a sign of the truth. – Editor.]
[Translated from the Welsh original in Udgorn Seion, July
1850, pp. 205-206.]
