ELIAS, JOHN (1774 - 1841), Calvinistic Methodist minister, and famous preacher

Christened 6 May 1774 (his date of his birth is not known), his parents being Elias and Jane Jones, Brynllwyn (or Crynllwyn) Bach, Abererch, near Pwllheli. His brother was David Elias (1790 - 1856). 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 by Evan Richardson, Caernarvon. On 22 February 1799 he married Elizabeth, the daughter of Richard Broadhead, Tre'r Gof, Cemmaes, Anglesey, and went to live in Anglesey, making his home in Llanfechell, near Cemmaes, where his wife kept a shop. He was ordained in 1811 (at the first ordination service of the connexion). His wife died 2 April 1828. On 10 February 1830 in Saint David's Welsh church, Liverpool he married the widow of Sir John Bulkeley of Presaddfed, 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 died 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) of Denbigh and John Jones (1796 - 1857) 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 encouraged Lewis Edwards to open a school at Bala (1837) to this end. His published works are listed in the Cardiff Welsh Library Catalogue.

Author

• Reverend John Edward Hughes, (1879 - 1959)

Sources

• W. Pritchard, John Elias a'i Oes (Caernarfon 1911)
• Owen Thomas, Cofiant y Parchedig John Jones, Talsarn: mewn cysylltiad a hanes duwinyddiaeth a phregethu Cymru (Wrexham 1874)
• R. T. Jenkins, Hanes Cymru yn y Bedwaredd Ganrif ar Bymtheg, Volume 1, 1789-1843 (Cardiff 1933)

Further Reading

• J. Morgan Jones a W. Morgan, Y Tadau Methodistaidd (1895-1897), ii, 410-485
• Edward Morgan, A memoir of the Rev. John Elias, of Anglesea (Liverpool 1844)
• M. R. Ellis, Galarnad er coffadwriaeth am y Parchedig John Elias, Mon, yr hwn a fu farw Mehefin, 9fed 1841, yn 67 mlwydd oed; wedi pregethu Iesu yn Geidwad, am 48 mlynedd (Llanrwst 1841?)
• Edward Morgan, Valuable letters, essays, and other papers of the late Reverend John Elias, of Anglesea (Carnarvon 1847)
• John Elias, The Christian standard: the monthly magazine of the Cardiff Evangelistic movement, Vol. I, no.11, May 1892
• John Roberts, John Jones, Cofiant y Parchedig John Elias, o Fôn (Liverpool 1850)
• David Owen, Eliasia; neu Rai sylwadau ar gymeriad areithyddol a phregethwriaethol y diweddar Barchedig John Elias (Merthyr Tydfil 1844)
• Owen Jones, Some of the great preachers of Wales (London 1885)
• Richard Parry (Gwalchmai), Adgofion am John Elias (Dinbych 1903)

Images

• Hugh Jones, William Roos, Revd. John Elias
• William Roos, Revd. John Elias
• William Oakley Burgess, John Elias
• Samuel Bellin, Revd. John Elias, late of Anglesea
• Hugh Hughes, Y Parch[edi]g John Elias, o Fon
• Ap Caledfryn, Tri chedyrn Cymru y Parchedigion John Elias o Fôn 1774-1841; Christmas Evans 1776-1838; W. Williams o'r Wern 1781-1840

Works

• John Elias, Cofiant o fywyd a marwolaeth y diweddar Mr. Robert Jones, Dinas, gynt o Roslan, Sir Gaernarfon, pregethwr yr efengyl yn mhlith y Trefnyddion Calfinaidd, yr hwn a fu farw Ebrill 18, 1829, yn y 84 flwyddyn o'i oed a'r 60fed o'i weinidogaeth at yr hyn y chwanegwyd pigion o'i lythyrau ac o'i waith prydyddol; ynghyd â llythyr ato oddiwrth y diweddar Barch. T. Charles, Bala (Llanrwst 1834)
• John Elias, Teyrnged i goffadwriaeth brenin rhinweddol. Sylwedd pregeth a bregethwyd ar yr achlysur o farwolaeth Ei Fawrhydi ein grasusaf Frenin George y Trydydd; yr hwn a fu farw Ionawr 29, 1820, yn yr 82fed flwyddyn o'i oed a'r 60fed o'i deyrnasiad (Bala 1820)
• John Elias, Buddioldeb yr iau i bobl ieuaingc; neu Bregeth ar Galar. 3. 27 (Dinbych 1819)
• John Elias, Traethawd ar y Sabboth: yn yr hwn yr ystyrir I. moesoldeb y gorchymyn, II. newidiad y diwrnod dan yr oruchwyliaeth newydd, III. sancteiddiad y Sabboth; ynghyd ag amryw annogaethau a chyfarwyddiadau i'w sancteiddio ef (Aberystwyth 1819)
• John Elias, Mawr ddrwg y pechod o ymgaledu o dan freintiau crefyddol: sef, sylwedd pregeth, a draddodwyd y'Nghymdeithasfa Llanrwst, Rhagfyr 28, 1827, gyda chwanegiad (Llanrwst 1828)
• James Hughes, John Elias, Cofiant byr o fuchedd a marwolaeth Thomas Davies, o'r Tir Newydd, plwyf Cegidfa, swydd Drefaldwyn, yr hwn a fu farw Ebrill 18, 1827, yn 23 oed: at yr hyn y chwanegwyd, pigion o rai o'i lythyrau, ynghyd â sylwedd pregeth, a draddodwyd gan y Parch. John Elias, yn Jewin Street, Llundain, ar yr achlysur o'i farwolaeth (Llundain 1827)
• John Elias, John Hughes, Nodiadau amryw o bregethau y diweddar Barch. John Elias, Môn (Caernarfon c.1850)

Additional Links

• VIAF: 21696246
• Wikidata: Q6231573

Published date: 1959

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