Udgorn Seion,
1851:184-87
“THE LATTER-DAY
SAINTS IN ABERDARE,”
Or Two Baptist Ministers in the Gwawr Chapel,
near Aberaman, Aberdare, together with a
host of the members who have, and who
continue to become Saints, in a Review of the letter of T. Price, Baptist minister of Penypound, Aberdare, in the “Times.”
TO THE EDITOR OF THE
“TIMES.”
MR. EDITOR,—In
your May 28 edition, there is a piece which tries to refute the “profession of
someone (I know not who he is) giving an account of Ministers and the Baptist Church in Aberdare, having become
Latter-day Saints.” I consider that T. Price wants to deny this, and throw the
truth of the circumstance somewhere about two miles away from Aberdare, in
order to fool some people into believing that there is neither a chapel nor
Baptists in Aberdare, except for those of his great self and his flock.
Let it be known about Gwawr Chapel (which
is now, together with the two ministers and a host of the members, in the
possession of the Latter-day Saints) that Aberamman is not “about two miles
from Aberdare,” even though it is not in the location nor at the point where
the Dare discharges. This is the truth and nothing but the truth; if it be the
opposite, let T. Price show otherwise, if he can. It is also true that T. Price,
because of this, is incandescent with rage, frothing at the mouth, and spouting
curses against the Saints, until his reverend corpus is about to break and fall
to shreds. No doubt his vessel will soon be so full of malice for the Saints,
that he will explode, and his loathsome parts become as tiny fragments. Well,
the sooner the better, then! his murderous blast will have no more effect on
the Saints, than the barking of a dog at the moon. The truth of the Latter-day
Saints is firm,
“And its position will never be shifted,
While
with God it stands its ground.”
I understand that T. Price’s intentions in
writing his piece were,
1. To aim to obscure the truth that I, Dewi
Elfed Jones, and another ordained minister who assists me, by the name of David
Rees, together with many other Baptists, “have turned away from the Baptists,”
and joined the Latter-day Saints.
2. To blacken my character, and to bestow upon
me his own character.
[p. 185]
3. To falsely claim membership of “a host of
members of Gwawr Chapel,” who would prefer a million times over never to have
any religious name, than to join under the ministry of T. P. or J. W., Cwmbach.
4. To pour forth the profane reservoir of his
heart upon the Saints, thereby demonstrating his fondness for and familiarity
with the language and secret works of his father, and that he always, as one of
the latter’s chief agents, receives of his diabolical influences; and yet, in
his hands, all his efforts against the Saints spill by the ladleful upon
himself before he attains his ends.
In the context of the above,
I ask T. Price the following:—
1. You say that I, “the Dafydd,” am a preacher
second to none in sermonizing people from the chapels, and that I have done so
two or three times. Is it not the very, very great Thou and his reverence, that
“sell-no-talent-at-all for four pounds a month” in Cwmbach, together with your
deacons and a host of your members—who came upon us and tried to despoil us of
our rights—whom you mean by “people from the chapels”? If so, “right enough.” You remember, no doubt,—yes, you do, and
you will remember for a good while too, I warrant you—the time my truths
pressed so much on your breath and your conscience, that you all had to flee
shamefully and fearfully under the weight of the incontrovertible testimonies
which overwhelmed you into limpness and servility!
2. How far is it from Gwawr Chapel to your
chapel in Penypound? Is it more than a mile?
3. You say that “Dafydd possesses the ability to
scatter.” Right enough again, for I have scattered you
and your kind many times, not just twice or thrice. I am a scatterer, and you
shall experience that again, when another host of your members are scattered to
join the Latter-day Saints.
4. You say that there is no relationship between
“Dafydd and his four followers” (it should be said many foursomes) and the
Baptists, and that it is a transgression against the Baptist denomination to
link us with them. Right
enough again. It is perfectly
true there is no relationship, and we rejoice greatly in that; but, alas, there
was a link between us; and how many score above a hundred were we when we were
all “expelled” contrary to the rules of the county Baptist
association, in the meeting at Penypound Aberdare?
5. What were the “accusations” brought against
us, in addition to the Saintism of opinion, &c., on my part of which you
spoke? Specify the accusations to which I admitted, so that the public may
[p. 186]
recognize the reverendish tricks in that outrageous quarterly
conference meeting of the county
Baptist association. Oh,
oh, such a disgrace to humanity! Was I or any of the Baptists with me there,
allowed to say one word on our own behalves? Why had the accusations not been
published in the same way the expulsion was? I entreat all the Baptist
ministers of Glamorgan to answer. There is some sly trick in the business.
6. Where are the “greatest number,” as you
claim, who abandoned me? They did not join you, T. P., nor Cwmbach. Did not a
host join the Saints?
7. Did I, “the Dafydd,” not provide good reason
for my closing the chapel door while you and that other little Rev., in
conjunction with your brothers, broke the lock of the chapel door without
having any authority to do so? That little trick is still remembered, T. P. Has
that dreadful combustible urge not left you that took such a savage hold of you
while, in the presence of hundreds in the chapel, I painted such an accurate
picture of you reverends as hirelings who care more for the wool than for the
life of the flock?
8. Are you and your church of the same opinion
and practices as Penypound church was six years ago? Your church testifies
differently. Was it not in such matters as the laying on of hands upon the
newly baptized, &c., which you drummed out of the church, that your chief
quarrel with me lay?
A prompt reply to the above
will afford a fair opportunity and a natural occasion for the circumstances of
all sides to be set out justly and publicly so that everyone may judge for
themselves.
In replying, try to be as
much of a good boy as you can and do not curse yourself out
of breath as you have done previously; then I can assure you of every fair
play, that your Matchlessness
may not, as is usually the
case, become confused in the effort.
As you are almost as
familiar with swearing as breathing, set your twelve profane seals as
confirmation of your answers, and put the name of your father as usual in
devilish letters on the last great seal, and cast the whole thing after the
Saints if you so wish; and everything will be right with them, for no one on earth can extinguish all
the fiery spears of the devil, except the Latter-day Saints. For goodness’
sake, hurry to answer me.
“Do not hold
back, and don’t be late,
Behold a
battlefield, and I await.”
Aberamman.
DEWI ELFED JONES.
