His minsterial labours
The ministers of the gospel will be accepted of God, if faithful, whatever may be the result of their labours; whether seen in the salvation, or the augmented condemnation of those who hear them. They are a sweet savour to God. Their acceptance with him depends not on the measure of their success; but on their fidelity.
Abergavenny is the most beautifully situated town in the whole county of Monmouth. It is surrounded by hills and mountains in which are united the witnesses of wildness and fertility. Between these also are spread out in all the varied beauty and luxuriance of a paradise, extensive and undulated plains richly productive of whatever is necessary both for the support of man and that of those creatures which the “Lord of all” has sent to minister to his comforts. For several ages past had this old town being blessed not only with the smiles of providence but also with the ministry of the gospel of Christ but unhappily not without bitter controversies.
It appears that there were many Baptists in and about the town of Abergavenny prior to the year 1652; but it was then they were formed into a church and the Lord blessed them with many converts for about 60 were added to their number in a little more than one year. In 1653 the Baptist Association was held there and the assembly at the time was truly respected. This with other things chafed some of those who were for infant sprinkling and the result was that a public discussion was held in Saint Marys in the town between John Tombes BD Baptist, Henry Vaughn MA and John Cragig MA paedobaptists. This dispute, though in itself not to be desired, turned out to advantage as the people began to read and think for themselves which they seldom did before and the end was that upwards of 40 were baptised and added to the church that year but the present Welsh Baptist Chapel situated in Tudor Street wass erected in 1769 (vid Hanes y Bedyddwyr Joshua Thomas p 170 also his History of the Association p 10 Mr White's Guide p 31).
Beside the Baptists there was also a very respectable Independent church in the town and it continues to the present day. Whitefield and Wesley also visited the town upon their errands of mercy and were the means of doing good to those who were ready to perish. In the Journal of Wesley the three visits to this place are recorded. In Volume 1, page 222 the first is thus mentioned
“Monday Sept 15, 1739 I came to Abergavenny. I felt in myself a strong aversion to preaching here. However, I went to Mr N (the person in whose ground Mr Whitfield preached) to desire the use of it. He said “with all his heart if the minister was not willing to let me have the church” after whose refusal (for I wrote a line to him immediately) he invited me to his house. About a thousand people stood patiently though the frost was sharp, it being after sunset) while from Acts 28:22 I simply described the plain old religion of the Church of England which is now almost everywhere spoken against under the name of Methodism. An hour after I explained it a little more fully in a neighbouring house, showing how God had exalted Jesus to be a Prince and Saviour to give repentance and remission of sins. His second visit was in 1741, his third in 1746 and his fourth, but then he made no stay, was in 1748. A regularly constituted society of Wesleyans, however, was not formed until the year 1804.
Such is a bird's eye view of the religious state of Abergavenny when Mr Thomas settled in 1807 and there the all-wise God had appointed that he should live and work and die.
Under April 19, 1807, we have the following record in Mr Thomas's book “This day five of us formed into a church when two were baptised (by Micah Thomas) viz Lewis Moses and Hannah Price. The names of the five were Mrs Thomas, Mr and Mrs Wyke, Mrs Harris, Govilon, and Mrs Garrett a very pious old lady living in the town. (Hanes Y Bedyddwr by David Jones p 759). The success that began to follow Mr Thomas's labours made some who held different views of baptism rather uneasy if not somewhat alarmed. The pastor of The Independent church, Mr Harrison, writes Mr Micah Thomas, in a good and humorous strain, “as soon as the water began to be moved was much stirred and buckled on the armour and gave public notice that on a given day and hour he would preach a sermon on what he called infant baptism but what we, thinking that every practice should be described by language true and appropriate, style infant sprinkling or pouring. As the good man had it seems wittingly for our common benefit fixed a time for his demonstration that did not clash with that of our public worship many of us went to hear the discourse. Probably some of us worthy co-adjutors imagined that the achievement would be so overwhelming in argument and scripture truth that the little Baptist interest then struggling with birth would be forever submerged but strange as it may appear, it experienced no damage whatever. Nay, but the contrary happened to be the result. For the consequence was that the before unthinking were led to reflect, the dim-sighted to clearly see and the wavering to decide. It seldom, if ever, fails to serve the cause of truth - the cause of immersion administered to believers - when our good Brethren begin to preach up infant sprinkling. It was wisely said on the subject by the late excellent Mr Lowell of Bristol “Silence is our fort”. Such policy might have been serviceable to the same cause here 37 years ago. (This is written in the Memoir of Reverend John Jones of Blakeney, 1844). But our friends thought differently and the effect was that several of the brethren became determined to be buried with Christ in baptism. Amongst them was the subject of this obituary in company with three score of his previously infant offspring sprinkling associates was on the 12th day of June 1808 immersed by the writer and the same day received into the communion of the church. But not before, it should be observed, being offered to be baptised and continue their fellowship with the Independent church. This event was the commencement of a sentimental revolution here in the antecedently tranquil empire of infant sprinkling. Even Mrs Jones herself, Mr Jones' mother, her elder daughter and her maid servant, her whole household with the exception of a younger daughter about 12 years of age or more, at length became deeply united, with this one exception, not illusioned by inadequate age the writer had the pleasure of baptising Lydia, for that was Mrs Jones' name and her household. Here then it is in evidence that a Lydia and her household maybe baptised and yet no unconscious infant being in the family. And who dares affirm that the Thyatirian Lydia and her household were otherwise circumstanced.” (Baptist Magazine 1844 p 394).
