Jarrel - Baptist Church Perpetuity - Landmark Baptist

CHAPTER 25. — THROUGH WELSH BAPTISTS,
BAPTISTS HAVE A CONTINUITY FROM
APOSTOLIC TIMES TO THE PRESENT.
Armitage quotes from Thomas’ History of the Welsh Baptists:
“The first Baptist church in Wales, AFTER the Reformation, was found at
Ilston, near Swansea, in Glamorganshire, in 1649. … It was under the
commonwealth that Vavasor Powell, Jenkin Jones and Hugh Evans formed
the first Open Communion Baptist churches in Wales, and that John Miles
formed the first Strict Communion churches there. The first Welsh Baptist
association was organized in 1651.” f839
These words, so carelessly chosen, have given an excuse for Baptist opponents
to claim that this was the origin of Welsh Baptists. But, in connection with this
statement, Armitage says:
“Davis, Bishop of Monmouth, finds a wide difference between the christianity
of the ancient Britons and that of Austin in 596. The first followed the word
of God, the other was mixed with human tradition. Dr. Fulk denied that
Austin was the apostle of England, and charged him with corrupting the true
christianity which he found in Britain, by Romish admixture. Fabin, himself a
Catholic, shows that he imposed sundry things upon the Britons, which were
refused as contrary to the doctrine which they had at first received. Bede says
that the Culdees followed the Bible only and opposed the superstitions of
Rome. Culdee, from Culdu, is a compound Welsh word, cul, thin, du, black;
and means a thin, dark man, as their mountaineers, who were noted for their
godliness. The monks got possession of the Culdee colleges by degrees, and
continued to preach without forming churches. Some claiming that the Welsh
Baptists sprang from the sturdy stock; for individuals are found in Glamorgan,
the Black Mountains, Hereford and Brecon counties, who walked apart from
Rome before the Reformation. Stephens, the late antiquarian of Merthyr,
thought that the bards of Chavi of Glamorgan kept up a secret concourse with
the Albigenses. This is probable, as some of them were conversant with the
Italian poets.
“‘Holy Rhys,’ famous in 1390, was learned, and his wife was of the new
faith,’ (Lollard), for his son, Ieuan, was expelled from the Margam Monastary
for holding their opinions, or ‘on account of his religion.’ His grandson also
was imprisoned by Sir Cradoe for being of the ‘new faith’. … The Lollards
swarmed in Wales, where Old Castle hid for four years after escaping from
the Tower. He was a native of the Welsh Cottian Alps, the Black Mountains,
having been born at Old Castle about 1360.