Hanes Eglwysi Annibynnol Cymru

(History of the Welsh Independent Churches)

By Thomas Rees and John Thomas; published in 1871+.

This Mynyddbach chapel history was  extracted by Gareth Morgan from the CD published by Archive CD Books (Feb 2008)

Proof read by Yvonne John (March 2008)  - with translation by Heulwen Jenkins (Feb 2009)

The main project page is on /big/wal/ChurchHistory/Indchapels#Glamorgan

MYNYDDBACH

(Vol  2, p 2 - 27)

2

Mae addoldy y Mynyddbach, neu Ty'rdwncyn Newydd, fel y gelwid ef gynt, yn mhlwyf Llangafelach, tua thair milldir i'r gogledd o dref Abertawy; ac y mae yr eglwys a gyferfydd yma yn un o'r rhai henaf yn y Dywysogaeth. Dywedir yn y Broadmead Records, mai Mr. Ambrose Mostyn ddarfu gasglu yr eglwys gyntaf yn Abertawy, a chan na fu Mr. Mostyn yn arosol yn y Deheubarth ar ol y rhyfel a derfynodd yn 1646, mae yn rhaid mai cyn y rhyfel y casglwyd yr eglwys ganddo yma. Ond gan nad yw yn debygol y buasai yr awdurdodau yn goddef iddo sefydlu eglwys Ymneillduol yn y dref cyn y rhyfel, mae yn naturiol casglu mai yn rhywle y tu allan i'r dref yr oedd. Yr oedd Mr. Phillip Jones, wedi hyny o Gastell Ffonmon, yn byw yr amser hwn yn Mhentwyn, Llangafelach, ac fel y mae yn hysbys, yn Buritan ac Annibynwr selog, a chan ei fod yn foneddwr o safe uchel a dylanwad mawr, mae yn ddigon tebygol mai ar ei gymhelliad a than ei nawdd ef y daeth Mr. Mostyn i'r ardal. Dywed Dr. Walker, yn ei hanes am ddyoddefiadau yr offeiriaid, i Mr. Hugh Peters, a'r Milwriad Phillip Jones, sefydlu eglwys Annibynol yn Abertawy tua'r flwyddyn 1650; ond y peth tebycaf ydyw fod yr eglwys wedi ei ffurfio gan Mr. Mostyn a'r Milwriad Jones ddeng mlynedd cyn hyny; ac os bu rhyw beth a wnelsai Mr. H. Peters, yr hwn oedd yn Sais, a'r achos yn 1650, cynorthwyo i ffurfio cangen Saesonig yn y dref, yw y peth mwyaf tebygol iddo wneyd. Felly yr ydym yn cael ein gogwyddo yn gryf i gredu i eglwys Annibynol gael ei ffurfio yn mhlwyf Llangafelach trwy lafur Mr. Mostyn a'r Milwriad Jones tua 1640, neu yn y flwyddyn ganlynol, ac mai hyny oedd dechreuad yr achos sydd yn bresenol yn y Mynyddbach. Cafodd yr Ymneillduwyr ryddid cyflawn i daenu eu golygiadau pa le bynag yr ewyllysient o 1646 hyd 1660, ac i raddau hyd 1662; ac y mae yn dra sicr fod trigolion plwyf Llangafelach wedi cael rhan helaeth o lafur y pregethwyr teithiol a ymwelent a'r gwahanol ardaloedd yn y tymor hwnw. Gorphenaf 24ain, 1646, penderfynwyd gan bwyllgor Seneddol, fod Mr. David Walter, pregethwr poblogaidd iawn, i gael ei dalu o gynyrch degymau plwyf Llandilo, Talybont, a rhyw blwyf arall yn y gymydogaeth, mewn trefn iddo fyned oddiamgylch "i bregethu, holwyddori, ac i addysgu y plwyfolion a'r trigolion yn y gwahanol blwyfydd."*  Felly gwelir fod trigolion cymydogaeth y Mynyddbach wedi cael eu bendithio a gweinidogaeth effeithiol er's mwy na dau cant ac ugain o flynyddau. Yr oedd Mr. Walter yn bregethwr o'r radd uchaf Dywedir y byddai Eglwys Gadeiriol Llandaf yn orlawn bob amser y byddai ef yn pregethu ynddi. Mae yn dra sicr i effeithiau gweinidogaeth nerthol Mr. Jenkin Jones, o Langattwg, Glynnedd, gyrhaedd y parthau hyn; ac y mae hefyd yn fwy na thebyg i Mr. Jones gorpholi eglwys Annibynol yn Llangattwg yn amser y Werinlywodraeth, a bod rhai o bobl Llangafelach a Llansamlet yn aelodau o'r eglwys hono. "Eglwys Llangattwg," oedd yr enw wrth ba un yr adnabyddid yr eglwys Annibynol, yr hon a gyfarfyddai mewn gwahanol anedd-dai yn Cynffyg, Baglan, Llangafelach, &c., yn y flwyddyn 1675.+  Ymddengys mai y rheswm paham y gelwid hi yn

3

"Eglwys Llangattwg" ydoedd, o herwydd mai Mr. Jones, pan yr oedd yn weinidog plwyf Llangattwg, ddarfu ei chasglu a'i chorpholi. Mae yn debygol hefyd i gynifer o aelodau yr eglwys a gorpholwyd yn Abertawy, a'r gymydogaeth cyn y rhyfel, gan Mr. A. Mostyn a'r Milwriad Philip Jones, ag a ddewisent addoli yn yr iaith Gymraeg, ar ol adferiad Siarl II. ymuno ag eglwys Llangattwg, gan mai yn yr iaith Saesoneg yn unig y dygai yr eglwys Ymneillduol yn nhref Abertawy ei gwasanaeth cyhoeddus yn mlaen. Dywed y diweddar Mr. John Davies, Mynyddbach, yn yr hanes a gyhoeddwyd ganddo yn 1852, dan yr enw Y Llofyn Addfed, i Mr. Jenkin Jones fod yn weinidog i'r eglwys yn mhlwyf Llangafelach, mewn cysylltiad a Chastellnedd, am rai blynyddau ar ol adferiad Siarl II., ond y mae hyny yn anghywir, canys cafodd Mr. Jones ei garcharu yn Mehefin, 1660. Bu am fis yn garcharor yn Nghaerfyrddin, ac nid oes un math o grybwylliad am dano ar ol hyny. Os na bu efe farw cyn diwedd y flwyddyn hono, bu raid iddo ymguddio yn rhywle am weddill ei oes, canys yr oedd yr awdurdodau ar ei ol fel gwaedgwn, o herwydd ei fod yn ddyn cyfoethog, dylanwadol, rhyfeddol o weithgar, yn Ymneillduwr didroi, ac yn enwedig o herwydd iddo gymeryd rhan mor amlwg yn y rhyfel, ac mewn achosion gwladol yn gystal a chrefyddol, yn amser y Senedd hir a'r Werinlywodraeth. Mae yn sicr na feiddiodd y dyn da hwn agoryd ei enau fel pregethwr ar ol y flwyddyn 1660, os na fu farw yn y flwyddyn hono. Un eglwys y cyfrifid yr holl Annibynwyr yn mhob ardal o Gynffyg hyd Gasllwchwr o'r flwyddyn 1662 hyd ar ol dechreuad y ganrif ddiweddaf. Yr oedd rhai Bedyddwyr a gwrth-Fedyddwyr (Catabaptists) yn eu mysg mewn rhai cymydogaethau.*

Mae yn ymddangos mai Mr. Robert Thomas, yr hwn a droisid allan o eglwys Baglan, fu y gweinidog sefydlog cyntaf ar yr eglwys hon ar ol adferiad Siarl II. Cynorthwyid ef yn y weinidogaeth gan y Meistri Jacob Christopher a Richard Cradock, a chan fod y Meistri Marmaduke Mathews, Stephen Hughes, David Jones, Llandysilio, a Meredith Davies, Llanon, yn byw yn Abertawy a'r ardal, mae yn ddiameu fod cangen Llangafelach o'r eglwys wasgaredig hon yn mwynhau gweinidogaeth pob un o honynt hwy yn achlysurol. Bu Mr. Robert Thomas yn ffyddlon yn llanw ei gylch gweinidogaethol eang hyd ei farwolaeth tua y flwyddyn 1693. Mewn anedd-dai y cynhelid y moddion crefyddol yn mhob ardal hyd nes i ddeddf y Goddefiad ddyfod i rym yn 1688, a bu rhai cynnulleidfaoedd am ddegau o flynyddau ar ol hyny cyn adeiladu addoldai. Mewn amaethdy o'r enw Cilfwnwr yr ymgynnullai eglwys y Mynyddbach am rai blynyddau; a dywedir mai llithriad gwraig y tý i'r pechod o odineb gyda'i gwas a barodd i'r gynnulleidfa roddi y lle hwnw i fyny ac edrych allan am le arall. Symudasant o Gilfwnwr i amaethdy a elwir Ty'rdwncyn, ac yno y buwyd yn ymgynnull hyd nes yr adeiladwyd capel y Mynyddbach yn 1762. Dilynwyd Mr. Robert Thomas yn y weinidogaeth gan Mr. Lewis Davies, aelod o'r eglwys yn Llanedi. Mae yn debygol i Mr. Davies ddechreu ei weinidogaeth yn y flwyddyn 1693, os nad yn gynt. Mae amser ei farwolaeth yn anhysbys. Yr oedd yn fyw yn 1700, a dichon iddo fyw ddeg neu ddeuddeng mlynedd ar ol hyny; ond yn 1715, Thomas Davies a David Thomas oedd y gweinidogion yn y cylch hwn.+   Yr oedd. Mr.

4

Lewis Davies yn weinidog enwog a defnyddiol iawn, ac yn nodedig o lafurus i egwyddori plant ac ieuengctyd ei gynnulleidfaoedd yn ngair Duw. Yr oedd ganddo Ysgolion Sabbothol yn Nhy'rdwncym a'r Chwarelaubach, mor foreu a'r fiwyddyn 1697. Dechreuodd hen daid y diweddar Mr. J. Davies, Mynyddbach fyned i'r Ysgol Sul i Dy'rdwncyn yn blentyn deg oed, yn y flwyddyn hono, a pharhaodd i fyned iddi am lawer o flynyddau. Ei enw oedd Morgan John, y Gof. Yr oedd cofnodiad o'r ffaith hon yn llawysgrifen Morgan John, wedi ei ysgrifenu ganddo yn 1720, yn meddiant ei orwyr, Mr. Davies, Mynyddbach, ychydig flynyddau yn ol. Yn y flwyddyn 1700, cyhoeddodd Mr. Davies, gyfamod a rheolau eglwysig, a chan fod y llyfryn bychan hwn yn dangos syniadau yr hen Ymneillduwyr am drefn a dysgyblaeth eglwysig, rhoddwn ef yma air yn ngair o'r argraffiad a gyhoeddwyd gan Mr. Lewis Rees yn y flwyddyn 1774.

Cyfamod eglwysig a gyfansoddwyd gan y Parchedig Mr. Lewis Davies, gweinidog yr efengyl, yn Nhy'rdwncyn, yn y flwyddyn 1700, ac a adnewyddwyd gan y Parchedig Mr. Samuel Jones, a Mr. Lewis Rees, trwy gydsyniad y gynnulleidfa, Rhagfyr, 1759.

Yr ydym ni, y rhai sydd a'n henwau isod yn cymeryd yr unig wir Dduw. a'r holl galonau i fod yn Dduw i ni a'n daioni penaf; a'r Arglwydd Iesu Grist fod yn Waredwr ac yn Iachawdwr i ni. Ac yr ydym ni yn cymeryd yr Ysbryd Glan i fod yn Sancteiddydd i ni, a'r athrawiaeth a ddatguddiwyd ganddo, ac a seliwyd. a'i wyrthiau, ac yr awr hon yn gynhwysedig yn yr Ysgrythyrau sanctaidd i ni, yn nghyfraith ein Duw, yn rheol ein ffydd a'n bywyd, a chan edifarhau yn ddiragrith am ein holl bechodau, yr ydym ni'n bwriadu trwy gymorth gras Duw roi ufudd-dod gwirioneddus iddo, trwy ymdrechu i fod yn sanctaidd tuag at Dduw, ac yn gyfiawn tuag at ddynion, a chenym enwedigol gariad tuag at holl bobl Dduw. Ac yr ydym ni yn bwriadu cadw cymundeb gyda hwynt yn erbyn holl brofedigaeth-au'r diafol a'r byd a'n enawd ein hunain, a hyny hyd angau.

Yr ydym ni hefyd yn cydsynio o lwyr ewyllys ein calonau i fod ac i barhau yn aelodau o eglwys neillduol Iesu Grist sydd yn cyfarfod yn Nhy'rdwncyn, ar ba un y mae ein brawd Lewis Rees yn fugail ac yn olygwr. Ac yr ydym ni, trwy ras Duw yn bwriadu i ddyfal wrando ei athrawiaeth a'i weinidogol gyfarwyddiad, ac yn addunedu ymddarostwng i'w lywodraeth eglwysig, yn ol rheol gair Duw. Ac yr ydym ni yn bwriadu cadw cymundeb enwedigol gyda'r eglwys hon yn mhob rhan o addoliad Duw, ac i ymddarostwng i rybuddion ein cydaelodau, fel trwy hyny y byddo i ni gael ein hadeiladu mewn gwybodaeth a sancteiddrwydd; ac felly yn gymwysach i barhau ein hufudd-dod i Grist a daioni'r eglwys, fel y byddo i ni yn hyn ac yn y cwbl ogoneddu Duw. Amen.

Rheolau efengylaidd, pa rai a roddwyd gan y Parch. Mr. Lewis Davies; ac a dderbyniwyd ac a gymeradwywyd gan eglwys Ty' rdwncyn, yn y flwyddyn 1700.

(Rhoel 1 - X   not extracted)

8

............ Fel y dywedasom eisioes, nis gwyddom amser marwolaeth Mr. Lewis Davies, oud y mae genym sicrwydd iddo gael ei ddilyn yn y weinidogaeth tua 1712, gan Mr. David Thomas. Yr oedd yr eglwys yn Nhy'rdwncyn er y flwyddyn 1662, os nad cyn hyny, yn un a'r eglwys yn y Chwarelaubach, Castellnedd, ond tua'r flwyddyn 1720, neu yn fuan ar ol hyny, cafodd y cylch gweinidogaethol eang hwn, yr hwn hyd yn hyn a gyrhaeddai o Flaengwrach, yn mhen uchaf Glynnedd, hyd Gasllwchwr, ei ranu yn dri. Urddwyd Mr. Henry Davies yn Mlaengwrach, a Mr. Samuel Jones yn Nhy'rdwncyn a'r canghenau yn Nghasllwchwr, y Cwmmawr, a'r Ysgetty, a chyfyngwyd llafur Mr. David Thomas i Gastellnedd, a'r gymydogaeth. Mae yn debygol fod Mr. Thomas Davies erbyn hyn, naill ai wedi marw neu wedi symud i ryw gylch arall. Nis gwyddom y flwyddyn yn gywir y dechreuodd Mr. Samuel Jones ei weinidogaeth yn Nhy'rdwncyn, ond yr ydym yn barnu iddo ei dechreu yn fuan ar ol 1720. Yr oedd yn hen wr oedranus yn 1759, pryd y daeth Mr. Lewis Rees, o Lanbrynmair, i gydweinidogaethu ag ef. Yn fuan ar ol sefydliad Mr. Rees yn y lle, fe adfywiodd yr achos yn fawr. Adeiladwyd capel y Mynyddbach yn y flwyddyn 1762, ei faint oedd 45 troedfedd wrth 24 o fewn y muriau. Testyn cyntaf Mr. Rees yn Nhy'rdwncyn ydoedd, Act. x. 29. " 0 ba herwydd, ie, yn ddinag y daethum, pan anfonwyd am danaf; yr wyf gan hyny yn gofyn am ba achos y danfonasoch am danaf." Parhaodd Mr. Rees yn ei boblogrwydd a'i ddefnyddioldeb yn y cylch pwysig hwn nes i lesgedd henaint ei analluogi. Yn y flwyddyn 1770, adeiladwyd capel yn yr Ysgetty, ac yn 1782, an arall yn Nhreforis. Yn y flwyddyn 1777, cymerodd peth lled anghyffredin le yma. Yr oedd tri gwr perthynol i'r gynnulleidfa, sef Meistri Robert Terry, Penlle'rmarch; John Rosser, Wigucha', a John Mathew, Tregernydd, yn ddiwygwyr blaenllaw - pell o flaen eu hoes. Gwrthodasant dalu treth eglwys, ac mewn canlyniad taflwyd hwy i lys Esgob Tyddewi, a chawsant eu hysgymuno. Peth difrifol iawn yw ysgymundod Eglwys Loegr; gan ei fod yn amddifadu y rhai fyddo dano o'u hawliau fel gwladwyr, ac yn eu gosod allan o nodded cyfraith y tir, fel y gallo pob dihyryn ymddwyn tuag atynt fel y myno, heb neb yn gallu ei alw i gyfrif. Pan daflwyd y tri wyr hyn i'r fath amgylchiad enbyd, cymerodd en gweinidog eu hachos mewn llaw. Ysgrifenodd at ei fab, Dr. Abraham Rees, yr hwn, trwy gydweithrediad Bwrdd y Tri enwad yn Llundain, a osododd yr achos ger bron y brenhin, ac yn ddioed derbyniodd

9

ei Arglwyddiaeth o Dyddewi, orchymyn brenhinol i ddadysgymuno y tri gwr. Dichon mai dyma yr engraifft olaf yn Nghyrnru o ysgymundod esgobol.

Pan oedd Mr. Rees wedi myned dros bedwar ugain mlwydd oed, ac wedi llafurio yn ddiattal yn y weinidogaeth am fwy na thriugain mlynedd, teimlai ei fod yn analluog i lenwi ei gylch eang yn y Mynyddbach, yr Ysgetty, Treforis, ac amryw leoedd eraill yn yr ardal, lle y byddid yn arfer pregethu yn rheolaidd; gan hyny, anogodd y bobl i edrych allan am weinidog ieuengach. Buasai yn fwy cydweddol a theimladau yr hen weinidog parchus, pe buasai pobl ei ofal yn dewis ei fab-yn-nghyfraith, Mr. John Davies, Llansamlet, yn gynorthwywr yn hytrach nag edrych allan am neb arall, a buasai hyny yn eistedd yn esmwyth ar deimladau lleiafrif lluosog o'r eglwys, ond yr oedd teimlad y mwyafrif am gael gweinidog mwy poblogaidd ei ddoniau na Mr. Davies, a rhoddodd y gweinidog oedranus a'r lleiafrif o'r eglwys, ffordd iddynt. Rhoddwyd galwad unfrydol i Mr. David Davies, Llangeler, a'r hon y cydsyniodd. Dechreuodd ei weinidogaeth yma yn y flwyddyn 1795. Arferid dyweyd a chredu mai fel cydweinidog a Mr. Rees y daeth Mr. Davies i'r Mynyddbach a'r Ysgetty, ac nid fel ei ganlynydd; ond mewn llawysgrifen, o gyfansoddiad rhagorol, wedi ei llawnodi gan swyddogion eglwys y Mynyddbach, ar yr 16eg o Fedi, 1802, cawn, yn mysg pethau eraill, yr hyn a ganlyn :-" Tua diwedd y flwyddyn 1794, neu ddechreu 1795, hysbysodd Mr. Rees, yn gyhoeddus o'r areithfa, yn mhresenoldeb canoedd o bobl, fod ei oed a'i lesgedd ef yn ei gwneyd yn angenrheidiol iddo roddi gofal gweinidogaethol yr eglwysi i fyny, yr hyn a wnaeth y pryd hwnw, ac anogodd ni i ddewis gweinidog arall. Yr oedd efe arnryw weithiau cyn hyn wedi hysbysu ei fwriad i wneuthur felly, ond  perswadid ef dro ar ol tro gan y gynnulleidfa i beidio. Mewn canlyniad i'w waith ef yn rhoddi y weinidogaeth i fyny, ni a roddasom alwad i Mr. David Davies, Llangeler, i ddyfod yn weinidog i ni, ar gymeradwyaeth ac yn ol cydsyniad Mr. Rees, yr hwn ei hun a lawnododd yr alwad."

Pan aeth y son allan fod cais wedi ei anfon at Mr. Davies i symud, parodd gyffroad mawr trwy'r eglwysi yn siroedd Caerfyrddin ac Aberteifi, ac yn enwedigol yn ei eglwysi ef ei hun. Cynhyrfwyd eglwys y Neuaddlwyd braidd i ddigofaint, fel yr ysgrifenodd y llythyr llym a cheryddol canlynol at eglwys y Mynyddbach :-

" Frodyr Cristionogol yn y Mynyddbach..........................

(Not extracted)

EVAN THOMAS EVAN

JAMES EVAN,           Henuriaid.

JOHN; JENKIN,

JAMES WILLIAM,

EVAN DAVID,            Diaconiaid."

JAMES THOMAS

10

....................Er i symudiad Mr. Davies fod yn ddolur mawr i deimladau ei eglwysi, a lluaws eraill yn siroedd Caerfyrddin ac Aberteifi, ac i'w deimladau ei hun yn fwy na neb arall; etto dangosodd y canlyniad iddo wneyd yr hyn oedd unol ag ewyllys ei Arglwydd. Yr oedd Abertawy a'i hamgylchoedd poblog yn llawer eangach, pwysicach, a chyfaddasach cylch i weinidog o'i gymhwysderau ef, na'r holl wlad o Langeler i Aberaeron.

Cyn gynted ag yr ymsefydlodd Mr. Davies yn y lle, adfywiodd yr eglwys, a chynyddodd y gwrandawyr yn ddirfawr, fel y bu raid helaethu y capel yn y flwyddyn 1797. Ei faint, fel y nodasom, pan adeiladwyd ef yn 1762, oedd 45 troedfedd wrth 24, ond yn 1797, gwnaed ef yn 51 with 35, fel yr oedd yn un o'r capeli helaethaf yn Nghymru y pryd hwnw. Gan i weinidogaeth danllyd ac effeithiol Mr. Davies, fod yn offerynol i ychwanegu lluaws at yr eglwysi, a bod capel eang Ebenezer yn y dref, yr hwn a adeiladwyd yn 1803, yn gofyn am ei wasanaeth yn fynych, bu raid iddo ef a'r eglwysi edrych allan am gynorthwywr yn y weinidogaeth. Yn 1808, rhoddwyd galwad i Mr. Daniel Evans, Bangor, a'r hon y cydsyniodd. Daeth ef a'i deulu yma, Mehefin 20fed, 1808. I fod yn gydweinidog a Mr. Davies y galwyd Mr. Evans yma, ond cafwyd allan yn fuan mai y cynllun mwyaf cysurus i'r gweinidogion a'r eglwysi, oedd rhanu maes y llafur, a rhoddi i bob gweinidog ei ran ei hun. Felly cyfyngodd Mr. Davies ei lafur i'r Dref, Clydach, a'r Ysgetty, a Mr. Evans, i'r Mynyddbach a Threforis. Yn fuan drachefn, helaethodd cylch Mr. Evans yn ddirfawr, pan aed i alw am bregethu cyson yn Nglandwr, Llansamlet, a'r Felindre'. Wedi marwolaeth Mr. Davies, disgynodd gofal y ddiadell fechan yn Nghlydach arno, ac ar ol i'r holl ganghenau hyn fyned yn annibynol ar y fam-eglwys, yr oedd yn rhaid iddo dori bara yn y nail le a'r llall bob Sabboth, a dwy waith bob yn ail Sabboth. Yr oedd ei lafur yn awr yn ddirfawr, trwy ei fod yn gorfod pregethu dair gwaith bob Sabboth, a bod yn bresenol mewn cynifer o gyfarfodydd eglwysig, angladdau, &c. Bu farw y gweinidog defnyddiol a llafurus hwn, Mawrth 3ydd, 1835.

11

Wedi marwolaeth Mr. Evans, rhanwyd ei gylch gweinidogaethol yn bedwar. Dewisodd yr eglwysi yn Nhreforis, Glandwr, a'r Felindre', weinidogion iddynt eu hunain, a chan fod yn y fam-eglwys yn y Mynyddbach rhwng tri a phedwar cant o aelodau, yr oedd yn ddigon galluog i gynal gweinidog ei hun. Yn nechreu y flwyddyn 1836, rhoddwyd galwad i Mr. Isaac Harris, Talysarn, Arfon, a dechreuodd ei weinidogaeth yma yn Mai y flwyddyn hono. Yr oedd Mr. Harris yn bregethwr galluog iawn, a bu yn dra llwyddianus yma am tua dwy flynedd. Yna cafwyd allan nad oedd ei fuchedd yn deilwng o weinidog yr efengyl, a'r canlyniad fu i'r eglwys fyned i gyflwr terfysglyd a rhanedig iawn. Gwrthwynebai rhai y gweinidog yn benderfynol, ac yr oedd eraill yn gwrthod credu y cyhuddiadau a ddygid yn ei erbyn, ac am hyny, yn ei bleidio. Y canlyniad fu i'r eglwys rwygo - aeth dau cant a phedwar-ar-bymtheg o'r aelodau allan gyda Harris, ac adeiladasant gapel eang yn y gymydogaeth. Aeth Harris yn fuan yn rhy ddrwg i'w bleidwyr ei hun i'w ddyoddef, a bu raid iddynt ymwrthod ag ef. Yna cynygiasant eu hunain i gyfundeb y sir, a phan ddarfu i'r gymanfa yn y Taihirion yn Mai, 1841, eu gwrthod, cynygiasant eu hunain i'r Bedyddwyr, a chymerodd y rhan fwyaf o honynt eu trochi. Dyna ddechreuad yr achos yn Nghaersalem newydd. Yr oedd yn eu mysg lawer o ddynion da, ac y mae yn ddiameu pe buasid ychydig yn fwy tirion a phwyllog, y gallesid eu cadw gyda'r Annibynwyr hyd y dydd hwn. Yr oedd, ac y mae, yr ardal yn ddigon poblog i gynal dau achos. Yn Mai, 1840, dechreuodd Mr. John Davies, Aberdar, ei weinidogaeth yn y Mynyddbach. Yr oedd yr hen eglwys hon yn awr, trwy y rhwygiad diweddar, ac ymadawiad tua thriugain o'r aelodau i ddechreu yr achos yn Nghadle, wedi myned yn wan a chydmarol fechan. Dywed Mr. Davies, mai cant ac ugain oedd rhif yr aelodau pan ddechreuodd ef ei weinidogaeth yma. Cynyddodd wedi hyny yn raddol fel yr oedd yrhif yn fwy na dau gant cyn marwolaeth Mr. Davies, yn 1854. Yn y flwyddyn 1855, rhoddwyd galwad i Mr. John Daniel, aelod gwreiddiol o'r Bryn, Llanelli, y gweinidog presenol. Yr oedd Mr. Daniel wedi ei urddo yn America; a chynaliwyd cyfarfod ei sefydliad yma Hydref 17eg a'r 18ed, a gweinyddwyd ar yr achlysur gan Meistri D. Evans, Clydach; H. Evans, Carmel; J. Davies, Cwmaman; D. Rees, Llanelli; W. Watkins, Maesteg; T. Davies, Siloa, Llanelli; J. Thomas, Bryn; W. Jones, Abertawy; J. Thomas, Glynnedd; T. Davies, Treforis; L. Davies, Ysgetty, a J. Joseph, Llanedi. Mae Mr. Daniel wedi llanw ei le yn deilwng yma, a'r achos yn myned rhagddo yn ddymunol. Yn y flwyddyn 1860, adeiladwyd ysgoldy cyfleus ar y Drefboeth at gadw Ysgol Sabbothol, cyfarfodydd gweddio, a phregethu achlysurol. Mae yn 48 troedfedd o hyd wrth 20 o led. Bwriadwyd ef at gynal Ysgol Sabbothol, cyfarfodydd gweddio, a phregethu achlysurol. Mae tua chant a haner o blant ac eraill yn mynychu yr Ysgol Sabbothol a gedwir yma, a chan fod y lle mews ardal sydd yn cynyddu yn gyflym yn ei phoblogaeth, mae yn dra thebyg y corpholir eglwys yma cyn pen llawer o flynyddau. Yn y flwyddyn 1865, tynwyd yr hen addoldy i lawr, ac adeiladwyd tý newydd, 56 troedfedd o hyd wrth 38 o led, y tu fewn i'r muriau. Gellir dyweyd yn ddibetrus, nad oes yr un capel harddach a mwy cyfleus na hwn yn yr holl Dywysogaeth. Y cynllunydd oedd Mr. J. Humphreys, un o ddiaconiaid yr eglwys, ac y mae Mr. Humphreys wedi cynllunio ac adeiladu amryw gapeli yn y gymydogaeth, heblaw y Mynyddbach. Amgylchynir y capel gan fynwent eang, yr hon a helaethwyd

12

yn fawr yn y flwyddyn 1850. Cafwyd tir gan Esgob Tyddewi at ei helaethu. Hyd prydles y capel yw, mil ond un o flynyddau, o ba rai y mae cant a naw wedi pasio.

Cafodd yr eglwys hon ei bendithio yn rhyfeddol, o bryd i bryd, a diwygiadau crefyddol nodedig o ddylanwadol a grymus. Nid oes genym ddefnyddiau i roddi hanes yr hyn a gymerodd le yma o ddechreuad yr achos hyd ddechreuad gweinidogaeth Mr. Lewis Rees, ond o hyny allan y mae genym hanes lled gyflawn. Nid oedd yr achos ond cymharol wan yma pan ymsefydlodd Mr. Rees yn y lle, er fod pregethu cyson yn cael ei gadw i fyny mewn gwahanol gyrau o'r ardal, heblaw Ty'rdwncyn, megis yn yr Ysgetty, y Wiguchaf, a'r Tycoch, gerllaw Treforis. Yn fuan wedi i Mr. Rees ddyfod i'r lle, cafwyd ychwanegiadau cyson at yr eglwys, nes y daeth mewn ychydig flynyddau yn eglwys luosog a dylanwadol. Yn mhen ychydig flynyddau wedi i Mr. Rees ddyfod yma, derbyniwyd dyn hynod iawn, dan amgylchiadau tra nodedig, i gymundeb yr eglwys. Ei enw oedd Roger Rogers, neu " Rotch o Gadle," fel y gelwid ef yn gyffredin. Yr oedd y gwr hwn yn more ei oes, ac yn mhell hyd at ganol ei ddyddiau, wedi bod yn nodedig o wyllt ac afreolaidd ei fywyd, fel meddwyn, ymladdwr, a digrif-ddyn. Trwy ryw foddion anhysbys yn awr, gweithiwyd argyhoeddiad ofnadwy o effeithiol o bechadurusrwydd ei gyflwr i'w feddwl. Teimlai ei gydwybod yn llosgi fel tân o'i fewn nes oedd ei boenau yn anoddefol. Elai oddiamgylch fel dyn gwallgof, a gofynai i bob un a gyfarfyddai a wyddent hwy am ryw foddion i ddiffoddi tân cydwybod euog. Aeth un bore Sabboth i eglwys Llangafelach, a chyfarfyddodd yno a'r person a'r clochydd. Dywedodd ei helynt wrthynt, ond nid oedd ganddynt hwy un cyfarwyddyd i'w roddi iddo amgen na'i gynghori i fyned at Mr. Lewis Rees, fel y dyn tebycaf yn y plwyf o allu ei wellhau. Dilynodd eu cynghor. Deallodd Mr. Rees ar unwaith natur ei glefyd a chyfarwyddodd ef at yr unig feddyginiaeth. Pan yr oedd Mr. Rees ar ei liniau yn gweddio drasto, teimlai loesion ei gydwybod yn dofi i raddau. Yn mhen ychydig derbyniwyd ef i aelodaeth eglwysig, a threuliodd weddill ei oes yn gristion disglaer, ac yn ddiarhebol am ei wresogrwydd. Byddai yn fynych yn tori allan i waeddi dan y bregeth, " 0 diolch, y mae yn gan mil gwell yma nag yn y dafarn." Dywedai Mr. Rees wrtho weithiau ar ganol y bregeth, " Taw Rotch, fy nhro i sydd i siarad yn awr." Ychydig a wyddai ac a deimlai Rotch am enwadyddiaeth. Byddai yn gwrandaw ac yn cymuno gyda'r Annibynwyr a'r Methodistiaid yn ddiwahaniaeth. Lle byddai fwyaf o dân oedd y lle a hoffai ef. Adroddir fod rhai o gymydogion Rotch wedi achwyn arno wrth feistr y gwaith ei fod gyda'i folianu a'i orfoleddu yn aflonyddu arnynt hwy. Galwodd ei feistr ef ato i'r swyddfa ryw ddiwrnod, a gofynodd iddo beth oedd hyn. Atebodd Rotch nad oedd neb o honynt yn achwyn arno pan oedd yn tyngu a rhegi, a meddwi, ac ymladd nes dychrynu pawb o'i gwmpas; ond yn awr, pan oedd e yn gweddio ac yn canmol ei Dduw, eu bod yn achwyn arno. "Wel Rotch," ebe ei feistr, " rhaid i ti beidio a dy stwr, a bod yn ddistaw gyda dy grefydd fel pobl eraill." " Alla i ddim syr," atebai Rotch. "Beth wedsech chwi syr tyswn i yn myned yn llaw y swyddog i'r carchar am ddyled, a chwithau yn dod i'n cwrdd ni, ac yn gofyn iddo, ble yr oedd e yn myn'd a fi; ac wedi cael gwybod yn talu drostw i, ac yn fy ngollwng i yn rhydd. Odych chi yn meddwl, syr, y gallaswn i beidio a'ch canmol wrth bawb. O! syr, yr own i yn llaw cyfiawnder, yn ymyl drws y carchar, ar gael y

13

mwrw i mewn; ond fe ddaeth Iesu anwyl yn mlaen, ac a 'wedodd wrth gyfiawnder am fy ngollwng i yn rhydd, y talsa ef fy nyled. Ych chi yn meddwl, syr, y galla i beidio a'i ganmol - Bendigedig fyddo ei enw." A chyda hyny, dechreuodd ei folianu yn swyddfa ei feistr, ac yr oedd llygaid y boneddwr yn llenwi o ddagrau wrth ei wrando, ac ni feddyliodd byth mwy am ei wahardd, canmoled a molianed a fynai. Mae lluaws o engreifftiau cyffelyb o angerddoldeb ei deimlad, yr hyn a ddangosai mor ddwfn a gwirioneddol oedd ei argyhoeddiad. Bu farw yr hen gristion nodedig hwn Rhagfyr 6ed, 1821, yn 78 oed. Ei gyfansoddiad ef yw y penillion canlynol o berthynas i'w droedigaeth a'i brofiad. Ni ddigwyddodd i ni weled dim arall o'i waith.

(Not extracted)

Mae yn ddiameu mai nefoedd ar y ddaear oedd gwrandaw yr hen bererin yn datganu y penillion hyn yn y teimlad a'i nodweddai ef.

Yn fuan wedi i Mr. Rees symud o Lanbrynmair, daeth gwr ieuangc o'r eglwys hono ar ei ol i'r ardal hon, er mwyn cael mwynhad o'i weinidogaeth. Ei enw oedd William Jones. Cafodd le mewn swyddfa yn Abertawy i ennill ei fywioliaeth, a threuliodd weddill ei oes yma. Yr oedd yn ysgolhaig rhagorol, ac yn ddyn nodedig o grefyddol. Elai i fyny o'r dref i'r Mynyddbach bob Sabboth, ac yr oedd yn cyrhaedd yno tuag awr cyn pryd oedfa, er mwyn darllen ychydig benodau i bobl y wlad a ddeuant yno yn gynar. Aeth darlleniadau William Jones, gydag amser, mor boblogaidd a'r pregethau, a byddai y capel yn orlawn yn gyffredin erbyn y buasai yno. Arferai y gwr da hwn ysgrifenu pob pregeth a wrandawai, ac yn neillduol pregethau ei hoffus weinidog, y rhai a gofnodai agos air

14

yn ngair. Mae tair cyfrol o'i ysgrifeniadau yn ein meddiant ni yn awr, sef y pregethau a wrandawodd yn y blynyddoedd 1764, '65, '66 a '78. Heblaw y pregethau, cynwysa y cyfrolau gwerthfawr hyn lawer o nodiadau hanesyddol a phrofiadol o eiddo yr ysgrifenydd. Yr oedd yr achos yn y Mynyddbach yn y blynyddoedd hyn, yn ol tystiolaeth William Jones, yn rhyfeddol o lewyrchus. Ar ddiwedd ei gofnodiad o bregeth Mr. Rees, oddiar Esaiah xliv. 5., ar Sul cymundeb, Chwefror 10fed, 1765; ysgrifena, " Heddyw yr oedd un-ar-ddeg o aelodau yn cael eu derbyn i mewn i'r gynnulleidfa - saith o ferched ifainc, a dau wr ifanc, a dwy wraig newydd briodi. Duw a wyr pa faint o honynt oedd mewn undeb dirgelaidd a Iesu Grist. Rhwng y bregeth a'r ordinhad efengylaidd o Swper yr Arglwydd, ynghyd a'r olwg ddymunol o weled cynifer o ddynion ifainc yn ymofyn y ffordd tua Sïon, a'u hwynebau (mewn golwg allanol o'r hyn lleiaf,) tuag yno. Rhwng y naill beth a'r llall, meddaf, ni a gawsom un o'r oedfeydd mwya' dymunol ag a gefais erioed, a hyn oedd cyfaddefiad neillduol amryw eraill. O Dduw na âd i'n mwynder ni ymado, ond helpia ni, yn enwedig y rhai ifainc, i ddal ein ffordd ac i chwanegu cryfder. O Arglwydd na chaffer fi, yr hwn wyf yn awr er's rhai blynyddoedd wedi cyfenwi fy hun ar enw Israel, a rhoi fy hunan i ti, yn byw yn segur nac yn ddiffrwyth yn dy winllan di. Amen." Mawrth 10fed, 1765, ar ol pregeth Mr. Rees, oddiar Phil. iii. 8. Ysgrifena, " Yn wir, y mae genyf achos mawr i gwyno am fy nghalongaledwch dan y gyfryw weinidogaeth wresog ac efengylaidd. Heddyw y derbyniwyd Pally Rees* i'r gynnulleidfa, ac o mor serchiadol, mor ddifrifol, ac mor syml, yr oedd ei thad yn ymddiddan a hi, yn mhlith eraill, a hithau newydd wella ychydig ar ol bod yn glaf. Duw bendithia y naill beth a'r llall iddi hi, ac i ninau hefyd, i'n dwyn yn nes atat ti dy hun." Ar ol cofnodiad helaeth o bregeth gan Mr. John Powell, Henllan, oddiar Salm lxxxvii. 5. Sylwa, " O mor hyfryd oedd hi wrth gyfranu y Sacrament, pan oedd Mr. Rees yn holi ac yn rhybuddio y llangc ifanc oedd yn cael ei dderbyn i mewn. Fe fyddai yn dda genyf, debygwn weithiau, pe byddwn i yn un bob tro yn cael fy nerbyn i mewn, pan fwyf yn gwrando ar ein gweinidog anwyl a pharchedig yn cynghori, yn anog, ac yn gweddio dros y brodyr a'r chwiorydd fo yn cael eu derbyn i mewn, yn enwedig y rhai ifainc." Mae yn ymddangos fod y deng-mlynedd-ar-hugain cyntaf o dymhor gweinidogaeth Mr. Rees yn y Mynyddbach, yn ysbaid o lwyddiant graddol a chyson, ond yn y chwe' mlynedd blaenorol i sefydliad Mr. D. Davies, yr oedd yr achos yn hytrach yn dadfeilio, o herwydd methiant Mr. Rees gan henaint, a'r gradd o oerni oedd rhyngddo a'r eglwys ar gyfrif eu hanewyllysgarwch i dderbyn ei fab-yn-nghyfraith i fod yn gydweinidog ag ef.

Yn ddioed ar sefydliad Mr. Davies yn y lle, adfywiodd yr achos yn anghyffredin, ac ychwanegwyd canoedd yma, ac yn yr Ysgetty mewn ychydig amser. Yn y flwyddyn 1807, torodd diwygiad nodedig o rymus allan. Yr oedd y dylanwadau mor nerthol nes y byddai y bobl yn aros yn y capeli hyd haner nos i ganu, wylo, a gweddio, a byddent drachefn yn finteioedd wrth fyned adref yn aros yma a thraw i weddio. Cafodd llawer o'r dynion mwyaf annuwiol yn yr ardal eu hennill at grefydd yn y diwygiad hwn. Mae rhanau o'r gân a gyfansoddodd Mr. Davies mewn cyfeiriad ato yn deilwng o'u cofnodi yma.

*Merch Mr. Rees, y gweinidog, ac wedi hyn, gwraig Mr. John Davies, Llansamlet.

15

(Not extracted)

Yn ddioed ar ol y diwygiad tanllyd hwn, ysgubwyd llawer iawn o'r trigolion ymaith gan angau, yn enwedig yn Nhreforis. At hyny y cyfeiria y penillion canlynol o'r gân rag-grybwylledig.

(Not extracted)

Cafwyd ychwanegiadau mawrion at yr eglwys hon yn nhymor gweinidogaeth Mr. Evans, ar wahanol amserau, ond yn y flwyddyn 1829, y bu y cyffroad rhyfeddaf o gwbl yma. Derbyniodd Mr. Evans y flwyddyn hono, yn ystod chwe' mis, chwe' chant a haner o aelodau newyddion i gymundeb eglwysig ! ! Cafodd yr eglwys hon ei hamddifadu o'r gwlaw grasol a ddisgynodd ar y rhan fwyaf o eglwysi y Dywysogaeth yn y blynyddoedd 1839-41, o herwydd y terfysg a'r rhwygiad anhapus a gymerodd le ynddi. Yn yr adfywiad a gymerodd le yn Morganwg, Mynwy, a chyrau o'r siroedd cylchynol, yn 1849, cafodd y Mynyddbach ran o'r gawod. Ychwanegwyd pedwar-ugain-a-phump at yr eglwys yn y flwyddyn hono. Oddiar hyny hyd yn awr, y mae yr achos wedi myned rhagddo yn ddymunol, er na fu yma unrhyw gyffroadau anghyffredin.

Mae eglwys y Mynyddbach i'w hystyried fel mam i'r holl eglwysi oddi amgylch. Mae yr eglwysi canlynol yn ganghenau uniongyrchol o honi -

16

 Brynteg, Crwys Ysgetty, Ebenezer Abertawy, Glandwr, Libanus a Horeb, Treforis, Clydach, Felindre', Bethel, Llansamlet, a Chadle. Merched i'w merched hi y gellir ystyried yr eglwysi diweddaraf a ffurfiwyd yn y gymydogaeth. Aelodau o'r Mynyddbach hefyd oedd y rhan fwyaf o sylfaenwyr yr achosion Methodistaidd yn Llansamlet, Crug-glas, Abertawy, ac yn neillduol Treforis.

Gellid yn naturiol ddisgwyl fod lluaws o bregethwyr wedi cyfodi o bryd i bryd mewn eglwys mor hen a lluosog a hon. Mae yn ddigon tebyg i amryw gael eu cyfodi yma yn nhymor boreuaf yr achos, er nas gallasom ni ddyfod o hyd i'w henwau. Y rhai canlynol yw yr unig rai y gwyddom ni am danynt.

• William Llewellyn, Cwmmawr. Gweler hanes y Crwys.
• Noah Jones, Walsall, sir Stafford. Yr oedd yn enedigol o'r parth uchaf o blwyf Llangafelach. Addysgwyd ef yn Nghaerfyrddin. Bu am ychydig amser yn y Drefnewydd, Maldwyn, ond ni chafodd ei urddo yno. Symudodd i Cradley, yn sir Gaerwrangon, lle yr urddwyd ef yn 1750. Symudodd i Walsall yn 1762, lle yr ymddengys iddo dreulio gweddill ei oes. Mae Mr. Thomas Morgan, Henllan, yr hwn oedd yn gydfyfyriwr ag ef yn yr athrofa, yn dyweyd ei fod yn wr ieuangc teilwng a chrefyddol iawn, ac yn ysgolhaig rhagorol.
• Daniel Gronow, Bala. Gwelir ei hanes yn nglyn a'r Bala.
• Thomas Gray, Abermeurig. Glowr oedd ef wrth ei alwedigaeth, ac yn ei ieuengctyd yr oedd yn wyllt ac annuwiol iawn. Un prydnawn ceisiodd goruchwyliwr y gwaith ganddo fyned yn fore dranoeth ar neges drosto ef i Gastellnedd, yr hyn a wnaeth. Tra yr oedd ef yn Nghastellnedd, dygwyddodd damwain angeuol yn y pwll lle y gweithiai, a chafodd amryw o'i gydweithwyr eu hangau. Yntau, wrth ddychwelyd adref yn feddw, a gyfarfyddodd a dyn yr hwn a'i hysbysodd o'r ddamwain a ddigwyddasai i'w gydweithwyr, gan ei gyfarch, " Twm Gray, yr wyf fi yn synu dy weled di yma; yr oeddwn i yn meddwl dy fod yn uffern er wyth o'r gloch bore heddyw. Effeithiodd y newydd, a geiriau y dyn gymaint arno fel y sobrodd yn y fan, ac ni chafodd ei feddwl lonyddwch o hyny allan, nes iddo ymgymeryd a chrefydd. Derbyniwyd ef yn aelod eglwysig yn y Mynyddbach, ac yn mhen ychydig amser cafodd anogaeth i ddechreu pregethu. Derbyniwyd ef i'r athrofa yn Abergavenny, Hydref 3ydd, 1757. Ar orpheniad ei amser yno, cafodd alwad i fyned yn ganlynydd i'r enwog Phillip Pugh yn Abermeurig, Llwynpiod, &c. Syrthiodd yn raddol i gyfeillgarwch mynwesol a'i gymydog Mr. Rowlands, Llangeitho; ac o ychydig i ychydig aeth i ymgymysgu mwy a'r Methodistiaid nag a'r Annibynwyr, a'r canlyniad fu i'r hen eglwysiAnnibynol dan ei ofal, erbyn terfyn ei oes ef, fyned yn hollol Fethodistaidd. Bu Mr. Gray farw yn y flwyddyn 1810. Dywedir y byddai ar amserau yn pregethu yn nodedig o effeithiol.
• John Vulk. Ganwyd ef tua y flwyddyn 1745. Bu am rai blynyddau yn cyfaneddu yn y tý wrth gapel y Mynyddbach. Teithiodd lawer trwy dde a gogledd fel pregethwr. Ar ol bod am lawer o flynyddau yn pregethu gyda'r Annibynwyr, trodd at y Bedyddwyr, a chyda hwy y terfynodd ei oes yn 90 oed, tua y flwyddyn 1835.
• Thomas Jones. Yr oedd yn briod a chwaer Mr. D. Davies, y gweinidog, ac yn enedigol o gymydogaeth Llangeler, ond dywedir mai yn y Mynyddbach y dechreuodd bregethu. Bu am rai blynyddau yn pregethu i'r Cymru yn Lambeth, Llundain. Bu farw Ionawr 27ain, 1817.

17

• David Jones, Clydach. Daw ei hanes yn nglyn a'r lle hwnw.
• David Morgan, gweinidog yr eglwys Gymreig yn Woolwich. Dichon y bydd genym ychydig hanes i'w roddi am dano pan ddelom at hanes yr achos Cymreig yno.
• John Davies, Llansamlet. Yn nglyn a hanes yr eglwys yn Cross Inn y rhoddir ei hanes ef.
• John Davies, Mynyddbach. Rhoddir ei hanes ef yn mysg gweinidogion yr eglwys hon.
• John Joseph, Llanedi. Gweler hanes yr eglwys hono.
• David Davies. Yr oedd ef yn un o'r rhai a aethant allan i adeiladu Caersalem Newydd. Bu am lawer o flynyddau yn weinidog eglwys y Bedyddwyr yn Nghlydach. Y mae yn awr yn analluog i bregethu o herwydd cystudd a henaint.
• William Thomas, Clydach. Bydd genym air am dano yn nglyn ag eglwys y Glais.
• Evan Davies, Richmond. Ganwyd ef yn mhlwyf Lledrod, sir Aberteifi. Pan oedd ef yn dair blwydd oed, symudodd ei dad a'i deulu i Lundain, ond gadawyd ef gyda modryb iddo yn y wlad. Pan ddaeth i oed cyfaddas gosodwyd ef i ddysgu y gelfyddyd o ddilledydd. Ar derfyniad amser ei egwyddor wasanaeth aeth i Lundain, ac ymunodd a'r eglwys Annibynol yn y Boro. Yn y flwyddyn 1827, daeth ef a Mr. W. Thomas, wedi hyny o Glydach, yr hwn oedd yn gweithio ei gelfyddyd fel saer yn Llundain, i lawr gyda'u gilydd i Abertawy, a chan eu bod yn adnabyddus a Mr. Evans, Mynyddbach, trwy ei weled yn Llundain, ymunasant a'i eglwys ef, ac yma yr un pryd y dechreuodd y ddau bregethu. Aethant yn fuan i athrofa y Neuaddlwyd. Ar ol bod yno am ddeunaw mis, symudodd Mr. Davies i'r Athrofa Orllewinol yn Exeter. Ar derfyniad ei amser yn yr athrofa, cafodd alwad i Great Torrington; ond nid arosodd yno yn hir gan ei fod wedi gwneyd ei feddwl i fyny i fyned allan yn genhadwr. Urddwyd ef yn Llundain yn Ebrill, 1835, i fyned yn genhadwr at y Chiniaid i Penang. Bu yno yn ddefnyddiol iawn, yn enwedig i'r preswylwyr Saisonig, am bedair blynedd, yna gorfodwyd ef gan ddiffyg iechyd i ddychwelyd adref. Bu wedi hyny am dair blynedd-ar-ddeg yn weinidog yn Richmond, Surrey, ac am ddwy flynedd yn Heywood, ger Manchester. Bu am rai o fiynyddau olaf ei fywyd heb ofal eglwysig, ond yr oedd galwad am dano bob Sabboth i lenwi pulpudau gweigion. Gwan fu ei iechyd trwy ei oes. Bu farw Mehefin 18fed, 1864. Yr oedd Mr. Davies yn ddyn nodedig o dduwiol, yn bregethwr da iawn, yn ysgolhaig rhagorol, ac yn dra galluog o feddwl. Ysgrifenodd amryw gyfrolau bychain, a golygodd weithiau Dr. Payne a Dr. Edward Williams. Mae pob peth a ysgrifenodd yn deilwng o ddarlleniad manwl.
• Jenkin Jenkins, America. Mae yn adnabyddus wrth yr enw "Siencyn ddwywaith."
• Thomas Davies, Horeb, Treforis. Mae yn llafurio gyda pharch gyda phobl sydd yn ei adnabod o'i febyd.
• David Lewis, Llanfaple, Mynwy, ac y mae wedi llafurio yno bellach am fwy na 30 mlynedd.
• William Rees. Yr hwn sydd yn bresenol yn offeiriad Llanboidy.

Myn rhai o hen bobl y Mynyddbach honi yr anrhydedd o gyfodi Dr. Abraham Rees i bregethu, and nid ymddengys fod ganddynt dir teg i honi

18

hyny, canys yr oedd y Dr., er ieuenged ydoedd, yn cael ei gydnabod yn mysg gweinidogion Llundain yn 1760, cyn pen blwyddyn ar ol i'w dad symud i'r Mynyddbach. Yr oedd ef yn mysg gweinidogion y tri enwad yn llongyfarch Sior III. ar ei esgyniad i'r orsedd, ac yr oedd drachefn yn mhen triugain mlynedd yn blaenori gweinidogion y tri enwad yn eu llongyfarchiad i Sior IV. ar ei esgyniad yntau i'r orsedd.

Cafodd pob un o'r rhai blaenorol eu hurddo yn weinidogion; ond y mae nifer o bregethwyr defnyddiol wedi cyfodi yma o bryd i bryd na fuont yn weinidogion urddedig; megis, David Hugh, Thomas Evan, David Roberts, yr hwn fu yn pregethu am agos i ddeugain mlynedd gyda pharch a derbyniad nodedig; William Lloyd, John Jones, Howell Hopkin, Daniel David, Thomas Griffith, Ebenezer Edwards, Benjamin Gray, David Jones, gwr ieuangc galluog a gobeithiol a fu farw yn 1824, yn 21 oed, gyda'i fod yn dechreu ymagor yn ei ddefnyddioldeb; Daniel Evans, mab Mr. Evans, y gweinidog. Bu yn fyfyriwr yn athrofa Cheshunt, ond bu farw yn Mawrth, 1835, yn mhen ychydig ddyddiau ar ol ei dad; Samuel Samuel, Evan Jones, Edward Hughes sydd yn awr yn yr athrofa yn Nghaerfyrddin, a'i frawd William Hughes, yr hwn sydd yn ddiweddar wedi dechreu pregethu. Mae y brodyr hyn oll, ond y ddau olaf, wedi gorphen eu gyrfa ddaearol, oddieithr fod un neu ddau o honynt yn fyw yn yr America. Bu rhai o honynt yn ddefnyddiol iawn yn eu hoes, ac y maent yn awn yn derbyn eu gwobr.

Heblaw y pregethwyr a gyfodwyd yn yr eglwys hon, bu ynddi o bryd i bryd lawer o bersonau mwy anghyhoedd, ond etto, nodedig am eu duwioldeb a'u defnyddioldeb. Yn mysg y rhai, gellir crybwyll y tri John Powell, o Gefnyfforest, sef y tad, y mab, a'r wyr. Dywedir mai dan bregeth a draddodwyd gan Mr. Howell Harris wrth Gorseinion, y dygwyd y John Powell, cyntaf, i ystyried ei ddiwedd. Ymunodd yn fuan wedi hyny a'r eglwys yn y Mynyddbach, a bu yn ddefnyddiol iawn fel aelod a pregethwr achlysurol hyd ei farwolaeth. Yr oedd ei fab John Powell, yr ail, hefyd yn aelod ffyddlon, ac yn swyddwr defnyddiol; a bu John Powell, y trydydd, hefyd yn ddefnyddiol a pharchus fel aelod a swyddwr am lawer o flynyddau. Y mae yntau yn awr wedi huno gyda'i dadau, ond y mae ei ddau fab yn debygol o lynu yn ffyddlon yn ngwasanaeth Duw eu henafiaid. Dylai enwau Evan Dafydd a Thomas ei fab, taid a thad Mr. T. Davies, Treforis, a Mr. John Davies, Taihirion, gael eu cadw mewn coffadwriaeth barchus, fel gwyr cedyrn yn yr ysgrythyrau, ac yn enwog am eu ffyddlondeb. Y mae enwau Dafydd Sion Rees, o Gladle; John Rees ei frawd; William Awbre, a Dafydd William, Gelliwern; John Humphreys, o'r Castell, tad Mr. W. Humphreys, Cadle; David Jones, y teiliwr, un o ffyddloniaid y cyfarfod gweddi . John Rosser, John Davies, apostol yr ysgol gân; Evan Jenkin, Jeremiah David, Benjamin David, William Rees, o Gadle, a llawer eraill a allesid grybwyll, yn perarogli yn yr ardal hyd y dydd hwn, a hiliogaeth llawer o honynt yn glynu yn ffyddlon gyda yr achos oedd mor agos at galonau eu henafiaid. Daniel James yw braidd yr unig un o gyfoedion y gwyr uchod sydd yn awr ar dir y byw. Iddo ef yr ydym yn ddyledus am lawer o'r ffeithiau a gynwysir yn yr hanes blaenorol. Er ei fod yn awr yn ei wythfed flwydd a phedwar ugain, y mae yn mwynhau iechyd da. Parhaed yr hen eglwys barchus o oes i oes, i gyfodi dynion o gyffelyb feddwl, i'r tadau fu wyr enwog gynt.

19 - 27

COFNODION BYWGRAPHYDDOL (Not extracted fully)

ROBERT THOMAS. Rhoddir yr ychydig hanes sydd genym am dano ef yn nglyn a hanes Maesyrhaf, Castellnedd.

LEWIS DAVIES. Mae yn debygol mai un genedigol o blwyf Llanedi, sir Gaerfyrddin, ac mai aelod o'r eglwys Ymneillduol yno ydoedd. ...........................

SAMUEL JONES. Yr ydym ni yn barnu nad oes yr un sail i ameu mai yr un gwr yw hwn a Samuel Jones, Capel Sion, sir Gaerfyrddin. Bernir mai un genedigol o blwyf Llanedi oedd yntau. ....................

DAVID DAVIES. Rhoddir ei fywgraphiad ef yn nglyn a hanes Ebenezer, Abertawy..............................................

DANIEL EVANS. Ganwyd Daniel Evans mewn anedd-dy o'r enw Maindala, yn mhlwyf Eglwyserw, yn sir Benfro, Ionawr 16eg, 1774. ..........................

JOHN DAV1ES. Ganwyd ef mewn amaethdy bychan ar y Drefboeth, ar ymyl y ffordd sydd yn arwain o Langafelach i Abertawy, Mai l0fed, 1803....................

Translation by Heulwen Jenkins (Feb 2009)

Mynyddbach house of worship, or New Tirdonkin, as it was formerly called, is in Llangyfelach Parish, about three miles to the north of Swansea town; & the church held here is one of the oldest in the Principality. It's said in the Broadmead Records, that Mr. Ambrose Mostyn assembled the first church in Swansea, & because Mr. Mostyn did not stay in the Principality after the war that ended in 1646, it must have been before the war he assembled the church here. But as it is not likely the authorities could bear him to establish a Non-Conformist church in the town before the war, naturally it congregated somewhere outside the town. Mr. Phillip Jones, later from Castell Ffonmon, was living at that time in Pentwyn, Llangyfelach, & as is known, a Puritan & ardent Independent, & as he was a gentleman of high position & great influence, it is quite likely that it was by his inducement & under his patronage that Mr. Mostyn came to the area. Dr. Walker says, in his history of the suffering of the clergy, that Mr. Hugh Peters, & Colonel Philip Jones, established an Independent church  in Swansea about 1650; but most likely the church was formed by Mr Mostyn & Colonel Jones ten years before that; & if Mr. H. Peters, who was English, did anything with the cause in 1650, the most likely thing for him to do was to help form an English branch in the town. Therefore we are strongly inclined to think that an Independent church was formed in Llangyfelach parish through the endeavours of Mr. Mostyn & Colonel Jones around 1640, or in the following year, & that was the start of the cause presently in Mynyddbach. The Non-Conformists had complete freedom to spread their views wherever they wished from 1646 until 1660, & to a degree until 1662; & certainly the inhabitants of Llangyfelach parish had ample part in the work of the travelling preachers they saw in the various area in that time. On July 24, 1646, the Parliamentary committee decided that Mr. David Walter, a very popular preacher, would be paid from the yield of the tithes from Llandilo Talybont parish, & another parish in the neighbourhood, in order for him to go around  "to preach, catechize, & teach the parishioners &  inhabitants in the various parishes". Therefore we can see that the inhabitants of the Mynyddbach neighbourhood were blessed with effective ministry for more than two hundred & twenty years. Mr. Walter was a preacher of the highest degree. It's said that Llandaff Cathedral was full every time he preached in it. It is very certain that the effects of the strong ministry of Mr. Jenkin Jones, from Cadoxton-juxta-Neath, Glynneath, reached these parts; & it is also more than likely Mr. Jones incorporated an Independent church in Cadoxton-juxta-Neath in the time of the Republic, & that some Llangyfelach & Llansamlet people were members of that church. "Cadoxton Church" was the name by which the Independent church was known, the one which met in various dwelling-houses in Kenfig, Baglan, Llangyfelach, etc. in 1675+. It appears  the reason it was called "Cadoxton Church" was, because Mr. Jones, when he was minister of Cadoxton parish, completed it's assembly & establishment. It's also likely that so many of the members of the church established in Swansea, & the neighbourhood, before the war, by Mr. A. Mostyn & Colonel Phillip Jones, chose to worship in the Welsh language, & after the restoration of Charles II, united with Cadoxton church, as the Non-Conformist church in Swansea town conducted it's public service only in the English language. The late Mr. John Davies, Mynyddbach, said in the story published by him in 1852, under the name "Y Llofn Addfed", that Mr. Jenkins Jones was the minister for the church in Llangyfelach  Parish, in conjunction with Neath, for some years after the restoration of Charles II., but that is incorrect, as Mr. Jones was imprisoned in June, 1660. He was a prisoner for a month in Carmarthen, & there is no kind of mention of him after that. If he didn't die before the end of that year, he would have had to hide somewhere for the rest of his life, as the authorities would have been after him like bloodhounds, as he was a rich, influential, fantastically industrious man, a resolute Non-Conformist, & especially as he took such a prominent part in the war, & in national actions as well as religious, in the time of the long Parliament & the Republic. It's certain that this good man didn't dare open his mouth as a preacher after 1660, if he didn't die in that year. All the Independents in the area from Kenfig to Loughor reckoned on one church from 1662 until after the start of the last century. There were some Baptists & Catabaptists in their midst in some neighbourhoods.

It appears that Mr. Robert Thomas, the one turned out of Baglan Church, was the first permanent minister of this church after the restoration of Charles II. He was helped in the ministry by Messrs. Jacob Christopher & Richard Cradock, & as Messrs. Marmaduke Mathews, Stephen Hughes, David Jones, Llandysilio, & Meredith Davies, Llanon, lived in Swansea & the district, doubtless the Llangyfelach branch of this scattered church enjoyed the ministry of them all occasionally. Mr. Robert Thomas faithfully filled his wide ministerial circle until his death around the year 1693. Religious meetings were held in dwelling-houses in every district  until the Act of Toleration came into force in 1688, & some congregations were tens of years after that before building houses of worship. For some years Mynyddbach church assembled in a farmhouse by the name of Cilfwnwr; & it's said that the wife of the house slipped with  the offence of adultery with the  servant &  that made the congregation give up that place & look around for another place. They moved from Cilfwnwr to a farmhouse called Ty'rdwncyn, & they congregated there until the building of Mynyddbach chapel in 1762. Mr. Robert Thomas was followed in the ministry by Mr. Lewis Davies, a member of the church in Llanedi. It appears Mr. Davies started his ministry in the year 1693, if not before. The time of his death is unknown. He was alive in 1700, & perhaps he lived ten or twelve years after that; but in 1715, Thomas Davies & David Thomas were the ministers in this region. +   Mr. Lewis Davies was a renowned minister, & very useful, & notably hard-working in instructing children & youngsters in the collections of the word of God. He had Sunday Schools in Ty'rdwncyn & Cwarelaubach, as early as the year 1697. The great-grandfather of the late Mr. J. Davies, Mynyddbach,  started going to Sunday School in Ty'rdwncyn ,when he was ten years old in that year, & carried on going to it for many years. His name was Morgan John, the Smith. There was a minute of this fact in Morgan John's handwriting, written by him in 1720, in the possession of his great-grandson, Mr. Davies, Mynyddbach, a few years back. In the year 1700,  Mr. Davies announced, the covenant & ecclesiastical rules, & because this small booklet  showed the rules of the old Non-Conformists for order & ecclesiastical   strictness,  we give it here, word for word, from the edition published by Mr. Lewis Rees in the year 1774.

The ecclesiastical covenant was constituted by Rev. Mr. Lewis Davies, the gospel minister, in Ty'rdwncyn, in 1700, & renewed by Rev. Mr. Samuel Jones & Mr. Lewis Rees, through the agreement of the congregation, December, 1759.

We, the ones named below, take the only true God, with all hearts, to be our God & our supreme goodness; & the Lord Jesus Christ to be Deliverer & Saviour to us. And we take the Holy Spirit to be Holy to us, & the doctrine revealed by Him, & sealed by his miracles, & this time allowed for us in the Holy Scriptures, in the law of our God, the rule of our faith & life & through genuine repentance of all our sins, we intend through the grace of God to give Him true obedience, through endeavoring to be holy towards God, righteous towards men,  & have special love towards all God's people. And we intend keeping communion with them against all the devil's tribulations with the world and our own souls & that until death.

We also agree with all our hearts to be & continue as members of Jesus Christ's special church which meets in Ty'rdwncyn, on which our brother Lewis Rees is  shepherd  & custodian. And we, through the grace of God, intend to listen diligently to his teaching & ministerial guidance, & vow to submit to the church government, according to the law of the word of God. And we intend keeping special communion with this church in every part of the worship of God, & submit to warnings of our fellow members, as through that we will  build in knowledge & holiness; & therefore, more suitable to continue our obedience to Christ & the good of the church, as we are in this & in all to glorify God. Amen.

Evangelical rules, those given by Rev. Mr. Lewis Davies; & received & accepted by Ty'rdwncyn church , in the year 1700.

(Rule 1-X  not extracted)

.......As we have already said, we do not know the time of Mr. Lewis Davies' death, but we are certain that he was followed in the ministry, towards 1712, by Mr. David Thomas. The church in Ty'rdwncyn,  since the year 1662, if not before then,  was as one with the church in Chwarelaubach, Neath, but towards the year 1720, or a little later, this extensive ministerial region, which until then reached from Blaengwrach, at the upper end of Glynneath, to Loughor, was split in three. Mr. Henry Davies was ordained in Blaengwrach, & Mr. Samuel Jones in Ty'rdwncyn & the branches in Loughor, Cwmmawr & Sketty, & the work of Mr. David Thomas was limited to Neath, & the neighbourhood. It's apparent by now that Mr. Thomas Davies, had either died or moved to another region. We do not know the correct year that Mr. Samuel Jones started his ministry in Ty'rdwncyn, but we judge that he started a little after 1720. He was an old, aged man in 1759, when Mr. Lewis Rees came from Llanbrynmair, to share the ministry with him. A little after Mr. Rees' induction there, the cause was greatly regenerated. Mynyddbach chapel was built in 1762, it's size was 45 feet by 24 inside the walls. Mr. Rees' first lesson in Ty'rdwncyn was Act. x. 29 "Therefore came I unto you without gainsaying, as soon as I was sent for: I ask therefore for what intent ye have sent for me?" Mr Rees lasted in his popularity & usefulness in this important area until old age incapacitated him. In the year 1770, a chapel was built in Sketty, & in 1782, another one in Morriston. In 1777, something quite uncommon happened here. Three men belonging to the congregation, namely Messrs. Robert Terry, Penlle'rmarch; John Rosser, Wigucha', & John Mathew, Tregernydd,  prominent reformers - far ahead of their time. They refused to pay church levy, & , as a result, they were thrown in front of the Bishop of St. David's, & they were excommunicated. Excommunication from the Church of England is a very serious thing, as it deprives those under it of their rights as countrymen, & placing them out of the protection of the law of the land, as every rascal could act towards them as they would wish, with no one being brought to justice. When these three men came to such a critical circumstance, our minister took their cause in hand. He wrote to his son, Dr. Abraham Rees, who, through the co-operation of the Board of Three denominations in London, & placed the cause in front of the king, & immediately accepted his dominion from St. David's, the royal command to annul the excommunication order of the three men. Perhaps this is the last example in Wales of Episcopal excommunication.

When Mr. Rees was over eighty years old, & having worked hard in the ministry for more than sixty years, he felt incapable of filling his extensive area in Mynyddbach, Sketty, Morriston & several other places in the district, where he usually preached regularly; therefore, he urged the people to look out for a younger minister. They were so agreeable with the feelings of the old, respected minister, that the people in his care chose his son-in-law, Mr. John Davies, Llansamlet, as helper rather than look around for anyone else, & that sat comfortably with the minority of the church, but  the majority felt they should have a minister with more popular talents than Mr. Davies, & the aged minister & the minority of the church gave them their way. An unanimous call was given to Mr. David Davies, Llangeler, who consented. He started his ministry here in 1795. It is usually said & believed that Mr. Davies came to Mynyddbach & Sketty as a co-minister with Mr. Rees, & not as his successor; but in a handwritten, excellent composition, signed by the officials of Mynyddbach church, on the 16 September, 1802, we have, amongst other things, the following:- " Towards the end of the year 1794, or start of 1795, Mr. Rees informed, publicly from the pulpit, in the presence of hundreds of people, that his age weakened him & made it necessary for him to give up the ministerial care of the churches, which he did at that time, & urged us to choose another minister. He had made his intention known many times before this, but he was persuaded not to time & time again by the congregation. As a result of his giving up his ministry, we gave a call to Mr. David Davies, Llangeler, to come as a minister to us, with the approval & consent of Mr. Rees, the one who signed the call."

When the rumour went out that a request had been sent to Mr. Davies to move, a big commotion went through the churches in the counties of Carmarthen & Cardigan, & especially in his own churches. The church at Neuaddllwyd was agitated almost to anger, so that the following severe & chastising letter was written to the Mynyddbach church  :-

" Christian brothers in Mynyddbach ...........

(Not extracted)

EVAN THOMAS EVAN
JAMES EVAN,                    Elders
JOHN; JENKIN,
JAMES WILLIAM,
EVAN DAVID,                     Deacons "
JAMES THOMAS

...................Although Mr. Davies' move greatly hurt  the feelings of his churches, & a host of others in the counties of Carmarthen & Cardigan, &  his own feelings more than anyone else's; still he showed the outcome was  for him to do that which was united with God's will. Swansea & it's populous districts were more extensive, important, & more fitting a group to a minister of his qualifications, than the whole country from Llangeler to Aberaeron.

As soon as Mr. Davies settled there, he regenerated the church, & the listeners increased enormously, so that the chapel had to be extended in the year 1797. It's area, as we said, when it was built in 1762, was 45 feet by 24, but in 1797, it was made 51 by 35, so that it was one of the most extensive chapels in Wales at that time. Since Mr. Davies' fiery & effective ministry, was instrumental in increasing a multitude to the churches, & that the large Ebenezer chapel in the town, which was built in 1803, frequently asked for his service, he & the churches had to look around for an assistant in the ministry. In 1808, a call was given to Mr. Daniel Evans, Bangor, & he agreed. He & his family came here, June 20th, 1808. Mr. Evans was called here to be a co-minister with Mr. Davies, but it soon came out that the most comfortable plan to the ministers & churches, was to share the field of work, & give each minister their own part. Therefore, Mr. Davies confined his work to the Town, Clydach & Sketty, & Mr. Evans to Mynyddbach & Morriston. Soon again, Mr. Evans' group grew enormously, when he was constantly called to preach in Landore, Llansamlet & Velindre. After the death of Mr. Davies, the care of the small flock in Clydach fell on him,  & after all these branches went independent of the mother church, he had to break bread in one or other place every Sabbath, & twice every other Sabbath. His work was now enormous, through his having to preach three times every Sabbath, & be present in so many church meetings, funerals etc. This useful & hard-working minister died March 3rd, 1835.

After the death of Mr. Evans, his ministerial area was split in four. The churches in Morriston, Landore & Velindre chose ministers of their own, & as the mother church in Mynyddbach was between three & four hundred members, it was quite capable of sustaining a minister of it's own. At the start of the year 1836, a call was given to Mr. Isaac Harris, Talysarn, Arfon & he started his ministry here in May that year. Mr. Harris was a very capable preacher, & he was fairly successful here for about two years. Then it came out that his conduct was not worthy of a minister of the gospel, & the result was that the church went into a tempestuous state & very divided. Some determinedly opposed the minister, & others refused to believe the accusations made against him, & so, supported him. The outcome was that the church split - two hundred & nineteen members went out with Harris, & they built a large church in the neighbourhood. Harris soon went too evil for his supporters themselves to suffer, & they had to renounce him. Then they offered themselves to the county union, & when the assembly in Taihirion in May, 1841, refused them, they offered themselves to the Baptists, most of them took their immersion.

That was the start of the cause in New Caersalem. There were many good men in their midst, & doubtless, if they were a little kinder & more prudent they would have been able to stay with the Independents until today. The area was, & is, populous enough to hold two causes. In May, 1840, Mr. John Davies, Aberdare,  started his ministry in Mynyddbach. This old church had  now gone weak & comparatively small,  through the late split, & departure of about sixty members to start the cause in Cadle.  Mr. Davies said there were hundred & twenty members when he started his ministry here. It increased after then as the number was more than two hundred before the death of Mr. Davies in 1854. In 1855, a call was made to Mr. John Daniel, originally a member from Bryn, Llanelli, the present minister. Mr. Daniel was ordained in America; & his induction meeting was held here October 16th & 17th, & the occasion was officiated by Messrs. D. Evans, Clydach; H. Evans, Carmel; J. Davies, Cwmaman; D. Rees, Llanelli; W. Watkins, Maesteg; T. Davies, Siloa, Llanelli; J. Thomas, Bryn; W. Jones, Swansea; J. Thomas, Glynneath; T. Davies, Morriston; L. Davies, Sketty, & J. Joseph, Llanedi. Mr. Daniel has filled his place here worthily, & the cause goes pleasantly. In 1860, a schoolhouse was built on Treboeth, to keep a Sunday School, prayer meetings, and occasional preaching. It is 48 feet long by 20 wide. It was intended to hold Sabbath School, prayer meetings & occasional preaching. Towards one hundred & fifty children & others attend the Sunday School held here, & because the place is in a district which is increasing rapidly in its population, it is quite likely a church will be established here before too many years. In 1865, the old place of worship was pulled down, & a new house built, 56 feet long by 38 wide, within the walls. It can be said unhesitatingly, there is not one chapel more beautiful & handy than this in all the Principality. The designer was Mr. J. Humphreys, a deacon of the church, & Mr. Humphreys has designed & built several chapels in the neighbourhood, besides Mynyddbach. The chapel is surrounded by an extensive cemetery, which was enlarged in 1850. They had land from the Bishop of St. David's to enlarge it. The length of the lease on the chapel is nine hundred & ninety nine years, of which one hundred & nine have passed.

This church was wonderfully blessed, from time to time, with notable, compelling & powerful  religious revivals. We do not have the materials to give the account of what  took place here from the start of the cause until the start of the ministry of Mr. Lewis Rees, but from there on we have a rather full history. The cause was not but comparatively weak when Mr. Rees moved to the place, although constant preaching was kept up in various flocks in the area, besides Ty'rdwncyn, such as Sketty, Wiguchaf, & Tycoch, near Morriston. Shortly after Mr. Rees came to the place, they had constant additions to the church, until, within a few years,  it became a large & influential church. Within a few years of Mr. Rees coming here, a very famous man was accepted, under remarkable circumstances, to the church community. His name was Roger Rogers, or "Rotch from Cadle,", as he was commonly called. This man was early in  his life, & far from the middle of his days, his life having been remarkably wild & improper, a drunkard, fighter, & comical man. Through unknown means now, a terrible conviction of effective sinfulness worked a state on his mind. He felt that his conscience was burning like fire within until his pains were unbearable. He went around like a madman, & asked everyone he met if they knew of any medicine to put out the fire of a guilty conscience.  One Sabbath morning he went to Llangyfelach church & met the parson & sexton there. He told them about his trouble, but they didn't have one instruction to give him other than to go & consult Mr. Lewis Rees, as the most logical man in the parish to make him better. He followed their suggestion. Mr. Rees understood at once the nature of his disease & directed him to the only remedy. When Mr. Rees was on his knees praying over him, he felt the agonies of his conscience taming by degrees. In a short while he was accepted to church membership, & spent the rest of his life a brilliant Christian, & proverbial in his fervour. He was apt to break out & shout during the sermon "Thank you, it's one hundred thousand times better here than  the inn." Mr. Rees sometimes told him in the middle of the sermon, "That it is, Rotch, it's my turn to speak now." Rotch knew & felt little about denominationalism. He listened & communicated with the Independents & Methodists indifferently. Where there was most fire was the place he liked. It's related that some of Rotch's neighbours complained about him to the works master that his praising & rejoicing disturbed them. One day the master called him to the office, & asked him what this was. Rotch answered that none of them complained when he was cursing & swearing, & drunk, & fighting until he frightened everyone around; but now, when he was praying & praising his God, they were complaining about him. "Well, Rotch", said his master, " you must not make a noise & be quiet with your faith like everyone else." " I can't sir," replied Rotch, "What would you say sir, if I was to go in the hand of the officer to jail for debt, & you came to our chapel, & asked him, where he was taking me; & after knowing, paying for me & setting me free. Do you think sir I couldn't but praise you to everyone. O! sir, I was in the hand of justice, at the edge of the door to the jail, & being put inside; but dear Jesus came forward, & He said to  the justice about letting me go free, he would pay my debt. Do you think, sir, I could not praise him - Blessed be his name." And with that he started his praising in the master's office, & the gentleman's eyes filled with tears listening to him, & he thought no more about prohibiting him, praise as he did. There are a host of similar examples of the intensity of his feeling, that which he showed most deeply & truthfully was his conviction. This notable old Christian died December 6th, 1821, aged 78. The following verses are his composition about his conversion. We haven't seen anything else of his work.

(Not extracted)

Doubtless, listening to the old pilgrim reciting these verses in the feeling he characterised, was like heaven on earth.

Shortly after Mr. Rees moved from Llanbrynmair, a young man came from that church after him to this district, in order to have the enjoyment of his ministry. His name was William Jones. He had a place in an office in Swansea to earn his living, & he spent the rest of his life here. He was an excellent scholar, & a remarkably devout man. He went up from the town to Mynyddbach every Sabbath, & he arrived there about an hour before the time of the service, in order to read a few chapters to the country people who came there early. The readings of William Jones became, with time, as popular as the preaching, & the chapel was full by the time he was there. This good man generally wrote every sermon he heard, & particularly the sermons of his beloved minister, those he recorded almost word for word. There are three volumes of his writings in our possession now, namely the sermons he heard in the years 1764, '65, '66 &  '78. Besides the sermons, these valuable volumes contain many historical notes & experience of the writer. The cause in Mynyddbach in these years, according to the testimony of William Jones, was wonderfully prosperous. At the end of his entry about Mr. Rees' sermon, from Esaiah xliv. 5., on communion Sunday, February 10th, 1765, he wrote " Today eleven members were received into the congregation - seven young girls, & two young men, & two newly married women. God knows how many of them were in secret union with Jesus Christ. Between the sermon & the evangelical sacrament of the Lord's Supper, together with the pleasant sight of seeing so many young men asking the way to Zion, & their faces ( at least outwardly ), towards there. Between one thing and another, I thought, we had one of the most pleasant services that I ever had, & this was the particular admission of many others. O God, don't let our gentleness leave us, but help us, especially the young ones, to maintain our way & to increase strength. O God, don't cheat me, that which I have now been for many years renamed myself with the name of Israel, & give myself to you, living idle nor barren in your vineyard. Amen."  10th March, 1765, after Mr. Rees' sermon from

Phil. iii. 8, he wrote, " Truly, I have great cause to complain about my hard-heartedness under such fervent & evangelical ministry. Today Pally Rees* was received into the congregation, & so affectionate,  so earnest & so simple, her father was talking to her, amongst others, & she newly improved after being ill. God bless one thing & another to her, & also to us, to bring us closer to you." After a large entry of a sermon by Mr. John Powell, Henllan, from Psalms lxxxvii. 5. "How lovely it was by contributing to the Sacrament, when Mr. Rees was questioning & cautioning the young youth who was being received in. I would be grateful,  I suppose sometimes, if we were one every time being received in, when I listen to our beloved & revered minister advising, encouraging & praying over the brothers & sisters who are being received, especially the young ones. " It shows that the first thirty years of Mr.Rees' ministerial term in Mynyddbach, was a time of gradual & regular success, but in the  six  years previous to the establishment of Mr. D. Davies, the cause was rather declining, because of Mr. Rees' failure through old age, & the degree of coldness between him & the church on account of their unwillingness to receive his son-in-law as co-minister with him.

Immediately on establishing Mr. Davies there, the cause was uncommonly regenerated, & hundreds were added here, & in Sketty, in a short time. In the year 1807, a powerful revival broke out. The influences were so strong that people stayed in the chapels until half the night to sing, weep, & pray, & again there were gangs on the way home, stopping here & there to pray. Many ungodly men in the district were enlisted to religion in this revival. Parts of the song composed by Mr. Davies in reference to it is worthy of being recorded here.

* Mr. Rees, the minister's, daughter, & later, wife of Mr. John Davies, Llansamlet.

(Not extracted)

Immediately after this fiery revival, many of the inhabitants were swept away by death, especially in Morriston. The following verses of the aforementioned song refer to it.

(Not extracted)

There were great additions to this church in Mr. Evans' ministerial term, at different times, but in the year 1829, was the most astonishing provocation of all. That year Mr. Evans received, in the course of six months, six hundred & fifty new members to the ecclesiastical fellowship ! !  This church was deprived of the gracious rain which fell on the majority of the churches in the Principality in the years 1839-41, because of the commotion & unhappy split that took place in it. In the revival that took place in Glamorgan, Monmouth & borders of surrounding counties, in 1849, Mynyddbach had part of the shower. Eighty five were added to the church in that year. From then until now, the cause has proceeded pleasantly.

Mynyddbach church is regarded as the mother to all the churches around it. The following churches are direct branches of it:-

Brynteg, Three Crosses, Sketty, Ebenezer Swansea, Landore, Libanus & Horeb Morriston, Clydach, Velindre, Bethel Llansamlet, & Cadle. The modern churches formed in the neighbourhood  can be considered  daughters to it's daughters. Members from Mynyddbach were also the majority of the founders of the Methodist causes in Llansamlet, Crug-Las, Swansea & particularly Morriston.

It can also be seen that a host of preachers were raised from time to time in such an old & numerous church as this. It is quite likely that several were raised here in the early term of the cause, even if we can't find their names. The following are the only ones of whom we know.

• + William Llewellyn, Cwmmawr. See the hisory of Three Crosses.
• + Noah Jones, Walsall, Staffordshire. He was a native of the upper part of Llangyfelach parish. He was educated in Carmarthen. He was, for a little while, in Newport, Montgomery, but he was not ordained there. He moved to Cradley, in Worcestershire where he was ordained in 1750. He moved to Walsall in 1762, where he appeared to  spend the rest of his life. Mr. Thomas Morgan, Henllan, who was a fellow student with   him in college, says he was a worthy & very religious young man, & an excellentscholar.
• +Daniel Gronow, Bala. His story can be seen relating to Bala.

•  +Thomas Gray, Abermeurig. He was a collier by occupation, & in his youth he was wild & very ungodly. One afternoon the works supervisor asked him to go to Neath on  an errand for him early the next day, which he did. While he was in Neath a fatal accident occurred in the pit where he worked, & a number of his fellow-workers were     killed. He, on returning home drunk, met a man who made him aware of the accident  which had happened to his fellow workers, by greeting him, " Tom Gray, I am  surprised to see you here; I thought you were in hell since eight o'clock this  morning." The news affected him, & the man's words sobered him on the spot, &   his mind had no peace from then on, until he took up religion. He became a  member of Mynyddbach, & in a little time he received an exhortation to start preaching.  He was received into Abergavenny college, October 3rd, 1757. At the end of his time  there, he was called to go as a successor to the renowned Phillip Pugh in Abermeurig,   Llwynpiod etc. He fell gradually to the close friendship of his neighbour Mr. Rowlands,  Llangeithio; & little by little he mixed more with the Methodists then the Independents, & the consequence to the Independents in his care, by the end of his life, went completely Methodist. Mr. Gray died in 1810. It is said that on times his preaching was  remarkably effective.
• +John Vulk.  He was born about 1745. For some years he lived in the house by    Mynyddbach chapel. He travelled a lot through the south & north as a preacher. After being for many years a preacher with the Independents, he turned to the Baptists, &  with them he finished his life aged 90, about 1835.
• +Thomas Jones.  He was married to Mr. D. Davies, the minister's, sister, & a native of the Llangeler neighbourhood, but it's said it was in Mynyddbach he started preaching. For some years he preached to the Welsh in Lambeth, London. He died January 27th,  1817.
• +David Jones, Clydach. His history is contained there.
• +David Morgan, minister of the Welsh chapel in Woolwich. Perhaps we will have a  little  history to give about him when we come to the account of the Welsh cause there
• +John Davies, Llansamlet. His story is given in connection with the history of Cross Inn church.
•  +John Davies, Mynyddbach. His story is amongst the ministers of this church.
• +John Joseph, Llanedi. See the story of that church.
• +David Davies. He was one of those who went forth to build New Caersalem. For   many years he was minister of the Baptist church in Clydach. He is now unable to  preach due  to illness & old age.
• +William Thomas, Clydach. There will be words about him in connection with the church in Glais.
• +Evan Davies, Richmond. He was born in the parish of Lledrod, Cardiganshire. When he was three years old his father & his family moved to London, but he was left with an aunt in the country. When he came to a suitable age he set out to learn the craft of a draper. At the end of his apprenticeship he went to London & joined the Independent church in the Boro. In 1827, he & Mr. W. Thomas, later of Clydach, who was working  his craft as carpenter in London, came down together to Swansea, & as they were familiar with Mr. Evans, Mynyddbach, through seeing him in London, they joined his church, & here, at the same time, the two started preaching. Soon, they went to Neuaddllwyd college. After being there for eighteen months, Mr. Davies moved to the Western College in Exeter. At the end of his time in college, he was called to Great Torrington;  but he didn't stay there long as he had made up his mind to go forth as a  missionary. He was ordained in London in April, 1835, to go as a missionary to the Chinese in Penang. He was very useful there, especially to the English inhabitants, for four years, then he was compelled by ill health to return home. After that he was  minister in Richmond, Surrey for thirteen years, & for two years in Heywood, near Manchester. For the last few years of his life he was without pastoral care, but there was call for him every Sabbath to fill empty pulpits. His health was frail throughout his life. He died June 18th, 1864. Mr. Davies was a notably devout man, a very good preacher, an excellent scholar, & quite powerful of mind. He wrote several small volumes, & he edited works of Dr. Payne & Dr. Edward Williams. Everything he wrote is worthy of precise reading.
• +Jenkin Jenkins, America. He is well-known by the name "Jenkin twice."
• +Thomas Davies, Horeb, Morriston. He works with respect with the people who knew  him from childhood.
• +David Lewis, Llanfaple, Monmouth, & he has laboured there for more than 30 years
• +William Rees. The one who is presently clergyman of Llanboidy.

Some of the old people of Mynyddbach insist in assuming the honour of raising Dr. Abraham Rees to preach, & without appearing to have fair ground to allege that, as the Dr., although he was young, was acknowledged amongst the London ministers in 1760, before the end of the year after his father moved to Mynyddbach. He was among the ministers of the three denominations to congratulate George III on his accession to the throne, & he was again leading ministers of the three denominations in their congratulations to George IV on his accession to the throne.

Everyone of the previous ones were ordained as ministers; but there are several useful preachers raised here from time to time who weren't ordained ministers; like, David Hugh, Thomas Evan, David Roberts, who preached for nearly twenty years with respect & notable reception; William Lloyd, John Jones, Howell Hopkin, Daniel David, Thomas Griffith, Ebenezer Edwards, Benjamin Gray, David Jones, a powerful & hopeful young man who died in 1824, at 21 years of age, when he was starting to expand his usefulness; Daniel Evans, the son of Mr. Evans, the minister. He was a student in Cheshunt college, but died in March 1835,  a few days after his father; Samuel Samuel, Evan Jones, Edward Hughes, who is now in college in Carmarthen, & his brother, William Hughes, who has lately started preaching. All these brothers, except for the last two, have finished their earthly course, except that one or two of them live in America. Some of them were very useful in their life, & are now accepting their prize.

Besides the preachers raised in this church, there were within it from time to time lots of persons more unproclaimed, but still, notable for their piety & their usefulness. Amongst these can be mentioned the three John Powell, of Cefnyfforest, namely the father, the son & grandson. It is said that a sermon delivered by Mr. Howell Harris, by Gorseinon, led John Powell, the first, to consider his end. Shortly after that he joined the church at Mynyddbach, & was very useful as a member & occasional preacher until his death. His son, John Powell, the second, was also a faithful member, & a useful officer; & John Powell, the third, was also useful & respectable  as a member & officer for many years. He has now gone to sleep with his fathers, but his two sons are likely to stick faithfully in the service of the God of their ancestors. The names of Evan Dafydd & Thomas, his son, grandfather & father of Mr. T. Davies, Morriston & Mr. John Davies, Taihirion, should be kept in respectful rememberance, as  men strong in the scriptures, & well-known for their faithfulness. The names of Dafydd Sion Rees, of Cadle; John Rees, his brother; William Awbre, & Dafydd William, Gelliwern; John Humphreys, Castle, father of Mr. W. Humphreys, Cadle; David Jones, the tailor, one of the faithful at prayer meeting. John Rosser, John Davies, the apostle of the singing school; Evan Jenkin, Jeremiah David, Benjamin David, William Rees, of Cadle, & many others who could be mentioned, renowned in  the district until today, & their offspring sticking faithfully with the cause which was so close to the hearts of their ancestors.  Daniel James is almost the only one of the contemporaries of the above men who is now in the land of the living. We are indebted to him for many of the facts contained in the previous account. although he is now in his eighty eighth year, he enjoys good health. The respected old church continues, from time to time, to raise like-minded men, to the fathers who were previously well-known.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES (Not extracted fully)*

ROBERT THOMAS . The little history we have about him is given in the account of Maesyrhaf, Neath.

LEWIS DAVIES. It is likely he was a native of Llanedy parish, Carmarthenshire, & was a member of the Independent church there............

SAMUEL JONES. We conclude there is no foundation to doubt that this man is the same as Samuel Jones, Capel Sion, Carmarthenshire. It is concluded he was a native of Llanedy parish. ......

DAVID DAVIES. His biography is given in the account of Ebenezer, Swansea..........

DANIEL EVANS. Daniel Evans was born in a dwelling-house named Maindala, in Eglwyserw parish  in Pembrokeshire, January 16th, 1774.......

JOHN DAVIES. He was born in a small farmhouse in Treboeth, bordering the road which runs from Llangyfelach to Swansea, May 10th, 1803.........

*Biographical notes not fully translated