The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1839-11-09
PRIMITIVE WEIGH CON-
EkRTS

The Hartford Christian Reflector
announces the publication of history
of the Baptisls Of Wales. The au-
thor is the Rev. JoRathon Davis, of
Wales, and the publisher the Rev.
Matthew Philips, formerly Of that
country, but now settled in Ohio
The author attempts to trace the his
tory of the Welsh Baptist back to the
year A. d. 90. But as BaptiSts, we
apprehend the task must be failure,
sInce the sect, under that designation,
we apprehend, was unknown less
than three hundred years ago Still
the work is spoken Of as interesting
and valuable. Our immediate object
in noticing the book at this time, how
ever,is to give brief extract, in
which the curious and interesting fact
is disclosed, that the converts Pru-
dence and Claudia of Paul, were
Observation-Disclosures had visit
ed Rome'in the time of Caesar.
"About fifty years before the birth
ofOur Saviour, the Romans invaded
the British Isle, in the reign of the
Welsh king Cassibellan; but having
failed in consequence of other and
more important wars to conquer the
Welsh nation, made peace with them,
and dwelt among them many years.
During that period many Of the Welsh
soldiers joined the Roman army, and
many families from Wales visited
Rome; among whom there was cer-
tain woman of the name of Claudia,
who was married to a man named
Prudence. AT the same time Paul
was sent a prisoner to Rome; and
preached there in his own hired house
for the space Of two years, about the
year of our Lord SO. Prudence and
Claudia his wife, who belonged TO
Caesars household, under the blessing
of God and PauI's preaching, were
brough to the knowledge of the truth
as 1t is in Jesus, and made a profession
Of the Christian religion. These, to-
gether with other Welshmen among
the Roman soldiers, who had tasted
that the Lord was gracious, exerted
themselves on the behalf Of their
coun,rymen in Wales, who were at
that time vile idolators.
Whether any of the Apostles ever
preached in Britain cannot be proved,
and though it is generally believed
that Joseph of Arimathea was the first
that preached the gospel in that part
OF the world, we must confess that
we we were not positive on that sub
ject. The fact, we believe, is this: the
Welsh lady, Claudia, and others, who
were converted under Paul's minis
try in Rome, carried the precious seed
with them, and scattered it on the
hills and valles of Wales; and since
that time, many thousands have reap
ed most glorious harvest. They
told their cOunlrymen around, what
dear Saviour they had found; they
pointed to his redeeming blood, as the
only way whereby they might come
to God.
The Welsh can truly say; if by the
transgression of woman sin came in
to the world, il was through the in
strumentality of woman, even pain
ted Claudia, that the glorious news
of the gospel reached their ears, and
they felt it to be mighty through God,
to pull down the strong holds of dark
ness. How rapidly did the mighty gospel
of Christ fly abroad! The very year
63, when Paul, prisoner was preach
ing to a few individuals, in his own
hired house in Rome, the seed sowed
there is growing in the Isle of Great
Britain. We have nothing Of inpo
tance to communicate respecting the
Welsh BaptiSts. from this period to
the year $50, when two ministers by
the names of Faganus and Damicanus,
who were born again in Rome, and
there becoming eminent ministers of
the gospel, were sent from Rome 10
assist their brethern in Wales.
In the same year, Lucius, the Welsh
king, and the first king in the world
who embraced the christian religion,
was haptised.