John Elias was a Christian preacher in Wales in the first half of the 19th century, as part of the Welsh Methodist revival. His preaching was noted as being exceptionally powerful, "as if talking fire down from heaven". On one occasion it is said he preached to a crowd of 10,000 people. He was a strict High-Calvinist who believed in the literal truth of the Bible. At one stage he argued strongly for the doctrine of election. He came to be known as Y Pab Methodistaidd in Welsh (The Methodist Pope) because of his forthright views. Despite his wide interests, he was a religious conservative who opposed all forms of political Radicalism as well as the assertion, popular at the time amongst Nonconformists in Wales, that "the voice of the people was the voice of God". Biography John Elias was born at Abererch near Pwllheli on 6 May 1774 as John Jones. For much of his early life he was brought up by his grandfather, and possessed the rare ability at the time to read both Welsh and English from an early age. He was able to read the Welsh Bible when between four and five years old. On Sundays they attended the parish church in the morning, and in the afternoon they would walk long distances together in order to hear some of the Methodist Revivalists. The religious impressions of his younger days were deepened by a visit to Bala Association or Synod in 1792. The preaching there persuaded Elias to become further involved in the Christian faith. He left home and stayed with Griffith Jones at Penmorfa, Caernarvon, a weaver by trade and also a local preacher. Some weeks before being received into church-fellowship, he conducted family prayers during the absence from home of his master. The news of this spread abroad and caused a stir in the religious circles of the neighbourhood. They marvelled that he should pray in public. Griffith Jones commented – "His penetration and importunity in his prayers made us all marvel greatly." "A day to remember," he wrote, "was that one day – Christmas Day in the year 1794 – when I was received a member of the Monthly Meeting, and permission was given me to preach the Gospel of Christ. I was then only twenty years and six months old, and only one year and three months old as professor of religion."