The Maryport Advertiser Friday, July 21, 1882 Workington Primitive Methodists 4

Workington Primitive Methodists 4

The Maryport Advertiser - Friday, July 21, 1882

THE WORKINGTON PRIMITIVE METHODIST CHAPEL continued...........................Page 4 The second stone was laid by DR. DOUGLAS, who said he was extremely sorry that the interesting ceremony had been interrupted by a sad accident. He had seen the poor fellow who had been injured, and might state there was very little danger but that he would get better, although he would be confined to his room for a long time. In reference to the honour which had been conferred upon him that day - for he could not help thinking it was a great honour, and he looked upon it as such - was in some measure due to the fact that he was connected by birth and education with Methodism. A great many who were present beyond 50 years of age, would know very well the great interest whch his father took in Methodism (cheers). For that reason he might be said to take a little more interest in Methodism than the ordinary run of Church of England people. So far as the doctrinal points of the Church of England party and the Methodists were concerned, he was not aware that there was much difference, the difference being more in the application of them. When they considered the amount of good which Methodism had done - and no one who had read the history of Methodism had done - and no one who had read the history of Methodism could be ignorant of the amount of good it had done, not only to those immediately connected with Methodism, but to the whole Christian world - it was an honour to have anything to do with the promotion of a building like that. When they took into consideration the lax condition that prevailed 150 years ago, and the philosophical indifference with which the preachers taught their listeners lessons in morality without the slightest piece of gospel, and also took into consideration the great work that had been done by men like the WESLEYs, they would see that no such change as Methodism brought about in the world had taken place since the time of the Reformation. There was no person who had a love for civilization but must feel thankful for the benefits which had been conferred by the labours of such men as JOHN and CHARLES WESLEY. He must now thank them very heartily for the manner in which they had listened to him, and assure them how highly he valued the articles which had been presented to him that day, although he must apologize for the bungling manner in which he had used them (cheers). ____________________________ The third stone was laid by MR. H. BOWES, who said it afforded him very great pleasure to be with them on that - not only to him but many others - very interesting occasion. (cheers). He knew of no duty in which Christians could be better or more profitably engaged than in rearing a house for the worship of Almighty God. When he was first asked to take part in these proceedings he could not help thinking that someone more able and better qualified for the duty might be found, but when the subject was pressed upon him, he felt constrained to yield to the invitation. He had been accustomed to attend occasional services in connection with the church which assembled in the place now pulled down. When he looked back upon those services, he could not but think of the faithful men and women who used to attend them, but whose faces he did not see amongst those assembled together that day, for they were gathered to their fathers, and he trusted now they were amongst the happy spirits around the Throne. He had already said that that was to him an interesting occasion - perhaps more so to him than it was to many others. If his memory served him right, there were two boys connected with the Workington Congregational Church in which he took an active part. Those two boys were now grown to man's estate, and one of them was a faithful, devoted, and laborious minister in the Primitive Methodist Church. The name of the young man he was referring to was JOHN MAGEE. There were many other circumstances in connection with the Primitive Methodist Church, which made that occasion peculiarly interesting to him. For some time past, they had had a difficulty to contend with in consequence of a want of space, but now that difficulty was likely to be removed, and this being so, he must urge upon them the necessity of increasing their efforts in the good work in which they were engaged. There was abundant room for them in Workington; for, with a population of 14,000, he did not believe that 2,000 attended a place of worship. This was a sad state of things which, no doubt, they could do something to remove; and he hoped God would prosper them in their efforts. ~~~~~~~~~The Memorial Stone Laying report will continue.................. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

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