. The origin and history of the primitive Methodist Church . erence as to its formand functions may he permanent, its personnel may in less than a generation be almostentirely changed. It is like a river or waterfall in its permanence; like a river, too,in the flux of the particles which compose it. And yet, singular to say, there werestill living in 1891, though in age and feebleness extreme, two men who were not onlycoeval with the beginnings of Primitive Methodism in the city and county of Chester,hut active participants in those beginnings. One of them had been among the earliestmi [oners
. The origin and history of the primitive Methodist Church . erence as to its formand functions may he permanent, its personnel may in less than a generation be almostentirely changed. It is like a river or waterfall in its permanence; like a river, too,in the flux of the particles which compose it. And yet, singular to say, there werestill living in 1891, though in age and feebleness extreme, two men who were not onlycoeval with the beginnings of Primitive Methodism in the city and county of Chester,hut active participants in those beginnings. One of them had been among the earliestmi [oners of (Ihester, while the other had been one of its very first Smith (1), the superintendent of Chester Circuit on its formation in 1825, hadbeen in his grave forty years in 1894, but Joseph Preston, who spent the first sixmonths of In mini try m Chester, -till survived, though in his ninety-second year,while Thomas Bateman was two years older. Joseph Preston tells us that he had THK PERIOD OF CIRCUIT PREDOMINANCE AND ENTERPRISE. 557. HEV. JOSEPH PEESTON. not been at Chester more than six weeks before Burland Circuit wished to have him inexchange for another preacher. John Smith, with the letter of application in his hand,said to his young colleague : Let us go and pray about went upstairs and fell on their knees. John Smith began : 0 Lord, Thou seest they have sent for Joseph to go to let him go. Dont let the devil part us : and they werenot parted. Thomas Bateman spoke at the chief public meetingof the Chester Conference of 1866, and according to the localreport of the day, related the difficulties which PrimitiveMethodism had to contend with when their system of religiousworship was first introduced into Cheshire nearly fifty years are many scenes in our history which would formfitting subjects for the artists pencil. One such would be thepicture of the two veterans already named, sitting musing in their chairs,rfwhatt
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