The Life and Letters of the Rev. George Mortimer, M.A.: Rector of Thornhill, in the Diocese of Toronto, Canada WestArmstrong, John
Religion
The Life and Letters of the Rev. George Mortimer, M.A.: Rector of Thornhill, in the Diocese of Toronto, Canada West
Armstrong, John
Mortimer, George, 1784-1844
Mr. Mortimer’s life has now been brought down to the close of his
services at Madeley, where he had been resident pastor for about ten
years. In taking a review of this period, we find him to have abounded
in the great duties of his office—in works of faith and labours of love.
What with his Sunday duties, his classes, his expositions, his schools,
his pastoral visits, and his manifold acts of charity and kindness to the
poor, in a parish containing very nearly six thousand souls, with his
weakly constitution, and by no means robust health, the wonder is that he
was enabled to carry on so arduous a course for so long a time. Madeley
has been long and highly favoured; it is to be hoped that the people have
both appreciated and improved their privileges. Mr. Mortimer met with
much kindness, encouragement, and acceptance in the diligent pursuit of
his self-denying career in that parish, and the decade of his services
there was no doubt attended with much usefulness, though the extent of it
may never be known until the great day shall reveal it. He met also with
much that was trying and perplexing to him; much to wound his loving
spirit; much to grieve his affectionate heart; much to prove his faith
and try his patience; but he neither flinched from duty, nor swerved from
the line of conduct which became him as a minister of the Established
Church; and, what is more, he treated neither opposition in the spirit of
retaliation, nor opposers in a spirit of harshness or severity. He was
eminently a man of peace, a man of love, a man of placability. The
commencement of his services in the parish was attended with great
difficulties. Considerable irregularities had been practised by his
predecessors; in their steps, in this respect, he was determined not to
tread; and though he felt himself bound to resist all entreaty on this
subject, to the offending of many, yet was it his prayer, his study, his
endeavour to conciliate all. His steady though moderate Churchmanship
was, perhaps, always more or less a ground of offence in a parish which
had long been under the influence of Methodism; but wherever good sense
and piety prevailed his motives were respected, and his conduct
appreciated.
It was on the manifestation of some unhallowed zeal of party spirit that
the following addresses were printed and circulated in his parish, and
which exhibit the very moderate and conciliatory spirit of their truly
Christian author.
ADDRESS OF THE MINISTER OF MADELEY TO SUCH OF THE INHABITANTS OF
COALBROOKDALE AND ITS VICINITY, AS DO NOT CONSIDER THEMSELVES MEMBERS OF
THE ESTABLISHED CHURCH.
Vicarage, February 21, 1822.
My endeared Parishioners,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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