On the 10th October, in the same year, a Sunday School was begun in connexion with the Church, which was well attended, having from forty to sixty attendants. At the time the Church service was established at the German Mills, there was no Sunday service there of any description. The Methodists had previously attempted to establish prayer and other meetings, but had then no service of any kind: as soon, however, as the Church service was commenced, Mr. Mortimer was informed that they had again opened a meeting at a house close by, apparently for the sake of opposition, but of which he took not the slightest notice: it was shortly afterwards given up, though in a little time re-commenced.
In the same manner, when he was informed that the editor of the Christian Guardian, a Methodist paper, had written against him, he would not even look at the paper, observing, that “it matters but little what people said of him.” He considered it the wisest plan to let opposition die away. By some he was called a Puseyite, by others a low Churchman; but his own aim was to be “a consistent Churchman.” What he considered one breach of consistency is mentioned in his pastoral letter to his parishioners at Thornhill; viz., attending other places of worship: another was contributing towards the support or encouragement of Dissent, which he invariably declined doing from conscientious motives.
CHARITY.
The following memorandum is made in his pocket-book for 1832:—
“After I leave England, I purpose giving one-seventh to poor-purse, as my object in devoting one fifth was that I might more extensively employ the poor about my premises, &c. &c. But as there is no want of labour there, so large a proportion will not be needed: at least, it so strikes me at present. Possibly, however, more will be needed for the cause of God.”
One way in which employment was given to the poor at Hutton was, making a side walk through the village, covered with white spar, which was procured from the neighbouring hills, and was broken very small. His rector, the Rev. Alfred Harford, shared in many of the plans which were adopted for the benefit of the poor in Hutton.
Mr. Mortimer made a point of never being his own instrument in affording pecuniary assistance to any of the persons he visited. If he noticed that any persons were in distressed circumstances, or if any told him of their difficulties, he would mention them to Mrs. Mortimer, and she would do what was necessary to relieve them. Indeed, she was in every case his almoner; for he never himself gave any money in charity. His reason for this was, that the people might have no selfish aim in desiring his visits, which he wished to be purely spiritual.
As a HUSBAND and a FATHER, Mr. Mortimer was a pattern of conjugal tenderness and of parental kindness: there was a remarkable suavity in his manners, which greatly endeared him to his family, and indeed to all who had the pleasure of his acquaintance. If ever he said or wrote an unkind word, he was the first to discover and acknowledge it, and to make the most ample apology. His humility was so great that it might have been suspected of disingenuousness, if those who knew him the most intimately were not well assured of his Christian simplicity and sincerity. His youngest daughter, writing to me, says, in reference to this subject:—
“He kindly made me the companion of his drives before he began to visit his people regularly, and he frequently talked to me more as if I were his friend than his daughter; for he would speak of his religious feelings, and even of his faults. He once said that he had no wish to conceal his sins and failings here; for that they would all be revealed before the assembled multitudes of men and angels at the day of judgment. I frequently felt deeply humbled by the thought that I was so unworthy of the feelings my beloved father entertained towards me: but I was fully aware that it was his own disposition to cause him to feel as he did towards me.”
My amiable young friend and god-daughter also writes, in reference to his kindness to servants:—