The Henson Journals

[261]

22nd Sunday after Trinity, November 8th, 1903.

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My Birthday falls again on Sunday. The last occasion when that conjunction occurred was in 1896 when my Father died at Ilford while I was preaching to the University at Oxford. The seven years since that dark day have brought many changes and no happiness. At forty one really has left youth & hope behind: and has no margin of time or faith left for ventures or surprises. The type, scale, quality, range of one's life are all discovered: and whatever may be the number of years left to one, they are not likely seriously to affect the final verdict. At best one can but correct a few false impressions, rectify a few blunders, add something to the sum total of work done: and, if this be granted, one is fortunate. What a holocaust of desires & day-dreams has been made in the last 12 months even! Truly this world is a comfortless place, which it were joy to leave. Yet I doubt not that to the common view, I have the aspect of a prosperous man, a subject of envious regard, enviable & envied!

[262]

‘Teach me to number my days, that I may apply my heart unto wisdom.'

‘Send out Thy light and Thy truth, that they may lead me; & bring me unto Thy holy hill, and to Thy dwelling'

‘Show Thou me the way that I should walk in, for I lift up my soul unto Thee'.

Such words utter, as my own words cannot, what I feel. May the remainder of my days be given up frankly to the service of God's Will!

For the cleansing of my purpose}
For the discipline of my temper}	we humbly
For the bridling of my speech}	beseech
For the quickening of my conscience}	Thee
For the kindling of my affections}	O Lord
For the strengthening of my Will}
For the ordering of my life}
For the enlargement of my opportunities}

I celebrated the Holy Communion at 8 a.m.: there were 29 cts.

[263]

There was a large congregation at Mattins, and the Bishop of Stepney preached an excellent & effective sermon. I read the lessons & (the first time for a very long while) the Litany. The Offertory exceeded £67. Among the congregation was the Bishop of Bath & Wells, Renshaw, & Bartley. Females preponderated fearfully.

Mr & Mrs Hunt lunched here: and the three curates; afterwards I walked for an hour.

Tommie Hall, Edwin, & Harold came to tea.

I preached at Evensong to a large congregation. Rashdall was in church, and came to supper afterwards.

[264]

To the Editor of the Hibbert Journal.

Nov: 10. 1903

Dear Mr Jacks,

I have not forgotten my pledge to the Hibbert Journal, and, indeed, have been thinking over the articles in Enc. Bib: which are of very great importance, & need to be digested. It occurred to me that it wd be suitable in itself, convenient to me, and perhaps not inconvenient to you, if that article appeared in the April issue of the H.J. which of course wd. be the Easter issue.

I meditate turning my mind resolutely on to the subject of the Resurrection during Lent, & probably of preaching a course on that subject in the Abbey Pulpit: & and I shd personally prefer that what I wrote to the H.J. shd have behind it the most cautious & well-informed thought, it is in my power to give.

Believe me,

Sincerely yrs.

H. Hensley Henson

[265]

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[symbol] To the Reverend John Hunter D.D.

Dec. 21st. 1903

Dear Dr Hunter,

I have to ask your pardon for not answering before the very kind letter which you were good enough to address to me, and thanking you for a little book, of which I have already read enough to see that I shall find in it much pleasure and profit. Frankly, my first disposition of mind on receiving your invitation to preach in your church was to return a prompt acceptance: and if, on reflection, I must decide to send you a very reluctant refusal, I shall ask you to believe that my decision is determined by no personal unwillingness to do what you have been good enough to ask, and by no doubt as to my legal right so to do, but simply by considerations of expediency. I fear that, just now, when, as seems not improbable, I shall have to stand the brunt of a very sharp conflict with prevailing Anglican sentiment on the matter raised by Bishop Gore, my coming to you might have the effect of weakening my hands, and of putting weapons [266] into the hands of my opponents. I shall trespass so far on the good feeling which you have expressed towards me, as to ask you to renew your invitation presently, when circumstances may be more kindly, and the legitimate effect of my public association with you, on terms of frank ministerial equality, might not run the risk of being prejudiced in the Anglican mind.

With every assurance of esteem and all good wishes for this holy Christmas time, both for yourself and for the extensive and important Christian work which you are carrying on,

I am,

most sincerely yours,

H. Hensley Henson

[267]

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On Friday, Dec: 18th 1903 I lunched with Morrison at the Reform Club, and discussed the Beeby case. He shewed me some letters of Beeby's to an intimate friend giving, with the freedom of friendship, an account of his interviews with Gore. These letters impressed me favourably, and I forthwith determined to preach plainly on the matter. Accordingly I wrote a sermon which I read over to Kirshbaum & to Beeching, & made some alterations on their suggestions. This sermon was preached in S. Margaret's on Dec: 20th, a précis was sent to the "Times" and appeared on the 21st; this was almost wholly reproduced in the Westminster Gazette the same day. On the following day, I received a letter from the Abp. Of Canterbury which decided me not to publish my sermon, or to ask Beeby to preach in the Abbey.

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Issues and controversies: recognition of/reunion with non-episcopal churches; Beeby case; resurrection