The Henson Journals

[227]

Thursday, July 4th, 1907.

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At 8 a.m. I received the Holy Commn in Henry VIIths Chapel. The Abp. of Canterbury celebrated for the Representative Church Council, which attended but sparsely.

At 11 a.m. the Council met in the great Hall of the Church House. An hour was wasted over a motion about Church Pensions: & then we came to the main business of the day. The Bp. of Birmingham moved and Masterman, the Christian Socialist M.P., seconded a resolution,

That more attention shd be given in the public teaching of the Church [to the exposition of the duty of the Christian to his neighbour with special reference to the moral character of the actual conditions of industrial life].

Both the mover & the seconder spoke with ability & a taking moral fervour.

I moved an Amendment to omit all words after "to the" in line 2, & to substitute "obligation resting on all Christians to apply in practice the principles of the Gospel as to the duty of the Christian to his neighbour, but that care shd be taken against the risk & profanation involved in any partisan use of the Xian pulpit".

[228]

I spoke for half an hour; and in the course of my speech laid down, & argued the following propositions:–

1. That the clergy are not properly charged with the direct treatment of economic & social questions.
2. That the pulpit is normally required for another purpose viz:– instruction, exposition, exhortation
3. That there are reasons for fearing a partisan use of the Christian pulpit.
4. That such a partisan use implies risks and profanation.

My speech was well received. We adjourned for lunch. About 18 members of the Council lunched with us.

On resuming business, Cunningham seconded my Amendment. He was followed by Lord Hugh Cecil, who spoke excellently. Lathbury came next on the other side. Then the bishops of Hereford, Oxford, & Southwark. A laymen, Brooks, spoke well; as also did Pryke: & then Gore replied. Finally the resolution & amendment were united in a resolution which was agreed to without a division in these terms:–

That more attention should be given in the public teaching of the Church to the obligation resting on all Christians to apply in practice the Principals of the Gospel as to the duty of the Christian to his neighbour with special reference to the [229] moral character of the actual conditions of industrial life, but that care shd be taken against the risks involved in any of the partisan use of the Christian pulpit.

The Bp. of Salisbury proposed the omission of the word 'profanation', and I opposed: but was defeated on a show of hands. Many congratulations were offered me on this result; and I think the general impression was that I had won a victory.

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