The Henson Journals

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Tuesday, October 13th, 1908.

I made some notes for the speech which I have promised to make at the St Alban's Diocesan Conference in moving this series of resolutions, which I drafted on request some time back:–

• That the Christian Church has no commission to direct the economic development of society, & no adequate equipment for such a function.
• That Socialism, as one form of economic organisation, is neither approved nor condemned by Christianity, save in so far as it may imply violation of fundamental morality.
• That the Clergy, as officially charged with the defence & exposition of spiritual truth, are, in some important respects, ill–equipped for the discussion of economic problems, & little likely to contribute to their solution.
• That in view of the extreme complexity of social questions, & of the circumstances of English life, which inevitably connect the handling of such questions with the normal strife of political parties, it is highly expedient that the official exponents of Christianity should not associate themselves publicly with the advocacy of, or resistance to specific projects of social change.

[370]

I moved these resolutions in a 20 minutes speech: & was followed by Masterman, who seemed to me to speak as it were with embarrassment. The discussion was beneath contempt: & I told the Conference as much when I made my reply. When I returned to Westminster I found a great force of police guarding the Houses against a threatened attack from the combined forces of the suffragettes and unemployed. On my wife's suggestion some of the constables were invited in, and given tea.

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Issues and controversies: St. Alban's diocesan conference; female suffrage