The Henson Journals

[419]

2nd Sunday after the Epiphany, January 17th, 1909.

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A most beautiful morning. When I left the house at 7.45 a.m. for the Holy Communion in S. Margaret's, the sky clear & blue was streaked with long feathery bands of rosy pink. Perhaps there was something threatening in this early charm, but while fulfilment yet halted in the wake of prophecy, one was free to exult in its beauty. There were 25 communicants at 8 a.m., all women & girls save Harold, Ramsay, & myself. How can any church proceed healthily on such a basis of sexual disparity? And in this respect, if in no other, S. Margaret's is thoroughly representative.

There was a Church Parade of Territorials at 11 a.m. About 200 men attended. The Church was full, but by no means inconveniently so. I preached on 'Patriotism', adding an appeal for the Lord Mayor's Fund for the Victims of the Italian earthquake. The Offertory produced only £43.19.3.

I walked with Harold & Gilbert to the 'Times Office', and left a short extract from my sermon.

At Evensong there was a fair congregation: I preached on "Christ & Nationality”: begging again for the Earthquake Fund": the Offertory nearly reached £15. The total for the day was just over £60.

[420]

On Tuesday, January 19th 1909, I married Reginald Goss–Custard, my Organist, to Lilian Mary Jones: afterwards I attended the reception at the Westr Palace Hotel, & then went to the hair–dressing man & had my hair cut.

This day I finished the first draft of the third of my Yale Lectures.

On Wednesday my work was interrupted by the Rev: Samuel Gabrielson, (Venjan, Dalarne, Sweden) who presented a latin letter from his Bishop, from wh. I gathered that he was in England in order to inform himself about the English Church. While we were talking the Dean of Canterbury came in to discuss the 'Letters of Business' meeting. I introduced him to the Swede, & we had some conversation together. Certainly he could not miss the salient fact that the Church of England is a disunited Church, for the Dean & I differed on the obligation of the 39 Articles.

Later in the day I attended a meeting in Barnett's house, convened to consider a protest against the Representative Church Council. Freemantle, Llewelyn Davies, Barnett, Morrison, Manning, Atkinson, Rosedale, Beeching, Channing (the solitary layman), Handley, & myself were present. We decided that a letter shd, in the first instance, be sent to Asquith, expressing regret that he shd have taken the R.C.C. seriously.

[421] [symbol]

On Thursday, Jan. 21st., the Letters of Business Ctee met to agree on its Report. I gave an address at the Wedding of Mr Heinmann & Miss Nye, at wh. the Master of the Temple was principal officiant. Later we dined with Sir Aleck & Lady Lawrence. There we met Mrs Chapin, a monstrous American, the mother of the girl I prepared from Confirmation: & Sir Colin Scott Moncrief & his wife. The latter sate next me at dinner, & declared herself a Quakeress. With her husband I had much interesting conversation, or rather, since he talked freely, I listened to his account of experiences in India & Egypt. He said that Lord Cromer, though a very great man, made bad appointments through ignorance of men. He was so aloof from society that he knew little of what was patent to everybody else. He spoke of the astonishing ignorance of the Coptic clergy, & gave a sufficiently surprising instance. A priest reading the liturgy was interrupted with the cry, 'Don't read blasphemy'. It appeared that by some mischance a Will had been bound up with the service book; & that the priest, quite unable to understand the words he read, went on reading the interpolated document without consciousness of error. He said that Willcocks was pursued with shouts of 'Accursed Nazarene' in some Egyptian village: but these evoked the correction, "He is no Christian: but English." I had much pleasant talk with Sir. C. S. Moncrieff.

[422]

On Saturday, the 23rd January, I worked at my 4th Lecture which treats of the very difficult practical questions involved in the preacher's claim to apply critical principles to the Bible. The case of the Old Testament is comparatively straight sailing, but when that of the New Testament is considered, one is soon involved in the most perplexing embarrassments.

In the course of the morning I went across to the H. of L. and had an interview with Sir K. M. M. about H. He takes the same view of the circumstances as I do, though perhaps his fears for the future are even graver.

I dined at the Criterion Restaurant with the London Territorials, it was the first annual Corps–dinner. We started half an hour late because Lt Col. Bain was spilled from his hansom, and had to return home & dress himself afresh. I sat between Mr Leaf and Major Williams; both interesting & pleasant. The Admiral was also a guest: & responded for the Visitors, in a brief & sufficient speech. There was an immense programme of a smoking concert on the Menu card: but this I declined, pleading Saturday night & the morrow's duties. So I returned in quite decent good time, about 10.30 p.m.

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