The Henson Journals

[425]

Septuagesima, February 7th, 1909.

A bitterly cold morning with a gathering fog. Knox celebrated at 8 a.m. There were 27 comts.

The fog looked formidable until about 11.30 a.m., by which time it had effected its sacrilegious work in spoiling the congregation. The Church was thinly attended, a fact which was the more annoying as I had taken special pains with the sermon on [']The Secularizing of Christianity'. The Lord Advocate was present, but nobody else of the parliament men whom I recognized.

I celebrated at midday, when there were 77 comts. Later may wife and I went to Barking, & there I preached in the parish church to a great throng of people. The coughing was incessant: congregational manners have degenerated since my departure: I had to supplicate for some restraining of the clamour. The parish has evidently changed much, & is really now no more than a strip of this monstrous London. The population is said to exceed 30,000: & yet the religious equipment of the district remains precisely what it was 15 years ago.

[426] [symbol]

On Tuesday, Feb. 9th 1909, I went to Sevenoaks, & read a paper on "Reserve & the Casuistic Problem implied in the modern Preacher's use of Scripture". It was my 5th American lecture. My audience consisted of about a score of the clergy of the Rural Deanery. It was the first Chapter meeting of the newly constituted R. Deanery. The 'discussion' was not very illuminating, but one or two of the younger men spoke well. I made half an hour's speech in summing up the discussion. On my return to Dean's Yard, I took my Confirmation Class at 6.15 p.m. Raleigh dined here, & I consulted him about a letter I had received from Gore. Though expressed in affectionate terms, & marked 'private', this letter seemed to threaten some interference on the Bishop's part when I go to Birmingham on March 31st, to speak in the Institute attached to the Carr's Lane Chapel.

On Friday, the 12th Feb. my wife & I lunched with Miss Markham at 8 Gower St. Mr Alf Lyttelton, George Prothero & his wife, & two others were there. A pleasant party. Afterwards we looked in on Ker, whom we found browsing among his endless books. Ella went off to make some calls: I sate on for a couple of hours with the Sage.

The 'Spectator' printed a note with which I had accompanied a subscription to the fund for the murdered Irish policeman's widow.

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