The Henson Journals

[141]

7th Sunday after Trinity, July 25th, 1909.

Montreal:–

The rain fell heavily between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m.: then it ceased, & by breakfast time the sun was shining. We went to Mattins at Christ Church Cathedral. I preached an old sermon on the 'noble' Beroeans. The acoustics of the church are not very good, but I was assured that everybody was able to hear. At lunch, where came Dr Grenfell & several others, we had an eager & rather exhausting discussion on Christianity. I find myself surprisingly orthodox. Then a day reporter was brought to me by Dr Symonds, & we 'exchanged ideas' for 3/4 of an hour. Then Mr Horace Ender came to see me, a lamentable figure on crutches with legs twisted most miserably. He is my cousin, though I knew not of his existence until Dr Symonds wrote to me about him. The poor man is in semi–chronic poverty. From birth he has been the victim of misfortune; & he has added no slight element of folly, having married a widow with two children of her own!

I preached again in the Cathedral at Evensong, repeating the sermon on 'Love of Money', which I preached some weeks since in Grace Church. There was a considerable congregation. Dr Symonds expressed his wonder, & said he had never known so many people come together at this dead season of the year. After service there was a little influx of people into the [142] vestry to shake hands. Among others came Mr Hannington, the judge's brother. He says the journey to England & the excitements of the visit, killed the old man. Several other Congress deputies advanced in years had similarly perished.

Mr Hatch, a son of Dr Edwin Hatch, the author of the famous Bampton Lectures, came to see me. He is an organist in Montreal, & was hindered by his duties from hearing me preach. I expressed my admiration for his father, & he seemed very grateful.

The majority of citizens of Montreal are French Catholics. They are parted from the minority by race, language, religion, habits, & ideals. Inter–marriage between the two races is now by the Roman hierarchy altogether prohibited. Thus the natural healer of divisions is disallowed. The influx of Americans is tending to reverse the balance of power: & there are some signs that the despotic power of the Roman priesthood is beginning to be resented by the French themselves. But for the present, and for a long time to come, there will be a 'great gulf fixed' between the two races, & the Christian Church, instead of being the reconciling influence, is precisely the reverse. Lord Grey has been urging the union of the races, & saying that intermarriage must be the graced instrument of harmony. His Lordship is unquestionably right, but he perhaps forgets the obstacle lies in a region inaccessible to any appeal to reason or to patriotism. The Roman clergy are economically convenient, as a break–water against Socialism. Mostly they are said to be dependent on the bounty of the large financial interests! It is an unpleasing spectacle from every point of view.

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