The Henson Journals

[294]

12th Sunday after Trinity, September 3rd, 1911. On the Steamboat from Gothenberg to Stockholm.

I did not succeed in sleeping: & I was conscious of the ship's motion; but the night went through without disaster and the day broke beautifully. This bright promise was not adequately maintained. As we had another series of 8 locks to traverse, the captain suggested a morning walk. The young man and I issued forth accordingly, & were soon overtaken by the Dutchman. About 8 a.m. we had some tea. Then we walked again through more locks, & then had breakfast, a substantial meal. I had some conversation with the Dutchman. He says his brother has become a Roman Catholic after boxing the compass of sectarianism. He is an individualist himself & perceives the natural affinity which draws Sacerdotalists into alliance with Socialists. I inquired of the present state of the Dutch church. He replied that it had suffered in credit & influence through political activity. Allying itself with the Roman Catholics against the Liberals, it was becoming corruptly organized. He was very convinced that our "Die–Hard" Peers were the true patriots: but I told him 'twas a sound rule in judging English politics to take account of the individuals concerned. In this case of the "Die–Hards" there was a striking poverty of ability, character, & experience. Then I conversed on deck with the Oxford Don on critical & ecclesiastical questions. The wind rose, & our enjoyment waned proportionately.

[295]

Enough, if something from our hands have power

To live, and act, and serve the future hour;

And if, as toward the silent tomb we go,

Through love, through hope, & faith's transcendent dower,

We feel that we are greater than we know.

Wordsworth. 538.

My mind begins to turn more constantly towards Westminster, & the ordering of my life there. For it is becoming plain to me that there I must probably remain. The problem of duty is curiously hard to solve. At this moment I am pledged to two pieces of extra work. (1) The volume, "The Creed in the Pulpit" for Hodder & Stoughton: & (2) The Essay on the H. of C. & St Margaret's wh. I have undertaken as my share of the editing of the Registers &c. Then there are several matters, which could be more effectively handled, if I could but concentre my mind on them. (1) Something could be done with my Territorials. (2) The Shakespearians might be more thoroughly ordered. (3) The Communicants' Guild might be more adequately worked. Preaching must be the principal business of my life: and I must arrange for a list of Abbey preachers during January. It is a programme more familiar than attractive. However there is nothing else for me to do at present.

Lake Vetten was amiable, though just disturbed enough to show us that had he been really vicious we should have had an ill time. The journey then lay for a long way through pretty canals.

[296]

After supper I had a great discussion with the Dutchman mainly, the Oxford Don (his name is Owen of Keble) & the other passenger intervening. The 'bear' was a silent but attentive listener. We started with so small a matter as the adoption by Great Britain of the decimal system: & then moved by rapid strides into the great issues of Religion. Nearly 30 years ago I remember when I attended Liddon's Greek Testament lecture[s] in Ch. Ch. Hall on Sunday evenings that he said 'twas a notable proof of the truth & gravity of Religion that in any discussion between men it wd surely happen that sooner or later the matter wd run into religion. So it happened with us. The Dutchman is well–read, but too much governed by those large & raking generalisations which have so great a fascination for the continental mind. I gather that his father was a Calvinist pastor; & that he has reacted with some vehemence from the Calvinistic teaching. Some things I said seemed to impress him. His main difficulty seems to be the apparent impossibility of reconciling the notion of a final revelation of truth in the Past with the notion of truth as a progressively realized apprehension, into which the slowly accumulating experience & knowledge of mankind are gathered.

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