The Henson Journals

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Tuesday, November 5th, 1912. Cambridge, Mass.

The great fact which we have to recognize is that he (Luther) did more than any single man to make modern history the development of revolution.

Lord Acton l.c. 105.

"These that have turned the world upside down" – is one of the earliest descriptions of genuine Christians we possess. It is hardly true of the admirable professors, whom we now meet.

I conducted the prayers in the Chapel, taking the Oracle in Micah VI as my theme, & linking it on to the Gunpowder Plot. There was a good attendance of men, & they were very attentive. No inquirers emerged in the 'Preacher's room' so I spent my 2 hours in revising tomorrow's lecture, & abbreviating today's sermon.

Then I went to the Cathedral, & preached a Guy Fawkes sermon, rather to the amazement of everybody, for, as one of the clergy observed afterwards, 'we never mention the Jesuits here: it isn't safe to do so in Boston!' And this is the ancient citadel of Puritanism! There is evidently a very large Roman Catholic population in the place, for I find myself being reverently saluted by the 'organ–grinders' at every turn. After the service a reporter came in to the vestry, & demanded my views on Lloyd–George. 'Mr Lloyd–George is a parishioner of mine', I replied gravely, 'and I make a rule of never criticizing my own parishioners.'

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At breakfast this morning our conversation turned on the English Congregationalists. I said that their vehement political partisanship greatly impaired their spiritual influence. Mine host observed that on his visits to England he had been deeply and unfavourably impressed by the bitterness of his co–religionists, so markedly unlike their temper in this country. He told me that Fairbairn had desired that he (Moore) shd. have been his own successor in the headship of Mansfield: that this wish had never matured in an actual invitation to accept the position; but the suggestion had induced him to think over the situation in England, & he had come to the conclusion that the Congegrationalist leaders their [sic] were not playing a good part, & that, if he were to accept office in England, he wd have perforce disappointed them. 'After all', he continued, 'it is not so many years since the Congregational Church in New England was itself an Established church, & it has preserved something of that largeness of outlook & sympathy which belongs to Establishment, & makes amends for much that is otherwise objectionable.' I rejoiced to hear such a testimony from such a source.

There was a dinner–party in the evening. The President & Mrs Lowell were among the guests. He had brought with him a copy of the Hay–Pauncefote Treaty in order to prove to me that the American contention was not so flagrantly wrong as it certainly at first view seems to be. But he didn't quite succeed in convincing me: though I see his point, which was new to me.

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