The Henson Journals

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24th Sunday after Trinity, November 17th 1912. New York.

A cold day but without rain. I preached in mine host's Church at the morning service. There was a very large congregation. The children of the Sunday School were addressed briefly by the assistant, who held up one of the finger–print charts which the police take & keep as a register of criminals. I preached on "Learning by experience" basing myself on the narrative in Acts X.

We lunched with mine host's parents, & then I rested for an hour. It was then time to proceed to Columbia, where I preached to a very large congregation from the words: "The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God". My sermon took 35 minutes to deliver, & was listened to with close attention. The acoustics of the church are certainly not very good; but I was assured by several persons, including the chaplain, Knox, that I was well & easily heard.

So finishes my preaching in this country. I have preached on every one of the 12 Sundays since we landed at Rimouski on the 29th of August, and (with some sermons preached on weekdays in Minneapolis and Boston) I have delivered no less than 27 sermons to say nothing of the numerous addresses and lectures.

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Dr E. F. Scott, the author of an excellent work on the Fourth Gospel, is Professor of New Testament Literature in Queen's University, Kingston, Canada. He has also written a book, "The Kingdom & the Messiah" published by F. & F. Clark, Edinburgh.

Mine host mentioned the case of a little town in this country containing 668 inhabitants and 8 churches. He says that American clergy visiting England find a spirit in the nonconformists which they can neither understand nor approve. Their attitude towards the Anglican clergy appears incomprehensible.

He said that during recent years a great change had passed over the American churches. When he had been admitted to his first charge he had been examined as to his belief in the historicity of Jonah: but now even doubts respecting the Virgin Birth could be avowed with impunity. He thought that the influx of Lutherans had tended to secure more careful preparation of individuals before admission to membership in the English Protestant churches.

Bishop Boyd Carpenter is said to have preached in one of the Episcopal Churches of this city this morning. Surely there can be no precedent for two Canons of Westminster being in New York together, preaching on the same Sunday.

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We spent the evening quietly in our host's study, while he & his wife went to church for an evening service. I wrote letters to Rashdall and Lisle. Later I cross examined mine host as to the methods by which he carried on his work, & the system on which his church was organized. He disclosed a very effective organization. Baptism in infancy was followed up by a long course of weekly instruction. About 15 or 16 years was the point at which admission to the Holy Communion took place. It was preceded by examination by the Kirk Session, instruction by the ministers, a formal & public admission to the Communion accompanied by the invocation of God's Blessing. There was no laying on of hands. The shorter Catechism had been generally discarded as altogether unsuitable for the instruction of children many of which were non–English by race, & had but a slight acquaintance with the English tongue. Holy Communion was celebrated once a month. Letters commendatory were given to the communicants when they moved to other districts. I enquired how far Anglicans (Episcopalians) were in fellowship with his Church. Mine host replied that many Episcopalian clergy exchanged pulpits with him. He mentioned Leighton Parkes, Bp. Lawrance & Dean Grosvenor had preached for him. But what, I asked, was the case with respect to the Holy Communion? He assured me that he had known instances of common services in which Presbyterians had celebrated & Episcopalians assisted.

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