The Henson Journals

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Saturday, October 11th, 1913.

I did make a start on the Oxford sermon. For text I chose the passages S. Luke xvii.20, 21 & Romans xii.16. My thesis will be a protest against indulging in windy theories of so–called altruism, & disregarding the near & known duties of our place & station. Progress was slow, & at the end of the day I had written only 15 pages.

I walked Moore to Observatory Hill, & made him rhapsodize over the view. We attended Evensong in the Cathedral, & afterwards looked at the church.

Miss Susie Ramsay arrived here. Culley & his wife, also Dolphin, came in after dinner, & we had some music. They all, including Mrs Moore, agree in saying that the piano is not worth our keeping.

Cruickshank sent me his sermon on "Home Rule" which he preached in the Cathedral last month. He doesn't apparently see that such sermons may provoke counter–sermons – "they that take the sword shall perish with the sword" – & thus by a process both natural & rapid the pulpit must descend to the level of the party–political platform. He mistakes the strength of his feelings for an assurance of superior discernment, & silently consecrates the error until it seems to be a religious duty to speak his mind!

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Issues and controversies: irish home rule