The Henson Journals

[190]

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Ascension Day, Thursday, May 21st, 1914. Edinburgh.

From the stiff literalist point of view which is now being put forward in England as alone consistent with a sincere profession of Christianity, what an uncomfortable Festival is Ascension Day! All the difficulties of the traditional theology are gathered up, & brought to a head, in a declaration of almost grotesque materialism, itself the deliberate repudiation of everything that could be reconciled with a scholarly or reasonable handling of the sacred text. The words of the Creed falter & fail on the lips of the worshipper who feels himself bound to the crudeness of their ancient meaning. But let a freer & more intelligent treatment of the old formulary of faith be permitted, & all is changed. This Festival is full of inspiring truth, of spiritual exultation. That our Lord, Himself & none other, is reigning and ruling in the spiritual sphere, where our conflict is being fought out, & our destinies finally determined, is verily consolatory, & full of joy. 'Sursum corda' – that is the message of Ascension Day [therefore] not the affirmation of a long–past prodigy, but the glad confession of a present Fact. "Lo I am with you always, even to the consummation of the age." 'Sursum corda'.

[191] [symbol]

Ella & I went to the U.F. Moderator's Breakfast in the music room, George Street. There was a large gathering of the faithful. I took in Mrs Reith, the Moderator's wife: & G. A. Smith took in Ella. After the feeding, there were a series of short speeches. I led off: then came G. A. Smith. Then Lord Kingsborough (erstwhile the 'angel' of an Irvingite church): then the Moderator of the C. of Scotland. As we came away we met R. R. Simpson, Raleigh's brother in law, and Lady Frances.

I went to the Assembly Hall, & sate therein during most part of the morning. There was a very large attendance of members, & the galleries were crowded. Dr Ogilvie spoke for an hour in presenting the Foreign Missions Report. Then the new missionaries, men and women, were exhibited to the Conference, belauded by the Moderator, & shaken by the hand as they filed past his chair.

I returned to the house for lunch, & then – the programme of the afternoon's proceedings in the Assembly having an unpromising aspect – I wrote a letter to Carissima, & stayed indoors until tea–time, when Ella, who had lunched at Linburn, rejoined me. We walked into the City, where we parted, she going to visit some fresh brood of cousins, & I into the Prince's Street Gardens to read the 'Times'. The Unionists have gained a seat in Derbyshire, thanks to the Labour men.

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After an early dinner we all went to the Assembly Hall for the Missionary Meeting. The Hall was crowded 'from floor to ceiling' mainly with parsons and women. The procurator of the General Assembly presided, & made an excellent little opening speech. Then I followed for 20 minutes, & was very well received. At the end of my speech I made some reference to Kikuyu. I said that it was my firm conviction that the great majority of Anglicans, laity & clergy, heartily approved the proceedings of Bishops Willis & Peel: & that this conviction would not be affected by any votes of diocesan conferences or even Convocations. I ended with an earnest appeal to the Scottish churches to carry through their union for the sake of the Christian Church as a whole. All this was loudly applauded: & after the meeting I was thanked by several of the clergy, speaking with all appearance of sincerity. I had hardly sate down before I was led off to an overflow meeting in an adjoining church. Here I repeated with variations the speech I had just concluded in the Assembly Hall, whither I returned in time to hear Norman McLean's concluding speech. On the whole, the meeting must be reckoned successful. We were back in the House again by 10.30 p.m.

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Issues and controversies: Kikuyu