The Henson Journals

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1st Sunday after Trinity, June 14th, 1914. Culloden, Craigavad, Co. Down.

Keep the door of my lips, O God, and guide the courses of my thought. Grant that all that this day I shall speak or do in this place may be according to Thy Will, & helpful to Thy servants. Let Thy Presence by consciously with me as I preach in Thy House, & assist the preaching with Thy Holy Spirit, that it may be made serviceable to Thy Church here.

Show Thou me the way that I should walk in for I lift up my soul unto Thee.

Amen.

I asked mine host some more particular account of the gentlemen whose conversation last night had interested me so greatly. He told me as follows:

1. Sir Robert Kennedy is the local squire, & has been in the diplomatic service. He is a strong supporter of the Volunteer Movement.
2. Mr Campbell is a large linen manufacturer: a loyal & prominent Churchman, & an eager supporter of Carson.
3. Mr McLean, a successful solicitor: colonel of the local volunteers: prominent in the gun–running.
4. Rev. Mr Peacock, a son of the Abp. of Dublin, himself an eager Volunteer & personally active in the gun–running.
5. Rev. Mr Kerr (?) [sic] a local incumbent of great ability & promise.

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A fine day promising great heat, a circumstance nowise favourable either to the delivery or to the audience of sermons. I gave mine host a copy of "Notes of my Ministry".

We motored in to the Cathedral for the morning service. It is a large & very lofty building in the basilican style. Only the nave has been completed. When the present trouble has passed over, it is hoped that the transepts, tower, and chancel may be added. There was a very large choir of men, boys, and women. The last were vested in purple gowns. The singing was unexpectedly good, a circumstance the more surprising since, save for some petty payments to a few of the men & pocket money for the boys, the choir is voluntary. I preached in the stone pulpit which stood formerly in the nave of Westminster Abbey, & was after the Coronation of Edward VII presented to Belfast Cathedral. It is incongruous here also, but from the preacher's point of view it is commodious & convenient. There were large congregations which would probably have been still larger had not the fineness of the day made the open air almost irresistible. We encountered numerous bicyclists on their way into the country, & an immense queue of holiday makers standing at the landing–stage of the excursion steamers waiting for their chance to go on board. The heat of the day made preaching rather wearisome, & the morning sermon was, perhaps, rather too long.

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I lunched with the Dean & Mrs Grierson. The latter is a perfervid Unionist, & devotes herself to the cause in spite of very frail health. She assured me that she had sent pamphlets to the Mess–presidents of all the regiments: that her packages were opened & stopped in the post: & that finally she had secured their postage in England through the assistance of sympathizing officers. The attitude of the army & navy is (if one may credit the statements of these good people) very definitely taken, & very frankly disclosed. Indeed, it is puzzling to define one's own attitude in this strange country. The circumstantial stories of brutal & illegal action by Roman priests under the 'Ne temere' decree are almost incredible, & yet they are affirmed on direct personal knowledge & with evident conviction.

The Bishop & I walked during the afternoon, & had much conversation. At Evensong I went with Miss Grierson to the Cathedral. On our way we encountered a fine body of Volunteers marching to some church for a parade. Their excellent marching impressed even a non–professional observer.

My sermon was more closely connected with the events of the hour. The text, 'The builders, everyone had his sword girded to his side, & so builded', was itself suggestive: & I added a concluding paragraph conceived in a very sympathetic vein. The Bishop told me afterwards that he had not been so moved by a sermon for many years!

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Issues and controversies: irish home rule