The Henson Journals

[41]

Thursday, October 22nd, 1914.

80th day

Alan Davis came to fetch his book of autographs. What could I write but Nelson's traditional message, "England expects every man to do his duty."? I finished the sermon for Sunderland, & then tried to put together some ideas for the meeting at Middlesbrough tonight. I wrote a long letter to Olive justifying my contention (which she jibbed against) that war is unfavourable to religion. Then I went into the cathedral in order to visit the workmen engaged in the repair. I found M r Gaymer in the triforium, and examined the roof & buttresses under his enthusiastic guidance. I attended Evensong in the Cathedral, & then made tracks for the station, only, however, to find that my train had already started. This was wholly the fault of the Middlesbrough Sectary, who, having bidden me catch a train at 5.5 p.m., had clearly been deluded by an old time–table! A later train brought me to the meeting about 20 minutes after the proceedings had begun. These took place in a large Congregational Chapel, which was fairly filled in spite of the rain. I spoke for about 45 minutes on "Christianity & the War". The minister, Gibson, appeared to be an intelligent man. He told me that the people of Middlesbrough were mainly Methodist, so far as they were non–conformists: that Congregationalism here shaded off into Presbyterianism which grew ever stronger as the Scottish border was approached. He was rather perturbed by my saying that war had an unfavourable effect on Religion. He had in fact been engaged upon a sermon designed to set forward the precisely opposed view. There is an element of truth in his contention, & perhaps it is the more obvious opinion. But I think mine is truer to the facts of history.

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