The Henson Journals

[259]

5th Sunday after Trinity, July 4th, 1915.

335th day

We spent the day in Sunderland in fulfilment of my promise to preach the sermons at the Dedication Festival of St. Ignatius's Church. We left the Deanery in the motor at 9.30 a.m., and arrived back in the Deanery again about 9.15 p.m. The night's rain had laid the dust so that motoring was freed from one of its worst annoyances. At 10.30 a.m. the Choral Eucharist formed the service, & I preached from our Lord's words: "Ye are the salt of the earth … Ye are the light of the world". There was a fair, but not crowded, congregation. The devoutness & congregationalism of the service pleased me, bringing back to mind the old days in Barking when precisely similar worship might have been witnessed. During the afternoon we made a series of calls. First we visited a little Red Cross Hospital, & talked with some of the wounded from Belgium: then we called on the Mayor & had tea with him: then we went to the Vauxes: & wound up with Canon Gouldsmith. By this time the Church claimed us again. At Evensong there was a full congregation. I preached from the words "They shall see his face", which was Bishop Lightfoot's text when he preached in Durham Cathedral at his own consecration. I spoke of him, & compared him with Bishop Butler, whom he called 'the greatest of the bishops of Durham'. The people were very attentive. On the whole I was better pleased with this church than with any other which I have yet visited in these northern parts. There was a fervour & simplicity which struck me as genuine. The tradition of Lightfoot's time has evidently not yet exhausted itself, & there was nothing of that fretful & innovating ceremonialism which now makes so many Anglican services spiritually exhausting. Sykes, the Vicar, is himself a straightforward & virile type of parson.

---