The Henson Journals

[301]

Friday, July 23rd, 1915.

354th day

The Foakes–Jackson Article still haunts me, & its possibility grows doubtful. What are the probable consequences of the War on Religion? How will these find expression in the Church of England? There is nothing new or surprising about the 'religious revival' which is reported from all the armies. It is only an illustration, impressive because of the scale of which it has been displayed, of Tertullian's aphorism "Anima humana naturaliter Christiana". But experience wd seem rather discouraging as to the quality & effect of this war–born religiousness. Already we are displaying many signs of spiritual crudity which must utter itself superstitiously. In today's "Times" I notice a letter headed "Spiritual Forces", & signed by Sheppard, the new Vicar of St Martin's in Trafalgar Square. He pleads for the setting up of 'some central machinery for controlling & directing the whole of the nation's spiritual forces on a national basis'. He proceeds to speak specifically of prayer, & suggests the immediate convocation of a conference 'of all the leaders of the Christian religion with a view to arrangements being made by wh every citizen shd be given the opportunity of filling in a form stating his or her willingness to take a definite & regular part in the nation's work of prayer & intercession, & what time each week cd be given by them to this work'. This singular suggestion shd be compared with the Sermon on the Mount. Truly a satirist, severe but not unjust, might write up on the doors of our Churches the Lord's summary of pagan devotion: "They think that they shall be heard for their much speaking". Of course there is no conscious hypocrisy in this queer process of 'organizing our spiritual resources', but it sets religious men on a road which can only lead to the abyss of hypocrisy: & the devout will go quickest therein, & fall deepest therein.

[303]

We left Winchester in a down–fall of rain, by the 11.23 a.m. express, & reached Waterloo shortly after 1 p.m. Foolishly committing ourselves to a hansom drawn by the most decrepit of cab–horses, we drove first to Aldwych where Ella got out in order to lunch with her suffragette friend Mrs Webbe: & I went on to the Deanery at St. Paul's. Here I found nobody in, but lunch prepared, & the Archbishop's sister–in–law awaiting the Dean's arrival! I invited her to lunch, and we lunched amicably together. Then I betook myself to the Athanaeum where I found Parkin's gift of the convenient collection of diplomatic documents. I had my hair –cut and shampooed: & then, returning to the Club, read Ralph's article on "Patriotism" in the Quarterly, & wrote to Marion. Then I walked back to the Deanery. On the way I ran in to Miss Troutbeck & her sister–in–law. Mrs Simpson, the wife of the Canon, is said to be dying: indeed, unlikely to survive the night. The poor man is much distressed & cast down. Mrs Romanes is staying here – a fanatical woman enough in mind, but well–behaved enough to conceal the fact. Her son, a youth in Khaki, was at dinner. Linetta also dined, looking very well indeed, & mightily pleased, as well she might be, over the Italian lectureship. Ralph told a good story of Jowett's reply to an undergraduate who inquired whether a good man could be happy on the rack. "Well", said the Master with deliberation, "perhaps he might, if he were a very good man on a very bad rack". We talked away pleasantly enough, but there must have been mighty little substance in our talking, for with an effort I can recall nothing beyond this mot with merits noting.

---

Issues and controversies: female suffrage