The Henson Journals

[383]

15th Sunday after Trinity, September 12th, 1915.

405th day

'Moreover, our Saviour exercised the office of the scribe when He stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground (John VIII), that no one however exalted, may think it unworthy of him to do what he sees the wisdom of God the Father did. O singular serenity of writing, to practise which the Artificer of the world stoops down, at whose dread name every knee doth bow! O venerable handicraft pre–eminent above all other crafts that are practised by the hand of men, to which our Lord humbly inclines His breast, to which the finger of God is applied, performing the office of a pen! We do not read of the Son of God that he sowed or ploughed, wove or digged: nor did any other of the mechanic arts befit the divine wisdom incarnate except to trace letters in writing, that every gentleman & sciolist may know that fingers are given by God to men for the task of writing rather than for war.'

'Philobiblion' c. xvi.

The excellent author has either forgotten that our Saviour is described by his contemporaries as 'the Carpenter', or he regards the description an insulting calumny. In any case the feudal contempt for manual labour breathes through the passage. Elsewhere our Saviour is represented as the model of carefulness in handling books:

'But the Saviour also has warned us by his example against all unbecoming carelessness in the handling of books, as we read in St Luke. For when he had read the scriptural prophecy of Himself in the book that was delivered to him, He did not give it again to the minister, until he had closed it with His own most sacred hands. By which students are most [385] clearly taught that in the care of books the merest trifles ought not to be neglected.

I celebrated at 8 a.m. and at 10 a.m. preached to the troops. There were, perhaps, about 500 present, & they seemed to me more than usually attentive. Lillington preached at Mattins, continuing his application of Hosea to modern circumstances. It was all very crude & childish. I walked in the Banks with Logic, & fell in with Bayley, and the architect Bilson. Two American ladies came to lunch, as also Pemberton & his daughter Penelope. I attended Evensong: and afterwards Knowling brought in the Cheadles & his niece to say Goodbye. They all go away for some time next Tuesday. I wrote letters to Carissima & Cummings. After dinner we sate in my study, and I read poetry until prayer–time.

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