The Henson Journals

[541]

4th Sunday in Advent, December 19th, 1915.

503rd day

I preached to the troops at 10 a.m. They coughed portentously. At Mattins Knowling preached an excellent sermon on the words from Revelations XVIII, "Slaves & souls of men". It was a very characteristic discourse. He always keeps within the sphere of his personal knowledge, thus limiting the range but improving the quality of his preaching. And his acquaintance with the Apostolic Age is so exact & extensive that he always surprises his hearers with some sound & interesting information. I celebrated at 12.30 noon. There were but 8 communicants. At Evensong Fawkes preached a very admirable sermon from the words of the Psalm: "As far as the East is from the West". He gave a lucid, suggestive, & brilliant comparison of Eastern and Western Christianity, & spoke of the possible influence of Slavonic religion on a world in which the Slavs were dominant. Knowling & his niece came in to tea: and afterwards Mead–Falkner arrived, but did not stay long. He expresses the utmost admiration for Knowling's preaching, but his ardour wd be the more impressive if it did not suggest a certain desire to belittle by contrast some of Knowling's brethren! He says that Belgians are to be employed in the great munitions factory which the Government is erecting at Birtley, & that he fears there may be labour–troubles in consequence. He says also that we are buying such vast quantities of munitions from America that it is very doubtful whether America's formal union with the Allies would be any advantage to their cause. I wrote to Carissima, and also, on Fawke's suggestion, I wrote to Professor Alfred Losiy, sending him a copy of my 'War–time Sermons'. I am not sure, however, whether this is a wise proceeding.

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