The Henson Journals

[563]

Friday, December 31st, 1915.

515th day

Ella and I attended the Holy Communion at 8 a.m. & received the Sacrament. The Precentor celebrated, using the intercessions set out by the Archbishops. Watkins & Quirk were present, all the minor canons, & Poole. Only 5 communicants outside the Foundation! I finished the sermon for Sunday. After lunch I walked with Logic, & lost him in Houghall Wood. The farmer on the hill–side told me that foxes had been attacking his poultry. I attended Evensong, to which Intercessions were added. Then I wrote some letters, including one to Elsie.

The post brought me a letter from the Archbishop of Upsala: in which he makes use of the expression 'the Tractarian heresy', and asks; "Will not such a tremendous experience as this War be able to sweep away snobbism even in religion?" He speaks of my 'eagerly expected lectures': but truly I doubt whether these will ever advance beyond the stage of expectation!

During the year which ends today I have preached 20 sermons in 16 of the parish churches in the diocese, viz:

Bishop Auckland (2)	[symbol] Burnmoor
[symbol] New Seaham	[symbol] Brancepeth
S. Cuthbert's, Durham (2)	S. Ignatius, Sunderland (2)
Bishopwearmouth	[symbol] Penshaw
[symbol] S. Hilda's, South Shields	Gateshead
[symbol] S. Hilda's, Hartlepool	[symbol] Stanhope
[symbol] Christ Church, Sunderland	[symbol] Wynyard
S. Nicholas, Durham (2)	Stockton

This will more than satisfy my statutory obligation to preach.

[565]

The review of the year gives me no satisfaction. Little has been attempted, and less has been achieved. On the whole, I apprehend, that my personal consequence has declined, and my pubic influence diminished. The foolish attempt to hustle the nation into total abstinence has had no real effect, but its very failure has brought the more odium on the scandalous parson who ventured publicly to dissociate himself from a movement which boasted the King's Example & the Archbishop's advocacy! Kikuyu has become the synonym of a squalid controversy, with which to be connected albeit indirectly is a degradation. The tides of tendency in Church and State are receding from me, & every month sees me more destitute of allies & supporters. My remoteness from London has facilitated this waste of personal influence, for 'out of sight out of mind' is a true proverb, & it is not possible to keep in the same rank of consideration a man, however sincerely regarded, who is never personally present. Besides, Time as it passes is always bringing on to the stage fresh figures, who rivet the eyes of the audience. The old actors are forgotten. I notice the advance into the central places of a series of new men, my own contemporaries or even my juniors, who are 'crowding me out' of place and power. Then the change in the "Times" has tended in the same direction. On a review of my own career, I judge that no small place must be assigned to the uniform goodwill of the "Times", and its readiness to give admission in its columns to anything I wished to say. Now this is no more: & though I think the Editor remains my personal friend, I think he feels a certain embarrassment arising from the circumstance that I abhor his Proprietor, & think that the great paper is compromised in character & influence by his intrigues.

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Issues and controversies: Kikuyu