The Henson Journals

[685]

Tuesday, February 29th, 1916.

575th day

The battle of Verdun rages with ever–increasing fury. Though the Germans have forced the French back for some miles, it is still thought probable that their great attack will fail. In any event their losses will be colossal. To a mere on–looker it seems puzzling that they should be again allowed to attack without distraction elsewhere.

I spent the day in making notes for next Sunday's sermon.

In Hooker's Sermon of the Nature of Pride there is a notable indication of his opinion about Episcopacy, all the more impressive because implicit. Referring to the Puritan contention that ecclesiastical laws which varied from the Scriptural model, he says:

"The root of which error is a misconceit that all laws are positive which men establish, and all laws which God delivereth, immutable. No it is not the author which maketh, but the matter whereon they are made; that causeth laws to be thus distinguished… all canon apostolical touching the form of church government, though received from God himself, yet positive laws and therefore alterable." [v. Works III pt. ii, p. 771]

I met Gee this afternoon: & his first words were about the new appointment to the Deanery of Bristol, confessing thus the direction of his thoughts. It must certainly be mentally & morally unwholesome (though, perhaps, it need not be actually sinful) to let one's thoughts run thus on 'preferment'. Probably, however, in a non–established church this kind of distraction is an even more formidable factor, for there much turns on the effort & skill with which a minster succeeds in forcing himself into popular regard!

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