The Henson Journals

[270]

Saturday, October 28th, 1916.

817th day

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I celebrated the Holy Communion at 8 a.m. and afterwards spent my morning in preparing the Assize Sermon, of which, however, so far I have no clear or coherent plan. I attended Evensong, & then walked with Cruikshank, who is now bent on starting a branch of the "Churchmen's Union" in Durham, unwisely as I must needs think. Captain Apperley's two sons – both officers who have done duty at the Front & been invalided home – came to lunch. I gathered from their account of their experiences that the men are mortally tired of the war.

George brought me a photograph of the Chorister's Eleven, & a note from Walter Jackson thanking me for the fruit.

Cruickshank professes himself an optimist because he is a Christian, & builds on his optimism a belief in "democracy", & all its most recent developments (e.g. feminism.) Indeed, he is at the call of every new fad, which grows from the teeming soil of popular politics. I do not dispute his primary assumption. As a Christian I must needs believe that God means well by his Universe; that he has a purpose in Creation not unworthy of Himself; & that that purpose is, however slowly & with many set–backs through human obstinacy & folly, marching to its fulfilment. I believe the Universe has a pre–determined finale, & that its purpose is not to be conceived of as something here attainable, which ex hypothesi would be reached & then perish: but rather is being attained continually as "Time" is traversed. We do not know what that purpose is. There may be truth in the old Calvinism with its emphasis on 'election'. God may be making up 'the members of his elect': and, when that is complete, suffering the disruptive forces of evil to work their natural effects in the destruction of the purposeless universe. Who knows?

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