The Henson Journals

[226]

Tuesday, November 21st, 1916.

841st day

The grand assumption of all the "Catholics" in and out of the Church of England is that Christ "intended to found a visible Church". There must, therefore, be one visible society or Church on earth, if his 'intention' is not to be frustrated. The unity of this single society must be organic or political, i.e. expressed & secured by a single system of government. At this point the "Catholics" fall into sections. The Romans point triumphantly to the Papal hierarchy, unquestionably coming down from the Apostles, & developing majestically into an even more effective & absolute power. The Eastern Churches, they say, with much plausibility exhibit all the marks of an arrested development. Let them become modern, and find themselves forced to meet the onset of modern errors, & they will discover the inadequacy of the cumbrous system or systems (patriarchal, conciliar, Byzantine) which they have received from the past. They will necessarily then turn to the Rock of St Peter's Throne. As for the Anglicans, they exhibit a singular blend of insularity and pedantry. In order to make a claim to be "Catholic", they have to explain away their formularies, repudiate their history, & reduce their system to anarchy. They have no other significance than that of a confession of the failure of Protestantism: no other importance than that of an involuntary acknowledgement of the truth which the Papacy embodies. The Roman Claim would be irresistible if it were not for the disproof of it which the actual state of Christendom provides. A definition of the Church which leaves out such a multitude of Christians & societies of Christians cannot be tolerated. It fails to serve the first function of a definition.

[224]

I went to Leeds in order to attend the annual meeting of the Governors of the Ripon Clergy School. George Nimmins joined me at the station, having been despatched to York to meet Walter Jackson, who is to return from St Leonard's today. So we travelled together as far as Leeds. The Governors' Meeting was held in the Church Institute, & was presided over by Bishop Boyd Carpenter. The College is closed through lack of students owing to the War. I caused a statement to be entered on the minutes to the effect that the Governing Body retained complete liberty of action as to the appointment of Principal & Vice–Principal in the event of the College being re–opened after the War. It was agreed that this statement should be communicated to the late officials. Thus I hope we shall not have any complaints of dishonourable action if (as is very probable) we think it best to start with a fresh set of officials. I fell in with the Bishop of Ripon before the meeting, and had some speech with him. Leaving Leeds at 4.13 p.m. I did not reach Durham until nearly 7 p.m.: the train was ¾ an hour late. The news from Roumania continues to be very unfavourable. We have now reached the point of receiving from the Roumanian Embassy assurances that steps have been taken for securing the destruction of the wheat supplies to prevent their falling into the enemies' hands! The weather has now become very cold. The violent storms of last week have been everywhere followed by a sharp fall of the thermometer. There is, perhaps, some reason for thinking that the bad weather may handicap the Germans by making the transport of stores through the mountain passes extremely difficult.

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