The Henson Journals

[214]

23rd Sunday after Trinity, November 26th, 1916.

846th day

The Sunday next before Advent has traditionally a character of finality. For the familiar cycle of the ecclesiastical year has been again traversed, and we are called to 'gather up the remnants that nothing be lost'. Never certainly do I find myself looking back upon a more fruitless year. Its positive achievements have been wretchedly small: and its inner wastage of heart–power has been perilously great. This paralyzing interlude of War still continues, and shows no indication of reaching an end. In some sense, perhaps my inability to take any active part in a so–called 'National Mission', the whole scheme & method of which offended my judgment, has re–acted for ill on my life, leaving me isolated and in a sense exiled from the general movement of a Church, in which nevertheless I hold a prominent if not really an influential position. It is difficult to see how it was possible for me to avoid this isolation, for, even if I could have suppressed my dislike of the Mission itself, I should speedily have fallen out with its methods. Nevertheless, it is not without a sinister suggestiveness that, in a venture pretending to be national, the Dean of Durham should not have been so much as invited to preach a sermon, or contribute a tract. There is something which savours of an informal excommunication in this!

[212] [symbol]

Nov: 26th 1916

My dear Temple,

I am grateful to you for your letter, although what you say disappoints & displeases me. I introduced your name into my letter to the "Times" because I hoped it wd draw from you explanations wh wd in substance amount to a disclaimer: for, indeed, the almost insolent crudity of the article made me very sure that you yourself could not be the author, & I was allowing myself to think that you had been so busy with the "National Mission" that something had secured insertion which normally the Editor wd have rejected. Although I am bound to say that the article, extraordinarily crude as it was, did not essentially depart from the position wh. (to my very real astonishment) the "Challenge" has taken up since you undertook its editorship. Even those who hold that the Holy Ghost guided the decisions of the General Councils – & on that point Article xxi suggests a view wh. can hardly be reconciled with yours – do not suppose that such Divine Guidance can be postulated with reference to all subjects. You do not define "the Church"; & I will accept no definition wh. doesn't cover the whole subject wh. has to be defined. Finally, your view – as expressed in the Article – is to my thinking essentially identical with Papalism: & the last appears to me the most logical & serviceable form of that conception of Christ's Religion. I am really distressed to be assured that "you & I fundamentally differ about these things"; but I do not feel able to dispute the justice of the phrase.

Yours sincerely

H. Hensley Henson

[210]

The morning post brought me a letter from Gilbert Darwin. He describes the consecration of the new Church of the Winchester College Mission.

"250 boys & members of the staff went to the service. It was most impressive as there was a very high church service with incense, & Bishop Talbot was dressed in his cope and mitre, wh. made a great impression upon all the people".

It is difficult to see how the "aggrieved parishioners" can have much confidence in the Bishop of Winchester.

Gilbert, my godson, writes to me cheerfully from hospital in France. He received a number of wounds in the victorious 'push' of November 13th. He hopes soon to get some leave.

I celebrated the Holy Communion at 8 a.m., and preached at Mattins. At both services the congregations were but small, a circumstance perhaps in part attributable to the "National Mission" which is today being preached in the parishes of the city. Colonel & Mrs Darwin, Mrs Heawood & her son (an exchanged prisoner from Kut), and Principal Jevons lunched here. Also old Canon Fowler. I attended Evensong, & afterwards wrote letters to William Temple and Gilbert Darwin. Meade Falkner & his wife came in to tea.

The letter I received from William Temple rather surprized me. I had not supposed that he had gone over so completely to the sacerdotal faction. But it is a satisfaction to know that I did him no injury in crediting him (by implication) with the absurd episcopalianism of the leading article in the 'Challenge', from which I quoted a few sentences in my letter to the "Times". Surely the Archbishop can hardly approve that.

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