The Henson Journals

[196]

Friday, December 1st, 1916.

851st day

The post brings me a letter from the Bishop of Manchester, which confirms the evidence of the Bishop of Southwark. It runs thus:–

My dear Dean,

My attention has been called to your most important letter about the Papalizing of our Church. It is becoming quite serious. We were practically ordered

1. to launch into the present Finance scheme.
2. to run the National Mission.
3. To submit to a Continuation Ctee of the Mission.

This Diocese was ordered by the National Council Mission to pay £162. for its extravagances. There is probably another bill to follow. All this is quite apart from the matters voted at the Bishops' meetings, although in these respect for the Abps., & especially for the Abp. in whose room we meet, makes free discussion on any matter of importance difficult. We may talk as much as we please about trumpery affairs. In the Bishops' meeting the Council re. Ordination was carried, which issues all kinds of orders about conditions of ordination. The Ctees on Church & State, and Expert Ctee on Rubrics were appointed over our heads. All this has come in with the present Abp. of York.

I often speak in a minority of one, and am afterwards thanked secretly for having spoken.

The whole arrangement is a serious menace to the liberty of the Church, & I am glad that you have called attention to it. There are a few laity behind it all, & not least Mrs Creighton [194] & Mrs Montgomery. They are out now for autonomy, & will get disestablishment, and deserve it. I hope that you may have some opportunity of returning to the fray. Your Church & State article will do a lot of good. The Church Papers are muzzled to a great extent.

Yours very sincerely

E. A. Manchester.

This letter gives a suggestive glimpse into the working of the Church of England. The Bishop of Newcastle confessed to me very similar sentiments a few days ago. The Bishop of Bristol is also extremely discontented. Why do they not combine, & break up the hypocritical pretence of agreement? Burge, Nickson, Woods, Watts–Ditchfield, Perceval [Perival], Knox, Wild, Diggle, Chavasse, Jayne – there are 10 bishops who might be brought to act together if there were anyone to lead them. But there is no one, and every day makes the position worse.

My residence having ended, I took the opportunity of walking to the race–course to see what preparations had been made for Sunday's event, and then walked over 'Nine tree Hill' with Logic. The weather was still, foggy, and very cold.

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