The Henson Journals

[146]

Tuesday, December 19th, 1916.

869th day

A heavy snow–fall occurred during the night, & compelled Jim and Clara to postpone their departure. I wrote to Sir Lewis Dibdin about the refusal of the Commissioners to sanction the sale of the glebe at Witton Gilbert to Coroner Graham for a recreation ground. Beyond attending Mattins & Evensong, and sawing up logs, I did nothing useful. I did however call on old Dr Greenwell, who ages visibly. He is nearly 97, & though deaf, can talk with intelligence & animation when seised of the subject of conversation. The afternoon post brought me a letter from Olive with a post–card photograph of herself & donkey–cart.

"I have realized the War more than I did before since being here & see how it is the much criticized spirit of FATALISM which carries the men along at all. I feel it myself talking to men & officers alike. They all say the same – it is only a matter of time, & they don't expect to last much longer. Death is entirely an incident. How can it really be otherwise? One feels it oneself, & often I feel I'd far rather go up the line with these boys & be killed than live on without them. For all that they are cheerful & brave beyond words – all delighted at the change of Government."

Ella kept her room today by reason of a severe cold. After dinner I wrote to Newsom congratulating him on his appointment as Vicar of Newcastle. I received a letter from Gilbert, who is still in hospital at Southport, and a card from Ernest, who has gone to France with a draft. He writes with the evident desire to remain abroad.

[144]

Bishop Lightfoot on the 'Quicunque vult':– v. York Journal of Convocation July 31st 1879. He proposed 'a simple substitution of "may" for "shall" in the rubric. "Personally I shd prefer to see it (the Creed) removed altogether; but I do not think that theological education has gone so far that it wd be wise to press for the total removal at present." He quoted a memorial presented to the Professors of Divinity at Cambridge & signed by 'something between 150 and 200' persons, 'not only men of very considerable intellectual standing, a large number of Junior Fellows & Scholars of the Colleges, but the very men, one with another, almost without exception, on whom I shd have laid my finger as the hope of the Church in the years to come.' The Bp. concluded his speech thus:– "I cannot shut my eyes, whatever others may do, to these facts: and therefore I feel that my allegiance to my Master Christ, my allegiance to that Nicene doctrine wh. I thoroughly & completely hold, & my allegiance to this Church of England, wh. I venture to think the noblest Church in Christendom, require me to do what I can to remove this stumbling–block wh. stands in the way of so many." The resolution was supported by the Abp. (Thompson), and the Bp. of Manchester (Fraser).

"Nor is it always in the most distinguished achievments that men's virtues or vices may be best discerned; but very often an action of small note, a short saying, or a jest, shall distinguish a person's real character more than the greatest sieges or the most important battles." (Plutarch 'Alexander')

How true this is! If one could but keep it steadily in mind, there would be an end of 'letting oneself go' when 'off duty'. "In whatsoever I find you therein will I judge you" runs a significant Logion of Christ uncanonical but surely authentic.

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