The Henson Journals

[116]

Sunday after Christmas, December 31st, 1916.

881st day

The last day of the year never found me more perplexed as to my course, or more profoundly discontented with myself. On any shewing the year has been extraordinarily barren of achievement, & destitute of redeeming features. The War, which has made so many obscure persons gloriously prominent, has made many prominent persons shamefully obscure: and among these last I must needs reckon myself. The fault is not wholly, perhaps not mainly my own. For the War has pulled down the scaffolding on which the poor little dramatic performance of my life was being exhibited. It has gone far to destroy the raison d'être of clergymen, and a fortiori of Deans. The position of a "Moderate" in a crisis is always a difficult one, difficult because unintelligible, incongruous, and practically futile. The 'moderate drinker' is now submerged by the flood–tide of patriotic abstinence: the 'moderate thinker' is swept away by the hurricane of patriotic fanaticism. I am notoriously both the one and the other, & doubly superfluous!

[114]

The so–called "National Mission" will be described generally as the principal event of the year. From the first I suspected its origin. As it developed, I disliked its method. When it ended, I doubted its result. Throughout its whole course, I stood aside, avoiding public criticism, but well–known to be hostile. It is hard to imagine a more unpopular, and yet (for me being what I am) a more inevitable procedure. The truth is that the whole direction of the Church of England is now in the hands of Bishop Gore's disciples, men who are none the less so because they would repudiate (even hotly) the character. How true this statement is may be seen from the Report of the Archbishops' Committee on Church & State. Whatever may have been the intentions with which the members of that Committee originally started, they soon sank into the position of mere registrars of Gore's dogmata. He has crowned his extraordinary & sustained efforts to transform the Church into conformity with his democratic–episcopalian ideal, by putting forward a "Manual of Membership", which is almost insolently contrariant with established Anglicanism. Ralph and I have challenged it with some vigour, but in the present temper of the religious public the opposition of Deans is the strongest of all recommendations! The Archbishops have become mere echoes of Gore: and they have carried matters so far on his lines that it is very difficult to see how the situation can be retrieved. The new Bishops are men of no personal consequence, and will almost certainly fall into line with the policy which they find supported by the majority.

[112]

I received the Holy Communion at 8 a.m. The Precentor celebrated. Quirk preached a characteristic little sermon at 10 a.m. The Bishop of Durham arrived in good time before lunch. Knowling came to lunch & the two officers in charge of the "Dockers" – Colonel Hearne & Captain Slade. Also Dolphin, the ex–consul from Liege lunched. He told us in confidence that there had been a riot among the Belgians at Birtley; that he had himself with difficulty stayed them from violence of the gravest kind; that a court of inquiry had been sitting on it. The Belgian Commandant in his judgement had been injudicious, & when the critical moment arrived, showed the white feather by not putting in an appearance. It is interesting that the main demand of the Belgians was that they should be placed under British Officers & Police. The service of "Thanksgiving & Intercession" was not as numerously attended as I had expected. There were about 50 "Dockers", & a body of Church Lad's Brigade, besides the Mayor & Corporation. Nevertheless the nave was by no means filled. The Bishop preached an eloquent sermon, admirably phrased, but too elaborate & too long. On the whole I judge this to be the least "successful" of the 'special services'. Perhaps there have been too many of them; & everybody is a little blasé. As the War drags on year after year, the appropriate sentiments become trite & tiresome. If the Archbishops could but be induced to efface themselves for a while and give the public a rest, I incline to think they would be well advised. But the tireless Dervishes who haunt Lambeth are not likely to permit anything so sensible! Tomorrow we shall have a deluge of episcopal 'New Year Letters' to a certainty!

[110]

My dear G.

I think you wd be in all respects an admirable Dean of York, and, if the P.M. were to invite my confidence and advice, I only know one person whose fitness seems to me equal to yours, (and he is far less agreeable to me personally, I mean A.H.) and I shd certainly say everything good of you. But I have settled it with myself that I will not offer advice to the P.M., nor (if I can help it) dabble in preferment–rigging. If you ask my private opinion as to the way things will go in the matter of this Deanery, I have not the smallest doubt that the Archbishop of Y. has long since settled on his candidate, will probably have no difficulty in carrying him through Curzon Bonar Law, if not thro' the P.M. Who Lang's candidate may be, I haven't the remotest idea: but I am fairly sure that I shouldn't approve of him! There's Edward Lyttelton at present out of place: until he is satisfied, there must be some dubiety about everybody else's prospects! I have an ineradicable dislike of men's putting forward their own claims: I incline to think that the practice is generally as ineffective in action, as it is indefensible in principle. Therefore, if I were myself in your place, I shd just do nothing at all. You have many friends, , as far as I know, no enemies. Your name can hardly be left out of consideration, if the appointment be not une chose jugée [a matter already decided]. For the rest, my dear Friend, you must just 'tarry the Lord's leisure'.

All good wishes for 1917.

Yours aff.

H. H. H.

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