The Henson Journals

[96]

Friday, January 5th, 1917.

886th day

"Surely the contempt of the world is not a greater virtue than the contempt of mankind is a vice". (Young on Swift)

Bp. Hall's doctrine of the Church is very well expressed in the short but pungent document printed in Works VIII, 763, "A Letter paroenetical [sic] to a worthy Knight ready to revolt from the Religion Established".

Chancellor Worlledge of Truro wrote to me anent my letter to the "Times".

"I hope that you will pursue the subject both publicly & privately, and that some means be found of convincing the Abps. of Canterbury & of York that the foolish & mischievous utterances (several of which have emanated from prominent promoters of the "National Mission") to which you refer should be checked". He proceeds to explain that there is no general support for the proposal to divide the diocese of Exeter, and that the late bishop was opposed to the scheme. He maintains that the cathedrals are not so unpopular as their critics observe. "The fact is that these agitations are mostly got up by fussy people who misuse sections of the Press to manufacture them". He is for prompt action: "if any serious attempts are made after, or before, these Committees of the "National Mission" have reported, a meeting of Deans & Canons should be convened to deal with the Archbishops & stop the "movement". He adds the P.S.: "There is no arrangement, except as a purely temporary expedient, worse than making a Bishop Dean of his Cathedral. How could the Bishop of Durham govern your Cathedral?" Welldon has a letter in the "Times" supporting my objection to the destruction of the cathedral foundations.

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