The Henson Journals

[46]

Tuesday, February 6th, 1917.

918th day

It is the inevitable characteristic of a moderate or liberal section in Church or State to hold together with comparative laxity. The very fact of their liberality implies a regard to more than one side of any question – a certain impartiality which refuses to lend itself to mere blind partisanship, or to that species of irrational devotion which forms the rude strength of great parties.

Tulloch

I frittered away my morning in writing letters & making preparations for going away tomorrow. I called at the Bank, and instructed the Manager to apply for a further £500. of War Loan Stock. On my return to the Deanery, I presided at a meeting in the dining room at which a feeble–looking parson, Archdeacon Rees, explained his experiences in East Africa, where he had been interned by the Germans, and treated with some roughness. I was struck by the emphasis he laid on the friendly intimacy which had grown up between the internal missionaries of the C.M.S and the Universities' Mission. They had actually reached the point of communicating together! It never seemed to occur to the speaker that this was a sufficiently absurd description of the members of one & the same Church.

Then I attended a meeting of the Marquis of Granby Lodge of Freemasons. This is an ancient Lodge, founded as long ago as 1739, and it has a numerous membership. The proceedings were half an hour behind time in beginning, and were so leisurely, that nearly 2 hours were expended in getting through the business. The frost is more severe than ever. As I walked home the great buildings looked very wonderful in the moonlight.

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