The Henson Journals

[98]

5th Sunday after Trinity, July 8th, 1917.

1070th day

I preached in the Cathedral at 10.30 a.m. to a considerable congregation, in which the number of men was unusually great, and the attention close and sustained. My text was formed of two contrasted passages (I Samuel xv. 33 and S. Matt. V. 43, 44) in which the morality of Samuel and that of Christ were exhibited in luminous & suggestive contradiction. I had inserted a few sentences of reference to yesterday's raid, which certainly gave point to my words.

Ella & I accompanied Canon Scott to the cathedral for the afternoon service. The congregation was small and mainly feminine. We sate in the Corporation stalls at the West end, and thus enjoyed an excellent view of the church. Manchester Cathedral is not unlike Newcastle Cathedral, but finer & loftier. I was interested by the quaint dresses of the Cheetham Foundation boys, of whom there are now (as I was informed) eighty. Canon Scott preached briefly and simply from the words of Isaiah, "I have called thee by thy name: thou art mine." Ella went to the Cathedral for the Evening service, but I remained at home, & wrote a series of letters. After supper I had much talk with mine host on sundry matters of urgent & melancholy interest, with respect to which I conceived it important that I should obtain specific & particular information. He was able and willing to tell me everything that was relevant to a just judgment of the issues concerned. Surely, when one reflects on these things, one must needs pray with the Psalmist:– "Keep Thy servant also from presumptuous sins lest they get the dominion over me: so shall I be innocent from great offence." There is something in the altitude of the clergyman's professional character that at once betrays him into sin, and adds to it an aspect of special turpitude. "Who is sufficient for these things?" asks the great Apostle. How much more must we ask that question, who are neither great, nor apostles?

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