The Henson Journals

[112]

Wednesday, July 18th, 1917.

1080th day

Lord Haldane spoke in the highest terms of Pringle–Pattison's Gifford Lectures. He thought that they indicated a mode of presenting Christianity which might appeal to the modern mind. He said that Caird's influence had greatly decayed. I asked him whether he thought the Disruption had benefitted religion in Scotland, & he replied in a decided way that it assuredly had, though men were now weary of the divisions it had caused, & eager to re–create the union, which he [it] had broken up. He thought the re–union of the two great Presbyterian Churches would be affected, & that as a consequence each of them would lose 25 per cent of its following! In all this, perhaps, there was some admixture of the hereditary sectarianism. We spoke of "after–war problems". He took a grave view, agreeing mainly with Arthur Shadwell's article, which, however, he had not read. He thought all our institutions would come under severe criticism, & be either swept away, or drastically re–ordered. The Church of England would certainly enjoy no exemption from the process. He had come to think that the "Establishment" was a great assistance to religion in England, & that its destruction would injure religion gravely. He thought Arnold's view of widening the basis of the National Religion was still a sound policy. I was distressed to hear both at Lady Londonderry's table and at the table of Lady Struthers strong denunciations of the Abp. Of Canterbury's attitude towards "reprisals". In both cases I conceived myself bound to champion his Grace, with whom in this matter I am entirely agreed. Lord Haldane suggested that a collection of the Bishop of London's speeches translated into German might well seem very like "Hurrah and Hallelujah"! There can be no doubt that Ingram has spoken very foolishly, & unfortunately his position as Bishop of London gives a prominences [sic] to his utterances altogether greater than their intrinsic importance merits. We have learned to know our Ingram, & to discount him: but abroad this is not yet the case.

[113]

I walked to the Athenaeum, read the papers, and wrote to Raleigh. Hadow came into the club, & had some talk with me. Then I walked to Westminster, & visited the Abbey church. The Wolfe monument is gay with Canadian flags. I called on Gamble, & talked with him for more than half an hour. He says that Ronald Knox is reported to be in a strange state of mind. His friends await his next step either into papistry, or into agnosticism. Either event seems probable. Ella joined me at luncheon with Sir Henry & Lady Craik. They are both very discontented with the present régime at S. Margaret's. With parliamentary gossip and more serious talk the time passed until tea–time. We called on Mrs Gow, and then on Mrs Radcliffe. Marcus came in, a fine–looking boy of 13, who is much cast down at being rejected for the navy on account of defective eyesight. Then we walked to 108 Eaton Square, where Lady Charnwood gave us tea. Sir Almroth Wright was there to meet us. With him I had a long conversation. He is a strange creature, engaged on a book about Morality, & anxious to talk with "experts". If he took me for an "expert" moralist, he was woefully mistaken. However I was pleased to have speech with him. We returned to the S. Paul's Deanery, & there dined with our hosts & Linetta. After dinner we had much mixed conversation. A note from Miss Mills was brought to me after I had retired. It said that Robinson could not lunch with me in the Club tomorrow. This is, perhaps, well, as I might have pledged myself to write something about Temple's meeting, which had really best be left alone. Ralph tells me that the Archdeacon, who was present at the meeting, reports that Temple's speech was admirable, also that Temple and Sheppard are entirely delighted with the meeting. The daily papers with the single exception of the "Times" contained no report of the meeting. This surprised me, but no doubt the ecclesiastical press will make amends for this indifference of the secular newspapers. Besides Temple has in the "Challenge" his own trumpet on which to blow his loudest!

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