The Henson Journals

[60]

Saturday, December 1st, 1917.

1216th day

I attended Mattins in the cathedral. The service was calming & consolatory, matching my mood of vague & restless expectancy very generously. When I came out, there was a drizzling rain, & a look of menace in the sky.

I read through carefully the Bishop of Chester's letter, & wrote an acknowledgment (copy on next page). Also I wrote to Gilbert. Mrs Hussey came to lunch, a pleasant lady enough. Later, I walked with the Archdeacon, and, the talk inclining that way, spoke of my own rather odd career. He inclined to agree with what Rutherford used to say, that my not having been to a public school had preserved my individuality. This may, or may not, be an advantage. The certain loss is plain enough. Bishop Walsh and his niece came to tea. I wrote to Ella. To dinner came three officers, rather unusual in aspect and type, but all intelligent & interesting. One of them, who had served in the Balkans, spoke with contempt of the Serbians, & with loathing of the Armenians. He said that the Fire in Salonika had done no damage to the British, & that the city was no great loss. He did not seem to appreciate the historical & archaeological interest of the great church of St Demetrius. After dinner we had a lively discussion about the ethics of the Stock Exchange: & when we went into the drawing–room, Ruth played divinely. She is certainly one of the most loveable and interesting women it has ever been my fortune to meet.

[61]

To the Lord Bishop of Chester

December 1st 1917

My dear Lord Bishop,

I am very much obliged to you for letting me see the confidential representation wh. you have made to the Bishops of the Northern Province, & which (if you will allow me to say so) is both weighty & effective. More than either, I hold it to be true. Your concluding paragraph presses much into a small space. I think the mischief has gone too far for remedy, & that the Church of England can now only be made morally respectable by disruption. The root objection to the "autonomy" designed in the Report of the Abps' Ctee is, that it will not merely precipitate Disestablishment (which, indeed, is its proper presupposition), but also leave the "plant" of the disestablished Church securely in the hands of the sacerdotalist party. This must be the result, & I believe was the design, of the policy of "hustle" to wh. the Authors of the Report are committed.

I think the discussions & decision of the R.C.C. were a rebuke to that policy, & called a halt. The large, free Ctee appointed by the Abps. to consider the whole subject was far indeed from what Lord Parmoor asked for: &, in point of fact, I voted for it.

Again thanking you, I am, my dear Lord Bishop, ever sincerely yours,

H. Hensley Henson

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