The Henson Journals

[65]

Tuesday, December 4th, 1917.

1219th day

The chapel is a small and rather gloomy building. We had an abbreviated Mattins at 8.20 a.m., and then breakfast.

Then I settled down with pen and paper to put some notes together for the evening. I must try to emphasize: 1. The gravity of the issues at stake 2. The danger of sectarianism 3. The fallacious character of the suggested parallel bet: secular and ecclesiastical legislation 4. The necessity of keeping the Church truly national. I shall make a few observations on the Selborne Committee. On these lines I put together the skeleton of a speech. After lunch I walked for an hour and a half into what is courteously described as "the country". Then the Bishop took me to the Church House, (or some such description of building), a great pile of flats in the heart of the city, including a very complete flat for the Bishop's use, which is given to his Lordship free of charge. At the top there is ample housing for the "Old Rectory Club", and the bottom a large Hall. In the Club we dined: in the Hall we held the meeting. There was a considerable gathering, mostly of men. I spoke for 45 minutes; and was followed by the Bishop, and a layman. The last was extremely dull & tiresome. On the whole I think the meeting did no harm, and may even have done some small good. My speech was, perhaps, too conservative in tone, especially as the enemy makes play with the accusation that the critics of the Selborne Report, are really opponents of all reform. However, I did succeed in saying a good many things which greatly need saying, & are eminently worthy of being said.

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