The Henson Journals

[101]

Monday, December 31st, 1917.

1246th day

O merciful God, have compassion on me, the worst and weakest of Thy servants, and forgive the sins & blunders of another year. Thou knowest all my intentions, all my difficulties, all my failures. All things and my secret mind lie naked before Thee. Have mercy on me, O Lord, and cleanse me from my sin. Thy Will prevails in the affairs of men, and Thy Wisdom marks out the course of my life. Make known to me, I beseech Thee, the Purpose of Thy Providence, and give me grace to embrace it as mine own. Be with me in the new & perilous road I must tread. "Show Thou me the way that I should walk in for I lift up my heart unto Thee". Grant that my going to Hereford may help Thy people there, and set forward Thy kingdom. Give me wisdom, patience, & courage. Cleanse my personal life, I entreat Thee, and give me a clearer vision of Thy Truth. "If Thy Presence go not with me, carry me not up hence". Turn the hearts of mine enemies, and bring their evil intentions to nought. Let Thy Peace rule in my mind in the midst of all the tumults & confusions of this time. Open to me an entrance into the hearts of Thy People in Hereford, and enable me to serve them faithfully according to Thy Will. O loving Father, give me Thy Holy Spirit to consecrate me to this Work. "Into Thy Hands I commend my spirit, for Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, Thou God of Truth". This my prayer I present in the Name of Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord.

Amen.

[102]

To the Bishop of St David's

My dear Bishop,

Thank you so much for your very kind letter, wh. was the more welcome to me for its candour. I certainly do not claim infallibility, & it may well be the case that in the course of 30 years many things have been unwisely said. But the attitude which I have tried to take up & maintain is, I am fully persuaded, both right in itself, & indispensable in a Reformed Church. We cannot take up the ostrich–like policy of the Vatican in front of the accumulating knowledge & novel situations of our modern world. My personal opinions are far different indeed from many which yet I would not suffer to be roughly disallowed: and, indeed, I am most at home with men like yourself. Hoping, if God permit, for much co–operation in the future.

I am, my dear Bishop,

Sincerely & gratefully,

H. Hensley Henson

[103]

This has been pre–eminently a year of restlessness, controversy, and finally change. No less than 7 letters have appeared in the "Times" over my signature, & one in the "Spectator". The subjects were the following

1. "The Capitular Foundations" (Jan. 2nd)
2. "Mr Horton's Sabbatarianism" (April 24th)
3. "The Nation & hasty Measures" (June 26th)
4. "Conscientious objectors" (Sept. 15)
5. "Mattins on Sunday" (Sept. 27th)
6. "The Archbishop's Summons" (October 17)
7. " ( ̎23)
8. "The Clergy & Military Service" (July 1st in "Spectator")

On March 25th I preached in the City Temple. I addressed large meetings of Dissenters at Hull (Feb. 22) and Bradford (March 19th). I preached in Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, York, & Newcastle, as well as many places within the diocese. I preached in Westminster Abbey on Trafalgar day (Oct. 21): addressed a great meeting in the London Opera House on June 3rd in commemoration of the Battle of Jutland: presided at a meeting of the Evangelical Alliance on June 4th: preached at Eton to the school, & addressed a meeting in Manchester (Dec. 4th). Both in the Northern Convocation and in the Representative Ch. Council I took a prominent, & not unsuccessful part in criticizing & opposing the Selborne Scheme. Finally I accepted the bishoprick of Hereford, and was at once immersed in a maze of controversy. On Oct. 12 "Logic" was lost to my great & lasting sorrow.

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