The Henson Journals

[104]

New Year's Day, January 1st, 1918.

1247th day

"Show Thou me the way that I should walk in, for I lift up my soul unto Thee".

I went to the Cathedral at 8 a.m, and there received the Holy Communion.

Darwell Stone has a letter prominently printed on the front page of the "Times", giving some extracts from books of mine, designed to answer the Dean of Canterbury's demand for specific accusations against me. Later in the day a telegram from Sanday arrived in these terms: "I am answering Darwell Stone for Thursday's Times". This is creditable to the chivalry of the Professor, and must needs add gravity to the doctrinal conflict.

I wrote several letters, among others, to Gilbert and Norman. The Birthday Honours List is rather a long one. It contains two items of interest to me – Hadow is knighted, & Craik is made a Privy Councillor. I wrote congratulatory letters to them both.

The prospect of a serious conflict with the High Church party is not attractive. They ought logically to put me on my trial for heresy, but, I apprehend, that they are not very sure of their ground, and they are deeply pledged to refuse the jurisdiction of courts, which they habitually stigmatize as "Erastian". So they seek to gain their object by raising a mighty clamour by which I may be induced to back out, or the Chapter of Hereford may be led to reject me, or the Bishops terrified into refusing consecration. I myself will not yield an inch: but I do not feel very sure about the Chapter or the Bishops.

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