The Henson Journals

[135]

Saturday, January 19th, 1918.

1265th day

"They that sow in tears shall reap in joy" says the Psalmist. What had he in mind when he wrote thus? Did his experience of life teach him that initial difficulties & distresses, if firmly encountered & overcome, lead in a period of calm & satisfaction? Was he thinking rather of the necessity of effort if one would master knowledge, acquire skill, secure influence, command success? Or was he merely setting forth the case of those who are not "facile conquerors"? Assuredly my Episcopate has an ill beginning. I move to the Bench in a hail–storm of calumny & denunciation. It is startling to find one's self so widely hated & distrusted, & must have startled many who would have called themselves my friends. The violence of the opposition may be a measure of the consternation, & so far an involuntary confession of respect. It is not, of course, impossible, & may not even be improbable, that the Romanizers are really meditating a secession, & that the attack on me is designed to create a suitable situation for the process. Or, the advocates of an open policy of disestablishment may think the occasion suitable for launching their campaign. They would like to pose as champions of essential Christian truth, driven into revolt by an intolerable aggression of the State. Hence the shameless distortion of my teaching in order to prejudice the public, which knows little of criticism or theology, but is easily captured by phrases. The Evangelical public is quite illiterate, and its ingrained Bibliolatry provides a fertile soil in which to sow the seeds of suspicion & alarm. Fanaticks for "Church" & for "Bible" join hands against one who seems to conflict with both!

[136]

My letters were of no special interest. The Bishop of Chelmsford writes rather cantingly to say that his conscience won't let him take part in my consecration! Well: I must try to sustain the blow, which is mitigated by the knowledge that his Lordship is certainly incompetent for a judgment on the accusations made against me. The Dean of Westminster writes to consent to be one of my presenting bishops if the Archbishop consents to consecrate.

"His (the Archbishop's) continued tenure of the Primacy for a while longer, if he is given health and strength for the work, appears to me of paramount importance. And you will understand my attitude, when I say, that, if it came to the issue of either his having to resign or of you having to withdraw your acceptance, the latter alternative would appear to me to be the right one to be adopted."

He thinks it would be judicious for me to issue some statement to re–assure the nervous. When he wrote, however, he had not seen the Abp's reply to Gore's protest.

Percival, the Bishop's son, joined me at lunch, & we had some conversation. He says that Winnington–Ingram did not act loyally to his father, & was not to be trusted. He advised my getting rid of Beddoe, but was unable to suggest a satisfactory substitute. He could tell me nothing about the Vicar of Leominster, but spoke highly of Wynne–Willson, who was his father's chaplain at one time.

[137]

George Macmillan expressed his support, & said he & his wife would like to attend the consecration. Tallents and Geo: Prothero also spoke very kindly. Baker–Wilbraham said that he was dining last night with Sir Robert Williams who displayed much animus against me. Charles took me for a walk in the Parks, and then I had tea in the Club. An elderly habitué, MacCarthy, introduced himself to me, and persuaded me to sign a requisition for a special meeting of the Club to consider whether or not the North Reading Room shd be used as a smoking room. He said that he had met Ella's parents at Mürren. He was teaching blind soldiers how to read the Brail type; was a Fellow of the Geographical Society, and invited me to inspect the rooms in Lowther Lodge.

As I was writing a letter to my Godson, Gilbert, Lord Parmoor came into the writing room & I exchanged a few words with him. He said that he did not anticipate any trouble, but that, if there were objections, the Confirmation wd have to be adjourned. Pearce came in. He told me that he had written to the Bishop of Salisbury telling him that he disagreed with him, & offering to resign his chaplaincy. Baden–Powell came to me, & said that, though he was a member of the E.C.U. he abhorred the opposition to me. Then I walked to Westminster, & dined with Charles. Gow and his wife were there. I showed them some of my letters & the pamphlets circulating in the Hereford diocese.

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