The Henson Journals

[141]

Tuesday, January 22nd, 1918.

1268th day

My letters contained nothing interesting beyond letters from the Bishop of Manchester, Canon Sanday, and Lady Frances Balfour. The Bishop assured me that "he will be no party at all to the machinations of the Gore–ites, & that if I felt there was anything that he ought to do in my behalf, he hoped that I would not hesitate to tell him". Sanday seemed to imagine that there would be a doctrinal discussion at the Confirmation, & wrote to suggest that I should take pains to provide my lawyer with a complete equipment for a theological argument. I wrote the Bishop thanking him, & suggesting that, if he conveniently could, he shd take part in the Consecration. Then I walked to Adeney's, & borrowed a hood, bands, & a bag. In my absence a message came from Lambeth that the Archbishop wd like to see me at the House of Lords. So I went thither, stopping on the way to see Lee. The time for receiving objections was just expiring, & I learned that 2 objections had been filed, by Hermitage Day & a man called Reilly. I went to the House of Lords, & had a short interview with the Archbishop. He was evidently gratified by the response which his letter had evoked, & very anxious to make sure that I was not going to "spoil the effect" by writing anything in self–defence! He told me that Gore had indicated the possibility of his [142] withdrawing his protest. He said that if this were done it would make the Bishops, who had announced their refusal to join in my consecration, look rather absurd. Darwell Stone & Puller had been to see him, & pointed out that, on Catholick principles, the faithful ought to withdraw from communion with all who took any part in consecrating a heretick! He was assured of a sufficiency of bishops to join in the consecration, Lincoln, Southwark, Bristol, & Peterborough having undertaken to do so. He thought there was no doubt now that the Consecration would take place on February 2nd. I lunched with Gamble, and then made my way to Elsie, where I had tea with her & the children. On returning to the Club, I had a few words with Asquith, who was quite kind. A clerk from Lee came to show me the actual objections as drafted. He told me that they were privately informed that great difficulty had been experienced by the enemy in raising two objections from the diocese of Hereford. In his opinion, it was to my advantage that the enemy had set out what the objections against me actually were, as it would preclude speculation on the subject. There may be something in this. Pearce told me that Bishop Nickson had written a good letter in my behalf to the "Bristol Times". I dined quietly in the Club. It was a warm wet night, rather desolate.

[143]

The Abp told me that the Bp. of Exeter refuses to take part in my consecration. "Fish" Cecil has been accounted my friend for 30 years past. I am Godfather to his daughter: & he wrote me quite an affecte letter when first my appointment was announced. Now he joins the hue & cry. I told the Abp that I deeply resented the way in which I had been treated, & I do. My relations with these abstaining bishops will not be exactly easy. They have done what they can to hinder my entrance on my episcopate: they have added enormously to my difficulties in starting my work: they have lent the sanction of their names to the campaign of calumny & insult which has been running its course for the past month. All this it is impossible not to resent, difficult to forgive. The weeks which should have been dedicated to self–preparation for this solemn chapter of my life have been filled with every kind of public exasperation & private insult. Instead of an atmosphere of sympathy & goodwill there has been created suspicion, dislike, limitless misrepresentation. An event which in ordinary circumstances forms the subject of congratulations has been stripped of every kind of satisfaction. I have been harassed by the threatenings of prosecution, & compelled to waste time & money in London at a time when both were more than commonly precious. All these circumstances invest the beginnings of my episcopate with unhappiness, and seem to be prophetic of trouble in the future. And I owe them to the Bishops!

[144]

Probably this strangely–violent agitation against me gives expression to a crowd of resentments, which have been accumulating for many years. There is always the fact of envy to be reckoned with, & this fact is, of course, more than commonly considerable in the case of a man who is destitute of the recognized qualifications for success. I am a novus homo: I am a poor man: I have no party behind me: I have opposed the powerful tendencies wh. express themselves in party. I represent opinions wh. are feared, or distrusted, or hated. I have inflicted defeat on eager enthusiasts. Put all these elements together, & it is easy to see that there was much material for an agitation. Then my foes have had all the organization. The E.C.U. is always in fighting trim = it is rich, & well equipped with lawyers. Its organization extends over the whole country. The clerical press is a potent weapon within that little world wh. calls itself the Church. The situation within the diocese of Hereford offered a promising field for agitators, for Bishop Percival had been neither active nor popular, and for nearly two years he had been unable to do his work. When once the doctrinal question had been raised, many bishops found themselves in a quandary, for they had publicly identified themselves with the opinions which I argued against, & with the policy I condemned. They could not but regard my elevation to the episcopate as a rebuke & a humiliation. Timidity confirmed them in the course which consistency indicated. They would please the E.C.U. as well as save their own faces by refusing to take part in my consecration.

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