The Henson Journals

[177]

Thursday, February 28th, 1918.

1305thday

I wrote letters in the Athenaeum for an hour: called at the Office of Queen Anne's Bounty in Dean's Yard, & transacted a matter of diocesan business: saw Gamble & explained that I was "dining out" on March 9th & 10th: attending a meeting of the Ecclesiastical Commission: & went for a short walk with Rashdall.

I met Barnes who told me that the Benchers were well–pleased with my sermon on Feb: 10th, that he himself had read it, & thought it a very sufficient answer to my opponents, the more sufficient since it was indirect.

Also I met Burge, who told me that the amount of truth in Lord Halifax's statement that a bishop had originally proposed my name for bishoprick was the following. Lord Stamfordham had written to him during the vacancy suggesting an interview; that on their meeting he had mentioned the King's desire, and also Lloyd–George's to make me a bishop; & that, as he understood that he (Burge) was a friend of mine, he came to consult him on the matter. Charles told me as a great secret that the Archbishop had asked for a Sunday in June in which to preach in the Abbey on the subject of clerical subscription. On the whole this is probably to be regretted, as his Grace is pretty sure to minimize the significance of his own action in proceeding with my Consecration: & he may be led to say something which I should have to repudiate.

[178]

The Revd Kenworthy Brown came to see me by appointment. He desires to be licensed as a curate in–charge of the district of S. Barnabas, which is part of the parish of All Saints, in Hereford, whereof the man Treherne is Vicar, a fanatick & the ring–leader of the opposition against me. Mr Brown is a well–grown man of 28, who took a fair degree at Jesus Coll. Cambridge. He was ordained to the parish of Monmouth, but had left parochial work in order to join the Benedictine Community at Pershore, where he had continued 3 years. He had now reached the decision that he had no vocation to monkery, & wished to return to parochial work. He was responsible for two orphanages, which it was proposed to establish in the parish of All Saints: Before accepting appointment, he wished to get some kind of guarantee from me, that his work wd be permanent, & since he cd not continue it if he were not permitted to carry it on as he wished, to know whether I wd permit reservation, incense &c &c. We had some talk together for more than an hour. On the point of private confession he was strangely unreasonable. I asked what wd be his treatment of Confirmation Candidates in this respect. He gave a discursive reply, of which I conceived the gist that he shd teach that mortal sins cd only be forgiven after confession to the priest. I did not dislike the young man, but he is clearly hopeless from a disciplinary point of view, & was probably sent to me with a purpose.

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