The Henson Journals

[101]

Saturday, July 27th, 1918.

1454th day

A beautiful morning after the thunder & rain of yesterday. I have reached the tiresome debateable land in which it seems hard to discern a clear title to continuance in bed, and not wholly easy to perceive a plain path to liberty! It is humiliating that one should do so little with such ample leisure: but partly, the recumbent or semi–recumbent attitude is unfavourable to exertion, partly, one never has precisely the books & other requisites which one needs: most of all, a certain dominating sense of chartered and compulsory indolence combine to relax the sinews of the spirit, and immerse one in a continuing & rather squalid inactivity, or, what is as bad, a fuss of futile activity. The effect is that the time in bed is time lost in every sense of the word.

Ernest Pearce writes to say that immense pressure is being brought to bear at Downing Street in order to secure the appointment an E.C.U. man to the bishoprick of Chester, of which the bishop's resignation is announced. That will not matter much, as Chester is in the Northern Province, if a suitable man, i.e. E. P. himself, can be secured for St Alban's, and if the change in the Primacy, which cannot be long postponed, can be managed successfully. But I more than suspect that Lang's star is rising irresistibly here! The American visit has purged his offences, and established him in a new predominance. If Davidson were to fall out, it is hard to see how Lang could be kept out of the succession to Canterbury.

[102]

Several letters from Durham supply details of the functions which formally established Welldon in the Dean's stall at Durham. Everything appears to have passed very successfully. How long will it be before I am as little welcome there as in Barking, Ilford, and Westminster. It would seem that while I am actually present, people tolerate me, and even profess an ardent affection (this would be no excessive description of the facts in every stage of my career), while they are suppressing a dislike & fear of my opinions, which leaps into activity as soon as my presence is removed. Thus the reaction sweeps in at once, and my work never survives my presence. It is a disheartening retrospect. Welldon will be the more welcome as he is almost aggressively orthodox, having been one of the original signatories of that precious petition, which we had before us at the last meeting of Convocation. This fact clothes with something more than respectability all the half–furtive agitation in Durham carried on by the local "spikes"; and it will be immensely grateful to the timorous fanaticism of the Diocesan, who ever regarded me with a certain apprehensive suspiciousness. There can be no doubt, I think, that the violent agitation against me, though directly defeated, has met with a considerable indirect success. I have been rendered suspect in the eyes of the "orthodox" of every description, as well "Catholick" as "Evangelical", Anglican as Nonconformist. And this circumstance has undermined my position generally, making good people afraid of me, & unwilling to act with me.

[103]

Mr J. Collett–Mason, the squire & churchwarden of Almeley, came to see about the appointment of a successor to old Mr Warner, who was buried this week. He had 3 names to suggest to me viz:

1. Mathews, now serving as a Chaplain to the Army, who has made himself very acceptable as a locum tenens during the last 3 weeks.
2. Norcock, whose capabilities are sufficiently known to me.
3. Pelly, a curate in the diocese, who has volunteered for a chaplaincy.

I promised that I should offer the living to Mathews, and, failing him, to Norcock. Clarence Stock came to see me, and stayed for an hour. We discussed politics with much animation.

Philip le Mesurier wrote to inquire of my health; and thus disclosed his existence, and his place of residence – Coldstream, Dilton Marsh, Westbury, Wilts.

Ella read to me after dinner from a very thoughtful & suggestive book, full of good things, "Sunningwell, by F. Warre–Cornish (pub. Archibald Constable & Co 1900) ch. XVII. "Mr More's opinions" is really excellent. "It is impossible for modern minds to travel by patristic or medieval roads". "If the human spirit is part of the divine essence, every man born into the world is in some sense an incarnation". "The Creeds are rightly retained, not only as a symbol of unity throughout the ages, though that is a great thing, but because if we tried to mend the language in wh. they are expressed, we shd harden differences by new formulas, check intellectual progress, & probably create new sects".

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