The Henson Journals

[110]

Thursday, August 1st, 1918.

1459th day

Lord Halifax sends me a copy of his "Presidential Address delivered at the 59th Anniversary of the E.C.U." on June 19th last. It is published by the E.C.U. Its subject is "Reunion and the Principles which should determine our conduct in regard to it", and it roams over a wide extent of country. There is some rather surprising "blarney" addressed to the Nonconformists, which is, however, effectively sterilized by reference to "the necessity of not compromising principles we are bound to maintain ourselves". The main burden of the argument is that re–union with Rome is not only possible but easy if we wd but realize our essential agreement with the Papists not only on the "Mass" but also on the Papal authority! "Can there be a greater duty than to attempt all that may be possible to facilitate such reunion?" "Look at all that the Roman Church stands for and see how infinitely both Rome & England wd gain if they cd be brought into union with one another". His Lordship gives a short statement of the Christian Religion in order to show that it must be received in its entirety or not at all. To question "any one dogma touching the Incarnation and its extension to us" is to take a step "wh ultimately involves the destruction of the whole Christian edifice". He seems to protest against some Romanizing "whole–hoggers" who forget that "there is such a thing as a medieval & an English tradition which has to be respected". He is opposed to disestablishment because it would involve disendowment, & records his "entire dissent" from the plan recently propounded by the Bp. of Zanzibar.

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