The Henson Journals

[168]

Tuesday, September 17th, 1918.

1506th day

I began the day by delivering my soul to that egregious parson on the subject of Ashperton Church, & also of his ministry as a whole. He professes to be a sound Evangelical, and therefore above such matters as care for fabrics.

"My friend, men are quick to read the lesson of a neglectful church. They conclude that there is no great volume of conviction behind a ministry which makes so little count of the House of God. It is true that there are deeper matters than the care of churches, but who will listen to them when they see the last despised?"

The rain fell in torrents about 2 p.m. but none the less I started with Archdeacon Lilley in the motor to visit the Rural Deanery of Stottesdon. Happily the weather cleared when we got into Shropshire, & our journey was illustrated by no less than three superb rainbows. The road lay through a most beautiful county after we left Ludlow. At Burwarton we were received [by] the Rural Dean ( Rev. T. H. Parker ) who had brought together the clergy of his deanery. I proposed the subject of the best ordering of services on Sunday morning (Holy Communion v. Mattins) and we talked for an hour and a half, & then had tea. On our way home we were met by Lawley & his wife. We had a pleasant run to Hereford, arriving about 7.45 p.m. After dinner I had some talk with George, & gave him a copy of my last volume of sermons.

I had a pleasant letter from Gilbert Davies who is now a cadet in Yorkshire. We began using the squalid little chapel for morning & evening prayers.

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