The Henson Journals

Tue 22 October 1918

Volume 23, Page 199

[199]

Tuesday, October 22nd, 1918.

1541st day

I read the 'Times ' in bed very luxuriously. At breakfast in the Club I read the Daily Telegraph, and found there, to my surprise, a considerable report of my sermon at Hereford on the front page under a conspicuous heading. I walked to Westminster, & there attended a Committee meeting on the relations of the Church & Nonconformity. All the members of the Ctee were present viz: the Bishops of Winchester, Ely, Norwich, Ripon, Southwell, S. Edmundsbury, Chelmsford, & myself. After protracted discussion we agreed unanimously on the following two resolutions:–

  1. That with the sanction of the Bishop Nonconformist ministers and others who are not members of the C. of E. may be invited by Incumbents to speak & to pray in consecrated buildings on occasions other than those of the regular ordinary services of the Church.
  2. We think that conversely the terms of the previous resolution give the best general guidance for the case of the clergy who desire to take part in services other than those of the C. of E: and that, except in places reasonably regarded as extra–parochial, clergy shd not accept invitations to do this in other parishes than their own without the Incumbent's consent & the Bishop's sanction.

I lunched with Gow, & then went to the Bishops' Conference at Lambeth where our resolutions were discussed at length. There was much timidity, & some hostility.

I called on Lady Londonderry in 5 Carlton Terrace. I dined with W. P. Ker in the Old Universities' Club.