The Henson Journals

[220]

26th Sunday after Trinity, November 24th, 1918.

A very mild morning. The precipitate rooks are making preposterous essays in nest building! Probably they have no less clumsy method of reacting to the changed situation. I went to the Cathedral at 8 o'clock, and celebrated the Holy Communion. The post brings me a letter from Shakespeare, in which he professes agreement with me on the matter of re–ordination: "My position is that the Church of Christ is justified in accepting any form of government to which it is led by the Spirit of God". He adds: "As I have gone about the country, it has seemed to me that the clergy of the Church of England are more prepared for re–union than the Non–conformist ministry". The difficulty is that the Anglican clergy conceive of re–union in a quite impossible way. Their notion that Episcopacy is indispensable, implies, however ardently they may disclaim it, the doctrine of its Divine institution & perpetual obligation. This doctrine is an impassable barrier to unity with all Protestants, whose whole position and history imply its falseness. The Anglican formula must be still further revised. Instead of saying with the Tractarian that Episcopacy is of the esse of the Church, or with the Latitudinarian that it is of the bene esse : we must say "Episcopacy is not of the esse, but may be of the bene esse here and now". The decision on the point might fairly be debated. The weather having become damp & unpleasant, I stayed in my study, finished the Advent discourse, and wrote letters. Also I made a frantic effort to sift out the accumulations of my papers, & to restore my study–table to some semblance of order.

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