The Henson Journals

[17]

3rd Sunday in Advent, December 15th, 1918.

Instead of going to Ledbury, as I had hoped and intended, I must continue in bed ignobly and discomfortably. The post brought me "with the Author's compliments[^"^] a small volume – "Letters to a Missionary" by R. F. Johnston – which interested me so much that I read it through in bed, while Ella and Ernest went to the Cathedral. It appears that the China inland Mission is divided on the dogma of everlasting damnation, which the majority of its missionaries are teaching in the crudest & most revolting form. The letters pretend to be addressed to a missionary who refuses to teach the dogma. They branch out into a vigourous & effective criticism of Christianity as it is now presented. The author professes to stand outside the Christian churches, & repudiates for himself the Christian name. He thinks the modernist or 'liberal' position properly untenable.

The "Observer" reports that Barnes, Master of the Temple, is to go to the Abbey in succession to Boyd Carpenter – a good appointment, which at least saves the Abbey from falling to the enemy. Carnegie is now the only High Churchman on the Chapter, and he is the only Oxford man. Charles is from Dublin: all the rest are from Cambridge.

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