The Henson Journals

[88]

Saturday, March 1st, 1919.

I went to the Athenaeum, & wrote two letters – to Geoffrey Dawson applauding his resignation of the Editorship of the "Times", and to Kitty a "Collins". Then I chartered a taxi, picked up Ella at the Deanery and went to Paddington, where we caught the 1.30 p.m. train to Hereford. A pneumatic coupling broke, & was repaired at Oxford. This incident made us arrive in Hereford half an hour late. Wynne–Willson was waiting for me, and did the letters that could not wait. After dinner a South African soldier called on me with respect to Ordination. He had been a Wesleyan lay–preacher & probationer before the War, but had resigned his position in the denomination on conscientious grounds. He could not endorse John Wesley's Sermons! But he is 35 years of age, and intends to fulfil his ministry in South Africa, where he was born. I pointed out that the right course would be for him to apply for Ordination to one of the South African bishops. He seemed apprehensive of their rejecting him on the score of unsoundness. I could not hold out much hope of considerate handling of conscientious scruples in that narrow & bigoted sect, which arrogates the Anglican name in South Africa!

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