The Henson Journals

[208]

Thursday, May 22nd, 1919.

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I spent the day at Lambeth in the meeting of Bishops. The matters discussed were of more than ordinary interest. In the forenoon the Bishop of London brought forward the scheme of re–union which he has been elaborating with the Wesleyans, or rather with a section of them.Watts Ditchfield, speaking as an ex. Methodist, gave an illuminating account of the situation, and shewed that the 'rank & file' were very far from approving the scheme. I criticized it severely, and challenged the Evangelical Bishops to say whether they were really prepared to stand on the necessity of Episcopacy. The Bishops of Durham and Manchester responded to my challenge by repudiating the dogma. Gore made a strange speech, in which he said that matters had almost reached breaking–point with the "Catholic" party in the C. of England. Ultimately we passed a vague resolution rather to save Ingram's face than from any other motive. In the afternoon Russell Wakefield brought forward the delicate and difficult question of Control of the Birth–rate. There was a considerable discussion which, however, disclosed a very divided state of episcopal opinion. The subject is new to many of the bishops, and repulsive to all; but the necessity of reckoning with it is becoming apparent, & I thought there was a sound of concession in the atmosphere.

[209] [symbol]

The Archbishop raised the question of the Church's attitude toward the Peace, & spoke rather strongly of our failure to recognize responsibility as a Church. Ingram repudiated the suggestion so far as the diocese of London is concerned, & referred with some complacency to the nine days of continuous prayer which he had ordered on two occasions. I rose & expressed the hope that we should have no more archiepiscopal summonses to prayer. I said that I could not accept the doctrine of prayer which was involved in the Bishop of London's procedures: that the Gospel insisted on forgiveness as the condition of acceptable prayer, & that this condition was absent from the prayers of congregations, who assumed the truth of their own view of the Germans. I said that these repeated "war–prayers" provoked something like moral nausea in many thoughtful & devout minds. Gore spoke in the same sense. It is odd how often he and I come together in our conclusions, while opposed in our reasonings. We dined with the Johnson–Fergusons. Lord Southwark (erstwhile Causton) was there, & his wife. Also Sir E (?) [sic] and Lady Moon. With the latter I had much pleasant conversation: & generally it was quite a pleasant dinner–party. We returned by the underground railway, & were home a little before midnight.

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