The Henson Journals

[81]

Tuesday, July 29th, 1919.

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I wrote to George, and to Colin Kennedy. Also to Downing, expressing again my desire to retain Tenbury with St. Michael's College, in the diocese; & to Mrs Stafford, thanking her for the copy of Thomas à Kempis from her late father's books. Godfrey and Antonia took their departure. Also, to Harold, who had inquired the reason of the distinction between "by Divine permission' in the case of bishops, and "by Divine Providence" in the case of Archbishops.

Fearne took down in shorthand a letter on the Enabling Bill which I propose to send to the Committee of Nonconformist members, which has been formed to consider the Bill. Wynne–Willson was with me for 1½ hours dealing with the correspondence.

There is a certain risk in holding intercourse with the Nonconformists about the Enabling Bill for the vice of the Bill, (viz: the underlying assumption that Nonconformists have neither part nor lot in the National Church) makes appeal to all the mingled aversion – religious, social, political, personal – which parts the Anglican from the Dissenter. There is risk that one will be denounced as conspiring with the enemy, when it is not the enemy, but a good section of National Churchmen with whom one is really having dealings. The conception of a National Church is wholly dead in the popular mind.

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