The Henson Journals

[167]

13th Sunday after Trinity, September 14th, 1919.

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Gore's denunciation of "a cheap Gospel" sets one thinking. He appears to mean a version of Christ's teaching which contains no unpalatable demand, and therefore involves no cost to those who accept it. A Gospel with the "daily Cross" omitted would indeed be a strange perversion of that preaching of "Christ & Him crucified" which St Paul describes as his own. So far the denunciation may be approved as just. But he interprets his phrase by reference to the proposed permission of Nonconformists to preach in our churches.This, he thinks, would be popular, but also "unreal". The "strange preacher" consciously "on his good behaviour" would deliberately avoid everything likely to offend his hearers, & limit himself to pleasing platitudes, would preach, in fact, "a cheap Gospel". Here he appears to fall into two errors. First, he assumes that there is so profound a divergence of belief between Anglicans & Nonconformists that an exchange of pulpits would be an "unreal" procedure. Next, he assumes that "offence" is the essence of the Gospel, so that faithfulness of Christian preaching may be precisely measured by the unpopularity of the preacher. These are very gross errors. The "unreality" under which we now suffer most is precisely the pretence of disagreement which does not exist: and if a preacher is unpopular, the reason lies but rarely in his faithfulness.

[168] [symbol]

The weather was most unpleasant. After an early & solitary breakfast I went off in the car to Burwarton, where I preached in the parish church. After service I lunched with the Boynes. Lady Boyne is as pretty & lively as ever: & with her fine squad of boys makes a pleasing sight. Lord B. speaks doubtfully of ever living again in Brancepeth. There is much to be done before the great house is again fit for occupation. Mrs Shafto & her daughter, from Durham area were there on a visit. After lunch we had a great discussion of the Prohibition nonsense, with which, rather to my surprise, Parker expressed agreement. From Burwarton we motored to Much Cowarne where I preached in the parish church, & dedicated a window which had been set up therein to the memory of Colonel Bourne & his wife. There was a considerable gathering of the Bourne family. The present Col. Bourne read the 1st lesson, & his son read the 2nd. There was a large congregation, though the night was damp, & the church is only approached by meadows. The isolation of the churches, & the non–existence of villages in Herefordshire was explained to me as the consequence of the Celtic system still persisting. "Tons" and "burys" and "vills" are all non–Celtic. I returned to the Palace immediately after the service, &, being tired, went early to bed.

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