The Henson Journals

[174]

Friday, September 19th, 1919.

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I received a letter from the Bishop of Norwich in which he thanks me for my letter in the "Times": he says,

"It is rather interesting to see that the Bishop of Winchester, as a whole, heartily joins hands with Gore: this, I think, clears the air because his position hitherto, has hindered us as much as it has helped us because, though taking the lead in this matter, his lead has been more circular than straight. Probably you and Manchester will receive replies from Gore or his friends but you are a master of the subject, and will have a rejoinder ready for them. I think it is clear that I had better now put down for the Bishops' Meeting a discussion on "the letter of the seven Free Church Leaders".

We must be careful against bringing about an adverse vote of the Bishops' Convocation, which would go some way towards stamping our position as merely individualistic, whereas our rightful claim is that we are working for the maintenance of the historic character of the Church of England. Probably there will be another dilatory reference to the Lambeth Conference. I spent the whole morning on the Anson Memoir with very little result. It is surely the case that a more incompetent biographer never lived!

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