The Henson Journals

[175]

Saturday, September 20th, 1919.

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My dear Bishop

You know that I have always maintained that the Bishop of Winchester is au fond a thorough–going sacerdotalist, though a kind heart & muddled understanding combined with considerable power of dignified & moving speech have obscured the fact both to himself & (largely) to the general public. Watch his vote, & weigh his influence, & you cannot remain in doubt as to the side on which he must be counted. Add that his family influence ramifies in all directions, & you have a sufficient explanation of the deference which he commands. As to the motion in the Convocation, I am not averse from it, though we shall almost certainly be met by a dilatory motion to refer it to the Lambeth Conference. The debate ought to do good, & it will be very important that, if the matter is referred the L.C. we shd state quite clearly & strongly that this is a question of urgent domestic concern, that the situation in England has no parallel elsewhere, that we cannot possibly make our action in matters of episcopal administration turn on the votes of the L.C., and that the matter of principle cannot any longer be treated as doubtful in the C. of E. It is from my point of view that last point wh is of paramount importance. Is the C. of E.to be counted as a Reformed Church, standing for the spiritual franchises wh the Reformation claimed & won? Or is it to repudiate its history & its principles, & become a soi–disant "Catholic" body–hanging on the skirts of Rome?

[176]

This is the really urgent question, & it presses for answer. The Christianity of the English people cannot be made other than Protestant in type & tendency, but it can be divorced from the C. of E., & that is the real danger. I wish the Bishop of Manchester was more able to work with others: he always "breaks away" on a "stunt" of his own at junctures when united action is of the first importance. But timidity is our main opponent – an unconfessed but dominating fear of the Church Times & its following, which are as nettles innocuous if firmly grasped! The threat of a schism must be treated with resolute contempt. It cannot mature into anything really harmful.

Yours ever.

H. H. Hereford

The Bishop of Norwich.

I spent the whole morning on the Anson Memoir, and produced two sheets! It is woefully slow work. Cave–Moyle, the Vicar of Abbey Dore lunched here. After lunch I took Miss Mundella into the cathedral, and went round with her. I noticed with concern that the behaviour of the young Welsh miners, who were sight–seeing, was very bad. This is a matter which the new Dean must reform.

Winnington–Ingram came to see me.

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