The Henson Journals

[177]

14th Sunday after Trinity, September 21st, 1919.

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I celebrated in the cathedral at 8 a.m. using the Collect &c. for St Matthew's day. "Inordinate love of riches" is not my besetting sin, so far as I know; partly, perhaps, because my life has proceeded outside the hustling companies of "business men" among whom the accumulation of riches is the main concern, &, partly, because other, &, perhaps more formidable attractions have drawn me from the straightforward pathway. "Inordinate love of riches" is said to attach to English–speaking people in an extraordinary degree. London, New York, Chicago, & the other great cities of the English–speaking world are certainly very unsatisfactory versions of "the new Jerusalem"!

The post brought me a letter from George with an account of Pekin which seems to have impressed him greatly. The "Temple of Heaven", he says, "is now out of use, & is going to utter ruin". But "the Lama Temple is still in use, & the images of Budda were beautiful". In China also it appears to be the case that the national religion decays and the catholic persists. How far is the worship which went on in the ruined "Temple of Heaven" more spiritual than that which still proceeds before Budda's beautiful images? How far is the worship of the old–fashioned English churchman more spiritual than that which is expressed by the flippant mass–in–masquerade of the new Tractatians? It is hard to say, for there are shallow & sincere men in every system; but idolatry is a spiritually lowering factor whether its object be an image of Budda, or a consecrated wafer.

[178]

I remained in my study during the morning, & prepared notes for my preaching later. After lunch I motored to Weston–under–Penyard near Ross, and there preached to a very crowded congregation, and dedicated a granite cross in the grave–yard to the memory of the soldiers from the parish who had fallen in the War. After tea at the Rectory with Mrs Craigie, we (Ernest & I) motored to Goodrich where I preached to another crowded church, at the Harvest Thanksgiving. The service was reverently conducted by two ancient clergyman – The Vicar, Prebendary Seaton, ordained in 1862, and Canon E. W. Knollys, ordained in 1866. I preached from St Paul's words "Be not deceived: God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap". We punctured on our homeward journey about 3 miles from Hereford, and arrived in the Palace after 9.45 p.m. Ernest chattered incessantly about his family, with whom in former years old Mrs Seaton appears to have been acquainted. I was not particularly interested in the subject and rather fatigued with my exertions, so that my responses were neither sympathetic nor lengthy! We found Miss Mundella still palpitating with resentment at a sermon for the starving children of Austria. Yet she communicated this morning!

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