The Henson Journals

[199]

Friday, October 3rd, 1919.

The strike continues, and the country seems to be getting organized rapidly. Today the Government announce that the week's pay due to the strikers will be withholden. The efforts to resume negotiations yesterday came to nothing, but the other unions are understood to be still in touch with Downing Street. If Lloyd George continues to stand firm victory would seem certain, & it could not fail to be most salutary. I spent the whole morning in working at the Sunday sermon, but my task is rendered greatly more difficult by the uncertainty of the situation.

I received a long letter from the Vicar of All Saints in which he begs me to sanction the words, "Blessed Mary Ever Virgin and all the Saints praying for them"! How can I possibly do this? I directed Wynne Willson to write on my behalf to the two churchwardens asking whether they could assure me that the introduction of incense at All Saints would be pleasing to the majority of parishioners.

Ernest and I walked to the top of Dynevor [Dinedor?], and were rewarded by a noble view of Hereford & the country round. The squalid expanse of the munitions factory is, however, a sad disfigurement of the prospect. Before going to bed I wrote my weekly letter to Carissima.

[200] [symbol]

October 3rd 1919

My dear Rushton,

I cannot approve the clause "Blessed Mary ever Virgin & all the Saints praying for them". There is no parallel to such language, so far as I know in any of the authorised formularies of the Church of England. The Church of Rome is nowhere more sharply distinguished from the Church of England than in the position occupied by the Blessed Virgin Mary & the Saints both in the public offices and in popular devotions. We must not encourage our people to ignore the fact & the gravity of this distinction.

You have my permission to use the Revised Lectionary for the Vigils of the Festivals & Saints days & for the 2nd Lesson for the evening of Saints Days.

Also you may use special psalms on All Saints Day, and repeat the lessons appointed for that Festival on the Sunday following.

Yours sincerely,

H. H. Hereford

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