The Henson Journals

[214]

17th Sunday after Trinity, October 12th, 1919.

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The weather has changed. Rain began falling as I was returning to the House after the early Celebration, when I was myself the Celebrant. There were but 18 comts altogether, of whom no less than 8 were males. The post brought me a letter from old Samuel Storey, formerly my neighbour in Durham. He thanks me for the Strike Sermon, which some one had sent to him.

"May I thank you for its faithful outspokenness, which contrasts so sadly with what we have to listen to from some other Church dignitaries. For instance your successor here, speaking to the strikers, said he 'fully recognized the railwaymen were not acting in a spirit of personal selfishness. They were moved by loyalty to their comrades & by the belief in the justice of their cause.' As to their breach of contract, all he said was that 'every honest man must deplore a breach of contract whoever committed it.' To me who for more than fifty years, ever since the Trades Unions in their days of weakness fought for their right of combination, have spent time, brains & money in their support, it is sad to see them in their days of strength adopting illegal and tyrannical methods. The moral side of the question affects my mind most."

[215] [symbol]

Dicey, another aged man, writes also in terms of the warmest approbation. He has a quaint old world elaborateness of expression.

"On such occasions which I think everybody must feel, have a certain solemnity about them, I dread more than anything the appearance of over–praising a friend's work, but I am only trying to say what I believe to be the strict truth, that you have expressed in the best way, & have been able to express it on the very best occasion, what thousands of English men & English women feel & yet saw that for some reason or other no one in Parliament or out of Parliament could give expression to their most genuine belief. As a rule I very much dislike & distrust political sermons for reasons which I am pretty sure approve themselves to you as much as to myself, but, I am also certain that occasionally, crises arise where really moral interests are at stake, & that then the clergy like all other teachers should be able to give advice & guidance to a nation which may easily either commit or condone something morally wrong. Your sermon is so just & also so generous that I am sure it will come home to many artisans. I wish we had a single statesman who could address the people in the same tone.

[216]

I preached in S. James's, where the inevitable Harvest Festival was proceeding. The Church was about three parts filled, which was rather more than I had expected as the Dean was preaching his farewell sermon in the Cathedral. My sermon was an adapted version of an old discourse on 'Covetousness' originally composed as long ago as 1909. The relentless reporter appeared, and took off the MS as soon as I had returned to the Palace.

The Archdeacon of Hereford lunched with us. As soon as the meal was over, I took Dorothea for a walk. We went along the river–bank, & returned, talking all the way but never moving outside the region of diseased egotism in which that good lady 'lives & moves, & has her being'. I think I must be the worst pastor in the world!

Bannister and his wife came into tea. Afterwards I read "Spiritual Reformers in the 16th and 17th centuries" by Rufus M. Jones – a well–written, informing, and suggestive book.

I attended Evensong in the Cathedral, & from my stall listened to the preaching of a clergyman described as the Archdeacon of Brazil. He made a deafening noise, for he shouted until all the echoes were roused, but I could not so much as understand one single complete sentence of his rather protracted oration.

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