The Henson Journals

[222]

Friday, October 17th, 1919.

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The post brought me a volume which may bring trouble. "The Christ & his Critics. An Open Pastoral Letter to the European Missionaries of his diocese by the Rt. Rev. Frank Weston D.D. Bishop of Zanzibar". It seems to be mainly an elaborate onslaught on the Bishop of Hereford! In the train on the way to London I ran through it, and found it very crude and extravagant. He involves in a comprehensive anathema practically the whole English hierarchy, for the presence of the Bishop of Durham at my consecration involved the Province of York in the crime! By parity of reasoning the Lambeth Conference will be spiritually contaminated if it admits me to a share in its deliberations! I wish the book were less grotesquely violent, for then I could the more properly have made it the text of an Apologia, which on many grounds I desire to write, and which might be of real service not only to my reputation, which matters little, but also to the cause of religious sincerity which matters much. Knight got on the train at Ross, & accompanied us to Paddington. I showed him the Zanzibarian fulmination & he also inclined to regard it as too vehement to merit reply, or to have much effect.

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