The Henson Journals

[106]

Saturday, January 10th, 1920.

[Reading: Rashdall's Atonement.]

The day was frittered away in work on the Swedish Lectures, sermon preparation, letter–writing &c. Wright and the Archdeacon lunched here, and discussed the business for the meeting of the new Diocesan Finance Board next week. The clergy are obsessed with the notion that they are grievously oppressed in the matter of the tithe–assessment & rating. They do not distinguish between hardship and injustice, nor do they realize how indifferent the public is to the fortunes of the clergy, a body of men too few to count at the polls, too scattered to be able easily to combine, and too politically inexperienced to understand the methods of successful agitation. I spent an hour preparing William for Baptism. He seems to be interested and sincere. After prayers, I wrote the cheques for the monthly accounts.

Frank Pember writes to say that he thinks the Memoir should be dedicated in the fuller formula, "To the Warden & Fellows of the Souls of All Faithful People deceased, of Oxford". There is an archaic interest about the description which, is, perhaps, worth preserving. How thankful I shall be when this tiresome little volume is off my hands.

---