The Henson Journals

[113]

Saturday, January 17th, 1920.

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I wrote to Master Bamforth again. There is an element of gambling in the case of an unknown schoolboy of 14 who gravely meditates becoming a Roman Catholick, and consults a Bishop 'off his own bat'! He may be a precocious genius: or nothing more than a horrible little prig: but, in any case, the situation is sufficiently unusual to justify the experiment of writing to him. I am not sure that that I could not myself at his age have disclosed a similar interest in matters theological.

I spent the morning on the Lectures, but was too much interested in reading to do much writing. It is astonishing how unalterable Congregationalism has been from its first start at the end of the 16th century. How utterly irreconcilable it is with any form of Catholic Christianity comes dismally home to one's mind as one reads the earliest documents of the sect!

After lunch I walked for nearly 2 hours: & then wrote my letters, Wynne–Willson being away.

William came to go through the Baptismal Service in preparation for the function tomorrow afternoon. He seems to be very sincere in it all.

[114]

January 17th, 1920.

Dear Mr Bamforth,

I will certainly pray for you, & you must do me the same friendly office: for indeed, we both need the help of God that we may think and do the things that please Him. Have you considered that our duties come to us in a due order, out of which we may not rightly take them? A school boy's duty is, not to decide the grave and difficult questions which a man must answer, but to prepare himself by the training of his powers for the future task. I think you should pray always. "Show Thou me the way that I should walk in, for I lift up my soul unto Thee", and then banish the whole subject of the controversies between the Churches from your mind with the intention of doing your immediate duty, & so coming to that controversy presently properly equipped for its consideration. There is a legend ascribed by S. Justin Martyr & some other of the early Fathers to Christ, which may represent a true teaching of our Lord. It seems to me to very well worth while thinking over. [115] "In whatsoever I find you: therein will I judge you". Do your work as a schoolboy, & leave the controversies alone: presently, if the controversies come, face them like a man. God, who gives us our powers of mind and body by gradual advances, will not ask from us in boyhood what is due in manhood.

You will see for yourself that I would not write all this to you if you had not interested me, & if I did not really wish you well.

May God bless you!

Yours Sincerely

H. H. Hereford

Such a letter, perhaps, as this might be of considerable service to an ingenuous boy whose intellect was rather too big for his physique, and where home conditions may be not wholly helpful to an equable development. If he could be turned out of the groove of morbid introspection into more normal ways, he would probably 'right himself', and in due course, will look back with amused wonder on his precocious Romanizing.

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