The Henson Journals

[106]

Friday, March 26th, 1920.

The "Protestant Episcopal Church" in U.S.A. claims about 1,000,000 members. The Roman Catholics are said to number 17,549,324: and the "total protestant membership" to be 25,980,456. If, as is certainly the case, the influence of the R.C. Church is hostile to this country, there needs no further explanation of the present policy of the Republic. Of the Protestants there are about 1 1/2 million Lutherans. These may safely be credited with anti–British sentiments. Add to the same interest the Jews, Russians, & Turks, and the volume of anti–British influence must be very considerable.

The Archdeacon came in to say that he had identified the clergyman named in the Vicar of Winslow's letter as May of Breinton. So I motored to Breinton, & had an interview with Mrs May. I arranged that she shd go to her husband, and sent out the car to take her to the station. Also, I telegraphed to the Vicar of Winslow announcing her arrival, & invoking his assistance for her.

The "Times" announces the deaths of the Bishop of Carlisle (Diggle) & the late Bishop of St Alban's (Jacob), and publishes flatterous obituaries. Lacey's recantation has been formally completed by his moving a set of resolutions in the Council of E.C.U., conceived in an intolerant spirit, and expressed insultingly. His precious resolutions adopted at the Mansfield Conference are explicitly condemned! I hope this fiasco will at least have the effect of opening the eyes of Evangelicals, Liberals, and Nonconformists to the essential unreality of conferences on Reunion which include "Catholicks".

[107] [symbol]

The weather was detestable – boisterous wind and deluges of rain. I confirmed 16 boys of the Cathedral School in the Lady Chapel.

It is said that Lacey has been dismissed from the "Church Times", whereon he held regular appointment at a salary of £400 per annum. He was only saved from the ignominy (or distinction) of being expelled from the English Church Union by abasing himself to move a series of resolutions expressed very offensively. It is impossible to feel the smallest respect for him. He voluntarily pushed forward as the author of large proposals, which he repudiated as soon as they were challenged. He reminds me of Marcus Antonius de Dominis, another clever controversialist & very busy agitator, who combined learning & ability with lack of character. In both cases probably the key to failure is exorbitant vanity, a restless impatience of any measure of obscurity. The older man expired ignominiously in the prison of the Inqusition, so despised that even the cruel injustice of his fate did not provoke any sympathy.

Lacey is living in a gentler age, and need have no fear of oppression, but he also will be bereft of any consolation when the discomforts of his false position overtake him. Temple, perhaps, is not less discredited, for he has made larger pretences of liberalism, and is here shown to be as narrow as the narrowest. "Life and Liberty" mean little enough when they are confessed to be inconsistent with permitting a non–episcopal minister to preach, by invitation of the responsible authority, in any English Cathedral! The indignation expressed is immensely suggestive of unanalysed bigotry, & irresponsible cant.

[108]

March 26th, 1920.

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My dear Miss Ward,

The news of your great loss came to me with the shock of a complete surprise. I had not realized that your mother was so ill. It is but a few days since she wrote to me, & was good enough to suggest my coming to see her in town: unfortunately no opportunity occurred for my doing so, & now I shall not see her again.

Hers was a very fine life, filled with activities and radiating influence. I suppose few books of the last half of the XIXth century, and the early decades of the XXth were more widely read. They certainly facilitated for many people the difficult transition from old to new in the high regions of religious thought. The rare combination of intellectual & benevolent interests rendered her career singularly noble and stimulating.

I feel personally bereaved, & must beg to be allowed to associate myself with you in your sorrow. In this strange time when on all sides there seems to be something like a paralysis of what I will take leave to call intellectual self–respect, how we shall miss her clear vision & fearless spirit! I like to think that she & I were associated together in a final protest against the Enabling Act.

"The world passeth away & the best thereof: but be that doeth the Will of God, abideth for ever – these words come to my mind as I think of your mother's life & death. Believe me, with much sympathy and respect.

Yours v. sincerely,

H. H. Hereford.

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