The Henson Journals

[134]

Tuesday, April 13th, 1920.

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I read through the Report of the Royal Commission on Divorce & Matrimonial Causes (Nov: 2nd 1912) with the view of writing something for the Diocesan Messenger. It is extraordinary difficult to make up one's mind whether to "cross the Rubicon" by supporting the large proposals of the Majority Report, or to gather the cheers of the ecclesiastical gallery by standing stiffly on the traditional position. The Minority Report, signed by Lang, Anson, and Dibden, is very thin and quite evidently meant to please the multitude of churchfolks. Rashdall's article, "Divorce: the question of principle", ("The Modern Churchman", Feb: 1918) is an excellent piece of work. I wish he were on the Bench for the discussions of marriage at the Lambeth Conference. An article headed "The Mystical Union", in the "Nation" (April 3rd 1920) is a very sophistical composition written from the text of Lrd Birkenhead's speech on Lrd Buckmaster's Bill. It lays down that "whatever has hopelessly broken up all chance of that mystical union (call it love, or community of spirit, or the marriage of true minds, or what you will) should be at least as strong a ground for divorce as adultery is". But adultery admits of definition and proof. Can as much be said for "whatsoever has hopelessly broken up all chance of the mystical union"? In effect, this fine plea of giving primacy to the "spiritual" aspect of marriage, works out practically as a claim for divorce by mutual consent, nay, at the wish of one of the parties.

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