The Henson Journals

[145]

Thursday, April 22nd, 1920.

I wrote to Mrs Carruthers about the lady magistrates: also to George, telling him to come here in June. Then I betook me again to the Swedish lectures. After lunch I went to St James's Church, & there baptized the Vicar's infant son, Stephen Francis Alexis R. Lansdell. At 6.30 p.m. I dedicated the memorial Cross set up in Holy Trinity Churchyard. The Vicar was confined to his house by illness: there was a large congregation.

I ran through the MS. of Warshauer's Life of Christ, to which he requests me to write a commendatory preface. But I cannot rightly or prudently give public approbation to so destructive a handling of the Gospels. The work is able, well–arranged, & interesting, but its critical method is irrationally arbitrary, & its conclusions are too negative to provide a sufficient foundation for any beliefs which could deserve the name of Christian.

[146] [symbol]

From Lord Stamfordham,

Windsor Castle.

April 21st 1920

My dear Bishop,

The King desires me to thank you for so kindly sending him a copy of your Memoir of Sir William Anson.

His Majesty is very glad to have this record of one of Oxford's distinguished sons whom he held in high regard. His Majesty realised what an advantage the Prince of Wales enjoyed in coming under the influence of Anson's gifted mind & wide experience.

Many thanks for what you say about myself. It was a pleasure to meet you again and to have a talk. I was in the House of Lords for a short time yesterday afternoon. It strikes me that the Upper House is dealing with Divorce in a more liberal spirit than that of the House of Commons.

Yours very sincerely,

Stamfordham.

[147]

The Vicar of Sellack, the Revd Geo: Whitehouse, writes to me with reference to the "Pax" cakes distributed in that parish:–

They are brought by a rent charge upon Baydon Court in this parish, & are provided for Sellack, King's Chapel, & Hentland. This rent charge is so ancient that its founders & history are lost in obscurity. When I came here twelve years ago, they were represented by 1/2d buns, but I got into communication with some men of antiquarian learning & the Editor of the "Church Times" and by their help & advice was able to restore the Pasch Cakes or Easter Cakes. The idea in the Parish is that, if any Parishioners have had a quarrel, they must make it up, & share their cakes before the Easter Communion. They are given out on Palm Sunday: & old Parish tales say were accompanied with sips of Ale from a silver cup – I hope not the Chalice – but fancy it may have been, as it is a very large & beautiful cup of Charles'(?) time."

Sellack is one of the few parishes in which the houselling cloth is still used. It retains the Laudian communion table and rails, and in other respects the parish church is most interesting.

[148] [symbol]

April 23rd 1920.

My dear Major,

I am very greatly obliged to you for the trouble you have taken, & for the advice which you have been good enough to give me. I have myself spent some hours in reading Dr Warschauer's MS, & I entirely agree with your view that it is "a solid, competent, conscientious piece of work." I should add that its skill of arrangement & lucidity of expression are very notable. But, when I ask myself whether I think the critical method is sound, I do not find it easy to reply in the affirmative. On lines so arbitrary, it would seem difficult, if not impossible, to vindicate the historical quality of any of our Lord's teaching. Nor can I think that the view of the Founder indicated provides an adequate basis for the Church's faith, or the individual Christian's discipleship. This, however, is a personal view, which I should not think it proper to publish because it is evident enough – Dr Warschauer himself is a case in point – that there are genuine Christians who do not share it, and also because I am rather sceptical of the value of such impressions.

But, obviously, I could not rightly commend as a Bishop to the public a method of handling the Sacred History which seemed to me doubtful & dangerous. Again, I think Dr Warschauer's work ought not to be prejudiced by being, so to say, thrust under the notice of untrained & prejudiced people. A commendation [149] [symbol] from a Bishop, and, I fear, especially from the present Bishop of Hereford, would tend to bring about this very result. The desire to make capital against me would outweigh any desire seriously to understand or do justice to the Author's book. And this would be doubly unfortunate, for not only would it embarrass me in my episcopal work, & reduce my personal influence at the very moment when, for many weighty reasons, that influence needs to be strengthened, but it would hinder and, perhaps, make altogether impossible such a candid & careful consideration of Dr Warschauer's book as it most certainly merits & ought to receive.

Then, finally, I have to decide on the point of my duty as Chief Pastor in this diocese. Do I really think it likely to be edifying for the Christian people to have Dr Warschauer's book, so to say, placed in their hands by their Bishop? Would the effect be intellectually or morally wholesome? Would they be led out of prejudices, or confirmed in them? Would any "little ones" be "made to stumble"? If I myself, accustomed to critical discussions, & able to preserve (more or less) a sense of proportion, am in a sense shocked by having set out before me in such clear outline, & with such uncompromising decision, the results of criticism on the Divine Master's Life, what would be the effect on the average believer? "Take thought for things honourable in the sight of all men" is something more than the counsel of cowardly complaisance. It does indicate the unquestionable, [150] though too easily forgotten, truth that, unless men admit your behaviour to be honourable, they will not heed your witness.

So I conclude that, alike in the interest of Dr Warschauer's work, & in that of my episcopal and pastoral obligation, I ought not to commend it to the public.

You will, please, convey to him my decision, &, if you think fit, you may show him this letter. I think so highly of him that I do not doubt that he will understand & appreciate, though he may regret & even disapprove, the view I take.

I return the MS. to you for transmission to him, as I have not his address.

Again with many thanks,

I am,

Sincerely yrs.

H. H. Hereford.

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