The Henson Journals

[181]

Ascension Day, May 13th, 1920.

I went to the Cathedral at 8 a.m, & received the Holy Communion. Also I assisted in the administration. A number of the boys from the Cathedral School were among the Communicants. George Tyrrell's Letters is a most fascinating book. The humour which pervades & lightens every page is irresistible. He says many things that arrest and persist. In 1907 he wrote: –

"However great the havoc criticism may play with our current theology, the religion it makes for is most certainly not of the Protestant but of the Catholic type: that individualism is a lost cause: that in religion as in civilisation it is through society that we live & move & have own being."

The "Times Literary Supplement" has a review of the 'Memoir". It is not very flattering, but on the whole, perhaps, fair. I certainly do not rate the poor thing more highly!

In the afternoon I confirmed about 100 candidates, of whom a considerable proportion were adults, both men & women. There were two boys from Putley presented of whom the one was 12 years & 4 months, the other 10 years 6 months of age. I wrote to their parson about them. Money–Kyrle came in to tea. He seems very pleased at my appointing Holland to Weston–under–Penyard.

I went out to Hampton Bishop, & confirmed 16 candidates. After service William & I were shown the very interesting Church (S. Andrew's). In the Lady Chapel, completely blocked from view of the organ, are the ruins of a noble reredos in stone.

[182]

May 13th, 1920

My dear Mr Bishop,

I was somewhat surprised to notice that among the candidates for Confirmation from your parish presented in the Cathedral this afternoon were two boys under 13 years of age, the younger of whom was little more than 10 years old. I have already informed the clergy of my diocese through the "Diocesan Messenger" that I do not approve of the confirmation of candidates under 14 years of age except in special circumstances which the parish clergyman should make known to me. In such cases I am prepared to exercise my discretion. But it is obviously both improper & undesirable that I should have to do this on Confirmation day with the candidates, whose case must be considered, actually present, and expecting to be confirmed.

I must ask you in future to conform to my directions in this matter.

Believe me, Yours sincerely,

H. H. Hereford

The Rev. F. W. F. Bishop

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