The Henson Journals

[19]

23rd Sunday after Trinity, November 7th, 1920.

I went to Bishopwearmouth Church at 8 a.m., and celebrated the Holy Communion. William was among the communicants. It was the first time that he received the Sacrament from my hands. After breakfast I added a few pages to the sermon for Roker, and then was fetched by Mr Priestman in his car, & driven to St Andrew's for the service at 11 a.m. Ella also went with me.

I dedicated a Memorial Tablet containing the names of sailors & soldiers who had gone to the War from the parish, and fallen. The arrangements were well made. I preached from 2. Sam: XXIII. 15,16 and, at the end of the service, dedicated the Lych Gate. Then we lunched with Mr Priestman, a shipbuilder whose hobby is music. He serves as organist in the parish church, which he himself built, and his connexion therewith has been rendered the closer by his marriage with the Vicar's sister. After lunch he played to us on the fine organ erected in his drawing room. We returned to the Rectory, & there took part in a reception of parishioners, which was rather tiring to my voice. But it might be judicious to avoid the sin of 'hiding one's self from one's own flesh' just now! Certainly the people seem to be really glad to have me for their Bishop, but (though I am grateful for their goodwill) I do not understand what the grounds of their satisfaction can be, & I fear they will be grievously disappointed when they know me better!

[20] [symbol]

There was a great congregation in Bishopwearmouth Church at 6.30 p.m., when I preached. It is an unattractive building, with some XIVth century sedilia, but it accommodates 1200 people. Lord Ravensworth was present, & many of the leading citizens of Sunderland. The people were attentive, but the sermon (mainly identical with that I preached at Glasgow) was rather heavy. After service I explained the pastoral staff to the choir. It is rather a good subject for interpretation. There came to supper D. Robinson & his wife. He is the principal surgeon at the Infirmary here, & a man of much intelligence.

My conversation with Gouldsmith left me rather depressed. The poverty of the clergy is evidently great, and it is not sustained with much fortitude. There are more cases of "cadging" than it is pleasant to contemplate, and many incumbents are "immobilized" by their indebtedness. Wherever the parochial work is proceeding happily, and with apparent success, it is almost invariably the case that the clergy are in comparatively easy circumstances, either because their benefices are well–endowed, or because they have private means. Poverty is hardly consistent with independence, or spirituality, or balanced judgement, or an equal temper. Just at the moment when, there is the most urgent need for moral witness, the appointed instruments of moral witness are patently and increasingly inefficient. It is a woeful spectacle.

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