The Henson Journals

[94]

New Year's Day, January 1st, 1921.

"Show Thou me the way that I should walk in, for I lift up my soul unto Thee."

I celebrated the Holy Communion in the Chapel at 8 a.m. All my family communicated except one maid. If only we could "live the rest of our lives according to this beginning["]! It is something to start with our faces set in the right direction.

I fell at once to preparing an address for the memorial service for the Fallen Soldiers at Sunderland tomorrow. The contrasted views of Ecclesiastes & St Paul will serve my purpose well enough. On the one hand, the natural tragedy: "Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, all is vanity." On the other hand, the triumph of Faith: "Ye know that your labour is not vain in the Lord." For nations as for individuals, the guidance of mere "common sense" is not to be trusted, for they also are "saved by faith". This was the error of the pacificists. They were for peace at any price, but no peace based on injustice can be worth having, or possess any lasting power. "The fruit of righteousness shall be Peace" said the Prophet. But here also appearances may be against the Truth. Is it worth while? is a question which presents itself whenever the way of duty is conditioned by great expenditures of property & even of life: and to answer that question rightly will imply an effort of faith. "He endured as seeing Him who is invisible" is the formula of a life governed by duty. This also holds of nations as well as of individuals.

[95]

I had a horrible experience to give cheerfulness to my New Year. That cadging curate, Dowson, whom Bishop Moule by almost incredible carelessness ordained (knowing nothing of his history, & accepting at face value some canting generalities from some of his Evangelical disciples), came to see me, & I gave him the worst roasting any clerical humbug could ever have received from any Bishop. He went away crestfallen enough, but the practical problem remains unanswered, what is to become of the wretch & his family? He was "separated" from the Primitive Methodist Ministry in 1908, for 10 years he has roamed about in America & England posing as a Presbyterian, in 1918 he gets ordained by Bishop Moule, & here in 1920 he is incapable of passing his examination for the priesthood, & accused by his Vicar of idleness & incompetence. Add that he is but too plausibly suspected of debt & mendicancy. What can be done with the creature? Even if I were to acquiesce in his failure to pass an examination, how could I condone his moral defects? What incumbent is likely to accept him as a curate in these circumstances?

The "Newcastle Journal" prints in full both my letter to the Diocese, and my New Year's Letter to the Miners. This is a courteous procedure on the Editor's part. The "Northern Echo" also had the documents in full. I wonder how far the miners will read, or consider what I wrote.

[96] [symbol]

After lunch we motored to Whitburn, and put up for the week–end at the Rectory. Old Canon Hopkinson was an ardent disciple of Bishop Westcott, who he regards as one of the two men who had most influence on him, the other was Bishop Percival. He told me some rather interesting things about Westcott. Of the Bishop's ten children the saying passed that they were like the ten virgins, five of them were wise & five were foolish. Westcott was fond of tracing parallels between himself & Shute Barrington. When the latter was being painted, the artist used an oath, & the bishop rebuked him with much dignity. "Thank you, my Lord, that was exactly the expression I was wanting" replied Lawrence shamelessly. We agreed that while Moule was a saint, he was destitute of every distinctively episcopal gift. He was handicapped by his wife, whom a Cambridge wit described as his "res angusta domi", the narrow thing at home. Hopkinson told me that Percival came of the humblest origin, his father being a labourer.

We dined with old Victor Williamson, who, at the age of 82, is still alert, intelligent, interested, & interesting. His niece, Mrs Meysey Thompson, was acting hostess. We had a good deal of pleasant talk, & then returned to the Rectory, where my quaint loquacious host kept me up for some time talking about men & matters in the diocese. The weather continues mild & wet.

---