The Henson Journals

[104]

Friday, January 7th, 1921.

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"From the beginning of the world to this day there was never any great villainy acted by men, but it was in the strength of some great fallacy put upon their minds by a false representation of evil for good, or good for evil."

South.

The Secretary of the English Church Union sends me the letter which he has issued to the members. It is an interesting and informing document. It is stated that the "Catholic Party" is organizing itself for the manipulation of the National Assembly, and the capture of the diocesan conferences. Lord Phillimore has accepted the position of "Leader" in the National Assembly, and "a very influential Watching Committee" has been nominated, with Mr H. W. Hill as convener. Thus "the Catholic vote in the Assembly" is to be 'organized'. The process is to be carried out through the country in order that the elections may be satisfactorily managed. "Some persons may take exception to the use of quasi–political methods but it seems that we have no choice. We are forced into this position." Could hypocrisy be more gross and manifest? Who is forcing them? Why must they, more than other Anglicans need the assistance of a caucus to get fair play? We have not had long to wait for the fulfilment of the gloomiest prophecies as to the probable development of partisan tactics in the National Assembly.

[105] [symbol]

I finished the Abbey sermon. It is dreadfully inadequate. Now there is the sermon for the sectaries in Westminster Chapel. I think I shall still keep to the suggestion of "King Charles the Martyr". The folly and futility of coercion in the moral & religious sphere might be fairly connected with the woeful fate of Charles & the downfall of Puritanism in the Restoration. I might illustrate my argument by a reference to Prohibition, but here it is probable that I should offend the susceptibilities of the congregation, a procedure which is hardly suitable on an occasion when I am a "guest". There are references to my "New Year's Letters" both in the 'Guardian' and in the 'Church Times'. The latter is good enough to say that the Bishop of Durham "has, at least, the gift of seeing a situation clearly". That is, no doubt, the case; but the gift in question is uncommonly uncomfortable to its possessor unless it be accompanied by insight into a problem, so that its solution can be perceived: and this gift the aforesaid Bishop wholly lacks. President Richmond of Schenectady writes to me in a very friendly fashion. He and his wife have been reading Trollope, and picturing our situation here in the framework of his clerical descriptions. Save for the petty malignities within capitular bodies there is hardly any point of resemblance between mid–Victorian clerical life, and the clerical life of the present day. The social consequence of the clergy has almost disappeared, & no political importance any more attaches to the Bishop.

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