The Henson Journals

[190]

Monday, February 28th, 1921.

"There is nothing that the united voice of all history proclaims so loud, as the certain unfailing curse that has pursued and overtook sacrilege. Make a catalogue of all the prosperous sacrilegious persons that have been from the beginning of the world to this day, & I believe they will come within a very narrow compass, & be repeated much sooner than the alphabet."

South in 1667

The great preacher had in mind the sectaries who had overthrown the hierarchy, seized the ecclesiastical revenues, and mutilated the churches. Could he have justified his declaration by a reference to their fortunes? That they suffered by their defeat from the vengeance of their opponents is, of course, apparent, but in this respect they but repeated the experience of their opponents themselves. If their sacrilege was the true cause of their misfortunes under the "Clarendon Code", what was the true cause of the misfortunes of the episcopal clergy under the 'undecima persecutio'? South was himself an ornament of a Church, whose Reformation & Establishment had involved a measure of sacrilege vastly greater than that of the Puritans & sectaries. Yet it is certain that the doom of sacrilege was an article of Anglican belief in the years which followed the Restoration, & it still lingers in many devout minds.

[191]

Fuller's description of the elder Marvell (Marvoul) is attractive: –

"most facetious in his discourse, yet grave in his carriage; a most excellent preacher, who, like a good husband, never broached what he had new brewed, but preached what he had pre–studied some competent time before; insomuch that he was wont to say, that he would cross the common proverb, which called "Saturday the working day", and Monday the holiday of preachers"'.

The good man married his second wife within seven months of the death of his first, an instance of his 'facetiousness' rather than of his 'gravity'. But the Puritan clergy had not much sentiment where woman–kind was concerned.

Mr Elliott, a Quaker, lunched here. He had come to invoke my assistance in his effort to raise support for the work in relief of the distressed populations in Germany & Central Europe: but I could not see my way to promise anything.

Clayton and I motored to Stanley, where I confirmed more than 100 candidates: then we went to Chester–le–Street, & there I confirmed 140 candidates. Both churches were crowded, and I was pleased with the attention of the people. We had supper with the Vicar & Mrs Jackson, and then returned to the Castle, which we reached a little before 11 p.m. Mr Jackson is a Doctor of Science in Cambridge, and a personal friend of Canon Barnes, thro' whose influence in the University, he was appointed to Chester–le–Street.

---