The Henson Journals

[256]

Monday, April 4th, 1921.

Religion, if confined to the heart, is not so much entertained as imprisoned: that indeed is to be its fountain, but not its channel. The water arises in one place, but it streams in another; and fountains would not be so much valued, if they did not produce rivers.

South. 1661

But if Religion be present in the heart, can the most timorous or reticent believer confine it there? "Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh" said Christ. If but the heart be sound, what need is there of exhortations to practice, save of course by way of counsel to the judgment and assistance to the will? The hypocrite is, precisely, one who does the works of religion (i.e. the works that properly pre–suppose a religious motive) with no religion in his heart. Is it not, therefore, a mistaken course to press for the works, when these will surely follow, if but the heart be right, since by fastening attention on the consequence we may forget or misconceive the cause? And is not this the very warning which Christ in His parable of the houses built on the rock and on the sand, designs to convey? The old, obstinate controversy between "Faith" and "Works" resolves itself finally into a point of order, since both are implied whatever side be taken. "Faith" cannot but express itself in congruous "works" and "works" which are truly so to be reckoned, can only issue from "Faith". We are saved by a faith that works in love.

[257] [symbol]

The news from the coal–fields this morning is uniformly bad, & meetings of railwaymen & transport workers appear to favour a strike of the whole Triple Alliance. It may be that most of the fierce talking may be discounted as mere bluff; but it is an ugly symptom, and adds to the anxiety with which the decision of the other Unions is awaited. Bayley, who is personally connected with mines in Yorkshire, tells me that he is assured that the bitterness of feeling in the miners' leaders is unprecedented, but that this is thought to arise from the knowledge that they are divided among themselves. He is not alarmed for the safety of the mines as the necessary work in preserving them will probably be done by the men after nightfall, without the knowledge, (or at least "official" knowledge) of their leaders. In his mine this was done at the last strike, and the sum of £500 was afterwards distributed to these workers as a bonus. The memory of this benefaction will operate as a motive now. He says that the bankers affirm that the miners have saved very large sums during the last few years.

I motored to Wallsend, and saw the Wolseley car which is there being prepared for me. The body which is being fitted on to the chassis is not very satisfactory, and on the whole neither William nor I was altogether pleased. On my way back to the Castle, I had tea with Dawson Walker, and saw both Wilson and Bayley.

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