The Henson Journals

[258]

Tuesday, April 5th, 1921.

[symbol]

Peace–making between parsons and parishioners is no small part of a Bishop's work, but it is never easy and not often successful. For, more often than not, the gravamen is quite irremoveable, being nothing else than the parson himself! He "gets on the nerves" of the parish, or he has conscientious obligations to run counter to its traditions, or he is, for some reason or other, disliked and despised. If a 'modus vivendi' is formulated, and accepted, it almost certainly breaks down because the points with which it deals are not the core, but only the pretexts, of the dispute. In the case of another man, not personally repugnant to the people, these matters would count for nothing. Hence the disconcerting unreality of parochial complaints.

"It were worth the while, in our contest with the pretenders to weak or tender consciences amongst us, to inquire of them how long they think it fit for them to continue weak? And whether they look upon their weakness & ignorance as their freehold, & as that which they resolve to keep for term of life, & to live and die babes in the knowledge of the religion they profess, to grow up into childhood, and at length go out of the world infants & weaklings of threescore or fourscore years old."

South had practical excuse for his contempt of 'tender' consciences and truly there is no word on the lips of parson or aggrieved parishioner which has a worse sound in a bishop's ears, than this word, conscience.

[259] [symbol]

I received a letter from Mr Robt Little, the secretary of the C.E.M.S. at Birtley asking me to direct the Vicar of that parish to give up the use of vestments & wafer bread, and saying that the Vicar had undertaken to do this. Also that the People's Churchwarden, Dr Harrison, had promised in that event to desist from further warfare. I motored over to Birtley, and read this letter to the Vicar. On his assenting to it, I handed him a formal letter from me requesting & directing him to return to the surplice & wheaten bread. I told him that, if he adopted the course of concession, he must do so frankly and fully. In that case there was a good chance of securing harmony in the parish, but, if he took the course of trying to 'hark back' from the position he had taken up, his present concessions would breed worse future dissensions. The man is a palpable coward, and promises everything, but whether he can be trusted to persist in any course is doubtful. He asked me whether, if he did what I asked, I would support him. I replied that I would certainly support all my clergy in the way of their duty, but not in procedures which are illegal. He mentioned confession: & I said that I would approve of the purely voluntary confession recommended in certain circumstances by the Prayer Book. Then I returned home, having authorized him to read or print my letter as he thought best. It will be one of the 'magnalia Dei' [wonders of God] if peace is restored to that parish.

---