The Henson Journals

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Monday, April 25th, 1921.

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I copied from "The Challenge (April 22nd 1921) the following extract from the leading article, headed 'Coal and the Churches':

"if we are God's children the spirit of His family must ultimately control the relation of class to class and nation to nation: that in Christ Jesus is neither bondman nor freeman, nor any servitude, whether under fetters or under economic law.

To have political and social affairs outside the sphere of Christ's authority is to surrender not only the universalism of His claim but the possibility of His Coming.

A test case has been presented: she (the Church) is commissioned to be the judge in matters moral and religious: is she to follow Pilate's prudent example? Or will she labour night and day to give an impartial hearing and an impartial verdict."

It is difficult to place any precise meaning on this language which shall be both adequate and relevant. It seems to imply

(α) that Christians as such are not subject to economic law.

(β) that Christ's claim and coming are to be matters of terrestrial history and import.

(γ) that the "Church" ought to take over the functions of the Government & the law–courts.

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All this seems to me nonsense, and dangerous nonsense. Yet the leader is certainly the work of an able, ardent, and educated man. I suspect the author is Dr Raven; the new editor of the Challenge.

It was raining hard when I left Park Lane at 9.30 a.m. The 10 a.m. express ran as usual, but stopped at Darlington, so that I arrived there half an hour before Clayton & William appeared with the car. At York Lady Renshaw came into my carriage. I found Dr Meyer at the Castle, and we went together to the meeting in the Chapel. We both spoke, and then I pronounced the Benediction. The chapel was crowded and I was interested to see that most of the assembly were men. Dr Meyer is a master of the art of popular homiletics. His address was very simple, and very effective. There was a touch of farcical humour which no doubt commended it to the audience. My own speech was, of course, far duller, but it was well listened to, and I think some things that I said were timely. The "churchwarden of Toronto called, and collected £1 from me for the miners' children, who are said to be starving. It is a farcical position that we should be expected to subsidize the strikers in order to make it possible for them to hold out! The evening papers contain hopeful reports of the situation, but all turns on factors which are but half–disclosed, & on persons who are but half–known.

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