The Henson Journals

[43]

Friday, July 1st, 1921.

I completed the sermon for Monkwearmouth. Mr Edward J. Bolus I.C.S. called on me with a letter of introduction from Canon Streeter. He meditates Ordination on retiring from the Indian Civil Service at the age of 48. I was sympathetic but non–committal. These are no days for turning down any application which is not patently unacceptable; but there are many weighty objections to a candidate so old. It occurred to me that it might be worth my while to publish the Swedish lectures, & I wrote to George Macmillan on the subject. Also I wrote to Carissima sending felicitations on her Birthday. On July 4th she completes 80 years.

I read through the Lecture on "The Lambeth Conference" after dinner aloud to my family, and my own judgement accorded with their dutiful assurances that it could serve significantly well for publication!

A Presbyterian minister, the Rev. John Middleton, writing from The Manse, Irongray, Dumfries, appealing to me to resist the passage of the Bill for uniting the Scottish churches: "It is especially to you, my Lord, with your definite views on National Religion, that we look to preserve our Church, or at least to lend your great power of advocacy in helping to preserve our church, as indeed a National Church, & not merely as this Bill would make it a mere sanctified Soviet". But how could I stand forward as an opponent of Presbyterian Unity?

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