The Henson Journals

[113]

13th Sunday after Trinity, August 21st, 1921.

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Are Orientals less trustworthy than Englishmen? We are accustomed, indeed, to assume that they are, but does experience really justify the assumption? I had some talk on this point last night with Commander Paget who, as Commissioner of Police in India, had many opportunities of forming a judgement on the comparative honesty of his English and Indian subordinates. His conclusion was that, while the civil servants, who in his time were mainly gentlemen, were inaccessible to bribes, that was not the case among the "non–commissioned officers". He said that it was difficult to make a just comparison, since the Indian was selected from so vastly larger a number. We compared Indian gentlemen with English cads, & of course the result was not favourable to the ruling race. He, like almost all experienced Anglo–Indian officials, was sceptical of the new policy of an 'autonomous India". He thought that our Western influence had not affected the authority of caste; and that caste was really fatal to any system that could be called 'democratic'. He described the fantastic devotions of the Hindoos, which he himself had had to deal with officially e.g. the practice of measuring one's length through the whole expanse of India. His description of the procession of Juggernaut's car, over which he had exercised a much needed official oversight, was vivid and interesting. In order to minimise accidents, he used to have the roads ploughed up, and a huge beam arrived in front of the car to break the momentum of its stampede, when, as often would happen, it broke away from its ropes.

[114] [symbol]

What is really the duty of a bishop on holiday in the matter of religious observances? The question is proposed to my conscience by the behaviour of Miss Gertrude Anson, whose absence from breakfast was explained by the fact that she had walked out for early Communion to a church some miles absent [sic]. If, indeed, the matter were one lying wholly within one's private concern, I should, perhaps, decide that the rule of weekly communion ought always to be observed: but there is always a measure of inconvenience caused by a guest who departs from the general order of his host's household: & there is always a suggestion of Pharisaism about the parade of personal religion. Then holiday implies legitimately and even inevitably the cancelling for awhile of the normal disciplines: the whole course of one's life is changed, the holiday is physically and mentally recuperative. Why then should an exception be made in the matter of religious observances? It may, perhaps, be argued that a bishop, even on holiday, must have respect to the probable expectations of the laity, who will be scandalised if he shews any neglect of his normal obligations in the matter of religious observances. There is certainly much force in this argument: and, if there be reason for thinking that "scandal" will be caused, then the Bishop must at all hazards get to church. But the probability lies in the other direction. The inconvenient insistence on religious observance will be interpreted as one more evidence of the irrational legalism which colours the religions conceptions of the Episcopate, as one more justification for the prevailing contempt for religions 'use and wont'.

[115] [symbol]

Both cars – Mrs Buchanan's and ours – were used to take the party to church at Ashburton. The service was the usual mingle–mangle. There were other psalms & lessons than those appointed for the day: the apostles creed & the collect for the day were omitted from Mattins, which was thus abbreviated in order to find time for the Holy Communion. The sermon was extemporaneous, and began with some reference to the heresies broached at the Churchmen's Union Conference at Cambridge. There will be trouble from that source unless I greatly mistake. It is quite impossible to reconcile the language about Christ, which Rashdall and others have been using, with any doctrine with respect to Him, which could justify worship, or could make intelligible the attitudes towards Him which believers have adopted since the time of S. Paul. Yet it is the case that the traditional Christology is quite unsatisfying, and that the consequent restlessness of religious minds is extended far beyond the frontiers of education, intelligence and reverence.

After lunch I walked on the moor for an hour with Commander Paget. There came to tea Mr & Mrs Bentinck, with whom we wiled away the time in talk. After they had departed, we all walked on the moor for an hour and a half. The views were magnificent: & the colouring, seen in the level lights of the setting sun were quite wonderful. We got back rather late, but dinner was all the more welcome for the delay. We ended a very pleasant day by family prayers. Miss Anson played the piano: we essayed to sing with moderate success: & finally went off to bed in complete mutual satisfaction.

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