The Henson Journals

[143]

Friday, September 2nd, 1921.

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Fawkes writes another long & interesting letter about the Cambridge Conference. Characteristically he envisages the situation which it creates in the Church of England as a replica on a small scale of the situation which he knew so well in the Roman Church.

"There was an attempt – I hope it will be unsuccessful – to cover their own heresies by a denunciation of Lake's. I have seen this on a larger platform. Lake is Loisy, the Union is Batiffol, who attacked Loisy in a vain attempt to shelter himself; you are Leo XIII, who did not personally like modernism, but knew too much to meddle with it – qui mange en meurt; I am Duchesne, who stood on history, saying, he touchez pas au dogme: Lambeth is the Curia, making capital for officialdom out of the blunders of its opponents."

This is both clever and amusing; but it is rather ominous, for Loisy has definitely abandoned Christianity, and Duchesne was excommunicated. Leo XIII was a sly old bigot, whose bigotry was long concealed by his slyness, whose liberalism was but a diplomatic ruse, and whose cunning postponed crises but did not solve problems. I am more than ever perplexed as to my Congress sermon. Ought I to touch the subject at all? If I do touch it, what ought I to emphasise – the danger to the faith? or the rights of liberal thinkers?

[144]

We left Shanklin at 2 p.m., and motored to Cowes. Here we went on board a cargo–steamer, which started for Southampton at 3.30 p.m., and arrived there at 5 p.m. We went on to Winchester, & then went astray for about five or six miles on our way to Whitchurch, where we had tea. Leaving Whitchurch at 6.45 p.m. we motored to Newbury (11 miles), and then to Abingdon (18 miles) where we took in a supply of petro. From thence we motored to Oxford (7 miles), and by way of the Banbury road, went on to Steeple Aston (c.14 miles) which we reached at 9.30 p.m. We were fortunate enough to fall in with a police–man, who directed us to Barton Lodge, which otherwise we should have found with difficulty & loss of time. We were warmly welcomed by the Dillons.

On the road I bought a copy of the "Daily Herald", which contains on its front page a truculent letter from George Lansbury, who has organised the revolt of the Poplar Guardians against their legal obligation to raise the rates which they are squandering. It also contains a verbose & turgid denunciation of the Trade Unions signed by the leaders of Communism, continental and British. In spite of its absurdity, this document is not without importance. It preaches the "class–war" with almost ferocious ardour. Evidently the forces of anarchy are bent on making the most of the unemployment now prevalent in the country. If we have a really hard winter, we shall hardly het through without serious trouble.

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