The Henson Journals

[4]

S. Luke's Day, Tuesday, October 18th, 1921.

Another violently worded letter from the blind curate, and a more reasonable communication from his brother. I doubt if this unpleasant business will be got through without scandal. I worked all the morning at my Presidential Address. After lunch George Nimmins arrived on a visit. We walked together in the Park until tea–time; & then I resumed work in my study. Dr Johnson's defence of subscription to the 39 Articles by "boys at the University" has a certain value: "No, sir, the meaning of subscribing is, not that they fully understand all the articles, but that they will adhere to the Church of England." This is much the same as Chinningsworth's shift which Laud allowed.

Caröe sent me the Report of the Ancient Monuments Advisory Committee 1921, which is in his opinion highly menacing. It recommends that the ecclesiastical buildings should be brought under the provisions of the Ancient Monuments Act. Caröe is particularly annoyed at the reference to the accoutrements of the Black Prince in Canterbury Cathedral as an instance of "the want of careful protection of objects in Cathedral Churches".

[5] [symbol] [symbol]

October 18th, 1921.

Dear Mr Frost,

I will answer your three questions shortly and in order: –

1. I consider a blind man incapacitated by his blindness for the full work of an assistant curate.

2. I should not consent to license a blind man to an assistant curacy in my diocese: though in certain circumstances I might be willing to grant him permission to take duty for short periods.

3. I would certainly not "prejudice his taking a curacy in any other diocese", but it must be very evident that he might himself make such a course very difficult. He writes to me again in vehement terms about "having release, vindication, justice re", as if it were some intolerable wrong that he should not be continued permanently in a position for which his infirmity renders him unfit.

Every right thinking man will feel the utmost sympathy with one afflicted with so grave a privation as that which a blind man must endure, but we cannot alter facts even to match our sympathies, & it is the fact that blindness incapacitates for much that is normally possible.

Believe me. Yours v. faithfully,

Herbert Dunelm:

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