The Henson Journals

[40]

Monday, November 14th, 1921.

Macdonald writes to report a somewhat unusual service held in his church on Armistice Day:–

"The Mayor being a Presbyterian, I asked his Chaplain, the local Presbyterian Minister to conduct the service in church; which he did admirably, & the Congregational Minister, President of the Free Church Council read the Lesson, & I gave the Blessing. All of us wore black gowns, & it was simply a big & most devotional Prayer Meeting."

As against this must be placed the fact that in St Saviour's, Hoxton, the Mass is regularly sung or said in Latin. The papers this morning publish a correspondence between Joynson–Hicks and the Bishop of London on the subject. The Bishop explains that he has "completely ostracised" the church, and adds:–

"I am glad to say that St Saviour's, Hoxton, is an isolated case in the diocese, and I know that what is done there is repudiated by the English Catholic clergy in this diocese".

Joynson–Hicks, in his rejoinder, comments on this curious phrase:

"I must add that I am at a loss to understand the meaning of your lordship's expression "the English Catholic – churches of this diocese". I understand that the Church of England as a whole was catholic in character with all the churches of which it is composed."

There can be no doubt, I think, that the Church of England is breaking up. Law is in complete abeyance.

I spend most of the day in answering the letters which I received on my Birthday. Also I resigned the membership of "Nobody's Friends", on the ground that I found myself unable to attend the meetings; and I wrote to Harold Cox "crying off" my article for the "Edinburgh".

The Mayor of Sunderland & Mrs Raine came to lunch, & were shown over the castle. Lucy Söderblom went back to the Ladies' College at Durham, rather ruefully.

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