The Henson Journals

[59]

Wednesday, November 30th 1921. S. Andrew's Day.

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How quickly do the clouds gather, and the whole outlook of life grow dark! Surely the vainest confidence of all is that which one tacitly and almost necessarily reposes in the stability of one's own prosperity. It seems impossible that the familiar conditions should not continue, and life should not proceed in its accustomed course. And, then, often from the most unexpected quarters the calamities begin to crowd in, until one's whole fabrick of well–being crashes into ruin. The world is full at this moment of suddenly ruined folk. Why should we dare silently to assume that we stand outside the shifting scene, and have our feet on a rock?

I finished the sermon for use tonight: walked for an hour and a half in the Park: wrote a letter to the "Times" on "Central Finance", moved thereto by a letter in today's issue of that journal by the Bishop of London. He writes to appeal for the "Central Fund", being grieved that his Diocesan Conference refuses to include it in the diocesan budget.

We all motored to South Church, where I preached to a congregation which about half filled the building. In the course of my sermon I made reference to Lord Thurlow's approaching departure, and said some civil things about him & his wife. Also, I spoke about the need of getting church finance on to a sound basis, & suggested raising the money needed for the Diocesan Fund, and the Central Fund by means respectively of an annual shilling from every elector, and an additional annual shilling from every Communicant. This would raise £9000 for the Diocesan, and £3000 for the Central Fund. The difficulty of this and all similar projects is getting them to be everywhere accepted.

The "Yorkshire Post" has a "communicated" article on the recent meeting of the "National Assembly", which it thinks will be known to history as the "Faith and Fraud Assembly"! It would seem actually to be the case that my harmless platitude, for really it was nothing else, did startle and offend many persons. They probably thought it both unseemly and profane!!

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