The Henson Journals

[146]

Wednesday, February 15th, 1922.

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The principal rock in the way of my scheme for creating a strong theological faculty out of the Cathedral Foundation appears to be the jealousy of the University, & the secularising fashion now prevailing. Ought a modern University to contain the anomaly of professorships limited to the Anglican clergy? It is true that two such professorships are existing at present: but is it not one thing to suffer an inherited burden, and quite another thing to add to it of one's own accord? The circumstance that the present Dean is not on good terms with the University adds gravity to this plea. It may, of course, fairly be urged even on a secularist University that since it includes a Theological Faculty in its system, that Faculty had better be made as efficient as possible: that if the funds for endowing the Theological chairs be found from the revenues of the cathedral, the scanty funds of the University will to that extent be relieved: that the primary requisite of a University is students, & that the Faculty of Theology, if really efficient, would probably attract students from far & near.

I received the Holy Communion in the Palace Chapel at 8 a.m. together with my fellow–bishops. After breakfast we motored to York in 3 cars, and spent the day in Convocation. The Bishop of Wakefield presented a petition from the E.C.U. on the subject of the Girton Conference, & asked that the Bishops should examine the volume of the "Modern Churchman", which contains the addresses delivered to that Conference, & should formally condemn the heresies therein set forth! We postponed the matter. Then we had the eternal feminine question brought forward by the Bishop of Chester, & I, of course, opposed. After this Temple brought forward his resolutions about admitting Sectaries to preach & pray in our consecrated churches. I was critical & unwelcoming! After lunch we had a rather foolish discussion about the revival of Synods. After dinner we had a discussion as to the best manner of dealing with the petition of E.C.U. Lang carried me to his room to talk it over: & I consented to act on a Committee, which should consider what answer, if any, we ought to make to these persecuting Fanaticks, who are exploiting the distressed faithful!

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