The Henson Journals

[226]

July 21st, 1922.

Dear Mr Warden,

I am prepared to sanction the proposed change of the Constitution of the Society of Christ and B.M.V. provided that the persons affected thereby will be those who have "reached middle age", and who, as you say in your letter, might be unfairly inconvenienced by the existing rule. I do not see anything in the Constitution which limits the admission to middle–aged women, but perhaps I have not fully understood its provisions.

With this caveat I sanction the annulment of the existing rule, as requested in your letter.

Believe me,

Yours v. faithfully,

Herbert Dunelm:

The Revd John E. Murray

Warden of the Society of Christ and the Blessed Mary the Virgin, Durham.

[227]

July 22nd, 1922.

My dear Canon Green,

I hope it is not putting you to an unreasonable inconvenience if I beg you to tell me what are the "interesting biographical details of his lordship's (the Bishop of Durham's) career" which you "supplied" to a meeting at Preston as reported in this week's issue of the "Church Times", and which, as stated in your "inimitable way" and "without notice!" appear to have delighted your audience.

I have long made a rule of ignoring personalia, but I have a regard for you, and a certain curiosity to know what in my career appears to you worth proclaiming at a public meeting in my absence, and to an audience which certainly knew nothing about me except what it was told.

Believe me,

Yours sincerely,

Herbert Dunelm:

The "Church Times" with its usual keen insight into what will really injure an opponent, has the following on its front page: "It is true that Lloyd George is credited with the desire to bring to Lambeth – which happily shows no sign of becoming vacant – the Bishop of Durham, most Erastian. But even that might contribute to the success of the (Disestablishment) campaign, indirectly". It is easy to imagine how annoying this sort of thing must be to Cantuar, how humiliating to me.

[228]

Friday, July 21st, 1922.

I spent the morning in my study preparing sermons & writing letters. After lunch I motored to Barnard Castle, & attended the meeting of the Governing Body of the N.E. Counties School, of which I am a Chairman. By my casting vote it was determined that the boys should have butter instead of margarine, a change which will cost about £ 450 per annum. The fees have been raised from £ 30 to £ 84 yearly, and the school is now making a substantial profit. We ought to feed the boys decently.

Brillioth talked about the Prohibitionist movement in Sweden, which is being actively pushed by Swedes from America, and has been strengthened by the fact that both Norway and Finland have adopted Prohibition. I enquired how the system was working in those countries, and he replied that Prohibitionists maintained that it worked admirably, but that more independent witnesses gave a different account. Fishing had been replaced by smuggling on the Swedish coast, since the modest gains of the lawful industry could not compare with the large profits of the illicit traffick. The clergy of the Church of Sweden were generally opposed to Prohibition, of which the Dissenting ministers were almost universally fanatical advocates. I inquired whether drunkenness was at all frequent among the Swedish clergy, and he replied that it had once been a prevalent vice but was now almost altogether unknown. Much the same might be said of the rural clergy of England.

[229]

Saturday, July 22nd, 1922.

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The time has come for the English Bishops to make it plain to the world that the 'Anglo–Catholics' do not in any sense represent the Church of England. If this is not done, & done without delay, the cause of Christian reunion will be lost, for another generation at least, in a fog of misrepresentation and misconception".

Church Family Newspaper, July 21st, 1922.

Which journal carries most weight with the Anglican clergy – the Ch. F. N. or the "Church Times"? Which can most reasonably be described as "representative"? With most of the Bishops acting as its Presidents & Vice–Presidents, how can the 'Anglo–Catholic' movement be described as other than Anglican? But the difficulty goes deeper than the C. F. N. realizes. The strength of the 'Anglo–Catholics lies in their logical consistency. They accept the conclusions of the principles which the 'moderate' Tractarians also hold, not indeed all the conclusions, for then they would join the Roman Church without further delay, but so many as make them Roman in everything short of the formal surrender, and which cannot logically be resisted by their less logical comrades. The Bishops deserve no sympathy, for they act on no principle, but only on a timorous expediency. Some of them are at heart in agreement with the "Anglo–Catholics", and all fear their power of disturbing the diocesan administration. The public is bored, or amused, or frankly indifferent. "Reunion" in a subject for platform perorations, not for serious negotiation. It will not much longer retain its place even on the platforms.

[230]

Sir Arthur Pease and his wife came to lunch before attending the opening of the Y.M.C.A. Fête in the Park, at which Sir Arthur presided. I declared the Fête open, and made a short speech. Then I hastened back to the Castle, where the Sunday School Association had assembled in the Chapel. I addressed them on the difficulties, importance, & reward of religious teaching. Then, after tea, Brillioth, Clayton, and I motored to Sunderland. On arriving there we went first to Canon Gouldsmith's house, where I had an interview with the Rev. Harold Owen. He was ordained in this diocese, but had been working in South Africa. He intends to return to England in two years' time, & wishes to know whether there will be work for him in his old diocese. I said that, if his character, health & ability were satisfactory, he could count on getting an assistant curacy. Then I went to the Methodist Church in Tatham Street, where the centenary of the Sunderland & District Methodist Church was being celebrated. The chapel was fairly filled with an assembly which contained an abnormal proportion of white and bald heads! I spoke for 35 minutes, and was listened to with much attention. When I sate down the assembly applauded loudly. We returned to Auckland by way of Horden, in order to carry Clayton thither, as he was pledged to take Brigstocke's place on Sunday. Brillioth and I arrived at the Castle about 9:45 p.m.

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