The Henson Journals

[91]

12th Sunday after Trinity, September 3rd, 1922.

Almighty and everlasting God, who art always more ready to hear than we to pray, and art wont to give more than either we desire, or deserve: Pour down upon us the abundance of thy mercy; forgiving us those things whereof our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things which we are not worthy to ask, but through the merits & mediation of Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord. Amen.

"Judge not that ye be not judged" – it cannot mean that our Lord prohibited the indispensable process of considering, appraising, deciding upon, the characters and abilities of others, for this is essential to all intercourse with them, & preeminently to all government of them. But there is another kind of judgment, which goes beyond this necessary procedure. We may not assign motives, and then condemn men on the assumption which we have made: nor may we allocate blame, thereby usurping the Judge's place. "Forgive, & ye shall be forgiven," He says: and this is the lesson of that terrible parable of the Unmerciful Servant. To condemn & yet not to judge: to abhor the action while not determining the motives: to refuse association with a man whom yet you will not let yourself despise: to know that you are being injured & belittled, and yet not to admit resentment or the thought of retaliation – these are the tasks beyond the reach of unassisted human nature.

[92] [symbol]

I walked into Selkirk with mine host, and attended service at the Episcopalian Church. The service was conducted, & the "sermon" preached by the minister, Mr Tonge, a dingy–looking man with a Cambridge hood, who, as I afterwards learned, was about 45 years old. He did not preach a sermon, though he read out a text, & prefaced his observations with an Invocation of the Blessed Trinity. He "pleaded" for the "Home Missions of the Scottish Episcopal Church", elaborating & enlarging upon a printed appeal signed by Bertram Talbot, which was set out in the pews. His vulgarity, conceit, and consistent ignoring of the Established Church – as if, forsooth, Scotland were destitute of Christianity – made me so angry that I contributed but sixpence to the Collection, and, though I had intended to remain to the Holy Communion, felt unable to do so. Has the "Ministry of the Word" fallen so low as this?

After lunch we visited Abbotsford, & were kindly received by the tenants, Macconell. The old steward, Flynn, was sent for to expound the many objects of interest, & he did this with much intelligence and humour. William, at my request, came with us, & shared a very pleasant and informing experience. Last year no less than 20,000 persons visited Abbotsford, paying individually the fee of one shilling for admission. It is said, however, that though the pilgrimage to Sir Walter's house continues to attract great multitudes, the perusal of his works is ceasing to be general.

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