The Henson Journals

[177]

Thursday, October 19th, 1922.

Shall I, or shall I not, make a motion in Convocation on the subject of the "Anglo–Catholic" movement? If that movement is to be adopted officially, then it would seem requisite that the standards of Anglicanism should be revised. Is it right or even politic to maintain the present subscriptions in the circumstances which the Anglo–Catholic propaganda has disclosed?

Of course the prevailing temper is hostile to any insistence on the claims of truth, and there is a powerful tendency towards everything "Catholic" which indisposes most people for anything which may compel criticism of, or opposition to, a "Catholic" movement. And this must all be reckoned with. Nevertheless, the present situation is becoming intolerable, morally indefensible, and, I must needs think, religiously enfeebling. The Anglican clergyman takes pledges and makes declarations which he does not honour & which are not sincere. So far as these concern his beliefs, the general policy of granting the largest possible liberty of opinion may, perhaps, justify our procedure, but inasmuch as they deal with matters of practice in which the conduct of public worship is directly concerned, the case is not so obviously easy. The self–respect of the bishops is directly affected, for we have our own pledges to reckon with, and these can hardly allow us to accept the humble role of endorsing whatever the "Anglo–Catholics" may say and do!

A cold gusty day, with sharp & sudden bursts of rain. Beyond playing bowls with William for an hour with William, when our sport was illumed by a glorious rainbow. I remained in my study. The Bishop of Croydon & Mrs Pereira called during the afternoon, and looked over the Castle.

The Bishop of Monmouth has a short letter in today's 'Times' in which , evading the main question, he quotes a resolution of the Welsh Governing Body to the effect that the Welsh Church Courts would not be bound by Privy Council Judgements. This appears to me totally irrelevant, & I sent a brief note to the "Times" saying so.

I sent a copy of the Diocesan Gazette which contains my address to the Dioc. Conference on 'The Age for Confirmation' as I see that he is to raise the subject at the Bishop's Meeting.

Caröe arrived in time for dinner. It is perhaps, a sign of returning prosperity that people are again beginning to employ architects. He told me that he was fully employed with work.

The evening paper reports the resignation of Mr Lloyd George. It appears that the conservatives are determined to break away from the Coalition, and to enter into the General Election as an independent party. I fear that the Labour Party stands to gain by this decision.

[178]

October 19th, 1922.

My dear Ralph,

I think you are leaving for Sweden on Saturday, and I desire to send you the best of good wishes for your journey. Give my affectionate greetings to Archbishop & Mrs Söderblom, to Lucie, and Brilioth: and tell everybody you meet that we retain the cheerfullest recollection of their pleasant hospitalities.

I read 'Confessis Fidie' with intense interest, and a very deep agreement. The 17th century "Latitude Men", who gathered about Falkland before the War, and made a School in Cambridge after the Restoration, were the 'salt' of Anglicanism then, and you are wholly justified in claiming to be their Representative today. The welcome accorded to your writings is one of the very few circumstances of our time which helps to hold me back from total despair bout the Church of England.

Just now I am more particularly depressed by the behaviour of the Bishop of Newcastle, who, I thought, was really in agreement with me. He wrote a very heartily appreciative letter about "Anglicanism", and in our conversations together, I had taken the impression of essential agreement. Now he not only accepts office as President of the Anglo–Catholic congress in his diocese, but seizes the moment to start wearing Cope and Mitre, and to wear the new ornaments at the Ordination!

[179]

Infinite trivialities, when seen in the cold light of these ultimate truths, by which, Dear Friend, you guide your way: but it is into these things that an English Bishop is bound, and to these he must devote time, thought and toil! Sometimes I doubt whether I shall be able to stand the humiliation & the strain.

It is serious really. That English Religion, after 350 years, should be deliberately carried back to the medieval type, modernized by Rome, but thereby cut adrift from all the larger mitigations of medieval error, & just made again to centre in "The Mass" and "the Confessional" is a grave matter: and an English Bishop – one English Bishop at least – must not be "partceps criminis".

Always, dear Ralph.

Yours v. affectly

Herbert Dunelm

[180]

October 19th, 1922.

My dear Brigstocke,

I am really distressed to hear that your health does not improve, and, though I reach the decision with the greatest reluctance, I think you ought to resign Horden forthwith. If you could date your resignation on the 1st December, it would mitigate the blow to the parish which, however, would be in any case severe. Then you must take a thorough holiday before undertaking another piece of responsible and continuous work. About your future I will say no more now than this, that I should like to keep you in my diocese if this northern climate is not too severe for you, and in any case I hope you will understand that you may regard me as sincerely your friend.

Do not get discouraged about yourself. A very wise friend said to me many years ago, never worry over failures for which you are not responsible: and in a career crowded with failures, I have found the counsel comforting. Pray with the Psalmist, "Show Thou me the way that I should walk in, for I lift up my soul unto Thee": and be sure that [181] things will come right. You must come here and talk over the future presently. Meanwhile you must wind up the ministry in Horden.

Yours v. sincerely

Herbert Dunelm.

The Revd G. C. Brigstocke

October 19th, 1922.

My dear Sinnamon

I have written to Mr Knight, the Rector of Houghton–le–Spring, & told him that he will probably hear from you: so you may write to him with confidence of being received with kindness. It pleases me very much that you shd read for the B.D. degree, not only because the reading and the degree will be serviceable to your ministry, but also because I am confirmed in the hope that, by God's Blessing, you will grow into a valuable clergyman. Your advance in spiritual efficiency as an object of great desire on my part, and I pray that you may be strengthened and guided.

Affectionately your Bishop

Herbert Dunelm

The Revd F. J. Sinnamon

8, Larchfield Street, Darlington

[182]

October 19th, 1922.

My dear Dr Field

Thank you for your letter, I think you and the very large number of moderate men who are associating themselves with the Anglo–Catholic Movement are making a grave mistake. They exempt themselves from coming to grips with its distinctive principles. If they would do that, they would realize that there is no real possibility of arresting the Romeward tendency of the movement. Bishop Butler's famous sentence, which I have ever on my study mantelpiece, ought to be kept in mind throughout these discussions:–

"Things & actions are what they are, & the consequences of them will be what they will be: why then should we desire to be deceived?"

It is this amiable but disastrous "desire to be deceived" as to the real character & tendency of the movement which moves so much enthusiasm, & accords, perhaps, with so much in our own preferences, that is carrying the Bishops into patronizing methods & objectives which, if set out nakedly in their true character, they would perforce condemn.

I cannot accept the small "r". The Roman Church is a reformed Church: but the Church of England's reformation was of another kind, being specifically derived from the [183] Reformation. We profess the "Reformed Protestant Religion". I don't think 'Reformed' implies a fixed law of the past, but it does imply the acceptance of a principle which first became the spring of ecclesiastical policy in the XVIth century. The principle of private judgement, or the supremacy of Holy Scripture, or the superiority of Truth over Unity – all these, & many other formulae, will serve to describe the originating & determining idea of our religious Reformation.

I think we must come to a Disruption, and, perhaps, hateful though it will be, it would be wholesomer than the present nightmare of humbug!

The Bishop of Monmouth's letter in today's 'Times' seems to me totally irrelevant.

Yours ever,

Herbert Dunelm

The Revd J. Field DD

St Mary's Vicarage,

Nottingham

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