The Henson Journals

[45]

Friday, December 15th, 1922.

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The Archbishop left after breakfast. I motored him to Darlington, & continued the conversation of last night. He is certainly disposed to associate himself with the more liberal elements in the church: but he has rather a difficult past to get over before he can do so effectively.

Lord Gainford and his daughter Faith came to lunch. We had some talk together. He expressed agreement with my letters in the "Times" on the Divorce question, and admired my "courage" in saying openly what most clergymen thought it prudent to conceal. I suppose it is the fact that prudence would suggest silence, since the main currents within the Church of England are setting so strongly in the homeward direction: but I prefer my liberty even at the price of abuse and calumny. The "Church Times" contains a fresh instalment of these in its latest issue where it prints a very offensive paragraph, which will provide more provender for clerical disaffection within the diocese, and give much pleasure to my ill–wishers, but I shall ignore it, because not only is it utterly hateful to me to embark on personal controversy, but also because I think my persistent refusal to treat that paper as deserving my notice is probably the most damaging retort I can provide. Lang agreed with me that the influence of the "Church Times" on the clergy is very considerable & very mischievous. Many of them read nothing else: few of them are capable of criticizing its statements.

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