The Henson Journals

[92]

Friday, January 19th, 1923.

I set to work on the "Open Letter" about the Anglo–Catholic movement, but I did not make much progress. In the afternoon I walked in the Park with Ernest.

Keble's description of Richard Hurrell Froude in his Preface to the 'Remains', published in 1838, is, perhaps, applicable to the 'Anglo–Catholic' of today:–

"Their loyalty is already engaged to the Church Catholic, and they cannot enter into the drift and intentions of her oppressors without betraying her."

What this 'loyalty' may imply may be gathered from a passage from the Revd J. F. Briscoe's paper on "The Mission to the People of England" read to the Priests' Convention in 1921:–

"If we claim to be Catholics, we are agreed that when the Western and Eastern Churches speak with one voice, we ought not to contradict. In that consensus of East and West, if anywhere, the Holy Ghost is speaking today. So we insist for our people on the duty of hearing Mass on Sunday, of using Confession, of receiving Communion fasting."

Yet this gentleman must have subscribed to the Declaration of Assent to the Thirty nine Articles, and taken the Vows at his Ordination.

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