The Henson Journals

[131]

Thursday, February 15th, 1923.

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I wrote a brief address to the King for adoption by the Convocation, & sent it to the Archbishop.

Lady Thurlow came to lunch. She seems as talkative and vivacious as ever, & exhibited a charming photograph of the four boys.

I read through nearly the whole of "Anglican Essays". It is more definitely polemical against Rome than the title suggested, or than I judge in these days to be expedient: but it includes some good work, and brings together some useful information. Raven has a strange hysterical essay on "The New Reformation", in which he allows himself a gibe at the Bishop of Durham! I cannot understand what precisely he is driving at, and the only positive proposal is one for an United Mission!

"Our immediate task would seem to be the promotion of a strong and if possible united evangelistic movement planned with the sympathy and, if practicable, the concurrent support of the Free Churches…… It should be the privilege of the Church of England, if she is true to her character, to take the lead in such an adventure."

Such a humble conclusion to so ambitious an essay is no more than a confession that he also is as much perplexed as the rest of us. I should have thought of all bankrupt methods, 'Missions' was the most clearly so to be described.

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