The Henson Journals

[175]

Thursday, March 22nd, 1923.

"To the best of my knowledge there is no evidence for the practice of Non–Communicating attendance in at least the first four centuries, except either as a penal privation inflicted on one class of penitents, or as a popular abuse rebuked by authority. The doctrinal grounds on which it is defended appear to me to receive no support from Scripture or from any formulary of the Church of England; and the results to which it naturally leads are in my belief disastrous.

v. Hort. Jan.14th 1886 (Life ii. 338)

A beautiful spring day. I played bowls with William for two hours in the afternoon.

I finished the Freemasons' Sermon, and started to read the volume of essays – 'Liberal Evangelicalism, an Interpretation' – which was sent me by the publisher yesterday. Its main interest, perhaps, is the list of Authors, for in these days men are not very willing to label themselves. They are the following.

Revd H. A. Wilson, Guy Rogers, E. A. Burroughs, V. F. Storr, R. J. Howard, H. B. Gooding, J. W. Hunkin, F. S. Guy Warman (Bp. of Truro), Mr Linton Smith (Bp. of Hereford), E. S. Woods, A. W. Davies, and E. W. Barnes. Except the two Westminster Canons it does impress me as a strong team:

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