The Henson Journals

[41]

Friday, May 4th, 1923.

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The essential faiths of mankind show a surprising power of surviving the dogma on which they have been supposed to rest.

Pringle Pattison.

The "Times prints the short letter which I wrote at Bishopthorpe in answer to the Bishop of St Alban's. It will no doubt be ignored by the "Church Times", which none the less gives great prominence to the most offensive paragraph of the Bishop's letter !

Edgar Dobbie wrote me a quaint affectionate letter in which he tells me that he has 'sometimes to champion my cause – often against very ordinary people, who do not wish to reason, but who oppose on principle, & certainly will not be convinced.'

'I have defended to the best of my ability, and have wished you could be there personally. I am always comforted when I say to myself. "They do not know him and I do; & I love him because I know him". That is a touching expression of loyalty from an old Durham chorister. I do not mind much the misrepresentation & insult of the 'Church Times' on my own account, but I do regret the distress & disturbance of mind caused to so many persons, clergy & laity, who do not know how far partisanship will carry men, & are at the mercy of what they read. Probably the continuing denunciation of the Bishop in the newspaper which they read regularly with religious devotion does affect their minds, & make episcopal government more difficult.

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