The Henson Journals

[88]

3rd Sunday after Trinity, June 17th, 1923.

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Appointing to 'livings' is a very humbling process. The paradox implicit in the clergyman's 'profession' leaps then into aggressive prominence, naked and unashamed. Not the spiritual opportunity and obligation are paramount, but the income, the house, the amenities of the 'benefice'. These lower things are relatively unimportant in the case of clergymen whose private incomes are large enough to make the amount of official 'salaries' unimportant: but in the case of penniless parsons, such as most commonly are the English clergy, the spiritual aspect of clerical office seems to be completely obscured by the material. The clergyman's wife rises into a terrible dominance, for who but she can determine the relative importance of Divine "vocation" and an inconvenient house, or an unpleasant neighbourhood, or a small endowment? Moreover, there are all the claims of all the children, and perhaps of other relatives, for the number of clergy who are maintaining or helping to maintain parents or brethren is very large. The last, because at the moment the remotest consideration in clerical appointments is precisely that which ought to be determining, viz: the spiritual interest of the parishioners. Would disestablishment and disendowment improve matters? Would the situation not be worsened by that process? Would popular election of the incumbents remedy the mischief? Experience certifies rather that it would add fresh mischiefs of its own.

[89]

A bright but dubious morning, with a rising glass and a darkening sky. I motored to Aycliffe, where I preached in the parish church, & celebrated the Holy Communion. William communicated. I lunched with the Vicar and Mrs Eade. After lunch the Vicar shewed William and me the very interesting church. Eade, who is Wilson's brother–in–law, was ordained by the Bishop of Chichester in 1870. Ten years later he succeeded his father as Vicar of Aycliffe. He has been no less than 43 years in his present position. He cannot be less, he may be more, than 76 years old. I returned to Auckland, & had some talk with Gilbert Darwin. Ella accompanied me to Redmarshall. We had tea with the Rector and Mrs Bates, & then I preached at Evensong in the parish church. This also is an interesting fabrick, dating from the Norman period, but much modernized. There is a curious little building abutting on the southern wall of the chancel, which may have been the priest's chamber, or possibly the residence of an anchorite. The church is dedicated to St Cuthbert. The population of the parish scarcely exceeds 300 souls: and of these hardly less than half were gathered together in the congregation, to which I preached. The value of the benefice is stated to be £375 per annum. It is probably rather more than this, for the clergy almost always understate the amount of their official incomes. The patronage is vested in the Crown. The present Rector has been nine years in the parish. He was ordained in 1904.

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