The Henson Journals

[98]

Tuesday, June 26th, 1923.

"Ritualism is too strong to be 'put down'; a serious attempt to do so would simply shatter the church. On the other hand, it is odious to the majority of Churchmen, partly from habit, partly from dogmatic objection. The time is passed by when it was possible to conciliate these rival bodies of opinion. If a fatal collision is to be avoided, the only thing to be done is to get them into different buildings."

Ld Salisbury to Abp. Tait. Feb. 5th 1881. (ii. 449)

Forty–two years have passed since these words were written, & they could hardly be improved upon. The Church of England is hopelessly divided, & its distinctive witness in Christendom has ceased.

I re–cast a sermon on "Truthfulness", and added a few pages of reference to Prayer Book Revision; and decided to make shift with this for S. Paul's on July 8th.

Davison came to talk over my proposal that he should go to St Helen's, West Auckland. He seems rather disinclined to move, &, indeed, he wd hardly gain financially by doing so, as his present benefice is worth nearly £600 per annum: &, though St Helen's is worth about £640, he ought to pay a curate out of his income.

The weather today has been delightful. Laws started to water the flower–beds – a performance which was almost startling in its assumption of summer conditions!

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