The Henson Journals

[133]

Saturday, July 28th, 1923.

The Bishop of Zanzibar has replied to me in two articles, of which the one appeared in the "Morning Post" yesterday & the other today. They are strange reading. The Bishop never grapples with the salient factor in the situation viz. the claim of the Church of England over its own officials. He denies that the Church of England "is an entity, an individual entity, apart from all other like societies". He "goes for" me as plainly disloyal to Christ because I have asked "for a committee to re–open the Western Church's decision that no one shall be married again after divorce", and concludes his first article dramatically: "We Anglo–Catholics appeal from the Bishop of Durham to Christ, the Truth incarnate". The 2nd Article gives an account of Anglo–Catholicism, & is a very curious pronouncement indeed. The Anglo–Catholic "interprets the Prayer Book & formularies in the light of the faith and practice of the other groups of bishops". "He studies in every possible way to minimise our differences with the other groups of bishops, & to emphasize our common corporate worship. Hence the stress laid on vestments & other ornaments". He winds up with denouncing "men like the Bishop of Durham, & some editors of what are called religious papers" for "diverting men from consideration of this message & calling them back into the poisonous atmosphere of ecclesiastical controversy". How can this kind of controversy be met?

[134]

Ella accompanied me to Shildon, where I formally opened a group of four cottages erected by the N.E.R. Cottage Homes & Benefit Fund. We were shown over the cottages, which appeared to be conveniently planned, & cost about £750 each. Then we transferred ourselves to the Hall of the Institute which the N.E.R. maintains for its employe's. Here we held a meeting which was well attended. The Chairman, Dr McBride, explained the origins, objects, achievements, & constitution of the Benefit Society: & then I made a speech. After some more speaking, we then had tea in the Institute, & then returned to Auckland. The Rev d J. A. Bowden, who aspires to become a curate in one of the Darlington parishes, came to see me. I accepted him on condition that his Bishop (the Bishop of Brechin) gave a good report of him. Then Jimmie Dobbie came to see me, and we had some good talk together. I allowed myself to speak to him about Ordination, to which when he was a chorister in Durham Cathedral he had looked forward. But two years at Durham School had destroyed his "vocation". He promised to think the whole subject over again, & to let me know his final decision. Was I right in this? His life, not less than mine, is in the Hands of God". He too is being Divinely led by agencies he knows not: & may not I myself be one of these? Yet it is no small responsibility to take a young man of 21 and to lift him into another way of life.

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