The Henson Journals

[202]

Tuesday, September 11th, 1923.

"Lex supplicandi legem statuit credenda" is a maxim which has always been acknowledged since it was uttered, & indeed was felt long before it was formulated. It means, for us, that the expression of the church's belief must be sought for in the Prayer Book as well as in Creeds & other documents describing or limiting our doctrine.

Bishop John Wordsworth. Letter. 1898

In a note it is stated that 'the phrase appears to be taken from the Appendix to the letter of Pope Celestine to the Bishops of Provence A.D. 431. As in all his writings this letter to the clergy, 'Considerations on Public Worship and on the Ministry of Penitence', Bishop John Wordsworth unites erudition, acuteness, and an almost childish naïveté. It is worth reading if only to disclose the distance we have travelled in the 25 years since it was issued. In view of the forth–coming discussions of the proposed rubrick authorising 'Reservation', we may well keep the learned Bishop's pronouncement in mind:

'It is clearly not only contrary to the law of the Church of England, but contrary to the principles of Christian worship … to reserve the sacrament for the purpose of isolated worship, either by those who casually enter a church & see a light burning before pyx or tabernacle, or in a special service of Benediction.'

Contrast with this the Bishop of Zanzibar's language about tabernacles at the Albert Hall Congress.

[203] [symbol]

The 'Times' contains an obituary notice of Miss Arnold, the youngest daughter of the famous Dr Arnold of Rugby. She died yesterday at Fox Howe at the great age of 90. I remember calling on her more than 30 years ago, and writing my name in her visitors' book. A second time I called after I became a Canon of Westminster, and then she talked much of Dean Stanley.

I read through again Hooker's sixth book, being led to do so by Bishop Wordsworth's letter.

Bishop Mann informs me that the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States is as much embarrassed by the shortage of Ordination candidates as the Church of England. In round numbers there are now about 5000 clergy to fill 8000 places, and although it is the cases that many of these places hardly provide sufficient work for a clergyman, it is also the case that many others require the work of a staff of clergy. Great hopes had been indulged as to the result of the war in this matter. It was expected, & confidently prophesied, that many of the ex–officers would seek Ordination, & the experiences of the Civil War is said to justify both the expectation & the prophecy. But the actual event has been different. Not a deepening of religion but a loosening of morality has been the general consequence of the War. It would appear that War wastes the spiritual resources of civilized society hardly less than it wastes its material treasure. Moral bankruptcy is as evident a peril as financial.

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