The Henson Journals

[92]

Monday, December 17th, 1923.

The "Times" reports the death of General Lumley, Lord Scarborough's brother and heir. He was a victim of this woeful election, having contracted pneumonia at one of the meetings. I wrote a letter of condolence to Lord S. Also, the death of Raleigh's brother–in–law, Sir R. R. Simpson is reported. It is not many weeks since he wrote me a long letter, & sent me a little book, he had published. He was a typical U.F. Presbyterian, & had been Clerk to the Assembly.

After lunch Ella, Fearne, and I motored to Newcastle, where I had my hair cut while they shopped. Then we made an unsuccessful call on the Bishop of Newcastle, and returned to Auckland.

I read great part of a book by Wilfred L. Knox, "The Catholic Movement in the Church of England". It is well written, and discloses considerable ability, but gives a strange impression of English churchmanship. The writer belongs to the thorough–going Roman section of the Anglo–Catholic party, and expresses himself with an almost cynical frankness. He never thinks it necessary to allude to the subscriptions which Ordination and Office in the Church of England are so carefully granted. These are simply ignored, & the fact raises a moral issue which cannot easily be explained away. What explanations must be given to the youth in the Theological Colleges in order to evacuate their pledges of all binding force!

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