The Henson Journals

[23]

Friday, May 2nd, 1924.

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I left the Castle at 10.20 a.m., and William motored me to Darlington, where I booked to Cambridge. There were three changes on the way – at Peterborough, at March, and at Ely – and I arrived at Cambridge at 5.21 p.m. Hardly had I reached the Master's Lodgings at Corpus before a thunderstorm broke. The Master took me to dine with "the Family" at Trinity. This club is of ancient origin, & has a Jacobite tradition. The host on this occasion was Lawrence, one of the editors of Ld Acton's writings. Opposite to me was Durnford, the V. Provost of King's, and on my other side, was Arthur Benson. So I was well placed: & had a pleasant evening.

I beguiled the journey from Darlington to Cambridge, by reading Foakes Jackson's new book, "Anglican Church Principles". It is brightly written, informing, suggestive, and stimulating: but what Anglican church principles are, or whether there are any Anglican church principles, is left wholly undisclosed. We are told how the parties which distract & divide the Church of England came to be, and what they represent, but how their several teachings can be combined in a single witness is not shown. The fact that the term 'Anglican' covers contradictory teachings, practices, & ideals is admitted, and the inference is drawn, or suggested, that Anglicanism is a large, tolerant, inclusively–veracious version of Christianity: but how this can be is not made out.

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