The Henson Journals

[26]

2nd Sunday after Easter, May 4th, 1924.

I attended the choral celebration at 8.30 a.m. in the College Chapel, when the Master celebrated. There was a goodly attendance of surpliced youths, a fact the more noteworthy since attendance is quite voluntary. The commandments were illegally shortened, & there were many hymns. For the rest the service followed the Order of the Prayer–Book.

It was an impressive and edifying function.

The son of the house came to breakfast, a pleasant, loquacious, self–confident lad who at present intends to be ordained. He spoke with much contempt of pre–war Religion, of which, however, he could have no personal knowledge, & about which he seems to have been told many strange things. 'Victorian' is evidently a "bad word" in his milieu.

Canon Woods came to fetch me for the service at Holy Trinity. This is Simeon's church, a fact that is recalled by many pictures & relics in the vestry. There was a very large congregation which included a considerable number of undergraduates. My sermon, which was addressed largely to undergraduates, was closely listened to, and seemed to give satisfaction to the Vicar.

At 2.30 p.m. I preached in Great S. Mary's to the University. The floor of the church was well filled, & there were about 50 undergraduates in the gallery. I think the sermon interested the congregation and probably offended many members of it. The Editor of the 'Cambridge Review' requested leave to print it.

[27]

The Vice–Chancellor and I walked together for an hour after the sermon. On our way we fell in with Professor Sorley and his son, & had some converse with them. Then we called on Cunningham at Westcott House, and looked in on Sydney Sussex chapel, a new building ordered carefully on Anglo–Catholic lines. This college is said to be the headquarters of the sect.

At tea some of the undergraduates came in. I retired to rest myself, my labours in preaching two sermons uniting with a thunderous state of the weather to make me feel much fatigued. But scarcely had I lain down before two "Old Dunelmians" called to invite me to meet the O.Ds tomorrow. One of the two was Canon Oakley's son, an undergraduate at King's. I was pleased with the loyalty of the youths, but perforce declined their proposal.

I dined in Hall, and met divers persons, among them the Anglo–Catholic Spens, with whom I had some conversation. He told me that he had been pressed to accept office as Secretary of the E.C.U. at the time when Arnold Pinchard was elected, & that he was now disposed to doubt the wisdom of his refusal. He expressed himself with much reasonable moderation, & was properly resentful of "Copec", but I cannot lightly believe in the candour of an Anglo–Catholic!

Geoffrey Butler, a lame man, who is one of the burgesses of the University, sate by me in Hall, & was agreeable enough.

We came away about 9.15 p.m., and so brought to an end a pleasant & not inactive Sunday.

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