The Henson Journals

[142]

Saturday, August 9th, 1924.

Salter, the new Rector of Hartlepool, lunched here. I sent for him in order to hear what he had to say about his extraordinary conduct in marrying a couple in a Hospital on the authority of a licence to marry them in the parish church. It appears that it was a case of pure ignorance. I spent the working day in reading through the report of the proceedings at Copec, and writing a few letters. In the afternoon I played bowls with Boden.

The parallel between "Christianity" as represented by 'Copec', and "Labour" as represented by its extremists is suggestively close in at least one important particular. Both insist on a distinctive and isolated handling of history and politics. They will not accept the general stream of human tradition, and take their place within it; but must vindicate a separate point of view, a recognizable distinct influence and objective. The result is bad enough in the case of "Labour", for the particularist temper known as 'class–consciousness' obliterates the frontiers of right and wrong, and leads (as in the conspicuous case of Russia) to the most shocking violations of the Moral Law. Can the result be wholesome in the case of Christianity? Will not this passionate insistence on a definitely "Christian" version of every human concern carry those who make it into the difficult business of life with minds closed to truth, and obsessed with policies which are not in any genuine sense Christian at all?

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