The Henson Journals

[83]

22nd Sunday after Trinity, November 16th, 1924.

[symbol]

I celebrated the Holy Communion in the Chapel at 8 a.m. After breakfast I finished reading through Hickson's book – "Heal the Sick". The most serious thing in it is the evidence it provides of the general surrender of the Anglican hierarchy to this wave of thaumaturgic literalism. The American, South African, and Australian bishops can hardly find words strong enough to express this confidence in "spiritual healing". It is significant that the references to the New Testament, which are offered as justifying the assertion that healing of the sick is an integral part of the Church's Commission, are never complete. Jesus bade the twelve disciples "raise the dead" (cf. Heath. x.8) and the "signs which follow them that believe" are not limited to healings of the sick. "And these signs shall follow them that believe: in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents, & if they drink any deadly thing, it shall in no wise harm them; they shall lay hands on the sick, & they shall recover". (S. Mark.xvi.17–18.) Hickson plainly believes in demon–possession, & claims to cast out devils; but I do not think he has yet affirmed his power either to raise the dead, or to speak with new tongues. I suppose this "spiritual healing" craze is really part and parcel of the same movement of intellectual retrogression which in America is known as "Fundamentalism".

[84] [symbol]

Pemberton brought Mr Justice Talbot and his marshal to tea, and I showed them the Chapel & the State room. Talbot asked for the portrait of his ancestor, the Bishop, who has the glory of having been Butler's patron. He admired the chapel, and was, I think, really impressed by its dignity & beauty.

I motored to Craghead, & preached at Evensong to a congregation which scarcely filled the little parish church, of which the accommodation could hardly have exceeded 400. Yet the population of the parish is nearly 6000. The parson – the Revd J. B. Eddon – has been 12 years in charge of the parish, and 22 years in Orders. He struck me as a rather a depressed humourless person, but appearances may be deceptive. The population is almost wholly engaged in mining. I had some talk with the two churchwardens. They said that employment was well–maintained; that the mines, though mostly old, were still extending; that fresh seems were being opened up. The choirmen were mostly employed at the mine. They assured us that the allegations of ill–treatment of pit–ponies were but too well founded. This is bad hearing. After the service I returned to Auckland. It took me 45 minutes to reach the Castle over a villainous road.

---