The Henson Journals

[98]

Advent Sunday, November 30th, 1924.

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It is 36 years since, on Advent Sunday 1888, I was instituted as Vicar of Barking. Nearly everybody concerned in that function is dead except myself, & I am tired. I celebrated the communion in the Chapel at 8 a.m. Ella, Mrs Berry, Alexander, and William communicated. Then I prepared notes for a sermon to be delivered later: and, when that was finished, I revised the Baxter sermon. I finished reading over again Ronald Knox's account of his migration from the Church of England to the Church of Rome. It certainly gives one an ill impression of the Romanizing Anglicans. The whole business of Religion is for them a game of puerile lawlessness, enjoyable because prohibited. There is no sense of God in it anywhere. With all his repulsive narrowness of creed and harshness of temper, Baxter was incomparably more religious. The hilarity of these converts is peculiarly repellent.

I motored to Durham, and had tea with Knight who gave me the Examiners' report, and then I went on to Sunderland, & preached in S. Thomas's Church. There was a large congregation, and a rather noisy musical service. After which I returned to Auckland, where I arrived at 9 p.m. Leng drives smartly, & the journey from Sunderland to the castle was done in less than an hour.

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