The Henson Journals

[133]

S. Stephen, December 26th, 1924.

I began reading S. John's Gospel in Greek with Ernest. He has to do that book for his priest's examination. It was rather a disconcerting performance. Then I wrote a short article for the Review of Reviews is answer a foolish attack on the Church of England, entitled "Is the Church of England Christian?' By M.A. (Oxon) of which the Editor had sent me a proof. After lunch Ernest and I walked in the Park with the dogs. Clayton went off for a fortnight's holiday. There was neither newspaper nor post.

Giving advice to others is rather a terrible proceeding, and if those others be by age, temperament, or station in any measure subject to your personal influence it carries a heavy burden of responsibility. Most of all is this the case when you advise a young man to seek Ordination, for there his self–respect as well as his interest is bound up with the course you urge him to take. Your knowledge of him cannot really be adequate, and, if it happen that you are attached to him, your affection is likely, almost without your being conscience [sic] of it, to deflect your judgement. Moreover you can hardly be quite frank with him, for how can you fairly or rightly shadow and confuse his mind by telling him all you know and all you fear about the Church of England? Yet how can you let him go forward in ignorance and delusion?

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