The Henson Journals

[188]

Thursday, January 29th, 1925.

[symbol]

Clayton went with me to Darlington, where I took the early train to London, and travelled in the luxury of an unshared carriage. On arriving at King's Cross, I drove to Park Lane, and found a note from Lady S. saying that she had gone into the country for a Red Cross function. I went on to Lambeth, where nearly 40 bishops had come together for a singularly unimportant, & uninviting agenda. The minutes of the last meeting were read by Haigh, and contained a fairly full account of the discussion on Hickson's mission, which I introduced. Harold Anson was quoted as saying that the cures in Hickson's missions did not exceed 2% of the applicants. The notable decline in the death rate was effected not by faith–healing, but by medical science. The Archbishop of York was reported to have said that the Church had a great part to play in physical healing, but that Hickson's missions placed us on wrong lines. This characteristically cryptic utterance, blessing and banning at the same time, had perforce to pass unchallenged. The Archbishop of Canterbury said that the African bishops were by no means eager to have a repetition of Hickson's visit!

The Bishop of Chester (Luke Paget) who on this subject of "spiritual healing" is admirably sane, as befits the son of his father, shewed me two letters which he had received from [189] [symbol] South Africa. The one, from his nephew, while generally favourable to Hickson, expressed misgivings as to his financial methods, & said that he did not wish the mission to be repeated. The other, from the wife of the medical superintendent of a hospital in Johannesburg, was scornful and hostile. Hickson was reported to be a Jew: and suspected of being a swindler. He could only with difficulty be induced to visit the poor in the hospital, while he spent his time in attending private patients for a fee of fifty guineas. The grossness of his aspect belied the altitude of his claims! I passed to the Bishop of London, this question: Do you now fully sanction Hickson's Missions? He replied,'I am very careful, and tell him he may 'lay his hands on a few sick folk' quietly– but deprecate any large gatherings like Bradford. He has not to my knowledge held a mission since St Michael's Paddington in my diocese'. The Bishop of Bradford said that he had tackled Hickson on the subject of finance, and failed to get any satisfaction. Certainly, all that one can learn about the man confirms one's suspicions. I walked to the Athenaeum, and there dined in company with the Bishop of St David's, whose speech is so queer a mélange of Welsh & English as to be almost unintelligible. After writing to Ella, I walked back to Park Lane. The weather has become quite warm.

---