The Henson Journals

[239]

Friday, March 6th, 1925.

If any encouragement is to be given, either by general or diocesan authority, to the revival of this practice (i.e. unction of the sick, we ought to avoid, not merely the limitations of the Roman rite of extreme unction but (1) any appearance of locally and permanently transferring Divine power and presence into the creatura olei: (2) the consequent requirement that the Bishop should be a sort of spiritual apothecary, keeping a store of unguents of divers kinds.

Bishop John Wordsworth in 1906. v. Life. 312.

I sent the proof of my address on Spiritual Healing to Streeter, requesting his comments.

Jimmie came after lunch, & walked with me in the Park. I read through a small great book – "Science and creation, the Christian Interpretation" by Archbishop D'Arcy. It is one of the Liverpool Diocesan Board of Divinity Publications, and well illustrates the often–forgotten truth that it requires a master to write a small book.

The Bishop of Bradford is reported to have "replied to criticisms by the medical profession" in a speech at Ilkley last night. He admitted that Hickson's language needed modification, but he failed to make his own position intelligible. It is still difficult to see how the physician & the faith–healer are to lie down together.

---