The Henson Journals

[242]

Monday, March 9th, 1925.

Lord Palmerston told Sir James Paget "that he found the best way of speaking in the House was to let the beginning depend on what the previous speaker had said, to let the middle depend on his own knowledge of the subject, and to have the end carefully prepared, so that it might come at any time with a good grace".

v. Memoirs & Letters of Sir James Paget p.407

A newspaper report of Hickson's meeting at the Deanery on Saturday represents the Dean as professing his belief in "spiritual healing". The letter of the Australian bishops appears to have been distributed to the meeting. Thus in advance of the Bishop's address to his Diocesan Conference on the subject, of which public notice had been given for some weeks, the Dean organizes opinion against him. Would it be possible to find a parallel to this in any diocese throughout the Anglican Church? It is noteworthy that, while invitations to the meeting at the Deanery were sent far and wide in the diocese, none was sent to the Bishop or to his wife. Yet the Dean has ever professed a regard for me, and for many years in writing to me has adopted the absurd but not wholly insignificant formula, 'Yours affectionately'!

[243]

It seems to me quite likely that the next generation will find themselves in an intellectual world the attitude of which towards miracles will be not unlike the attitude of the Roman Empire, but quite unlike the attitude of the educated world of the last generation: and by the attitude of the Roman Empire, I mean a disposition to accept such occurrences, without generally attributing very much importance to them.

Bishop Gore 'Belief in God' p. 251. (1921)

I started to write the book, but made woefully little progress. If I could read, and note, and think for a year, something wd be possible: but, as things are, it will be only another 'hand–to–mouth' job, which does justice neither to me, nor to my subject.

I motored to Seaton Carew, & confirmed 74 persons. In the vicar's drawing room I notice a number of small books on spiritualism & angelology. I spoke to him on the subject, and was not altogether reassured by his answers. The fascination of these follies for the half–educated & devout, is enormous. I went on to Hartlepool, and in Holy Trinity Church, confirmed 140 persons. The church was very cold, & the candidates were sent up with maddening deliberation. However, I got back to the Castle by 9.30 p.m.

---