The Henson Journals

[23]

Saturday, May 2nd, 1925.

Every ground taken by Jewel, following Cranmer and Parker, to justify separation from Rome, and to vindicate the Church of England as a national church free from medieval corruption, is now openly scorned by considerable numbers within the Anglican Communion. True, submission to the Pope and the vow of chastity for priests are still refused by Anglo–Catholics. And because these two items are at the very root of the Protestant contention – the right of private judgement in matters of faith and morals – Anglicanism remains Protestant.

Clayton. "The Historic Basis of Anglicanism" p. 142.

I wasted the morning in writing the second of the six articles for the Evening Standard, to which I rashly pledged myself. The subject is "The Parson in Parliament".

In the afternoon I walked in the Park with the dogs, & then had a painful interview with a parson, who desired to be re–instated in his exercise of the ministry, from which he had been driven by his own moral collapse. I refused his petition, & reported my decision to the Archbishop of York. This necessity of passing judgement on one's fellow–clergy is utterly hateful & humiliating.

---