The Henson Journals

[206]

Wednesday, August 26th, 1925.

I received a monstrously rude letter from the Vicar of Escomb, so rude that I cannot see how to answer it. His natural violence of temper & recklessness of speech are no doubt increased, where his bishop is concerned, by his "Bolshevist" sympathies. If revolution came in England, and there were grand reversing of parts, places & policies, he might be in the chair of authority, and I might have to endure his insolence. Whetted by the desire to avenge imagined affronts, & to humiliate what no doubt he bitterly resents _ superiority, personal and official. The grosser crimes of revolutionaries probably have no other source than the release into effective expression of an accumulated volume of envy, covetousness, & hatred which has been growing up against individuals, who are often the most innocent of their class. I suspect that a more considerable factor in clerical undiscipline than we often realize is the revolutionary spirit in the minds of the clergy. Many of them are coarse men, who share to the full the prejudices of the working class from which they have come; and since those prejudices are at present at fever heat, to be insolent to Bishops seems an easy & obvious course. I have no doubt that the Bishop of Durham is grievously wounded in his own house.

[207]

They who are not quite blind can collect countless similar instances of things recorded as actual occurrences, though not literally true. Why, even the Gospels abound in incidents of the same kind. We read of the Devil taking Jesus into a lofty mountain, that from hence his might show him the kingdoms of the whole world and their glory. Who but a careless reader of these things would not condemn the supposition that with the bodily eye which required a lofty height if the parts down below at the foot were to be seen. Jesus beheld the kingdoms of Persia, Scythia, India & Parthia, & the glory of their rulers among men? And, similarly, the careful student may observe countless other instances in the Gospels, & may thus be convinced that with the historical events, literally true, different ones are interwoven which never occurred.

Origen. Philocalia I 17. (p.18)

It is a great pity that Origen was submerged by his heretical reputation, so that the Church of succeeding times lost the way of escape from the absurdities of literalism, which he opened for her, & only preserved his absurdities.

[208]

Darling was very amusing at lunch, when he told stories of cross examination. He spoke highly of Carson, & told of him the following. Carson was cross–examining a red–nosed witness of bibulous aspect. "Have you been a heavy drinker?" he asked. "That is my own business" replied the witness indignantly. "Of course it is" rejoined Counsel 'Have you any other?'

MrLuke Thompson, one of the members for Sunderland, came to ask me to give a living to the Rev. Robert Kee, and seemed surprized to learn that he had already accepted another curacy, which wd take him out of the country.

Rain fell at intervals during the afternoon, & hindered any expedition. So we remained indoors, until after tea when the weather cleared, & I took Darling & Craik for a walk in the Park.

The Bishop of Gloucester, Miss Headlam, Lady Eden and Miss Parry–Evans came to dinner. I was distressed to observe that Headlam's facial twitching had become more frequent & emphatic. In all other respects he seemed in good state: & he is not a man with whom one easily connects the notion of "nerves". He was very hostile to the suggestion that Barnes should succeed Ryle in the Deanery at Westminster.

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