The Henson Journals

[237]

Monday, September 14th, 1925.

Charles II, "hearing that Waller the poet intended to give his daughter in marriage to a clergyman sent to remonstrate with him for marrying her to a failing church. 'Sir', replied Waller, 'the king does me very great honour to take any notice of my domestic affairs; but I have lived long enough to observe that this falling church has got a trick of rising again'.

v. Lightfoot 'Leaders of the N.C.' p. 152

A curiously warm day, but sunless & threatening rain. I wrote with difficulty another article for the Evening Standard, taking as my title "The lure of Moscow", and as my subject the recent session of the Trade Union Congress at Scarborough. Kenneth Kay came to lunch to discuss the question of his baptism. His father states that he was baptized privately by a Disserting Minister, and formally received into the Church by a curate of the parish church. This last went Kenneth himself remembers, & also produces a formal statement from the said curate. In these circumstances, ought he be baptized sub condicione? The Vicar took me to see a parishioner who is carving a communion table for the Memorial Chapel in South Church. He is a railwayman, but nowise enamoured of his Union!

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