The Henson Journals

[270]

Thursday, October 8th, 1925.

The moderns, although they may not know it, are still living upon the moral capital which was stored up during the ages of heroic self–conquest: they have not as yet the faintest idea of the low level to which man will sink when great commandments & ideals of old shall have entirely given way to the indulgent tolerance with which the modern world regards the sensuous feelings.

Foerster l.c. 219

The cheque for 50 guineas for the article on "Religion & Science" in "John O'London's Weekly" arrived, & was paid into my Bank. S. Paul's denunciation of those apostates to whom "godliness" was "a way of gain" will not, I trust, apply to paid writers on religious subjects, who (as in my case) devote these payments to benevolent objects! Still, money & religion go ill together always. Then I revised the sermons which I propose to deliver at Birmingham, and the Address on the Castle for broadcasting tonight. I went to Durham & presided at a meeting of the Board of Training. After tea with Bishop Knight, I motored with Jimmie to South Shields, where I preached in Holy Trinity at its re–opening after repairs etc. Hudson Barker was at the service, & [271] afterwards made report to me respecting the sad breakdown of his curate, Griffiths, about whose Ordination I was very doubtful, & whom I only ordained after 3 independent medical opinions had been obtained. We cannot now secure in our clergy even so much as physical soundness! We motored to Sunderland, and, after a hasty supper with the Wynne–Willsons, went on to Newcastle, where I gave an oration on Durham Castle in the office of the Broadcasting Company. It is an odd, uncanny business. Two young reporters took away my Ms. We got back to Auckland shortly after 11.30 p.m. very cold, as the car was open.

It occurred to me that it might conceivably be worth while to go a little deeper into my communist correspondent's mind, so I wrote to him again in reply to his very civil letter, sending him (to assist our mutual understanding) copies of (a) the speech in the House of Lords on the Liquor Bill: (2) the sermon on the Reformation which I preached some years ago in the crypt of Canterbury Cathedral. (3) the sermon on "Two National Conversions" preached at Ripon Cathedral: & (4) the sermon which I preached in Liverpool Cathedral on the Relations of Anglicans & Nonconformists. These will, at least enable him to see that the Bishop of Durham is not quite as other Bishops, & possibly move him to some self–disclosure.

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