The Henson Journals

[284]

S. Luke' Day, 19th Sunday after Trinity, October 18th, 1925.

The cross of Christ is composed of many other crosses – is the centre, the type, the essence of all crosses. We must suffer with Christ whether we believe in Him or not. We must suffer for the sin of others as for our own: and in this suffering we find a healing and purifying power and element. That is what gives to Christianity, in its simples & most unlettered forms, its force and life. Sin and suffering for sin: a sacrifice, itself mysterious, offered mysteriously to the Divine Nemesis or Law of Sin, – dread, undefined, unknown, yet sure and irresistible, with the iron necessity of law. This the intellectual Christ, the Platonic – Socrates did not offer: hence his failure, and the success of the Nazarene. Vicisti Galilae".

"John Inglesant" ii.82.

"We preach Christ Crucified: to the Jews a stumbling–block, and to the Greeks foolishness: but to them that are called, both Jews & Greeks, Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God".

[285]

Professor Kirkcaldy, who dined here last night, holds the Chair of Economics, and is said to be a man of some distinction. He was plainly restive when I spoke of the book on 'Kenya', which has so greatly distressed me, and I can easily imagine him the champion of a handling of the African natives which might more easily be commended to the Director of a Chartered Company than to the Disciples of Christ. Indeed, he mentioned the cruel assumption born of a 'corrupt following' of Charles Darwin, that these lower races were doomed to extinction in the struggle for existence. That is the formula which excuses the worst excesses of commercial greed.

I preached at Mattins to a great congregation of surgeons, doctors & nurses. The Mayor & Corporation also attended in state. My subject was "Christianity & Medicine", and my sermon was mainly taken from my book on Spiritual Healing, which is due to appear this week. I gave the MS. to the President of the Doctors' Association. The attention of my hearers was close, & I think they were impressed. During the afternoon I walked for an hour with mine host. Nottingham is certainly a finely–placed city, & its historical associations are many & interesting.

[286]

In the Museum, which was thronged with young men and women of the working class, whose vivacity & talkativeness contrasted notably with sombre taciturnity of our miners, there is a good collection of modern pictures, & some interesting objects. Among the latter I noted particularly the standard which the ill–fated Charles set up at the beginning of the Civil War, or a facsimile thereof, & the original MS. of Colonel Hutchinson's Memoirs.

At Evensong I read the lessons, & preached a second sermon. There was a considerable congregation, though the church was not crowded, and it was certainly attentive. Before going to bed, I had a good deal of conversation with mine host. He expresses himself with some vehemence against the Anglo–Catholics, though he himself passes for a "High Churchman". He thinks that this diocese ought to be divided, but admits that there is no enthusiasm among the people for the division. I was interested to observe that the law was freely broken in the service tonight. The psalms were not those appointed in the Prayer Book, and after the anthem the prayers were unauthorised, a minge–mangle of petitions expressed in what seemed to be very stilted forms. The Bishop of Southwell was prayed for by name.

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