The Henson Journals

[346]

Advent Sunday, November 29th, 1925.

I decided while dressing that I would write an article on Religion in the Schools for the "Evening Standard", as the subject has been again raised by Headlam's letter to the Times. He seems to me to present the essential issue wrongly. It is not a question of doing justice to a section of the community, the Church, but of saving the State from the great calamity of morally underdeveloped citizens. If the Church Schools were the natural provision of denominational need, there would be no insurmountable difficulty in providing that they, like the Roman Catholic & Jewish Schools, should be given special treatment, but inasmuch as they were created while the Church was still regarded as a national institution, they are far more numerous than denominational need requires, & cannot without injustice be treated as denominational possessions. The difficulty would, perhaps, be capable of being surmounted by consideration & goodwill, if the type of Christianity which the Church represents were in accord with the national mind. But this is no longer the case. The rift between the Church and the Nation, which the Tractarians made, has been eagerly widened by their successors; and, however tolerant to denominational eccentricities, the Nation will not retain them as integral to its scheme of education.

[347]

I celebrated the Holy Communion in the Chapel at 8 a.m. After breakfast I wrote to George and William. I was pledged to preach at Felling Church at Evensong, and Clayton was pledged to preach in Gateshead. It was arranged that I should pick him up in Durham, & so proceed. But the weather worsened as the day advanced; & so brisk a snow–storm was in progress at 2.30 p.m. that I sent for Leng to ascertain what he thought about adventuring on the journey. He so clearly welcomed the prospect of abandoning it, that I yielded the point, & caused a message to be telephoned to Clayton at the College telling him of my decision. The congregations at Felling and Gateshead will have to shift as best they can.

Then I fell to reading "Science, Religion, & Reality", a most interesting & valuable volume, but not precisely to be described as "light" reading!

Also I wrote to Ernest, returning his sermon & testimonials, and agreeing that he should start his new duties in September. I hope that arrangement will work out well for him, and for me. He is curious blending of incompatibles, & may have more powers than we suspect.

Also I wrote to Jimmie, who in his different way is another "dark horse"!

---