The Henson Journals

[29]

Thursday, December 17th, 1925.

It is surely time for the historical temper to recover a little from the fierce passions of the great controversy (i.e. the Reformation) and do justice to Erasmus, because, with regard to that controversy, it is becoming clearer every day that Erasmus was in the main right. His criticism of the Lutheran position, though sharp, is not, on its intellectual merits, unfair; and it is in fact perhaps unanswerable.

Thompson on Erasmus in Hearnshaw's book.

The great reformers, it must be confessed, wear badly. Partly, indeed, it is because their conquest of medievalism was so complete, that the modern world has lost all perception of the evils which they confronted. Such gross moral paradoxes as were embodied in the Renaissance Popes, in the trade in Indulgences, in the burning of hereticks &c. are barely conceivable now: they were present and prevailing then. Luther burned the Pope's Bull with very good grounds for knowing that the Pope wd. probably succeed finally in burning him! Erasmus in his own day was, as his admirers are now, a critical outsider. He took no risks.

[30]

Ella and I left the Castle at 11 a.m., and motored to Newcastle. After visiting the hair–dressers while Ella went to the shops, we lunched at the Railway Hotel with Sir Alfred Palmer, the chairman of the Royal Grammar School. After lunch we proceeded to the school which is a fine institution, founded in the XVIth Century, & much valued by the citizens. It now contains no less than 570 boys. Ella distributed the Prizes, and I made a speech. There was a scene from "Julius Caesar" represented by the boys, & then we had tea, after which we motored to the Rectory at Gateshead, & had an early dinner. Dolphin, who had been inspecting the school was there, & my chaplain designate. We then proceeded to the parish church, where I dedicated a screen & an organ, partly in memory of Mrs Young, the Rector's mother. Also, I gave an address. There was a considerable congregation, which included the Mayor of Gateshead, a full–blooded "Labour" man. After the service we returned to Auckland.

My letter about the disruption of Hereford appeared in the "Times" under the heading, "More bishops". The evening paper reports the conclusion of the Hayley–Morriss trial. The monster is to have 2 years hard labour, & then another year's imprisonment. The wretched wife, 9 months hard labour.

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