The Henson Journals

[167]

Thursday, March 11th, 1926.

I remained indoors all day, and wrote many letters. I received a very kind letter from Barnes: he writes:

"There are many of us who feel anxious at the least sign of your ill–health. We cannot afford to lose, even temporarily, your advocacy of sound theological learning. If the body proves a rebel when the spirit drives it too fast, concentrate on the big issues, & let others do routine work. Only the unthinking will grumble at such action: your friends & admirers – a multitude of silent & often anxious people – will rejoice."

Other letters from unknown correspondents suggest the same thing viz: that large numbers of people in the country "see light in my light", and would regard my failure as a considerable calamity. The Archbishop of Canterbury ever maintains that I express the lay mind in an unusual degree, and carry more influence among the ordinary lay folk than other ecclesiasticks. On the whole, I think, this is probably true; but then ordinary lay folk have ceased to count in the Church of England. They have been edged out by the clericalist laity, who dominate diocesan conferences & the Church Assembly.

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