The Henson Journals

[44]

Saturday, July 17th, 1926.

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The Editor of the Evening Standard sends me an article by Sir Henry Slesser K. C., M. P. (member of the Ecclesiastical Ctte) headed "Anglo–Catholicism", and suggests that it might "possibly serve as a subject for a future article". It is a very extraordinary pronouncement, & not a little illuminating. The version of Christianity described as "Anglo–Catholicism" has apparently no connexion with the standard formularies of the Church of England for it is identified with the religion which obtained in England "throughout the later years of Henry VIII", when, we are told "England practised Anglo–Catholicism". Henry VIII himself "remained an Anglo–Catholic until the day of his death". Commonly the hyphenated word is dropped, and replaced by "Catholic". At the end of the Article the two terms are brought together in a curious sentence. "Finally, I would say that while the Protestant often attacks the Anglo–Catholic, the Catholic has no such feeling of hostility to the Protestant." The plea presented in this strange article is, presumably, that we should cease to criticize practices & fasten on the doctrines which inspire & justify them.

The lay readers held their annual conference here. After service in the Chapel at which the Bishop of Jarrow gave an address, they had tea, & then held the Conference in a shady corner of the "Bowling Green". I was with them for a short time, & listened to Canon Stack's speech introducing the subject "Pastoral Ministry". About 130 attended, very poor folk for the most part and in many cases old men. "Not many mighty, not many noble are called", said S. Paul with awe–struck homage to the condescending Wisdom of the All–Wise. How would he regard the same phenomenon now? And, I reflected sadly as I looked at them, these simple folk are often sent to preach in the pulpits of the parish churches. They did not impress me as the strongest types of their own class, &, of course, their intellectual training is negligible. Yet it is on them we now depend for maintaining a Christian ministry in many places.

My observations to the local editor on the Coal Stoppage appeared in the evening paper side by side with a letter from the Prime Minister. Happily we say the same thing – no more subsidy & the Coal Commission's Report.

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