The Henson Journals

[67]

Saturday, July 31st, 1926.

I went into the City after breakfast, and had my hair trimmed. As I returned, a clergyman, the Revd A. J. Read Rector of Withington near Hereford, addresssed me in the street with respect to an exchange of parishes which he desires to effect between himself and an incumbent in my diocese, the Revd E. Rust, Vicar of Hamsteels. This parish is in the gift of the Crown. I have as yet heard nothing of this from Rust himself.

Falling in with Streeter I walked with him for more than an hour discussing the question of Ordination candidates. He is mildly optimistic but, like all these academicks, unable to grasp the practical aspects of the subject. The parishes do not exist merely to provide materials for spiritual experiment, and incomes for hereticks! He says that the Christian Student Movement is gaining in numbers and quality: and quotes Norwood for the statement that interest in Ordination is disclosing itself in the Public Schools.

I wrote letters to 1. Sir Charles Ballance. 2. The Bishop of Manchester. 3. Lionel. 4. Canon Woods. 5. Michael Wilkinson. 6. Archdeacon Derry. 7. Leonard Ropner.

Sir Elliott & Lady Wood, Dr & Mrs Fenton, and some others came to lunch. They were all very affectionate to me. I think the Hereford churchfolk were more deeply stirred by the attempt to divide the see than I had expected, and they have agreed to regard me as their champion.

In the afternoon there was tennis. James & his wife came to tea. They promised to visit us at Auckland but I doubt very much whether the little old wizened lawyer will get himself so far afield!

[70][sic]

Reginald Waterfield, the Dean's only son, is a thoughtful–looking young man, who has been trained as a doctor, and has recently been appointed to a position on the staff of Guy's Hospital. His real interest is astronomy, in which science he has made considerable advance, and is recognized as an authority. I inquired what was the reputation of the queer star–gazer, Espin the Vicar of Tow Law, and he replied that he was an accepted student of double stars, & had established a position for himself among astronomical pundits. I should have liked further conversation with this intelligent young man, but my gross ignorance of science made it impossible for me to do so to any advantage.

The redoubtable Miss Maud Bull has for the time being taken me into favour, and condescended so far as to express approval of my sermon in the cathedral! She was, however, rather shocked by some dialogistic remarks of mine about Cardinal Gasquet, whom she admires & appropriates, having, as I gathered, once been in the same room as his Eminence. Streeter was one of the dinner party but I did not get much talk with him. He told me that he was about to publish some kind of a Summa in which Faith & Science should be successfully harmonized: and I told him that I suspected all Summas, and that in my judgment the time for constructing them was not yet. It is a striking characteristic of our time that the more educated and enterprising of our ecclesiasticks devote themselves to the construction of theological schemes, which profess to have a basis of modern science. The provision at least indicates the demand.

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