The Henson Journals

[139]

13th Sunday after Trinity, August 29th, 1926.

A bishop in a country house with nothing to do must needs be an enigmatic and unimpressive person on Sunday! Why is he not bestirring himself in the cause for which he has been consecrated, and is endowed? To plead that he is "on holiday", and therefore exempt for a space from the obligation to "work", may be reasonable, but is never convincing: for the analogy which it suggests is not really defensible. What has the minister of God to do with "holidays"? and what is his work but something which is precisely conterminous with his life? The paradox of a professional ministry becomes the more repulsive as it is weighed. "Spiritual work" cannot be paid for, nor can a spiritual witness be timed & measured by fixed hours & regulations. If it be not spontaneous, it is worthless: if it be not rendered when opportunity presents itself, it is abandoned. It is inevitably in this way that the devout layman feels when he is brought up against an idling parson. He has a mental picture of the clergyman aflame with Divine Love, eagerly pursuing the quest of souls, and he finds a normal professional man, who is never so deeply moved as by questions which touch his privileges & emoluments; & who parades his professional claim with relentless & unceasing insistence. Is it any wonder that the layman is ceasing to respect the parson? And yet parsons need, as well as take, holidays: & even "spiritual" work is done best when the worker is physically & mentally efficient.

[140]

We went to morning service at the parish church. It consisted of very abbreviated Mattins, and a semi–choral Celebration. The Vicar, a young man named Wilkinson, who looked good and had a devout manner, officiated & preached. He quoted the S. Martin's Magazine, and "the papers", but did not indicate any other sources of knowledge. But the sermon was extemporaneous, and delivered with much earnestness. I have no doubt that the congregation preferred it to a discourse on which labour had been bestowed, & which had been written out with some concern for style! Most of the congregation, including all the 9 choirmen, communicated, so that I concluded that the Anglo–Catholic insistence on "fasting communion" did not obtain. The congregation consisted of a few elderly persons of both sexes, & a number of young women. There were no young men in the church, for even the choirmen were middle–aged. I could not but recall the spectacle of those splendid young animals, whom I had admired yesterday. If only they could combine their athletic ardour with a just concern for the things of the spirit! Possibly some may have been working in the fields gathering in the harvest, but I doubt it. Mine host thinks that motoring and education have destroyed the practice of church–going: and I cannot doubt that both have operated to the disadvantage of religion.

We lunched with Oliver Stanley and his wife, with whom was Robin. They live in a large house, beautifully situated and commanding a noble view over Morecambe Bay. He represents the constituency in Parliament, and ought to have a "safe seat", [141] since his majority at the last election was not less than 11000. I had some interesting talk with him after lunch. He says that the general attitude of the Conservative majority towards Winston Churchill is suspicious and unfriendly: that the Prime Minister has, for the time being, completely lost the remarkable hold on the House of Commons which he had acquired, & that he feels the fact acutely. He said that there was considerable resentment in Liverpool against the utterances of the Bishop during the General Strike & since. He thought that an attempt would be made to deal with the Trade Unions, but doubted whether anything effectual could be done. I was rather sorry to learn that he had given up the Bar, and betaken himself to stockbroking. It is everywhere the same story. Our young men all give themselves to "finance". It was interesting & significant that both Oliver Stanley and Lady Maureen expressed the most edifying sentiments respecting the wrongfulness of luxury & ostentation, & the duties of wealth. I promised to send him my Primary Charge, in order that he might read my examination of "Copec". Certainly these two young people are very attractive and hope–inspiring.

I wrote letters to William and George. After dinner I talked with the ladies, Mrs and Miss Wakefield, both pleasant and intelligent. The weather became sultry this afternoon, and seemed to portend an immediate thunderstorm: but it passed over.

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