The Henson Journals

[235]

Wednesday, November 10th, 1926.

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I received a rather ominous letter from old Sir Edward Clarke. He has "read & re–read in today's Times" my speech to the Diocesan Conference, and is evidently not wholly re–assured: – "If concession is made to them (i.e. the Anglo–Catholicks) in the form of an alternate service with permission of [sic] Mass Vestments, and Reservation & important alteration of the Canon – then I believe there will be no revision at all". To which it may be answered that if none of these things may be conceded, the pretence of a revision which is to "tolerate the tolerable" is utterly hollow. We can't enforce the prohibition of Vestments: nor need we read into the Reservation of the Sacrament for the Sick only anything more than such a charitable concession to physical weakness as we already make in the case of the "indicative absolution" in the Visitation of the Sick: nor can we decently maintain that to allow a form of the Canon in the Church of England which already exists in three branches of the Anglican Communion – United States, South Africa, & Scotland – involves a breach of Anglican principles. The truth is that the Protestant Party has never moved beyond the notion of Prayer Book Revision as a method of removing dubiety from the Ornaments Rubrick, and making possible the swift and summary suppression of "Ritualism"! This might have been a practicable policy in the sixties of the last century: it is moonstruck madness now. "The game of law & order is up" in the Church of England in the old sense of maintaining Protestantism by coercive action. The real strength of the Protestant case lies in the fact that the "Anglo–Catholicks" are undoubtedly acting insincerely i.e. they take what they can get in order to use it as a lever to get more.

[236]

Ella and Lionel motored with me to Durham, where I fulfilled a series of engagements. First, I went to the Castle, and licensed some curates, and the Mirfield Father, who has charge of the deaconesses. He said that Gerard Sampson, who was once an assistant curate of mine in Barking, and now lived permanently at Mirfield sent me his love. He was a strange futile creature 35 years ago, with a bent for ascetical piety. Next, I went with Wilson & Lionel to the Shire Hall, and lunched with the High Sherriff (Sir Guy Wrightson) whose health I proposed. There was the usual company of stalwarts. Thirdly, I went to the Cathedral, & preached to a small congregation of the members of the Preventive & Rescue Association. The "Women's Offering" was presented: it amounted to no more than £413. Lastly, I went to the Bishop of Jarrow, and, after tea, discussed divers matters of diocesan business with him. Then we all returned to Auckland, where Kathleen had arrived.

How does one dedicate a standard for the British Legion? Is it congruous, or reverent, or customary to do so in the Name of the Blessed Trinity? To what use is the standard to be appropriated? The British Legion parades a number of benevolent purposes, and it operates under the patronage of many eminent names: but what is its precise rôle in society I cannot discover: and the "Poppy Day", by which most of its money is obtained, seems in my judgment offensive & humiliating. The memory of the Dead is too easily "exploited" by the greed of the Living: &, in plain truth, I am by no means satisfied that I have done well in promising to dedicate this banner!

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