The Henson Journals

[263]

Saturday, November 27th, 1926.

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I read through again Church's two lectures on "Civilisation before and after Christianity["], delivered in S. Paul's in 1872: and I was confounded and abashed by their exultant optimism. How strikingly do they contast in tone and feeling with the public utterances of Church's great successors! Could even Church have spoken thus in 1926? The Franco–German War was a provincial faction–fight by comparison with the Armageddon from which we have just emerged.

Accompanied by Ella and my guests I motored to Durham and, at 4 p.m., preached in the Cathedral to a considerable congregation. The service had been arranged by the Diocesan Mission Association, and was attended by about 100 of the clergy, who robed & walked in the procession. After the service I went to my room in the Castle, and interviewed an aspirant to Ordination, Mr W. S. Brown (7 Highfield Road, Gateshead). He is a "traveller", earning as much as £8 weekly, and is 24 years old, of course engaged to be married, and wholly ignorant of Greek. Then I dined in Hall, & afterwards distributed prizes, and made a speech to the O. T. C. Colonel Stubbs sate by me at dinner, & explained to me that he was the son of the former Bishop of Truro, a man who is best remembered by his Christian Socialist opinions, and his financial embarrassments. Bede College seemed to be powerfully represented in the O. T. C. The Master tells me that there are only 17 men at Castle, though 60 are requisite if it is to pay its way. The combination of the Hatfield with the Castle students for dinner effects an economy of more than £500 per annum. Lionel and I returned to Auckland, and arrived around 11 p.m.

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