The Henson Journals

[355]

Tuesday, February 8th, 1927.

The papers are filled with reports of the meeting of the Convocations yesterday, when the Archbishops introduced the Revision proposals. The speeches of Their Graces were well–constructed, diplomatic, and persuasive, but, of course, they carefully avoided all reference to the crux of the practical problem – viz: the aggressive movement calling itself Catholick which is confessedly aiming at "undoing the Reformation", and which recognizes no authority in the Church of England to control their own behaviour whenever they can pretend that their behaviour is "Catholick". The Times prints a letter from the Bishop of Norwich dissociating himself from the Revision, and a communication from the Bishop of Birmingham suggesting that Parliament should sanction no more than the undisputed proposals. This would mean that the original purpose with which Prayerbook Revision was undertaken, viz: the restoration of the régime of law in the Church, had been abandoned. I think there will be a very general desire to accept the proposals, but that opposition will gather strength as discussion proceeds, and that the extreme factions will succeed in working up a considerable opposition, which will find utterance in the Assembly, and (if it gets so far) in Parliament. The weakness of the case for Revision is the absence of any general demand for change among the people, and the absence of any good–faith among the clergy, on whom necessarily the duty of using the revised book will fall. The Church of England will become more disordered and ludicrous than it is already!

[356]

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Cecil Ferens came to lunch, and afterwards walked round the Park with me. He wanted to know whether he ought to undertake the preparation of the C. L. B. boys who are to be confirmed. His Vicar, the cloudy & incompetent Glynne, had asked him to undertake it. I cordially approved his doing so, and am really glad to know that the lads have an alternative to the Incumbent.

The number of the clergy in medieval England was amazing. "In 1377 the average works out at about one cleric for every sixty–five of the people, children included." On that scale there would have been more than 250 clerics in this parish! Workman observes that "Methodism arose largely because of paucity of clergy" while "Wyclif's reform was the other way". We must stretch the term "cleric" to include many beside the ordained clergy if we are to make a fair comparison between the 14th century and the 20th. If we add the doctors (7), school–teachers (50), lawyers (6), Dissenting Ministers (10), clerks (20) to the clergy (6), we make up a total of 99. Even so the preponderance of the clerical element at the earlier date is very marked, and it would be the more perceptible since the whole mingled crowd felt and acted as a single profession. In the present age the most pronounced anti–clerical opinions are held by members of "the clerisy": and there is an almost complete breach of harmony between the clergy & the school–teachers. If we ask whether the great reduction of the clerical element has assisted or retarded the moral & intellectual progress of the community, the answer is by no means obvious. We are much more civilized, but we are probably far less cultured today than we were in the age of Wycliffe.

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