The Henson Journals

[361]

Septuagesima, February 13th, 1927.

A hard frost with a thick mist covering the land like the shroud wrapping the corpse – a comfortless outlook. I celebrated the Holy Communion in the Chapel at 8 a.m. There were 7 communicants.

The "Observer" is very friendly to the revision proposals. Attention is called to the remarkable fact that no more than two bishops have expressed dissent. It prints a summary of the Bishop of Norwich's sermon, which does not appear to be very powerful. The only point on which it fastens is the undesirableness of having more than one Order of Holy Communion; but he makes no reference to the reason why this undesirable arrangement has to be made viz: that there is so sharp a dissidence of opinion & practice within the Church that a single Order cannot be enforced.

Ella & Fearne went with me to Lynesack, where we had tea with the Vicar & his family. He showed me the new subsidences in the churchyard, which are certainly very alarming. The school is also threatened: & in neither case does it appear likely that any compensation can be obtained, since the injury is attributed to "old workings". I preached at Evensong in the parish church, but there was much coughing which disturbed me dreadfully, & the sermon was a failure. The truth is that my habit of preaching at S. Margaret's, West. has disqualified me from the kind of preaching that is required in this diocese. Spencer Wade told me that he had been a very ardent member of the "Life & Liberty " movement, but had been learning by experience that its expectations were ill–founded, and its reforms ill–conceived. After the service we returned to Auckland.

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