The Henson Journals

[365]

Thursday, February 17th, 1927.

["]Catholicism was now complete: the Church had suppressed all utterances of individual piety, in the sense of their being binding on Christians, and freed herself from every feature of exclusiveness. In order to be Christian a man no longer required in any sense to be a saint . . . . . It was as in possession of this constitution that the great statesman found & admired her, & recognized in her the strongest support of the Empire.["]

Harnack, History of Dogma ii, 124

The Conversion of Christianity to Roman Empire, rather than that of the Roman Empire to Christianity is Harnack's version of Constantine's acceptance of the Church. It makes nonsense of many fine perorations!

Harold Cox writes to ask me to write an Article on Prayer Book Revision for the Edinburgh, adding that he is "very anxious not to give any support to the Anglo–Catholics in the Edinburgh Review". I replied that I would write such an article, if we were generally agreed on the main issue, sending him the Bishoprick as an indication of my views.

I wrote letters, and read through again my precious Lecture, which I like the less every time I look at it!

Ella, Fearne, & Lionel accompanied me to Newcastle. We had tea with Sir Theodore and Lady Morison. The latter told me that she was a Jewess, and the sister of the Miss Cohen, whom I married to a Christian in her father's drawing–room in Great Cumberland Place. There was a large gathering of dons, & students at the Lecture, which was listened to closely & applauded at the end. I was handed a cheque for £40, which is certainly not unwelcome when this dreadful Appeal for the Castle is looming ahead. We returned at once to Auckland.

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