The Henson Journals

[24]

Monday, March 21st, 1927.

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A most glorious day, mild and bright and windless. The Bishop of Norwich has a short note in the Times, in which he "answers" mine, & announces that the speech he intends to make in Convocation, & which I intend to answer there, is to be published by Longmans. Mr Wood, the Vicar–designate of St Helens, Low Fell, came to lunch. He was ordained in 1914, and has been chaplain of Hagshaw in the Newcastle diocese. I was not unfavourably impressed by him.

Lionel and I motored to Waterhouses, where I confirmed between 80 and 90 in the little hideous church which was crowded & stifling. The service on the whole pleased me, but I suffered much from the Vicar, the Rev. C. H. C. K. Kirk, whose "parsonic voice", canting manner, & fawning aggressiveness were intolerable. He has been 31 in years in Orders, and 19 Vicar of Waterhouses. There are 7000 parishioners. The patron is the Rector of Brancepeth.

Turner, my admirable surgeon in Newcastle, sends me a cutting of a review of a book "Medical Views on Birth Control", which appeared in the British Medical Journal for March 12th. He does not say that he wrote it himself, but it is not an extravagant hypothesis that he did.

This preposterous faith–healing Mission proceeds in the Town Hall, and appears to attract increasing crowds. Wynne–Willson writes to ask whether I approve of a Church Hall being let to a "Pentecostal League" which practices faith–healing. I told him that I disapproved strongly of any encouragement to this nonsense being given by the clergy in any diocese. The fact is that many of the clergy are as credulous as their parishioners. Fanaticism is in the air, & the people have no appetite for anything that is not corybantic and theurgic!

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