The Henson Journals

[8]

Monday, December 12th, 1927.

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Lionel went with me to Darlington, where I caught the early express to King's Cross. After visiting the hair–dresser, I walked to Westminster where I attended the debate in the House of Lords. The Archbishop introduced the Resolution in a speech which lasted an hour and twelve minutes. His Grace as not 'in good form': spoke indistinctly and did not make his point effectively; but, of course, his performance was a notable achievement in an octogenarian. He was followed by Lord Hanworth (the Master of the Rolls) who spoke for 53 minutes in moving the rejection. He quoted several bishops against an alternative canon, and me on the unrepresentative character of the Church Assembly. He also quoted my phrase about the 'Protestant Underworld', & made a mighty display of indignation. Lord Beauchamp made a short (21 minutes) but effective rejoinder: & then the old Marquis of Lincolnshire spoke for a quarter of an hour. He quoted my phrase in the Edinburgh Article 'the evangelical party has been described as an army of illiterates generalled by octogenarians', a description, I had said, which was more unkind [9] [symbol] than untrue', but the House was more amused than impressed. A papist, Lord Denbigh, intervened for two minutes to say that the Roman Catholick peers would abstain from voting: and then Lord Phillimore held forth for nearly half an hour. Lord Stanhope (I think) moved the adjournment of the house. I walked to the Club, & dined. After this I went to Park Lane.

Lord Halsbury waylaid me in the lobby, and expounded his "difficulty". It was the precious 'Black Rubrick' again. I think, perhaps, that the speeches of Beauchamp and Phillimore may have given the coup de grace to this particular absurdity. They shewed 1) that it is not properly a rubrick at all since it orders or directs no action. 2) that as a statement of doctrine it loses no authority by not being printed twice in the same book. 3) that it is not the only statement of doctrine which has not been repeated – He instanced the declaration about the cross in Baptism, and the case of baptized infants who die in infancy.