The Henson Journals

[72]

Wednesday, January 18th, 1928.

I worked again at the sermon which grows ever more violent and futile. Almost in spite of myself, I drift into a declaration of war against the State: & this, however in itself justified by the facts, becomes gratuitous and even absurd when the offenders are so plainly unconscious of the enormity of their actions. Moreover, it becomes daily more obvious that the tide of feeling within the Church is setting towards surrender! The only result of my showing a bold face will be my being abused as "a troubler of Israel."

After lunch I walked for nearly 2 hours with Lionel in spite of the rain, which as the night drew on became steady & occasionally violent.

That quaint little obsequious publishing–man Hird sends me the new edition of Deissmann's 'Light from the Ancient East'. There is always a disquieting suggestion of a retaining fee about publisher's gifts, though why any sane publisher should suppose it worth his while to "retain" me I cannot imagine. Nothing that I have ever written has obtained even a moderate degree of success, though commonly the reviews have been favourable, & even flatterous. If proof were needed of the practical unimportance of reviews, I can provide it in abundance from my own experience.