The Henson Journals

[183]

5th Sunday in Lent, March 25th, 1928.

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I celebrated the Holy Communion in the chapel at 8 a.m. We numbered 10 communicants including the Brydens and John.

I wrote a difficult letter to Wilkinson of Pelton, and then wrote to Ella.

I motored to Sunderland, and there confirmed 110 persons in S. Paul's, Hendon. After the service I had tea with the Rector & MrsMackay. Their eldest daughter, Cicely, now 19 years old, was also there. Mackay is a strenuous opponent of the Revised Prayer Book, but he is a good fellow, & will not, I think, lend himself to any schismatical procedure. That something of the kind may very well be attempted by Bishop Knox & his following seems to be very probable. It will be a curious denouement of our strenuous efforts to hold the church together if there shall be in the wake of Revision a double secession of Romanisers & Protestants. The situation in Elizabeth's reign will have been re–enacted. Then the 'Romanensians' as Dixon calls them, on the one hand, & the Puritans on the other, broke away from the Established System. It will be interesting to see if the Episcopal Bench will hold together. In the long run an Episcopal Church must follow the Bishops.

[184] [symbol]

Copies of 'The Book & the Vote' sent to the following:–

1. Arthur

2. Arthur Rawle

3. Gilbert Simpson

4. Audry Hall

5. Sir H. Maynard

6. Rev. W. Spooner

7. I. W. Rawson

8. Cecil Ferens

Among those whom I confirmed this afternoon was a man who, through some accident, had been totally disabled, and who had been assigned a sum of £500. by way of compensation for so grave an injury. He has attended the recent faith–healing Mission of Pastor Jeffries, and has been 'miraculously' healed. Though much pressed to join the sect which the said Pastor has started in Sunderland, he has adhered to the church, & presented himself for Confirmation. But the question arises whether he ought not to be admonished to refund the compensation money or part of it, since the amount was fixed on the mistaken assumption that the injury was incurable.

[185] [symbol]

As sinner or as Christian, Bunyan was the least controversial of men. George Fox, for all his denunciations was amongst the most pugnacious.

S. R. Gardiner. History of the Commonwealth and Protectorate. 1649–1660. vol. ii. p.19

The first book published by the immortal writer of Pilgrim's Progress was directed against the Quakers

W. C. Braithwaite 'The Beginnings of Quakerism' ch. XII 'Controversy'. p. 235

The Laudian party, though in some respects the most powerful force in the State, was not strong numerically. Even of the clergy not more than half could be regarded as whole hearted supporters of his system, & amongst the laity it was decidedly weak. A section of the Court party, & a few of the better class families adhered to it, but in Parliament, in the House of Lords, as well as in the Commons, and amongst the middle & lower classes it had found very little acceptance.

Tatham. 'The Puritans in Power'. p. 26

Is this not precisely the situation now?

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