The Henson Journals

[210]

Easter Tuesday, April 10th, 1928.

The Roman Empire in the days of Augustus was covered from end to end with superb temples to many gods: the priests were numerous and wealthy, and enjoyed the protection of the State; the processions retained their pomp, and sacrifices drew crowds of admiring worshippers. But the old religions had lost their hold on the belief of the educated and on the conscience of all classes. If therefore we desire to know what place Christianity really fills in America, & how far it gives stability to the commonwealth, we must inquire how far it governs the life & moulds the mind of the country.

Bryce. The American Commonwealth. (Vol ii. p.722. 3rd Edition 1908)

In the ancient world religions did not embody themselves in churches, though there were priests & sometimes priestly castes, and the priest could be a potent figure.

Bryce. Modern Democracies. Vol. I. p. 91. (1921)

[211]

There has never been a civilized nation without a religion; and though many highly civilized individual men live without one, they are so obviously the children of a state of sentiment and thought in which religion has been a powerful factor, that no one can conjecture what a race of men would be like who had during several generations believed themselves to be the highest beings in the universe, or at least entirely out of relation to any other higher being, & to be therewithal destined to no kind of existence after death.

Bryce. l.c. ii. 725

Events are moving more quickly than Lord Bryce could have expected. We are now seeing how a generation, unshackled by Christian tradition, will carry itself towards the standing problems of public duty and personal discipline. The American Society which is drawn from life in Judge Lindsey's "The Revolt of Youth" has broken with the morality of the Gospel as completely as the preceding generation had broken with the doctrine. Corruption in private life goes gaily along with an orgy of "graft" in the municipal & commercial spheres.

[212] [symbol]

Mr F. N. Blundell M.P. sends me a copy of the 'Universe' (April 7th 1928) which contains an article by himself headed "16th century documents prove Dr Henson wrong". He quotes divers family papers illustrating the severity with which the Government of Elizabeth pursued the seminary priests, & the extreme suspicion with which Roman Catholicism was regarded. Of course all this only shows, what I frankly allowed, that many loyal & pious Papists were the victims of Pontifical and Jesuitical policy. I wrote him a civil acknowledgment pointing this out.

^[paragraph strikethrough]^ Leng reported the car to be so seriously damaged as to render it necessary to send it to the Works in Birmingham for repairs. So we wired to cancel our visit to the Baker Wilbrahams.

^[paragraph strikethrough]^ Having received a satisfactory report from his present employer, I wrote to Mr Isaac Elland offering him appointment as Head Gardener in succession to Laws.

^[paragraph strikethrough]^ About 7 p.m. Alexander called my attention to a remarkably fine rainbow which spanned the heaven in a steep arch very grandly.