The Henson Journals

[50]

Wednesday, September 5th, 1928.

Cum mare siccatur, cum Doemon ad astra levature,

Tunc clero laicus fidus amicus erit.

Quoted as proverbial by Luther. v. Coleridge. l.c. 125

When the great Ocean doth itself run dry,

When the Black Devil rises to the sky,

Then will the layman to his parson show,

How truth and friendship can together flow.

Coleridge quotes this 'proverb' in the course of his defence of the clause of the Coronation Oath which pledges the Sovereign to maintain the National Church. He urges that Parliament was inherently incompetent to deal with that great interest as the experience of the XVIth & XVIIth centuries had abundantly shown. The results of Parliamentary handling of the church had been such 'as gave occasion long ago to the rhyming couplet quoted as proverbial by Luther'. 'There are things, for the conservation of which –

Men safelier trust to heaven, than to themselves,

When least themselves, in storms of loud debate,

Where folly is contagious, and too oft

Even wise men leave their better selves at home

To childe & wonder at them, when return'd.'

[51]

The post brought a contribution of £100 to the Fund for preserving Durham Castle: and several letters in acknowledgement of my 'Reflections' from members of the Church Assembly. One is plainly hostile:–

"When you ask, 'Would it be untrue to say that this parade of Parliamentary Religion was really the creature of belated fanaticism outside the House, & political complaisance inside it?' I am bound to reply that it would not merely be untrue: it would be unspeakably unworthy as well. And I much regret your Lordship's failure to grasp the realities of the situation."

The writer, Robert Holmes, is the Police Court Missionary & Probation Officer for Sheffield, & represents that diocese in the Church Assembly.

A correspondent reminds me that on this day, just 800 years ago – Sept 5th 1128, Ranulph Flambard, Bishop of Durham, passed to his account. He was an evil & violent man, who shocked even the coarse age in which he lived, but he built the incomparable Nave of Durham Cathedral. Much may be forgiven to the man who left such a monument.

[52]

On May 14th, 1669, Pepys dined at Lambeth with Archbishop Sheldon. He enjoyed himself vastly.

"the first time I was ever there, & I have long longed for it, where a noble house, & well furnished with good pictures & furniture, & noble attendance in good order, & great deal of company, though an ordinary day; & exceeding great cheer, nowhere better, or so much, that ever I think I saw, for an ordinary table: & the Bishop mighty kind to me, particularly desiring my company another time, when less company there. Most of the company gone, & I going, I heard by a gentleman of a sermon that was to be there: & so I staid to hear it, thinking it serious, till by & by the gentleman told me it was a mockery, by one Cornet Bolton, a very gentleman–like man, that behind a chain did pray & preach like a Presbyter Scot that ever I heard in my life, with all the possible imitation in grimaces & voice. And his text about the hanging up their harps upon the willows: & a serious good sermon too, exclaiming [53] against Bishops, & crying up of my good Lord Eglinton, till it made us all burst: but I did wonder to have the Bishop at this time to make himself sport with things of this kind, but I percieve that it was shown him as a rarity: & he took care to have the room–door shut, but there were about twenty gentlemen there, & myself, infinitely pleased with the novelty."

v. Diary under date May 14th 1669

It was in this year 1669 that the Duke of York avowed himself a papist, & Charles II secretly announced his own conversion to Arlington, Clifford, & other Papists. The grand conspiracy for bringing England under the Papal yoke with the aid of Louis XİV was in process of being hatched. There was a vague suspicion in the public mind, & great discontent. Pepys might well be surprised to find the Primate diverting himself & his guests with a blasphemous parody of Presbyterian preaching. It casts an ugly light on Sheldon's character that he should thus ingratiate himself with the sceptical & profligate laymen, who supported his ecclesiastical policy.

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