The Henson Journals

[52]

Thursday, December 27th, 1928.

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The post brought me a letter from Lord Davidson of Lambeth, addressed from 10 Cheyne Walk, Chelsea, S.W.3.

My dear Bishop and Friend,

I have – in the odd conditions of our new and strangely curtailed life – been reading all reports I cd find about your Charge, for I need not say how deeply I am interested in, and care for, what you say on a subject you have so often handled. When it is published in authentic fullness, I shall voraciously read it. It is of course a remarkable & rather striking historical event, that you should have said what you now say as to Church and State.

I shall want you someday ere long to explain to me in conversation how your present view fits in with what you said with masterly force, just twenty years ago. I don't say the two utterances cannot be reconciled, but to me the reconciliation is not obvious.

[53]

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I have always regarded you as one who was in sympathy with my own view as to the distinction between a situation or "constitution" logically unassailable – and a working system falling far short of logical rotundity. But I did [not] mean to write about it, still less to ask you to do so.

You will know long ere this reaches you about Cosmo Cantuar's sudden & alarming illness on Saturday night. [struck through] The accounts today seem to show it to have been correctly diagnosed (tho' not at first) as in the Gall Bladder which I suppose is less serious than what they feared. They say he must in any case lie up for a fortnight at least.[end]

I am overpressed with letters & have no Chaplain. So pardon my brevity.

All highest & best Xmas blessings be yours.

I am, yours affectly

Davidson of Lambeth

Abp.

[54]

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This letter settled me in the decision to preface the Charge with a personal "Apologia", explaining how I have come to urge the duty of seeking Disestablishment after having steadily opposed that policy. Not that I think any formal explanation ought to be necessary: for during the last 20 years the whole situation has changed dramatically. It suffices to name but 4 new factors. 1. The Great War. 2. The Enabling Act. 3. The Extension of the Franchise. 4. The Anglo–Catholic Movement. Add, what is, perhaps, the gravest of all, the Rise of "Labour" to political power. Let these 5 factors be realized in their whole implication, and it is apparent that the old case for Establishment has broken down.

Mr Cardew from Bournmouth came to see me, about the distress among the miners. He was at Marlborough and Keble. I referred him to Mr Morgan and the Vicar of W. Auckland. He stayed to lunch.

Jimmie walked round the Park with me. He seems happy & hopeful.

[55]

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The Earl of Harrowby and his son, Lord Sandon, arrived about 6 p.m. Ella had hastily improvised a dinner party. Colonel & Mrs Headlam, Mr Hadley, Captain & Mrs Morley and ourselves made up a company of 11 persons. Lord H. is a vigorous man of 64, nearly bald & with a brusque hearty manner. He has travelled much in the Empire, & is evidently an ardent Imperialist. He possesses, so he told me, a fine collection of pictures including one which is by some experts held to be a Holbein, but not by all. His son, Lord Sandon, is tall, dark, meagre, & melancholy. I noticed that he did not turn to the East at the Creed in Chapel, and I inferred that he was addicted to Protestantism. On referring to the Parliamentary Report (Hansard), I see that he voted against the Prayer Book Measure. Our conversation was more discursive than, perhaps, was serviceable to the object which occasioned their visit to Bishop Auckland, but we carried ourselves with courtesy, & parted for the night with compliments. I doubt whether these excellent Evangelicals have any perception of the formidable repercussions of their self–indulgence in fanaticism. They cannot yet analyze the enthusiasm which carried them forward, nor have the "loud & prolonged cheering" yet faded from their memories!

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