The Henson Journals

[148]

Friday, March 1st, 1929.

Unarin writes to tell me that, in the teeth of my advice, he has accepted a curacy in Birmingham. He was ordained in 1925, and has been about 3 1/2 years in Orders. I was intending to give him a parish as he had done well. Had he been a futile anaemic specimen, he had clung to the diocese like a limpet to its rock!

The long delayed New Year's Honours List appears. It includes the name of several ladies, and among them that of Mrs Headlam, who is made a C.B.E. I wrote at once to congratulate her on a well–merited distinction.

Richardson, the Vicar of Heworth, lunched here, & afterwards poured out to me the story of his initial difficulties. His predecessor, Gwilliam, bequeathed to him a marvellous tangle of ritual–caused alienations & financial problems. I encouraged him to act with decision and at once in abolishing the illegalities, & putting the services on a normal footing.

George Harding, and Ordination candidate, came to see me. A poor–looking youth, but, perhaps, not worse than the rest!

[149]

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"Our Lord gave to mankind the Christian Faith:

St Paul gave to mankind the Catholic Church."

H.D.A. Major

St Paul himself would have disclaimed credit for the gift. To him the Church was from God. "He (Christ) gave some to be apostles: & some prophets: & some evangelists: & some pastors & teachers; for the perfecting of the Saints, unto the work of ministering, unto the building up of the body of Christ." And what he meant by "the body of Christ" is sufficiently shown in 1. Corinthians xii, where he directly identifies it with the Corinthian Christians. But in Major's estimate, S. Paul's authority counts for nothing against "that notable Chinese Christian teacher, Dr Timothy Tingfang Lew"!!!

We motored to Ushaw Moor, where I confirmed 56 persons in the little brick church. Welby, the Vicar, is an eccentric, who amuses by his absurdity and allures by his goodness. He might be called like S. Francis, "God's Fool", but there will be more homage than contempt in the description. We returned to Auckland Castle as soon as the service was over.

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