The Henson Journals
Mon 27 May 1929
Volume 48, Pages 104 to 105
[104]
Monday, May 27th, 1929.
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EDINBURGH
I motored to Newcastle, and caught the train which left at 12.23 noon, and arrived in Edinburgh about 3.30 p.m. I dined with the U. F. Moderator (Principal Martin) at the New College. There was a large number of ministers gathered to "meet" me, & I talked with several of them. Mine host was an agreeable talker. We dined in the Library and, pointing to the tomes of the Bollandists, he told me a story of his predecessor, D. Cunningham. Cardinal Newman, happening to meet him, observed "Yours must be a very learned church", and, being asked the ground for this flattering opinion, he replied. "A short while ago I observed in a bookseller's list a copy of the Bollandists for sale, & wrote for it. I was informed that it had already been purchased for the library of New College". The library was now, he said, the finest theological library in Scotland, and contained more than 70,000 volumes. The meeting of the Home Missions and [105] Highlands Committee took place in the great Assembly Hall which has sitting accommodation for 1900 persons. I spoke for about 35 minutes, and was listened to with attention but without enthusiasm! My abstinence from conventional flattery is both unpalatable and perplexing!
MacLean, the Minister of S. Cuthbert's, made a florid but rather foolish speech, which was much applauded. Better stuff came from the late moderator, D. Harry Miller, who is plainly no mean orator. He has earned much praise by employing himself during his moderatorship as a Mission preacher. His success is said to have been very remarkable.
I put up for the night at the North British Hotel, where I was very comfortable. I read through Miss Mayo's new book in India – "Slaves of the Gods", which is designed as a supplement to 'Mother India'. It is sad reading. A young minister named Drummond, who works in India expressed agreement with the opinion that I expressed to the effect that our essays in self–government could not succeed while child–marriage & caste persist.