The Henson Journals

[147]

Saturday, June 15th, 1929.

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Pollard writes to me an interesting letter in anwser to mine on his "Wolsey". Incidentally he says:–

"A propos of your discussion of "sect", I think the common idea of its connexion with schism is historically wrong. In medieval constitutional documents, at least, 'secta' is a truncated form of 'secuta' comes from 'sequor' not from 'seco', and means one's 'following', 'secit', or in more modern & vulgar phrase 'secite'. Of course a 'following' may go too far, outrun the constable, and become a schism."

Then I wrote to Mrs Hodgson, from whom I found a letter awaiting me, saying plainly that I would not finance Kenneth at Oxford beyond next year, when he will complete a three–years' course.

Ella and Fearne went off to Scotland. An elderly man named White lunched here. He had been recommended to me by MacMunn as suitable for Ordination in spite of his advanced age (60). I decided that I could not prudently accept him as a candidate.

[148]

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Two young men – Jonathan Morton and Leslie Forster – came to see me about their Ordination, and I accepted them as candidates. The one is a student of Bede College, where he has been training to be a teacher, but finds himself coerced in conscience to become a parson. The other is an ex–chorister of Durham Cathedral, & is a student at S. Chad's. Both struck me as simple and sincere: but neither would satisfy my Brother of Birmingham!

[symbol] Henry de Candole walked round the Park with me, and we conversed together on matters ecclesiastical. I gave him a copy of my charge. The absence of any real sense of obligation to fulfil the pledges given at Ordination and Institution is a strange phenomenon in these Anglo–Catholick clergy. They are devout, zealous, & sometimes intelligent and well–read, but they seem to attach no importance whatever to the conditions of ministry which they formally accept, & on the faith of which they are Ordained. He went back to Newcastle after tea.

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