The Henson Journals

[203]

Monday, July 15th, 1929.

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The drought continues, and the fierce heat.

Mr Tallents, the Vicar of Brandon, came to see me with a colonially ordained clergyman named Webster, who desires to become his assistant curate. After I had dealt with him, Tallents went on to a matter which may develope uncomfortably. A student of S. Chad's, who is a 'Diocesan Candidate', desires to accept a title, which Tallents has offered him. But, on consulting Moulsdale, he is told to refuse it because he (Moulsdale) disapproves of some changes in the services which Tallents, in the exercise of his discretion, has made. The said student still desires to accept the title, but, having received financial aid from S. Chad's. does not feel free to reject the Principal's advice. I told Tallents to tell the young man to appeal to me. This incident raises serious questions, which, once raised, must be answered. By what right does Moulsdale use his position as head of a Theological College to impose his standard of ceremonial on the parish churches? He is one of my Examining Chaplains.

[204]

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The Bishop of Birmingham, as might have been expected, returns to the attack in a "statement" which appears in the papers today. It re–affirms his position in terms of calculated offensiveness: and, at the same time, drags in political matters plainly designed to appeal to "Labour". I fear that he is more ambitious than he knows.

It is a great pity that Furse was allowed to make an open attack on Barnes in the Convocation, and a grave blunder that Lang followed it up by publicly rebuking Barnes. In this action he disclosed a partisan temper, and put Barnes in a strong position.

I fear that it is too much to expect of human nature to think that there will be no reply to Barnes's declaration: & we may not improbably be on the verge of another of those lamentable newspaper controversies which always damage religion.

Meanwhile, a Labour member, Mr Holford Knight, M.P. for South Nottingham, is raising the question of the Bishops' policy in the House of Commons, by a question addressed to the Prime Minister.

[205]

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I received a letter from Linetta conveying the amazing information that she is going to marry a Birmingham parson. She must be well past fifty, and, as he was ordained as recently as 1923, can hardly be now more than thirty! She asks me to officiate at her wedding, which is to take place in London at the beginning of October. Kitty Inge wrote to say that the wedding would take place from the Deanery, and offering hospitality. But I could not bring myself to undertake this for 2 reasons.

(1) I doubt whether Linetta's notion of matrimony is adequately Christian:

(2) I don't care to find myself in a crowd of eager Modernists collected at the Deanery of St Pauls. These reasons led me to decline Linetta's request on the more respectable grounds that I could not easily get away, and should in any case have to go to London & return on the same day, an exhausting effort not lightly to be undertaken.

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