The Henson Journals
Sun 3 November 1929
Volume 48, Pages 424 to 425
[424]
23rd, Sunday after Trinity November 3rd, 1929.
A mild and beautiful morning with no wind, and a great stillness on the land. I went to St. Anne's and celebrated the Holy Communion at 8 a.m. Among the communicants were Alexander, Elland, and John. The epistle & gospel were strangely relevant to yesterday's address. In the one, the 'other worldliness' of Christ's Religion is affirmed. 'Our citizenship is in the Heavenlies'; in the other, Christ's declaration of our twofold allegiance is declared. "Render unto Caesar, the things that as Caesar's & unto God the things that are God's' The rebuke of 'clericalism' in the first clause: the rebuke of 'Erastianism' in the last are apparent, but who shall delimit the boundaries of the two jurisdiction? Every sane 'clericalist' allows some rightful obedience to Caesar: and every religious "Erastian" admits that there is a sphere within which God, and not Caesar, must be obeyed; but where the dividing line between the two must be drawn has been settled by no authority to which both clericalist and "Erastian' will agree.
[425]
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I wrote at some length to the Bishop of Hereford, not supposing that my words would influence him, but thinking it possible that they might make it somewhat more difficult for him to be comfortable in his present rather pusillanimous attitude!
Ella went with Pattinson and me to New Shildon, where I preached at Evensong in the parish church, which was observing it "Diamond Jubilee". There was a large congregation, and a service which was both hearty and reverent. I was particularly pleased with the large number of young men in the church. My text was "Our citizenship is in heaven", and I think the people were interested, but I am not sure. The fact that I read my sermon did undoubtedly make a serious prejudice against it. This is one result of the prevalence – it were hardly excessive to say dominance – of Methodism in one or other of the forms throughout the country, that people are devoted to extemporaneous preaching, and regard with dislike and suspicion the discourse that is read.
I wrote to William.