The Henson Journals

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Saturday, November 16th, 1929.

The reports of my speech are rather disappointing. Reporters rarely understand what one is really driving at, and they eagerly seize on anything which has a startling sound in their ears.

Pattinson went with me to Middleton St George, where I consecrated an addition to the churchyard adjoining the old church of St Lawrence, which stands alone in open fields. The weather was bitterly cold, with intermittent falls of rain and sleet. The roads were frozen as we returned.

I found awaiting me a telegram with the news that Canon Knowlden had died. Thus ends a clerical career exactly coincident with my own. We were both ordained in 1887. He was a conscientious, hard–working, and devoted parish priest of the rather prim & narrow ''High Church'' type. His loyalty to me, which was, I think genuine, was sorely tried by my coldness in the cause of Church Schools, for which he was himself a thorough–going ''Die Hard''!

[454]

I read through a tremendous attack on Freemasonry – ''The Menace of Freemasonry to the Christian Faith by Rev. C. Penny Hunt B. A. The Freedom Press 1928 – which was sent to me by its author. He is a Weslyan Minister, & has evidently bestowed great labour on his task. Although an ''outsider'' he is able to describe in meticulous detail the secret ceremonial, and has certainly framed a formidable indictment. If indeed, the Freemasons attached much importance to their traditional ritual, there might be reason for misgiving, but in fact the Lodges are little more than dining clubs annexed to some essays in fraternity! There are probably a few zealots who make a religion of the whole business, and as a religion Freemasonry is a queer melange of ancient nonsense & modern posturing. But the vast majority of Freemasons are just ordinary citizens with a fondness for company. Religiously Freemasonry stands on the same footing as Rotarianism. Indeed, I suspect that Freemasons are mostly also Rotarians.

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