The Henson Journals

[23]

Thursday, December 19th, 1929.

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Mr Justice Hill's decision, reported in yesterday's newspapers, that Russian marriages could not be recognized in England as not implying such a union as the law of all Christianly civilized nations means by marriage, is extremely interesting and important. If it be sustained on appeal, it may well be regarded as the equivalent of the Ban of the Medieval Empire, or a secular version of an Excommunication.

An inquiry from the Bishop of Southwark tells me that the Rev. Harry Saxton, Vicar of all Saints, Monkwearmouth, is about to leave the diocese. This is bad news indeed, for he is a good man, and he will vacate an extremely difficult parish.

The Times publishes our Appeal for the Castle together with an effective drawing by the architect, Jones, showing the work actually in progress. It assists the appeal with a short leader.

Ella, Fearne, and I lunched with Colonel & Mrs Hereward Sadler, who were celebrating their "silver wedding". They live on the high ground above Lanchester. I confirmed his son at the last school confirmation in the Cathedral. Colonel Sadler was in the Mons retreat, & went right through the War.

[24]

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I finished my visitation of the Rural Deaneries by addressing the P.C.C.'s of the Auckland Deanery in the Town Hall. The Rural Dean, Canon Parry Evans, presided, & there were about 130 present. They listened very attentively, but asked few questions. Hodgson from Escomb tried to be offensive, but the atmosphere was unfriendly, and there were no reporters present. In the absence of the usual stimulants he palpably flagged!

I received a Christmas card from Lord Stamfordham rather to my surprise, for I thought he had been altogether alienated by my attitude on 'Disestablishment'. He looks on the whole subject from the monarchical point of view. "Think of the King", he said to me, and when I observed that the King stood to gain rather than to lose by being dissociated from the Church of England, & set in equal relation towards all his subjects, he could but shake his head mournfully. I like Stamfordham, whom I judge to be an honest and single–minded gentleman, not encumbered with a superfluity of brains!

[25]

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I have now had the opportunity of confronting about 2000 parochial Church councillors in my diocese. They have mostly been men, though women form a substantial minority. This is an industrial population, and, therefore, it is not surprising that professional & leisured folk have been conspicuous by their absence. For the most part, these councillors are little shop–keepers, school–teachers, and superior types of artisan, with a sprinkling of attorneys & doctors. I could count on my fingers those who are gentlemen. Socially, then, the parochial church councillors are not considerable. In the event of disendowment their power to finance the church would be quite pitiably inadequate. It was quickly apparent that the subject of which I spoke – the Relations of Church & State – lay completely outside their knowledge, and interest. They were honestly puzzled by the evident importance which I attached to it, &, though they did their best to understand what I said to them, remained at the end more mystified than ever! It did not really strike them as surprising or repellent that the House of Commons should overrule the authorities of the Church, even on such a matter as the Prayer Book, for the notion of the Church as a spiritual society [26] [symbol] was quite foreign to their minds. In habit & feeling they are Congregationalist even more than parochial. Disestablishment has ever been connected in their minds with the political conflict within its advocates. The suggestion that it might be the duty of Churchmen to seek it appears to them equally offensive and absurd. They have no feeling for the Revised Prayer Book, and feel no resentment at its rejection. The agitation against it has unquestionably affected them, & though not themselves associated with the "No Popery" partisans, they have a considerable sympathy with their object. It is impossible to overstate the depth of anti–Roman sentiment in the minds of ordinary lower–class English folk. Not reason but instinct sways them here. The Roman church must have sinned greatly to have left so deep an impression on the popular mind. How slight has been the effect on the country of the persistent efforts of the Tractarians & their less academic successors becomes apparent as one observes the attitude of these parochial Church Councillors towards the present crisis.

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