The Henson Journals

[37]

5th Sunday after Easter, May 25th, 1930, Edinburgh.

Mine host went to S. Giles to support the moderator at the official service. Mine hostess accompanied me to the church, S. Cuthbert's, where I was to preach. The service was conducted my Mr McLeod, the other minister, of the collegiate church. There was a large congregation, and a service which was both reverent and hearty. My sermon was listened to very attentively. We returned home for lunch. I got into an active discussion with mine host's daughters, who appear to be very ardent feminists.

[symbol]

After lunch I lay down for an hour, and then mine hostess drove me to see Lady Frances Balfour who was in Edinburgh attending the assembly. She received me with kindness. I was struck by her appearance of age and weakness. We spoke of Lord Balfour's death. She said that he suffered little. His whole heart was in the union of Scottish Churches. Bishop Talbot had desired to bring him the Holy Communion, but he had manifested no personal wish for the Sacrament.

[38]

When told that the Bishop desired to pray with him, he replied almost as if he were answering a question in Parliament: "That must be his own responsibility: we have nothing to do with it". His personal religion, which was deep and sincere, was his own secret. He invested it in an impenetrable repository. We spoke of Lord Davidson, who, Lady Frances thought, was dying. "He is a much greater man than his successor" she said: but, then, she has never forgiven Lang for leaving the Scottish Church.

Dr McLean gave me an amusing account of the encounter between Lady Frances and Arthur Headlam at supper in his house, after the Bishop had preached in S. Cuthbert's. He had placed these luminaries side by side, &, of course, they were speedily not on speaking terms! I asked how the people liked his sermon, & was told that they found it dull. Bishop Barnes had preached in S. Giles, and mole suo argued for the non–historicity of Genesis. The Scots were surprised, and even disposed to be resentful [39] for the acceptance of critical views of the Scripture is a long–established tradition among them. They wondered that he should think it worth while to flog so dead a horse. Lady Frances told me that the Prime Minister, (Ramsay Macdonald), says that 'he is not in the least ashamed of his Bishop', i.e. Barnes who enjoys the distinction at present of being the only Bishop whom he himself has nominated. It is to be hoped that he will not repeat his performance.

This morning I was shown in mine host's study the roll of the communicants of St Cuthbert's, about 3000 in number, dispersed throughout the city. It was beautifully written, and I was at once struck by the preponderance of female names. I took a number of pages as samples, and found that the ratio was rather more than two females to one male. Mr McLeod assured me that this corresponded almost exactly to the actual proportion of the sexes in the population of Edinburgh. This, however, I find it difficult to credit. I suspect that here as everywhere else the Church's membership is mainly feminine.

[40]

There was a large congregation at the evening service in S. Cuthbert's, including many ministers. Dr Maclean conducted the service. He prayed with unction, & I noted with interest that he prayed for the departed. Lord D had died in the morning ^and we did not know it until the next day^. Randall Thomas Davidson was mentioned by name. My sermon was listened to with close attention, & appeared to gain the approval of mine host. Professor Paterson was in the congregation, & came to supper: as did also half a dozen other ministers & one layman.

We had a brisk conversation. I gathered that there is great difficulty in finding ministers to fill the remote charges, Shetland being now almost destitute of parish clergy. The Union of the Churches would ease the situation by reducing the number of separate cases, and there was some reason for thinking that the ministry would attract more recruits. Paterson declared himself wholeheartedly opposed to the female ministry: but it was agreed that there were many advocates of that innovation, & that the Church of Scotland would very soon be compelled to come to some determination with respect to it.

---