The Henson Journals

[151]

Friday, July 18th, 1930.

Temple produced a draft report of the sub–Ctee and we talked 'large' about it for most of the day. Neville Talbot held forth for no less than 35 minutes, and while saying much that was offensive, said nothing that was relevant. Were he not the son of his father, & persona grata to the Life and Liberty group, would he be suffered thus to hold up business? In the afternoon I came into collision with him, a circumstance which appeared to cause him considerable surprize! Personally, I don't like the draft: it is far more "Catholick" than I approve, & even than I expected. But there is very little real concession in all the impressive volume of conciliatory, and even flatterous, speech which is addressed to Non–episcopalians. I think muddle–headed men like Talbot cheat themselves by their indulgence in the cant of fraternity into imagining themselves large–hearted Christians. Anyway, we came nearer to a direct conflict on essentials within one sub–committee today than we have yet done: & I suspect that rift will widen.

[152]

Ella and Fearne accompanied me to the Deanery at Westminster, when the Dean and Mrs Norris had an "At Home" for the Overseas' Bishops and their wives. Very few of them turned up, which was rather astonishing as the Abbey Church was to be shown by Tanner. Barnes was there. I had some talk with him.

I decided that it was quite impossible for me to attend more than one of the two committees of which I am a member: and I decided that it would be best for me to stick to the Reunion Committee. Accordingly, I wrote to the Bishop of Winchester, Chairman of the Moral Witness Committee, resigning my membership: and I sent a note to the Archbishop of Canterbury telling him that I had done so. On the whole I am not wholly sorry to resume my liberty of criticism with aspect to the Report of that particular committee, which is sure to be far removed from anything I should come to be responsible for, & may be something I must repudiate.

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