The Henson Journals

[138]

20th Sunday after Trinity, November 2nd, 1930.

A wet night, & still raining when morning had come: everything sodden & woebegone. I celebrated the Holy Communion at 8 o'clock. We were but six communicants including William Bryden.

I spent the morning in my study preparing notes for a sermon on the subject suggested by All Souls Day my Prayers for the Dead. There is still a good deal of unintelligent Protestant prejudice in the minds of the people against this godly & comfortable Catholic practice: but since the Great War this prejudice has been much weakened, so that even in the Presbyterian Churches, in spite of the clear condemnation of such prayers in the Westminster Confession, it is by no means uncommon now to hear the minister pray for the departed. Unhappily, so many of the Anglo–Catholick clergy will insist upon the whole Roman teaching & practice, & thus provide some excuse for the suspicion which this godly and primitive Christian devotion does still arouse in many minds.

I walked round the park during the afternoon.

[139]

I motored to Willington, and preached at Evensong. The church was crowded: the congregation attentive: the singing "hearty" and clamorous: the atmosphere even asphyxiating. But I enjoyed the service, & took the impression that the Vicar, Hudson, is getting hold of the people. The population is stated to be 5358, and the communicants last Easter were 535. This is about double the average of the diocese.

Parry Evans sent me a note stating his desire to have Toomey as an afsistant curate "in spite of his physical troubles". It seems almost absurd to send a man who must have a light charge to such a parish as Bishop Auckland, and to such a slave–driver as its Vicar. Perhaps I might compromise by allowing the experiment for a period of six months.

I sent copies of the Bishoprick to the following:

1.	Lord Londonderry	8.	The Dean of Westminster.
2.	Sir William Marris	9.	The Dean of Exeter
3.	Mr Justice Roche.	10.	The Dean of Hereford
4.	[symbol] Sir Frank Brown.	11.	The Dean of Canterbury
5.	Hon. Di Darling.	12.	The Dean of York
6.	[symbol] Sir Lewis Dibdin.	13.	Archdeacon Gibbs
7.	H. J. L. Dashwood.	14.	Canon E. W. Watson.

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