The Henson Journals

[203]

Tuesday, December 16th, 1930.

Sir John Priestman is reported to have given £3000 to a Dissenting Sunday School in Sunderland, and to have accompanied his gift by denouncing the Bishop of Durham for 'weakening the church' by advocating Disestablishment. This is, of course, the direct consequence of my decision in the matter of the Mission Church in Roker parish, which had been submitted to me. Sir John disagreed with that decision, & now shows his resentment. Voila tout! But it indicates the alienation from the Church of almost the only rich man in the diocese, who has shown a disposition to support it! I do not doubt the competence of his fellow–townsmen to appraise his motives justly: but none the less they will feel a certain resentment against their Bishop, whose action, however well–grounded in duty and reason, has inflicted so heavy a loss on the local church! So feeble is the consciousness of Church–membership that it will probably be regarded as a very natural and legitimate procedure on the part of this purse–proud Egotist to transfer his support from the Church to the Dissenters because he resents an official decision of his Bishop!

[204]

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That rather frivolous, but not unintelligent or unattractive youth, Philip Westcott, writes to me from Germany to say that he has given up his intention of becoming a diplomat, and now contemplates seeking Ordination! He asks my advice both on the main question, and on his wisest manner of preparation. I replied kindly, but also a little grimly!

I read more of Coulton's "Ten Medieval Studies", of which a 3rd edition has just appeared. His demolition of Cardinal Gasquet's pretensions to be a historian, or an honest controversialist, or an honourable man, is quite overwhelming. Yet I doubt not that the Cardinal's reputation for being pre–eminently all of these remains among his co–religionists absolutely unshaken. For they will only read what they like, & whom they like. They do not care about the truth, nor wish to know it. Belloc and Chesterton provide illustrations of the same disastrous phenomenon. Pollock's interchange of letters with Belloc in the 'Observer' has been illuminating. The policy of bold assertion, and when this is shown to be false, the policy of brazen repetition justifies itself by success. History as set forth in the pages of Roman Catholick writers is the humble servitor of the Roman legend. They "believe a lie".

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