The Henson Journals

[223]

Tuesday, December 30th, 1930.

I reflected as I was dressing on the article which I promised to write on "The Church in the Modern State", and I decided to begin by emphasising the incorrigibly ecclesiastical character of Christianity. Our earliest documents, the Pauline epistles, present us with an organized & militant church, organizing itself in face of the pagan society, & determining its attitude toward the government of the time. The problem of Church and State is coeval with the Christian Religion. When the apostles stood before the Sanhedrin, and made the great confession "We must obey God rather than men", they spoke as the representatives and recognized leaders of a society. The distinctive institutions of the historic Church are all apparent in the Pauline picture – the Sacraments, the Creed, the Scriptures, the organized Ministry, a Christian morality, the 1st day of the Week, common obligations of the entire society. The notion that this ecclesiastical development had come into existence apart from the action of Christ is equally unhistorical and unreasonable. Our modern criticks have pursued the hair–splitting negations to the point of actual absurdity. The Church is integral to Christianity.

[224]

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There is an excellent letter printed as an Appendix to the first volume of Purcell's Life of Manning, written by R. W. Church as a criticism on Archdeacon Manning's First of November Sermon. 1843, and dated "Oriel. 12th July. 1844". He insists on judging the claims & actions of the Medieval church as these stand related to the circumstances of the time.

"What I mean then is this – that the circumstances of the time explain, and to my mind, justify, in Gregory VII and Innocent III, opinions, claims, and conduct which, if thrown into the shape of universal Theological dogmas for the Church in all ages are groundless in reason, & have been, & may be, infinitely mischievous. To them many of the greatest Roman theologians have committed themselves, but the Church is not more committed, than the English Church to the Synod of Dort, or Bishop Overall's Convocation Book".

This is discriminating and just, and it discloses precisely the essential defect of Inge's ferocious indictment of "theocratic imperialism".

[225]

Xan Wynne Willson came to lunch, and afterwards walked with me in the Park.

The Head Deaconess, Miss Shaw, came to tea, and to pour out her woes! I do not feel that I have any special qualifications for dealing with holy women.

Then I wrote to Derek, answering (with the aid of the Dictionary of National Biography) his inquiry – who was Shorthouse?

Robin writes an affectionate reply to my letter. He is beginning to realize the anxieties of a parliamentary candidate:

"I shall be faced with plenty of difficulties in Northern Ireland – in fact, they are starting now. People are anxious to know my views on the Prayer Book issue, & I shall have to prepare a careful reply. The Presbyterian element are a bigoted & intolerant crowd, & I have to confess that they do not appeal to me all."

I expect that the 'Protestant Underworld' will be prominent in the General Election – & that many of the Conservative candidates will be sufficiently chicken–hearted to treat them deferentially. They may command votes!

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