The Henson Journals
Sun 22 February 1931
Volume 52, Pages 78 to 79
[78]
1st Sunday in Lent, February 22nd, 1931.
[']"The action of Christ who has risen on the world which He redeemed fails not, but increases." These words represent not the enthusiastic religionism of growth and temperament, nor the mere acquiescent submission in an inherited system, but the trained & tested conviction of a mature man. Acton was more than sixty when he spoke thus. A man of such intellectual power would not have said this without grounds.[']
v. Introduction by Figgis & Laurence to Selections from Acton's Correspondence.
A white frost, a brilliant sun, a cloudless sky, and the birds singing most valourously in spite of the hard ground, and the gripping cold.
I celebrated the Holy Communion in the Chapel at 8 a.m. William Bryden, William, Fearne, Mrs Berry, one of the maids and myself formed the whole body of communicants. A little company truly, but the promise holds there most certainly. "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."
[79]
I motored to Sunderland, and preached at Evensong in S. Gabriel's Church to a large & attractive congregation. My text was Hebrews xii. 1,2. and my discourse demurely seasonable. A reporter came to the Vestry, and asked for my notes, but the poor youth could have found little "copy" in them. Scott had various matters to submit to me, so I came to tea before service & talked with him. I asked him to give the addresses & preach at the Trinity Ordination, & he consented. He appears to be fairly well in health, & very cheerful. He thinks that there is abundant evidence of a recovery in the matter of Ordination candidates, and after Evensong he introduced to me a tall good–looking youth who is to begin his course at S. John's next October. I do not doubt that if sufficient money be provided for their training, sufficient candidates will present themselves, but neither the quality of their motives nor the measure of their independence strikes me as satisfactory. Where are we to find competent bishops in the future? To be dependent on grants from school to theological college may produce good enough working clergy, but not rulers. I doubt whether we are now getting many recruits who are not thus dependent.