The Henson Journals
Tue 5 May 1931
Volume 52, Pages 186 to 187
[186]
Tuesday, May 5th, 1931.
["]The great Bishop Butler used to say, that if Lord Shaftesbury had lived to see the candour, moderation, & gentleness of the present times in discussing religious subjects, he would have been a good Christian.["]
Pope's Works vol. iii, p. 170 note.
Ella and Fearne went off to Scotland after breakfast to pay a short visit to Carbeth, Row. I felt too dilapidated to do any effective work, but I wrote to Cambridge & Westminster seeking to "cry off" my engagement to speak in the Union on June 9th, and to speak for the Lifeboat Society on May 13th. My plea, unfortunately strong and sincerely urged, was the need of reducing my engagements.
The Rev. G. C. Green, assistant curate of Harrington came to lunch, and to explain why he is leaving the diocese. His home is in Cheshire, and he can't "hit it off" with his Vicar.
Toomey sate here for his priest's examination, and had lunch & tea with me.
[187]
The "Newcastle Journal" gives prominence to a faculty case before Chancellor Errington in Newcastle. A churchwarden supported by a petition from the parishioners of Whitley Bay Church sought the removal of certain ornaments illegally introduced into the parish church. The Vicar (Rev. F. M. Dowland) conducted his own case, & made a deplorable hash of what was on any shewing a very bad case. Two witnesses alleged that they had been forbidden to act as servers, because they would not make confession. The ill–temper, vulgarity, and obvious bad faith of the parson created the worst impression, and drew down him the stern rebukes of the Chancellor. But what is to be done? If, as is probable, the Chancellor orders the removal of the illegal ornaments, and the cessation of the illegal services, how is his order to be enforced? Dowland has only got to stick in his heels, and raise the flag of "Catholicism in danger", and he can count confidently on becoming a hero, & being financed liberally by the E.C.U.! There is only one remedy – Disestablishment: and both the fighting parties, for reasons of their own, dread that.