The Henson Journals

[202]

Monday, May 18th, 1931.

["]Some fight against cock–fighting, and bull and bear baiting, because man is not to be a common barrister to set the creatures at discord; &, seeing antipathy betwixt creatures was kindled by man's sin, what pleasure can he take to see it burn? Others are of the contrary opinion, and that Christianity gives us a placard to use these sports: & that man's charter of dominion over the creatures enables him to employ them as well for pleasure as necessity. In these, as in all other doubtful recreations, be well assured, first, of the legality of them. He that sins against his conscience, sins with a witness.["]

Fuller. ‘Of recreations' A.D. 1642

The general conscience has advanced in the course of these centuries, and now will not add allow the sports which Fuller held to be "doubtful" to be anywise lawful. Its argument is in modern eyes archaic, and amidst the considerations, evangelical and scientific, which would now appear to me probably decisive.

[203]

Ella and Fearne went with me to Durham, where we attended the opening of the new gymnasium at Bede college. The Dean of York performed the ceremony, & I moved a vote of thanks to him for doing so. Then there followed a gymnastic exhibition by the students, which was well done. I noted with satisfaction what well grown young men they were, quite up to the level of Oxford undergraduates. Then we had tea, & returned to Auckland.

Braley told me that the Newcastle paper in its report of the Finchale service announced that the Bishop of Durham took his seat in the piscina!!!

I read 'England's Crisis by André Siegfried – a most disconcerting description of our present situation, and quite unanswerable. A keen–eyed and not unfriendly observer has a better chance of seeing the facts truly than we ourselves can have. He described the effect of unemployment admirably. "The moral fibre of the unemployed cannot resist either the life they are now leading, or the complacency with which it is accepted"; but there is no way of escape anywhere perceptible for "no politician dare make a direct attack on the dole: he would lose his seat."

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