Collected Letters Volume Three: Narnia, Cambridge and Joy 1950–1963. Walter Hooper. Читать онлайн. Newlib. NEWLIB.NET

Автор: Walter Hooper
Издательство: HarperCollins
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Жанр произведения: Биографии и Мемуары
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isbn: 9780007332670
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      And now, my dearest friend, hear what difficulty leaves me in most doubt. Two models of prayer seem to be put before us in the New Testament which are not easy to reconcile with each other.

      The other, though, is in Mark XI v. 24. ‘Whatsoever you ask believing that you shall receive you shall obtain’ (and observe that in the place where the version has, in Latin, accipietis-and our vernacular translation, similarly, has the future tense, ‘shall receive’-the Greek text has the past tense έλάετε = accepistis-which is very difficult).

      Now the question: How is it possible for a man, at one and the same moment of time, both to believe most fully that he will receive and to submit himself to the Will of God–Who perhaps is refusing him?

      How is it possible to say, simultaneously, ‘I firmly believe that Thou wilt give me this’, and, ‘If Thou shalt deny me it, Thy will be done’? How can one mental act both exclude possible refusal and consider it? I find this discussed by none of the Doctors.

      Farewell. And for you and for your Congregation I pray and shall ever pray.

      C. S. Lewis

      

       TO WILLIAM L. KINTER(BOD): TS

      REF.51/53.

      Magdalen College,

      Oxford.

      17th January 1953.

      Dear Mr. Kinter,

      All good wishes.

      Yours sincerely,

      C. S. Lewis

      

       TO MARY WILLIS SHELBURNE (W):

      Magdalen College

      Oxford

      Jan. 19th 1953

      Dear Mrs. Shelburne

      Thank you for your kind letter of Dec. 29th which arrived today. I am afraid I have no idea what the first editions of Screwtape or the Divorce sell at: I haven’t even got a first of the former myself. But you would be foolish to spend a cent more on them than the published price: both belong to the worst war-period and are scrubby little things on rotten paper–your American editions are far nicer.

      Your letter was most cheering and I am full of agreements. Of course we’ll help each other in our prayers. God bless you.

      Yours most sincerely

      C. S. Lewis

      

       TO BELLE ALLEN (L, WHL):

      Magdalen College,

      Oxford.

      19 January 1953

      I don’t wonder that you got fogged in Pilgrim’s Regress. It was my first religious book and I didn’t then know how to make things easy. I was not even trying to very much, because in those days I never dreamed I would become a ‘popular’ author and hoped for no readers outside a small ‘highbrow’ circle. Don’t waste your time over it any more. The poetry is my own…We all feel ashamed of receiving so much from you and are not even sure-now-whether our scarcities are any worse than your high prices. Don’t you think you ought to stop?…

       TO MARG’RIETTE MONTGOMERY (W): TS

      REF.65/53.

      Magdalen College,

      Oxford. 21st January 1953

      Dear Miss Montgomery,

      All good wishes.

      Yours sincerely,

      C. S. Lewis

      

       TO NELL BERKERS’PRICE (W): TS

      REE67/53.

      Magdalen College,

      Oxford. 21st January 1953.

      Dear Nell,

      Your letter is tantalisingly cryptic, but as I have to go to Holloway next Sunday, no doubt I shall see for myself!

      Love to all.

      Yours,

      Jack

      

       TO CHAD WALSH (W): TS

      RER73/53.

      Magdalen College,

      Oxford. 24th January 1953.

      Dear Chad,

      St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church,

       State College, Pennsylvania

      and the U.S. mail has returned the letter, stamped ‘No Post Office named’. You presumably have his full address, and I would take it kindly if you would send my note to him. Thank you.

      How goes it with you? We got a little news of you from Joy, but would have liked more.

      With