If the happiness of a creature lies in self-surrender, no one can make that surrender but himself…and he may refuse. I would pay any price to be able to say truthfully “All will be saved”. But my reason retorts, “Without their will, or with it?” If I say “Without their will” I at once perceive a contradiction; how can the supremely voluntary act of self-surrender be involuntary? If I say “With their will”, my reason replies “How if they will not give in?”
–C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain, Fount Paperback edition, pp. 106-107
If there were no ECUSA or C of E bishops but copies of Mere Christianity freely available, would it not be an improvement?
[blockquote]If there were no ECUSA or C of E bishops but copies of Mere Christianity freely available, would it not be an improvement?[/blockquote]
Lewis as a committed C of E layman would probably have answered no.
Such a great rejoinder to the “cheap grace” theory espoused by our current church hierchy, VGR, and so many lost revisionist bishops and priests of TEC. Alas, we do have to choose to receive God’s grace and “surrender” to it.