It may be a movement towards becoming like little children to admit that we are generally nothing else.

— Charles Williams

It’s said that the shuffling of the cards is the earth, and the pattering of the cards is the rain, and the beating of the cards is the wind, and the pointing of the cards is the fire. That’s of the four suits. But the Greater Trumps, it’s said, are the meaning of all processes and the measure of the everlasting dance.

— Charles Williams

Job plunges into a series of demands on and accusations of God which may be and indeed are epigrams of high intelligence, but are not noticeably patient.

— Charles Williams

Many promising reconciliations have broken down because while both parties come prepared to forgive, neither party come prepared to be forgiven.

— Charles Williams

. Nature's so terribly good. Don't you think so, Mr. Stan hope?" Stanhope was standing by, silent, while Mrs. Parry communed with her soul and with one or two of her neighbors on the possibilities of dressing the Chorus. He turned his head and answered, "That Nature is terribly good? Yes, Miss Fox. You do mean 'terribly'?"" Why, certainly," Miss Fox said. "Terribly--dreadfully--very."" Yes," Stan hope said again. "Very. Only--you must forgive me; it comes from doing so much writing, but when I say 'terribly' I think I mean 'full of terror'. A dreadful goodness."" I don't see how goodness can be dreadful," Miss Fox said, with a shade of resentment in her voice. "If things are good they're not terrifying, are they?"" It was you who said 'terribly'," Stan hope reminded her with a smile, "I only agreed."" And if things are terrifying," Pauline put in, her eyes half closed and her head turned away as if she asked a casual question rather of the world than of him, "can they be good?" He looked down on her. "Yes, surely," he said, with more energy. "Are our tremors to measure the Omnipotence?

— Charles Williams

Our crucifixes exhibit the pain, but they veil, perhaps necessarily, the obscenity: but the death of the God-Man was both.

— Charles Williams

Stan hope delayed a moment behind Miss Fox to add: "The substantive, of course, governs the adjective; not the other way round."" The substantive?" Pauline asked blankly." Good. It contains terror, not terror good. I'm keeping you. Goodbye, Peril," and he was gone.

— Charles Williams

The altar must be built in one place so that the fire may come down in another place.

— Charles Williams

The Church expected the Second Coming of Christ immediately, and no doubt this was so in the ordinary literal sense. But it was certainly expected also in another sense. The converts in all the cities of Asia and (soon) of Europe where the small groups were founded had known, in their conversion, one way or another, a first coming of their Redeemer. And then? And then! That was the consequent task and trouble — the then. He had come, and they adored and believed, they communicated and practiced, and waited for his further exhibition of himself. The then lasted, and there seemed to be no farther equivalent Now. Time became the individual and catholic problem. The Church had to become as catholic — as universal and as durable — as time.

— Charles Williams

The Church expected the Second Coming of Christ immediately. The converts had known a first coming. And then? And then! That was the trouble — the then. He had come, and they adored and believed, they communicated and practiced, and waited. The then lasted, and there seemed to be no farther equivalent Now. Time became the individual and catholic problem. The Church had to become as universal and as durable — as time.

— Charles Williams