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Darwin Correspondence Project

From John Beck   15 May 1869

Copthorne Cottage near Shrewsbury.

May 15th 1869.

My dear Sir—

I am anxious to offer for your perusal, at your leisure—the accompanying Manuscript, sent through the Book Post, on “the Real Presence” &c. &c.—a most mercifully to myself and Country Spiritually revealed to me from Heaven— I believe—full entire exposition—most wonderfully minute & clear literal revealment of the truth reality—as to “the Real Presence” in the Bread and Wine—in the Holy Sacrament of “The Lord’s Supper” and shall be obliged by your returning it to me by the Book Post in the course of a month or later than that, if more convenient to you, for which I inclose a Postage Stamp!1

I would especially direct your attention to that especial infinite mercy of the Allmighty—through the Saviour to all of us, who are most mercifully granted true repentance, and are earnestly striving for newnesss of life (whatever our past sins may have been) in the operation upon us of “The Hedge set about the Vinequard” (fo 12 & 14)2 and in those most mercifully blessed words of Holy Scripture in Isaiah 1. 18 (fo 16)

“Come now—and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet—they shall be as white as snow,—though they be red like crimson,—they shall be as wool—”

With my best wishes & humble prayer for your welfare & happiness here & eternally in Heaven—& for your restoration to health—& for each blessing—& for Mrs Darwin3 & family—& upon my MSS—& for increase of grace & of the Holy Spirit most mercifully—for us all—with peace & joy in believing, I remain my dear Sir—Yours faithfully | John Beck

C. Darwin Esqe.

Footnotes

The manuscript referred to has not been found; it was evidently returned by CD. CD had received an earlier letter from Beck on religious subjects (Correspondence vol. 12, letter from John Beck, 6 October 1864).
Beck probably refers to Mark 12 which begins with a reference to a man who ‘planted a vineyard and set an hedge about it’ (Mark 12: 1) and Mark 14.

Bibliography

Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.

Summary

Sends his MS "The real presence" [on transubstantiation] for CD’s comments.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-6747
From
John Beck
To
Charles Robert Darwin
Sent from
Shrewsbury
Source of text
DAR 160: 104
Physical description
ALS 4pp

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 6747,” accessed on 18 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-6747.xml

Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 17

letter