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Translated by Cardinal Newman.
St Athanasius the Great Resources Online and in Print
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25 Pages
Page 4
3. And although, again, he conceal his natural falsehood, and pretend to speak truth with his lips; yet are we 'not ignorant of his devices [1158] ,' but are able to answer him in the words spoken by the Spirit against him; 'But unto the ungodly, said God, why dost thou preach My laws?' and, 'Praise is not seemly in the mouth of a sinner [1159] .' For even though he speak the truth, the deceiver is not worthy of credit. And whereas Scripture shewed this, when relating his wicked artifices against Eve in Paradise, so the Lord also reproved him,--first in the mount, when He laid open 'the folds of his breast-plate [1160] ,' and shewed who the crafty spirit was, and proved that it was not one of the saints [1161] , but Satan that was tempting Him. For He said, 'Get thee behind Me Satan; for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve [1162] .' And again, when He put a curb in the mouths of the demons that cried after Him from the tombs. For although what they said was true, and they lied not then, saying, 'Thou art the Son of God,' and 'the Holy One of God [1163] ;' yet He would not that the truth should proceed from an unclean mouth, and especially from such as them, lest under pretence thereof they should mingle with it their own malicious devices, and sow these also while men slept. Therefore He suffered them not to speak such words, neither would He have us to suffer such, but hath charged us by His own mouth, saying, 'Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheeps' clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves [1164] ;' and by the mouth of His Holy Apostles, 'Believe not every spirit [1165] .' Such is the method of our adversary's operations; and of the like nature are all these inventions of heresies, each of which has for the father of its own device the devil, who changed and became a murderer and a liar from the beginning. But being ashamed to profess his hateful name, they usurp the glorious Name of our Saviour 'which is above every name [1166] ,' and deck themselves out in the language of Scripture, speaking indeed the words, but stealing away the true meaning thereof; and so disguising by some artifice their false inventions, they also become the murderers of those whom they have led astray.
[1158] 2 Cor. ii. 11.
[1159] Ps. 1. 16; Ecclus. xv. 9.
[1160] Job xli. 13, v. 4. LXX. and cf. Orat. i. 1, and Vit. Ant. supr. p. 197, note 15.
[1161] Or sacred writers, hagion.
[1162] Matt. iv. 10.
[1163] Matt. viii. 29; Mark i. 24.
[1164] Matt. vii. 15.
[1165] 1 John iv. 1.
[1166] Phil. ii. 9.
Reference address : https://www.elpenor.org/athanasius/bishops-egypt.asp?pg=4
