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Translated by Cardinal Newman.
St Athanasius the Great Resources Online and in Print
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25 Pages
Page 10
8. Words are bad, though Scriptural, which proceed from bad men.
Such are the machinations of these men against the truth: but their designs are manifest to all the world, though they attempt in ten thousand ways, like eels, to elude the grasp, and to escape detection as enemies of Christ. Wherefore I beseech you, let no one among you be deceived, no one seduced by them; rather, considering that a sort of judaical impiety is invading the Christian faith, be ye all zealous for the Lord; hold fast, every one, the faith we have received from the Fathers, which they who assembled at Nicaea recorded in writing, and endure not those who endeavour to innovate thereon. And however they may write phrases out of the Scripture, endure not their writings; however they may speak the language of the orthodox, yet attend not to what they say; for they speak not with an upright mind, but putting on such language like sheeps' clothing, in their hearts they think with Arius, after the manner of the devil, who is the author of all heresies. For he too made use of the words of Scripture, but was put to silence by our Saviour. For if he had indeed meant them as he used them, he would not have fallen from heaven; but now having fallen through his pride, he artfully dissembles in his speech, and oftentimes maliciously endeavours to lead men astray by the subtleties and sophistries of the Gentiles. Had these expositions of theirs proceeded from the orthodox, from such as the great Confessor Hosius, and Maximinus [1197] of Gaul, or his successor [1198] , or from such as Philogonius and Eustathius [1199] , Bishops of the East [1200] , or Julius and Liberius of Rome, or Cyriacus of Moesia [1201] , or Pistus and Aristaeus of Greece, or Silvester and Protogenes of Dacia, or Leontius and Eupsychius of Cappadocia, or Caecilianus of Africa, or Eustorgius of Italy, or Capito of Sicily, or Macarius of Jerusalem, or Alexander of Constantinople, or Paederos of Heraclea, or those great Bishops Meletius, Basil, and Longianus, and the rest from Armenia and Pontus, or Lupus and Amphion from Cilicia, or James [1202] and the rest from Mesopotamia, or our own blessed Alexander, with others of the same opinions as these;--there would then have been nothing to suspect in their statements, for the character of apostolical men is sincere and incapable of fraud.
[1197] Supr. Apol. Ar. 50.
[1198] Paulinus of Treveri, cf. supr. p. 130, note 10.
[1199] At Nicaea, as most of the others.
[1200] i.e. of Antioch.
[1201] [Unknown.]
[1202] [Of Nisibis. See D.C.B. iii. p. 325 and foll.]
Reference address : https://www.elpenor.org/athanasius/bishops-egypt.asp?pg=10
