St Athanasius the Great FOUR DISCOURSES AGAINST THE ARIANS, Part II, Complete

Translated by Cardinal Newman.

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This Part: 130 Pages

Page 128

34. Let us then consider Christ in both ways, the divine Word made one in Mary with Him which is from Mary. For in her womb the Word fashioned for Himself His house, as at the beginning He formed Adam from the earth; or rather more divinely, concerning whom Solomon too says openly, knowing that the Word was also called Wisdom, 'Wisdom builded herself an house [3422] ;' which the Apostle interprets when he says, 'Which house are we [3423] ,' and elsewhere calls us a temple, as far as it is fitting to God to inhabit a temple, of which the image, made of stones, He by Solomon commanded the ancient people to build; whence, on the appearance of the Truth, the image ceased. For when the ruthless men wished to prove the image to be the truth, and to destroy that true habitation which we surely believe His union with us to be, He threatened them not; but knowing that their crime was against themselves, He says to them, 'Destroy this Temple, and in three days I will raise it up [3424] ,' He, our Saviour, surely shewing thereby that the things about which men busy themselves, carry their dissolution with them. For unless the Lord had built the house, and kept the city, in vain did the builders toil, and the keepers watch [3425] . And so the works of the Jews are undone, for they were a shadow; but the Church is firmly established; it is 'founded on the rock,' and 'the gates of hades shall not prevail against it [3426] .' Theirs [3427] it was to say, 'Why dost Thou, being a man, make Thyself God [3428] ?' and their disciple is the Samosatene; whence to his followers with reason does he teach his heresy. But 'we did not so learn Christ, if so be that we heard' Him, and were taught from Him, 'putting off the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,' and taking up 'the new, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness [3429] .' Let Christ then in both ways be religiously considered.

[3422] Prov. ix. 1.

[3423] Heb. iii. 6.

[3424] John ii. 19.

[3425] Vid. Ps. cxxvii. 1.

[3426] Vid. Matt. vii. 25; xvi. 18.

[3427] ekeinon, John x. 33

[3428] De Decr. 1; Or. i. 4, iii. 27; de Syn. 50.

[3429] Eph. iv. 20-24

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