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Translated by Cardinal Newman.
St Athanasius the Great Resources Online and in Print
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This Part: 130 Pages
Page 25
79. But if this too fails to persuade them, let them tell us themselves, whether there is any wisdom in the creatures or not [2752] ? If not how is it that the Apostle complains, 'For after that in the Wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God [2753] ?' or how is it if there is no wisdom, that a 'multitude of wise men [2754] ' are found in Scripture? for 'a wise man feareth and departeth from evil [2755] ;' and 'through wisdom is a house builded [2756] ;' and the Preacher says, 'A man's wisdom maketh his face to shine;' and he blames those who are headstrong thus, 'Say not thou, what is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire in wisdom concerning this [2757] .' But if, as the Son of Sirach says, 'He poured her out upon all His works; she is with all flesh according to His gift, and He hath given her to them that love Him [2758] ,' and this outpouring is a note, not of the Essence of the Very [2759] Wisdom and Only-begotten, but of that wisdom which is imaged in the world, how is it incredible that the All-framing and true Wisdom Itself, whose impress is the wisdom and knowledge poured out in the world, should say, as I have already explained, as if of Itself, 'The Lord created me for His works?' For the wisdom in the world is not creative, but is that which is created in the works, according to which 'the heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament sheweth His handywork [2760] .' This if men have within them [2761] , they will acknowledge the true Wisdom of God; and will know that they are made really [2762] after God's Image. And, as some son of a king, when the father wished to build a city [2763] , might cause his own name to be printed upon each of the works that were rising, both to give security to them of the works remaining, by reason of the show of his name on everything, and also to make them remember him and his father from the name, and having finished the city might be asked concerning it, how it was made, and then would answer, 'It is made securely, for according to the will of my father, I am imaged in each work, for my name was made in the works;' but saying this, he does not signify that his own essence is created, but the impress of himself by means of his name; in the same manner, to apply the illustration, to those who admire the wisdom in the creatures, the true Wisdom makes answer, 'The Lord created me for the works,' for my impress is in them; and I have thus condescended for the framing of all things.
[2752] Vid. Epiph. Haer. 69.
[2753] 1 Cor. i. 21.
[2754] Vid. Wisd. vi. 24
[2755] Prov. xiv. 16.
[2756] Ib. xxiv.
[2757] Eccles. viii. 1; vii. 10.
[2758] Ecclus. i. 9, 10.
[2759] Cf. 78, n. 1.
[2760] Ps. xix. 1.
[2761] Cf. contr. Gent. 2, 30, 40, &c. vid. also Basil. de Sp. S. n. 19. Cyril. in Joan. p. 75.
[2762] De Decr. 31, n. 5.
[2763] This is drawn out somewhat differently, and very strikingly in contr. Gent. 43. The Word indeed is regarded more as the Governor than the Life of the world, but shortly before he spoke of the Word as the Principle of permanence. 41 fin.
Reference address : https://www.elpenor.org/athanasius/discourses-against-arians-2.asp?pg=25
