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

Translated by Cardinal Newman.

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Page 78

50. The Lord then, knowing what is good for us beyond ourselves, thus secured the disciples; and they, being thus taught, set right those of Thessalonica [3139] when likely on this point to run into error. However, since Christ's enemies do not yield even to these considerations, I wish, though knowing that they have a heart harder than Pharaoh, to ask them again concerning this. In Paradise God asks, 'Adam, where art Thou [3140] ' and He inquires of Cain also, 'Where is Abel thy brother [3141] ?' What then say you to this? for if you think Him ignorant and therefore to have asked, you are already of the party of the Manichees, for this is their bold thought; but if, fearing the open name, ye force yourselves to say, that He asks knowing, what is there extravagant or strange in the doctrine, that ye should thus fall, on finding that the Son, in whom God then inquired, that same Son who now is clad in flesh, inquires of the disciples as man? unless forsooth, having become Manichees, you are willing to blame [3142] the question then put to Adam and all that you may give full play [3143] to your perverseness. For being exposed on all sides, you still make a whispering [3144] from the words of Luke, which are rightly said, but ill understood by you. And what this is, we must state, that so also their corrupt [3145] meaning may be shewn.

[3139] Vid. 2 Thess. ii. 1, 2.

[3140] Gen. iii. 9; iv. 9. This seems taken from Origen, in Matt. t. 10. S:14. vid. also Pope Gregory and Chrysost. infr.

[3141] S. Chrysostom, S. Ambrose, and Pope Gregory, in addition to the instances in the text, refer to 'I will go down now, and see whether they have done, &c., and if not, I will know.' Gen. xviii. 21. 'The Lord came down to see the city and the tower, &c.' Gen. xi. 5. 'God looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see, &c.' Ps. liii. 3. 'It may be they will reverence My Son.' Matt. xxi. 37; Luke xx. 13. 'Seeing a fig-tree afar off, having leaves, He came, if haply He might find, &c.' Mark xi. 13. 'Simon, lovest thou Me?' John xxi. 15. vid. Ambros. de Fid. v. c. 17. Chrys. in Matt. Hom. 77, 3. Greg. Epp. x. 39. Vid. also the instances, supr. S:37. Other passages may be added, such as Gen. xxii. 12. vid. Berti Opp. t. 3. p. 42. But the difficulty of the passage lies in its signifying that there is a sense in which the Father knows what the Son knows not.

[3142] Or. i. 8, n. 2.

[3143] neanieuesthe, vid. Decr. 18 init. de Fug. 4. b.

[3144] tonthoruzete, vid. Decr. 16.

[3145] diephtharmene, S:58 fin.

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