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Translated by Cardinal Newman.
St Athanasius the Great Resources Online and in Print
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This Part: 128 Pages
Page 128
54. And the Lord Himself has spoken many things in proverbs; but when giving us notices about Himself, He has spoken absolutely [2558] ; 'I in the Father and the Father in Me,' and 'I and the Father are one,' and, 'He that hath seen Me, hath seen the Father,' and 'I am the Light of the world,' and, 'I am the Truth [2559] ;' not setting down in every case the reason, nor the wherefore, lest He should seem second to those things for which He was made. For that reason would needs take precedence of Him, without which not even He Himself had come into being. Paul, for instance, 'separated an Apostle for the Gospel, which the Lord had promised afore by the Prophets [2560] ,' was thereby made subordinate to the Gospel, of which he was made minister, and John, being chosen to prepare the Lord's way, was made subordinate to the Lord; but the Lord, not being made subordinate to any reason why He should be Word, save only that He is the Father's Offspring and Only-begotten Wisdom, when He becomes man, then assigns the reason why He is about to take flesh. For the need of man preceded His becoming man, apart from which He had not put on flesh [2561] . And what the need was for which He became man, He Himself thus signifies, 'I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me. And this is the will of Him which hath sent Me, that of all which He hath given Me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of My Father, that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on Him may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the last day [2562] .' And again; 'I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on Me, should not abide in darkness [2563] .' And again he says; 'To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth [2564] .' And John has written: 'For this was manifested the Son of God, that He might destroy the works of the devil [2565] .'
[2558] Infr. 62.
[2559] John xiv. 6, 9, 10; x. 30; viii. 12
[2560] Rom. i. 1, 2.
[2561] It is the general teaching of the Fathers that our Lord would not have been incarnate had not man sinned. [But see Prolegg. ch. iv. S:3, c.] Cf. de Incarn. 4. vid. Thomassin. at great length de Incarn. ii. 5-11. also Petav. de Incarn. ii. 17, 7-12. Vasquez. in 3 Thom. Disp. x. 4 and 5.
[2562] John vi. 38-40
[2563] Ib. xii. 46.
[2564] Ib. xviii. 37.
[2565] 1 John iii. 8.
The End
Reference address : https://www.elpenor.org/athanasius/discourses-against-arians.asp?pg=128
