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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 64
61. (10.) 'Better' then, as has been said, could not have been brought to pass by any other than the Son, who sits on the right hand of the Father. And what does this denote but the Son's genuineness, and that the Godhead of the Father is the same as the Son's [2194] ? For in that the Son reigns in His Father's kingdom, is seated upon the same throne as the Father, and is contemplated in the Father's Godhead, therefore is the Word God, and whoso beholds the Son, beholds the Father; and thus there is one God. Sitting then on the right, yet He does not place His Father on the left [2195] ; but whatever is right [2196] and precious in the Father, that also the Son has, and says, 'All things that the Father hath are Mine [2197] .' Wherefore also the Son, though sitting on the right, also sees the Father on the right, though it be as become man that He says, 'I saw the Lord always before My face, for He is on My right hand, therefore I shall not fall [2198] .' This shews moreover that the Son is in the Father and the Father in the Son; for the Father being on the right, the Son is on the right; and while the Son sits on the right of the Father, the Father is in the Son. And the Angels indeed minister ascending and descending; but concerning the Son he saith, 'And let all the Angels of God worship Him [2199] .' And when Angels minister, they say, 'I am sent unto thee,' and, 'The Lord has commanded;' but the Son, though He say in human fashion, 'I am sent [2200] ,' and comes to finish the work and to minister, nevertheless says, as being Word and Image, 'I am in the Father, and the Father in Me;' and, 'He that hath seen Me, hath seen the Father;' and, 'The Father that abideth in Me, He doeth the works [2201] ;' for what we behold in that Image are the Father's works.
(11.) What has been already said ought to shame those persons who are fighting against the very truth; however, if, because it is written, 'become better,' they refuse to understand 'become,' as used of the Son, as 'has been and is [2202] ;' or again as referring to the better covenant having come to be [2203] , as we have said, but consider from this expression that the Word is called originate, let them hear the same again in a concise form, since they have forgotten what has been said.
[2194] De Syn. 45, note 1.
[2195] Cf. August. de Fid. et Symb. 14. Does this passage of Athan.'s shew that the Anthropomorphites were stirring in Egypt already?
[2196] dexion
[2197] John xvi. 15.
[2198] Ps. xvi. 8.
[2199] Heb. i. 6.
[2200] Vid. John xvii. 3; Mark x. 45.
[2201] John xiv. 10, 9.
[2202] Of His divine nature, (4) (8).
[2203] Of His human nature, and (10).
Reference address : https://www.elpenor.org/athanasius/discourses-against-arians.asp?pg=64
