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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 87
13. If then they suppose that the Saviour was not Lord and King, even before He became man and endured the Cross, but then began to be Lord, let them know that they are openly reviving the statements of the Samosatene. But if, as we have quoted and declared above, He is Lord and King everlasting, seeing that Abraham worships Him as Lord, and Moses says, 'Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven [2279] ;' and David in the Psalms, 'The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit Thou on My right hand [2280] ;' and, 'Thy Throne, O God, is for ever and ever; a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of Thy Kingdom [2281] ;' and, 'Thy Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom [2282] ;' it is plain that even before He became man, He was King and Lord everlasting, being Image and Word of the Father. And the Word being everlasting Lord and King, it is very plain again that Peter said not that the Essence of the Son was made, but spoke of His Lordship over us, which 'became' when He became man, and, redeeming all by the Cross, became Lord of all and King. But if they continue the argument on the ground of its being written, 'He made,' not willing that 'He made' should be taken in the sense of 'He manifested,' either from want of apprehension, or from their Christ-opposing purpose, let them attend to another sound exposition of Peter's words. For he who becomes Lord of others, comes into the possession of beings already in existence; but if the Lord is Framer of all and everlasting King, and when He became man, then gained possession of us, here too is a way in which Peter's language evidently does not signify that the Essence of the Word is a work, but the after-subjection of all things, and the Saviour's Lordship which came to be over all. And this coincides with what we said before [2283] ; for as we then introduced the words, 'Become my God and defence,' and 'the Lord became a refuge for the oppressed [2284] ,' and it stood to reason that these expressions do not shew that God is originate, but that His beneficence 'becomes' towards each individual, the same sense has the expression of Peter also.
[2279] Gen. xix. 24.
[2280] Ps. cx. 1.
[2281] Ps. xlv. 6.
[2282] Ps. cxlv. 13.
[2283] S:62, cf. Serm. Maj. de Fid. 1.
[2284] Ps. lxxi. 3. stony rock, E. V. Ps. ix. 9. dejence.
Reference address : https://www.elpenor.org/athanasius/discourses-against-arians.asp?pg=87
