St Athanasius the Great LETTERS, Part II, Complete

Translated by Cardinal Newman.

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Page 18

5. Samuel, that great man, no less clearly reproved Saul, saying, 'Is not the word better than a gift [4466] ?' For hereby a man fulfils the law, and pleases God, as He saith, 'The sacrifice of praise shall glorify Me.' Let a man 'learn what this means, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice [4467] ,' and I will not condemn the adversaries. But this wearied them, for they were not anxious to understand, 'for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory [4468] .' And what their end is, the prophet foretold, crying, 'Woe unto their soul, for they have devised an evil thought, saying, let us bind the just man, because he is not pleasing to us [4469] .' The end of such abandonment as this can be nothing but error, as the Lord, when reproving them, saith, 'Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures [4470] .' Afterwards when, being reproved, they should have come to their senses, they rather grew insolent, saying, 'We are Moses' disciples; and we know that God spake to Moses [4471] ;' dealing the more falsely by that very expression, and accusing themselves. For had they believed him to whom they hearkened, they would not have denied the Lord, Who spake by Moses, when He was present. Not so did the eunuch in the Acts, for when he heard, 'Understandest thou what thou readest [4472] ?' he was not ashamed to confess his ignorance, and implored to be taught. Therefore, to him who became a learner, the grace of the Spirit was given. But as for those Jews who persisted in their ignorance; as the proverb saith, 'Death came upon them. For the fool dies in his sins [4473] .'

[4466] Ecclus. xviii. 17.

[4467] Ps. l. 23; Hosea vi. 6; Matt. ix. 13

[4468] 1 Cor. ii. 8.

[4469] Is. iii. 9, 10; Wisd. ii. 12.

[4470] Matt. xxii. 29.

[4471] John ix. 28, 29.

[4472] Acts viii. 30.

[4473] Prov. xxiv. 9, LXX., cf. Ps. lv. 15.

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