St Athanasius the Great LETTERS, Part II, Complete

Translated by Cardinal Newman.

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Page 27

From Letter XXIX [4529] .--(For 357.) From the twenty-ninth Letter, of which the beginning is, 'Sufficient for this present time is that which we have already written.'

The Lord proved the disciples [4530] , when He was asleep on the pillow, at which time a miracle was wrought, which is especially calculated to put even the wicked to shame. For when He arose, and rebuked the sea, and silenced the storm, He plainly shewed two things; that the storm of the sea was not from the winds, but from fear of its Lord Who walked upon it, and that the Lord Who rebuked it was not a creature, but rather its Creator, since a creature is not obedient to another creature. For although the Red Sea was divided before by Moses [4531] , yet it was not Moses who did it, for it came to pass, not because he spoke, but because God commanded. And if the sun stood still in Gibeon [4532] , and the moon in the valley of Ajalon, yet this was the work, not of the son of Nun, but of the Lord, Who heard his prayer. He it was Who both rebuked the sea, and on the cross caused the sun to be darkened [4533] .

Another Fragment [4534] .

And whereas what is human comes to an end, what is divine does not. For which reason also when we are dead, and when our nature is tired out, he raises us up, and leads us up [though] born of earth to heaven.

[4529] If these fragments are authentic, the statement in the Index, that this year no letter could be sent, is an error.

[4530] Mark iv. 37-41

[4531] Exod. xiv. 21.

[4532] Josh. x. 12.

[4533] Matt. xxvii. 45.

[4534] From Cosmas; Migne xxvi. 1436.

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