St Athanasius the Great LETTERS, Part I, Complete

Translated by Cardinal Newman.

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Page 111

Letter X.--For 338. Coss. Ursus and Polemius; Praef. the same Theodorus, of Heliopolis, and of the Catholics [4203] . After him, for the second year, Philagrius; Indict. xi; Easter-day, vii Kal. Ap. [4204] xxx Phamenoth; Moon 18 1/2; AEra Dioclet. 54.

[4205] Although I have travelled all this distance from you, my brethren, I have not forgotten the custom which obtains among you, which has been delivered to us by the fathers [4206] , so as to be silent without notifying to you the time of the annual holy feast, and the day for its celebration. For although I have been hindered by those afflictions of which you have doubtless heard, and severe trials have been laid upon me, and a great distance has separated us; while the enemies of the truth have followed our tracks, laying snares to discover a letter from us, so that by their accusations, they might add to the pain of our wounds; yet the Lord, strengthening and comforting us in our afflictions, we have not feared, even when held fast in the midst of such machinations and conspiracies, to indicate and make known to you our saving Easter-feast, even from the ends of the earth. Also when I wrote to the presbyters of Alexandria, I urged that these letters might be sent to you through their instrumentality, although I knew the fear imposed on them by the adversaries. Still, I exhorted them to be mindful of the apostolic boldness of speech, and to say, 'Nothing separates us from the love of Christ; neither affliction, nor distress, nor persecution, nor famine, nor nakedness, nor peril, nor sword [4207] .' Thus, keeping the feast myself, I was desirous that you also, my beloved, should keep it; and being conscious that an announcement like this is due from me, I have not delayed to discharge this duty, fearing to be condemned by the Apostolic counsel; 'Render to every man his due [4208] .'

[4203] The text is difficult; possibly the Syriac translator is responsible for the difficulty. But we know from Ath. (supr. p. 273) that the reappointment of Philagrius was in the express interest of the Arians: it is, therefore, probable that Theodorus was not unfavourable to Athanasius. See Prolegg. ch. ii. S:6 (1), and Sievers, pp. 101, 102.

[4204] In the Chron. Pasch. tom. ii. p. 202, Easter-day is wrongly given as falling on viii. Kal. Ap.

[4205] See Prolegg. ch. v. S:3 b. The letter may have been finished (see S:S:3, 11) after Ath. had returned home, but the language of S:1 seems to be applicable only to his residence at Treveri, and S:11 may be reconciled to this supposition. In this case (S:1 sub. fin.) it was probably begun as early as the Easter of 337; cf. Letters 17 and 18.

[4206] See above, p. 500.

[4207] Rom. viii. 35.

[4208] Rom. xiii. 7; cf. Ep. iii. init.

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