St Athanasius the Great LETTERS, Part I, Complete

Translated by Cardinal Newman.

St Athanasius the Great Resources Online and in Print

This Part: 128 Pages

Page 116

8. Thus too Paul, while he conducted himself after the example of the Lord, exhorted us, saying, 'Be ye followers of me, as I also am of Christ [4245] .' In this way he prevailed against all the divisions of the devil, writing, 'I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Jesus Christ [4246] .' For the enemy draws near to us in afflictions, and trials, and labours, using every endeavour to ruin us. But the man who is in Christ, combating those things that are contrary, and opposing wrath by long-suffering, contumely by meekness, and vice by virtue, obtains the victory, and exclaims, 'I can do all things through Christ Who strengtheneth me;' and, 'In all these things we are conquerors through Christ Who loved us [4247] .' This is the grace of the Lord, and these are the Lord's means of restoration for the children of men. For He suffered to prepare freedom from suffering for those who suffer in Him, He descended that He might raise us up, He took on Him the trial of being born, that we might love Him Who is unbegotten, He went down to corruption, that corruption might put on immortality, He became weak for us, that we might rise with power, He descended to death, that He might bestow on us immortality, and give life to the dead. Finally, He became man, that we who die as men might live again, and that death should no more reign over us; for the Apostolic word proclaims, 'Death shall not have the dominion over us [4248] .'

9. Now because they did not thus consider these matters, the Ario-maniacs [4249] , being opponents of Christ, and heretics, smite Him who is their Helper with their tongue, and blaspheme Him who set [them] free, and hold all manner of different opinions against the Saviour. Because of His coming down, which was on behalf of man, they have denied His essential Godhead; and seeing that He came forth from the Virgin, they doubt His being truly the Son of God, and considering Him as become incarnate in time, they deny His eternity; and, looking upon Him as having suffered for us, they do not believe in Him as the incorruptible Son from the incorruptible Father. And finally, because He endured for our sakes, they deny the things which concern His essential eternity; allowing the deed of the unthankful, these despise the Saviour, and offer Him insult instead of acknowledging His grace. To them may these words justly be addressed: Oh! unthankful opponent of Christ, altogether wicked, and the slayer of his Lord, mentally blind, and a Jew in his mind, hadst thou understood the Scriptures, and listened to the saints, who said, 'Cause Thy face to shine, and we shall be saved;' or again, 'Send out Thy light and Thy truth [4250] ;'--then wouldest thou have known that the Lord did not descend for His own sake, but for ours; and for this reason, thou wouldest the more have admired His loving kindness. And hadst thou considered what the Father is, and what the Son, thou wouldest not have blasphemed the Son, as of a mutable nature [4251] . And hadst thou understood His work of loving-kindness towards us, thou wouldest not have alienated the Son from the Father, nor have looked upon Him as a stranger [4252] , Who reconciled us to His Father. I know these [words] are grievous, not only to those who dispute with Christ [4253] , but also to the schismatics; for they are united together, as men of kindred feelings. For they have learned to rend the seamless coat [4254] of God: they think it not strange to divide the indivisible Son from the Father [4255] .

[4245] 1 Cor. xi. 1.

[4246] Rom. viii. 38, 39.

[4247] Phil. iv. 13; Rom. viii. 37.

[4248] Rom. vi. 9, 14, cf. de Pass. et Cruc. 11.

[4249] The Syriac mistranslates Arius and Manetes.

[4250] Ps. xliii. 3, lxxx. 7.

[4251] Cf. Orat. i. 35; ii. 6, and notes there.

[4252] Cf. supr. p. 70.

[4253] i.e. the Arians.

[4254] Syr. chiton. The words translated 'rend' and 'seamless' are cognate in the Syriac, and answer to schizein and its derivatives.

[4255] The Arians were thence called Diatomitai. Vid. Damascen. de haeresib. apud Cotel. eccles. Gr. monum. p. 298.

Previous Page / First / Next Page of Athanasius - LETTERS

St Athanasius the Great Home Page ||| More Church Fathers

Elpenor's Free Greek Lessons

Reference address : https://www.elpenor.org/athanasius/letters.asp?pg=116