we A also, putting aside every filthy thought and banishing any sordid affection, casting off all guile and malice, and assuming an innocent frame of mind, let us, equipped with lamps like those children, go to meet the Saviour Christ, our true God; and by the carrying of branches let us proclaim Him the victor over death; laden with olive branches, let us beseech the merciful and good Lord, saying: *Blessed is He who comes and is to come in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest*. Blessed art Thou who, being rich, for our sake didst become poor by Thy dispensation, that we might be rich by Thy poverty; who art to come with glory to judge the living and the dead. To Him be glory and power unto the ages of ages. Amen.
NOTICE ON THE FRAGMENT AGAINST THE MACEDONIANS.
The following fragment appears to be excerpted from a longer work. For when certain persons were spreading the errors of Macedonius under the false guise of the Catholic faith, Athanasius—during whose lifetime no one dared to attack the sound faith with impunity, whether secretly or publicly—provokes these crafty men to put off their mask, considering it more desirable that they should bring their errors into the light than that they should slip in under false pretenses and gradually lead away the unsuspecting minds of the simpler folk. Furthermore, this work was issued around the year 359, at which time the Macedonians were especially clamorous.
Fragment against the Macedonians. From the Colbert codex 5179, on cotton paper.
B If, when no occasion for discussing the faith exists, they write, their attempt is idle and harmful; for they provide an opportunity for disputation where no question had arisen, shaking the hearts of innocent brethren and perversely sowing among them things that had never even entered their minds. But if the reason for their writing is that they wish to clear themselves of the heresy of Macedonius, they ought indeed to have first rooted out the seeds of the evil plants and denounced those who provide such things, and then written correctly against them, or else openly defended the opinion of Macedonius, so that they might not be shown to be hidden, but public Pneumatomachi—that is, enemies of the Holy Spirit—and so that all might flee from them as from the face of a serpent. But now, they conceal those matters and write disingenuously about other things, C just as physicians treating those suffering from decayed limbs might discourse about healthy ones, either through ignorance or by using their art craftily. For no one, when accused of adultery, excuses himself by speaking of theft; nor does one who brings a charge of murder allow the accused to prepare for himself this defense: "We did not commit perjury, but we have even kept the trust." For that is rather a game than a refutation of a charge or a demonstration of the truth.
WARNING CONCERNING THE FRAGMENTS AGAINST THE NOVATIANS
A Athanasius frequently attacks in his writings those Novatians who remained in his time. That he published a work specifically against the Novatians, we discover from these fragments, and we find that at least two books were written by him on this subject, for an excerpt of the second is provided. The third fragment, however, which in an old manuscript bears the name of Athanasius, we assume by conjecture is excerpted from the books against the Novatians; it shows an excellent testimony regarding the confession to be made to a priest, as anyone may perceive.
Fragments of the books against the Novatians. From the Royal Codex 2398, an 11th-century manuscript. It is a catena on the Acts of the Apostles, fol. 32.
From the second book of St. Athanasius against the Novatians.
"Remaining," he says, "it remained yours, and when sold, it was in your power." Since, he says, you have attempted to test the Holy Spirit, and have agreed together in this, you shall have the experience you desired. "For others shall be brought to a sound mind, and shall be afraid to test, having taken the experience from you."
From the work of St. Athanasius against the Novatians.
Ibidem.
Here, furthermore, it must be considered that it was then the beginning of the preaching, and these men undertook a great crime, daring to test the Holy Spirit. But the punishment of these was of great utility to the other brethren, for they were instructed and taught that one must not dare anything against the Holy Spirit, nor attempt to test Him.
B From the Colbert Codex 200, which is a catena on Jeremiah. It is, as it seems, a fragment from the books against the Novatians.
Just as a man baptized by a priest is illuminated by the grace of the Holy Spirit, so he who confesses in penance receives remission through the priest by the grace of Christ.
CHAP. VIII, v. 24. Pray to the Lord for me.
ATHANASIUS
From the third sermon against the Novatians.
Against this bitterness of his and insolent temerity, by which he was carried away against the gift of God, Peter was deservedly moved to great anger, and being moved, he said to him: "May your money perish with you." For although it might be possible for it to be better for you, nevertheless, on account of that insolence of yours—that you think the gratuitous gift of God can be purchased with money—there is for you no portion, nor
C [Note: (65) "Cathars" (Καθαροί) was the name the Novatians called themselves, and they were so called by others. See Beveridge on canon viii of the Council of Nicaea. See also B. Mayer’s Commentary on the Pietists of the Ancient Church, p. 99 seq. The most excellent Bernard de Montfaucon inserted three fragments of the sermons of Athanasius into his Collection of the Fathers, New Edition, Paris 1706, folio, Vol. II, p. 105; among which, however, you will look in vain for this one together with the following. And since the former one is brought forward from the third book against the Novatians, it is evident that not two books, as the learned Montfaucon suspected, but at least three books were written by Athanasius against the Novatians.]
in this discourse. For your heart is not A upright before God. And though he spoke so gravely and justly against him, yet thinking that none of these things were immedicable when repentance is brought to bear, but judging these to be cases for a remedy, he added: "Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray the Lord, if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you." For this also is a great thing for you. And do not hasten to procure the gift of God so impurely and filthily with money. But for the time being, ceasing from your bitterness and this evil thought, repent, if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you; not as though he were doubting, but because such passions are difficult to heal—not indeed incurable, but difficult to heal. For if it were incurable, the words "Repent of this your wickedness, and pray the Lord" would be superfluous. But because repentance is efficacious through these things, yet for those who have become hardened in wickedness there is need of much repentance and care, he appropriately added: "If perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see you are in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity." And so much did the exhortation to repentance of this great apostle prevail with so great a magician, one so filled with gall and bitterness and laden with so many sins, that he already began to take care for himself, and he himself confirmed the Scripture by saying to him: "Pray you for me to the Lord; for I have no boldness to ask that nothing of what you have spoken may come upon me." B Nor did the divine Apostle forbid these things to him, nor did he refute him. For how could he, having himself suggested and commanded it? And so much benefit did this great magician himself derive from this hope, which was given for the sake of repentance, that, being much changed from his malice and bitterness, he said: "I indeed am not worthy to pray for myself; but you pray for me to the Lord."
Of the same, from the second discourse Against the Novatians, who call themselves Cathari. C
CHAPTER XVI, 3. And taking him, he circumcised him.
In order that he might not be hindered from entering the synagogues, because Timothy was not circumcised, he permitted this to be done prudently, but did not command it D as a dogma.
NOTICE REGARDING THE FOLLOWING FRAGMENT
This fragment is entitled in the manuscript: *On Amulets* (Περὶ ἅπτων); because, for the sake of avoiding cacophony and repetition, and because of *periaptōn* (περιάπτων), it is abridged into a single word, that it might not be read as *periaptōn*. For amulets and sorceries, which are refuted and forbidden here, are called *periāpta* (περίαπτα), but not *āpta* (ἅπτα), as you may see here in the fragment and in Gregory Nazianzen, who uses that word.
From Manuscript Reg. 1993, fol. 317. Athanasius of Alexandria, On Amulets. A
If anyone has fallen into an illness difficult to cure, let him sing the psalm: *I said, O Lord, have mercy on me; heal my soul, for I have sinned against You*, being intent, of course, upon prayer and pursuing mercy, obeying the heavenly wisdom which says: *My son, in the time of your infirmity do not be negligent; but pray to the Lord, and he will heal you*. For amulets and sorceries are vain helps. If anyone makes use of them, let him know clearly that he has made himself an infidel instead of a believer, an ethnic instead of a Christian, a foolish man instead of a prudent one, and irrational instead of rational. For an old woman draws forth for you, for twenty obols or a quarter-measure of wine, a serpent-charming incantation; and you stand there with gaping mouth like an ass, wearing upon your neck the filth of four-legged beasts, having pushed aside the seal of the saving cross. B This seal not only do diseases dread, but every cohort of demons also fears and shudders. Wherefore every sorcerer is devoid of this seal.
In the same manuscript that psalm passage is explained in p. 1206 of our edition, and on p. 1027, l. 11, instead of *is read*, at the end, after these words, *at some time disobedient*, these things are added:
Just as a king, therefore, having found a chieftain of robbers occupying cities by force, plundering on every side, and entering into caves in order that he might deposit the money collected there, binds the robber chieftain and hands him over for punishment, but transfers his treasure into the royal storehouses; so also did Christ. He bound the chieftain of thieves, the devil who is the jailer, and death; and their wealth, namely the race of all mankind, he transferred into the lordly storehouses. Therefore Paul also cries out, saying: *For He has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.* C
In the same manuscript, p. 150.
That the Son, however, is in the Father, and the Father in the Son, this is to be the Son of God, who is begotten of God, and is God by nature, just as the Father, representing the paternal form in Himself, and being exhibited in the paternal hypostasis. One, therefore, and one; and the dyad, or that duality, is not separated by nature, being in need of nothing for perfection. For the whole fullness of divinity is the Father as Father, and the whole fullness of divinity is the Son as Son. Since...
A by both one nature is understood, represented whole and entire in both. You ask, however, how this is in that, and that in this: because both this is such as that is, and that is such as this is. Thus the two are one, precisely because they do not differ, nor are they separated, nor is the Son understood as being of another form or a strange character; but He is God, just as the Father is.
Likewise, in the beginning, had Adam and his consort, obeying His commandments, abstained from the pleasure of the tree, there would not have been lacking a way by which the human race could have been propagated. And how, you say, would so many myriads of humans have been produced? But I in turn ask you, since this fear continues to agitate you greatly, how were Adam and Eve brought forth, with no marriage intervening?
These are they who have spoken concerning the burial of Adam: Africanus and St. Athanasius.
B In the same codex, in the *Catena* on Daniel, on these words, *And their sarabara were not changed, and the odor of fire was not upon them*:
Neither let there be an odor on our garments carried to Nebuchadnezzar: these are, to be sure, the corrupt thoughts cast in by the devil, which are extinguished.
C *Of St. Athanasius of Alexandria.*
Every man, having received from God the power of discernment, shall be punished if he has followed an ignorant shepherd and embraced a false opinion as if it were true: *For what participation has light with darkness?*
*Of St. Athanasius.*
With many hands, so to speak, of those whose garments he was guarding, he stoned Stephen (it must be supposed).
*On that, "And taking, he circumcised him."*
D So that Timothy might not be barred from entering the synagogues because he was uncircumcised, he arranged it in this way so that he could be present with them; yet he did not hand this down as a precept and a dogma.
That the Great Athanasius says the book of Psalms is adorned with every kind of figure: hyperbatons, apostrophes, ellipses, parables, metaphors, emphases, and prosopopoeiae.
That the Great Athanasius says the *diapsalma* is placed there because of changes in rhythm, not because of the withdrawal of the Holy Spirit, as some have imagined.
BRIEF EXPOSITION OF THE FAITH
I believe in one God the Father almighty, who is always God the Father; and in the Word God, the only-begotten Son of God, because He co-exists with His own Father, and because from the essence of God the
Father; and because the Son is one with His own Father; and because the Son of God and His Father is equal in honor; and because the Son of God holds power and authority over all; and because He is present everywhere with the Father in deity; and because His substance contains all things; and because the Son of God is not contained by anyone, just as God His Father is not; and in the Holy Spirit, because He is of the substance of the Father; and the Holy Spirit is co-eternal with the Father and the Son, and is not separated in deity. A I say that the Word has become flesh.
*Of the same.* The Trinity indeed, even after the Word has assumed a body from Mary, is the Trinity, receiving neither addition nor diminution; B but it is always perfect. And in the Trinity one deity is acknowledged.
*In the same codex, fol. 61.* It is better for those who are in doubt to be silent and believe, than to disbelieve because of doubt.
*From the Christian Topology of Cosmas Indicopleustes, an Egyptian monk, or the opinion of Christians concerning the world. In the new collection of Greek Fathers and writers of Montfaucon, p. 316, et seq.*
*The fragments which Cosmas preserved in his Topology are excerpts from the festive letters numbers 2, 5, 6, 22, 24, 28, 29, 40, 42, 43, 45. Cardinal Angelo Mai inserted all of these into his own edition. See below, col. 1367, 1379, 1389, and et seq.*
OTHER FRAGMENTS OF SAINT ATHANASIUS
(Mai, Nova Bibliotheca Patrum, II, 583 et seq.)I. C *Of Saint Athanasius against those who change dogmas with the times.* Who, then, will still consider these to be Christians, among whom neither speech nor scripture is stable, but all things are changed according to the times?
II. *Of Athanasius the Bishop, from the sermon on the words: "The Word became flesh."* And just as when He spat, and stretched out His hand, and called Lazarus, we do not say these were the deeds of a man, even if they were performed through the instrument of the body, but of God; so, if human things are said about the Savior in the Gospel, looking in turn at the nature of the things mentioned, and considering them all foreign to God, let us not attribute these to the divinity of the Word, but to His humanity; D for although the Word became flesh, yet the passions are the property of the flesh.
III.
*For the dogma of the two natures united in Christ against the Eutychians, as defined in the Council of Chalcedon. (From the Dogmatic Panoply of an uncertain author.)* Moreover, these foolish men are ignorant that the synod is in harmony with the writings of the saints; and that Athanasius, that man full of the Spirit, wrote such things and testified to them, when he said in the sermon on those words, "The Word became flesh": "We have of necessity examined these matters beforehand, so that if we see Him by His own instrument...
A of physical nature doing or saying something divine, we know that it is God who is working these things; and again, if we see Him by the instrument of His own body speaking or suffering in a human way, let us not be ignorant of Him, [knowing] that He became man, bearer of flesh; and thus He both does these things and speaks. For knowing that which is proper to each, and seeing and understanding both as being performed by the One, we shall correctly believe and never be led astray."
IV. Athanasius. God and man are the same, being one in subject, possessing both natures without deficiency. B
V. Athanasius in the explanation of the words: "Amen, amen I say to you, before Abraham was, I am." It is manifest impudence not to consider Christ by a twofold notion, that is, divinely and humanly.
VI. Of Saint Athanasius, from the discourse on the text: "The Lord created me," and against the Arians. Indeed, when He was about to come to the cross, He prayed earnestly and knelt down, saying: "Father, let this cup pass from me; yet not my will, but yours be done," calling His own will that of the flesh; for He had made our very own flesh His own. C
VII. Of the great Athanasius in the discourse to the baptized (69). You will see the Levites carrying the loaves and the cup of wine, and placing them upon the table; and as long as prayers and invocations have not yet been accomplished, the bread and the cup are nothing but bread and a cup. But when the great and marvelous prayers have been performed, then the bread becomes the Body, and the cup the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. And again: "Let us come to the perfection of the mysteries; this bread and this cup, as long as prayers and supplications have not taken place, are common; but when the great prayers and holy supplications have been sent up, the Word descends D into the bread and the cup, and it becomes His body (70)."
VIII. Fragment from the epistle of Athanasius to Eusebius, Lucinianus, and companions (71). For the great Athanasius also judged it fair not to repel those who explain what they say in a right sense. For thus he himself teaches in his epistle to Eusebius, Lucinianus, and companions: "You, therefore, who profess all these things, I beseech you not to condemn those who profess the same things; but explain the terms used by them; and do not, because of these inconsiderate expressions, reject the authors; but rather entreat them, and persuade them that they wish to reconcile their opinions."
NOTICE CONCERNING THE FOLLOWING WORK (71*)
This work is exhibited by the Madrid Greek codex LXXXII, a paper manuscript in quarto, containing 118 folios, the paper being quite solid but only moderately white; it is entirely written in a very small hand by Constantine Lascaris. It contains: St. Athanasius’ *On Unleavened Bread*; Psellus’ *Epitome of Logic*, an introduction to rhetoric; Blemmydes’ *On the Three Figures of Syllogisms*, and other matters pertaining to dialectics; John Geometres’ *In Praise of the Apple or Fruit*; St. John Damascene’s *Theological Work*, or *On the Orthodox Faith* (books); excerpts from Cydones’ *Theology* on the procession of the Holy Spirit; and various minor extracts. Folio 1: St. Athanasius’ *On Unleavened Bread*. Although we have searched diligently for this work, it appears neither among the genuine nor among the doubtful or spurious works of St. Athanasius; nor does the very word "Azyma" (unleavened bread) appear anywhere in the index of his works. Therefore, whoever its true author may be, we have considered it not alien to ecclesiastical scholarship to transcribe it here, as it has hitherto remained unpublished.
OF SAINT ATHANASIUS ON UNLEAVENED BREAD
A The Jews once celebrated the Passover with three materials, and with three virtues, and with three witnesses, according to the order of the Law. The three materials were the lamb, the unleavened bread, and the wild lettuce. The three virtues were the girdles, the shoes on their feet, and the staff in their hands. The three witnesses were the scribes B standing at the table, precisely observing the full moon, with a vessel being shaken, and foretelling the future. Immediately the priest would blow the trumpet, indicating that it was the Lord’s Passover; and then, after the hearing of the sound of the trumpet, they would make the leaven without bread on the seventh day. Before the signal of the vessel and the trumpet, they had no authority to prepare the lamb, or the leaven, or the bitter herbs on the seventh day; for thus also the great David sang: "Blow the trumpet in the New Moon" (Ps. LXXX, 4). But our Lord Jesus Christ, on the fifth day, delivered the sacred mysteries at the seventh hour of the night. The entry of those eating unleavened bread took place on the evening of the Preparation, after the burial of the Lord. For this reason the Evangelists say that the Lord delivered perfect bread in the holy mysteries, and not unleavened bread, that it might be believed that the body born of the holy Virgin is perfect—that is to say, endowed with soul and mind— C and not, as the heretic Apollinarius said, that He took only a body. But we say that this perfect bread is composed of flour, leaven, and salt, just as an animal consists of body and spirit; for a body without spirit is dead; and unleavened bread alone, not having leaven, is dead and not a life-giving bread; since leaven gives life to the dough and unity, just as spirit does to the body, and salt to the mind; and for this reason we perform the mystery with perfect bread, so that we may not fall into the blasphemies of the impious Apollinarius. D Now the waning of the light occurs in fourteen days and a half, and three hours; but in the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, it went beyond the sixteenth day, so that it might bear witness that He is the true and eternal life. One must therefore know that in the time of Christ and his holy apostles, no Church neglected to eat or distribute the finest flour of unleavened bread. Since, however, neither did Christ Himself, at the time of His passion, eat the legal Passover, hear the Evangelist John saying: "Before..."