A of heresiarchs, or fire, or sword, or wild beasts, or the seizure of wealth, or possessions, or houses, or similar things. For whatever harm those transgressors may decree, the same they shall endure; and whatever counsel they have plotted, I shall scatter; for you have from the foundations the firm and living rock. Amen.
Notice Concerning the Three Following Homilies
The three following homilies bear such a mutual affinity of style that they appear clearly to be by the same author. In some manuscripts, moreover, they are attributed to Athanasius, in others to Basil of Seleucia. And indeed, there occurs here such a discrepancy with the Athanasian style that anyone who has even touched upon it with their foremost lips would not hesitate to adjudge these homilies away from him. For in Athanasius, the character of the discourse has more of nerve, more of judgment and gravity; this style, however, is elegant indeed, but overflowing with rhetorical flourishes and tropes: such as may be more truly ascribed to Basil of Seleucia than to Athanasius. To this are added many words unused by Athanasius, such as those that are, and "to repent" for *poenitere*, and many similar ones.
The first homily on Pascha was first edited by P. Combefis in his *Auctarium*. Likewise, the second on Pascha was edited in the Paris edition of the year 1627, by the care and study of Holstenius with his translation. Afterward, it emerged in a more corrected form in the *Auctarium* of the same Combefis with a new translation of the same. The third, on the Ascension of the Lord, was first brought into the public domain in the Commelinian edition, translated by Johannes Lampadius, and was printed a second time in the Paris edition of 1627. The third emerged in the *Auctarium* of Combefis in a more corrected form with a new translation by the same Combefis.
Our Holy Father Athanasius: Sermon for Holy Pascha
B 1. If it were permitted to speak with the tongues of angels, and if mortal nature were instructed with immortal voices; scarcely would it dare to proclaim the gifts of this festival day. But now, can a mortal tongue, a clay instrument, say what, or even speak of what, that the whole harmonious nature of things is unable to celebrate according to its dignity? For the gifts of grace truly exceed the measure of nature. Death is driven away from men, and Hades lays aside its long-standing dominion; and the race of men, condemned by the law of sin, is taught by the gift of grace to reign. Therefore, man is the leader in the enjoyment of the Lord’s festival, and the rest of nature becomes a participant in the grace. For in the form of man today, the whole multitude of created things is refashioned. For so the C disciple of grace, Paul, proclaimed: "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." For the Architect of nature has risen; and with an single voice He has drawn all things toward a new creation. For
A the resurrection of the Savior is a common new creation for all. And Paul proclaims this to us, saying: "For the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God" 10 — that is, it will put off corruption, will divest itself of bondage, will receive immortality, and will be transferred to a better lot. For when man is renewed unto immortality, all of creation, which was brought forth for his sake, will likewise be renewed.
2. For God created this great city of the universe; he brought forth the multitude of things by his word alone; he drew the substance of all things by his word alone, and showed the power of his creative wisdom. And in the creation, as in a magnificent temple, he raised up his own image—namely, man—whom he had created. It was fitting, therefore, that now, with his own image being renewed, the very house of the image should be renewed at the same time. The present festival is our guarantee of these things. For this reason the blessed Paul cried out: "For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality" 11. For the body, crowned with the flowers of immortality, will reject the law of death. And B corruption will find no place, when incorruption shines forth. O the great change of things! O the transition that happened beyond all hope! O great mourning turned into joy! O joy receiving the calamity! For the remembrance of the Old and New Testaments increases, indeed increases, the doxology of the feast. For we were in paradise before, possessing a harvest of pleasure, obtained through the kindness of God. The serpent, that burglar of walls, came upon us, having stolen the nourishment of our enjoyment, and he made the plundered race guilty, having found the way to death: namely, the transgression of the commandment. From there Hades, having opened its gates, received the race of men; and nature, while giving birth, beheld the horrific death of her offspring; and the labor of birth became the way to the tomb. And death, through the transgression, became the heir, seizing every age without hindrance; sparing neither the embryo, nor looking with pity upon the newborn, nor having mercy on the youth, nor letting go of the young, nor revering the old, nor granting pardon to sinners; revering neither the list of the just, nor sparing the prophets, nor passing over the priest. But the seine of death was spread out against everyone, C snatching up whatever fell into it.
3. There was no remedy for such a great evil; and so many generations that passed through the course of life did not fill the insatiable belly of death. And there was no consolation for those mourning so heavy an evil, and no cure for the despair, had not Christ, having been nailed to the cross, brought down the tyranny of death, having overthrown the long-standing kingdom of Hades through that three-day and three-night burial; not now for the first time D acting in kindness...
A but even of old appearing to strike terror into death, which held sway, with the shadows of the resurrection; and troubling the kingdom of Hades, vaguely bestowing upon the human race hopes of immortality, and weaving together notions of the end of the tyranny of Hades, equal in time to that of his own suffering. And observe the ineffable economy of these events. Abel is the first to be held by death. He who gave to death the pretext of sin, gives to nature an argument for seeking vengeance against death. For if he is held unjustly, he is justly raised; for if a sinner had died, death would have been held the stronger. But the attempt of Hades against the just is pernicious; the bond of death is weak, since it holds one who is bound unjustly. For if sin is the strength of the kingdom of death, he who has not yet stumbled is not liable to it. Therefore, God, being able to snatch Abel from the murder, did not do this, but permitted the killing, so that death, planted by the blood of a just man, might have no root. For this reason Christ, acting on behalf of the world, said: “Now is the judgment of this world; now the prince of this world will be cast out.” B Therefore, from the beginning, the case and victory of Abel were proclaimed through Christ. Take for me Paul as an advocate for this statement: “And dying,” he says, “Abel still speaks; whence he also received him into a parable,” calling the likeness a parable. For the killing of Abel bears a resemblance to the judgment of Christ. For this reason he speaks even after death, and accuses the murderer. For the arrival of Life conquered the violence of death. The murder did not stop his tongue from crying out, nor did it cut off the arguments of his blood; but his tongue, though held by death, cries out eternally. Nature would not have been capable of a defense if Adam had been snatched away first; for the shame of the transgression would have stopped his mouth. Abel, by dying first, raised the hopes of nature.
4. To these events appears Enoch, who by a translation escaped Hades, having avoided death through the excellence of his life. After him, the great Elias—he too not yielding to death—snatched away the dead son of his hostess (the widow) from death, having defeated the violence of death by the power of prayer, and having inaugurated a new return from Hades to life. C Following these, Elisha arose, having received a double grace for a single one, who brought back the son of the Shunammite from Hades to life through prayer. And when he himself was entangled in the nets of death, though he was dead, he nevertheless despoiled Hades, having put the dead man to flight by the mere contact of his body, and thus the dead man was snatched away to life through the dead man.
A For when Elisha died, the number of the dead did not receive an increase. Nor did any gain accrue to hell, because it had seized the just man as if he were booty. By these things, the types of the resurrection protected the nature that was falling into corruption, but they were not strong enough to bring aid to those already captured. But "death reigned from Adam even to Moses," 19 making the time of the law the boundaries of its empire. But after Christ appeared from the heavens, the hopes of the human race proceeded into action; and by the Lord’s voice the bolts of hell were opened, and the graves gave back the dead who were bound; then the call was made, and the grave was opened; and human nature, joined to God, terrified hell. Hence hell cried out against the ravisher of the dead: "Why do you overturn the decree issued in paradise? Why do you tear apart the bond written against nature? I am equipped with legal documents issued against men. I have this: 'You are earth, and into earth you shall go,' 20 the penalty of the human race." Hell lamented, moreover, as the dead were snatched away one by one; it did not know, perhaps, that Christ, by descending, would grant a public release to all who were dying. For so that no one would remain any longer as a captive in hell, Christ B himself descended into hell: using the flesh he bore as bait against hell, but by the power of his divinity overturning its kingdom, in a short space of time he tore up the ancient bonds of the law, so that he might lead men to the heavens; the heavens, I say, the place free from death, the hostel of incorruption, the workshop of justice.
5. In these good things you, O newly enlightened one, have been baptized: the initiation of grace has become for you a pledge of the resurrection; baptism is a pledge for you of the life to come in heaven. By your immersion, you imitated the sepulcher of the Lord. But you emerged again from thence, having seen the works of the resurrection before other works. Of those things whose symbols you have seen, accept the reality. Take as a witness for what is said Paul, who says: "For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection." 21 Well said, "planted together"; for baptism is a planting unto immortality, planted in the pool, bearing fruit in heaven. There C the grace of the Spirit works in an ineffable way; and do not be ignorant of the miracle because of the nature of the element. The water ministers to the need, but grace performs the regeneration, and as if in a womb, it gives a new form to that which is placed into the pool. As if in a furnace, it smelts the one descending into the water. It bestows upon him the mysteries of immortality; it grants the seal of the resurrection. Of these miracles, O newly enlightened one, your very garment bears the symbols. Look upon yourself, bearing the images of good things. Splendid indeed and shining
bearing the images of good things. For your garment is bright and clear, portraying the symbols of immortality. A white linen cloth, A like a diadem, binds your head, proclaiming liberty. Your hand carries the signs of the victory won over the devil. For Christ has shown you raised up: now indeed by symbols, but a little later he will show it by the things themselves; if only we do not stain the tunic of faith with sins; if we do not extinguish the lamp of grace with improper actions; if we keep the crown of the Spirit. Then, the Lord will clearly cry out from the heavens with a terrible yet kind voice toward men: "Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." To Him be the glory, and the power, for ever and ever. Amen. B
A SERMON OF OUR HOLY FATHER ATHANASIUS ON THE HOLY PASCHA AND ON THE NEWLY ILLUMINATED, ON THE SABBATH IN ALBIS
1. Christ, having risen from the dead, made the whole life of men one single festival. For having translated the conversation of those living on earth to heaven, He bestowed causes for celebrating. And a witness to these things is Paul, who possessed his tongue as an instrument of the words of Christ. "For our conversation," he says, "is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ." For who, while waiting, does not celebrate in hope? Who, imagining in his mind the arrival C of the Savior, does not anticipate with joy the experience of the things themselves? And who, upon hearing of the future descent of a mortal king, does not lift up his mind and rejoice in his soul, anticipating in love the time of seeing him? Then the crowds are stirred, boys leap for joy, maidens dance, old men strive to cast off old age, brought back to the flower of youth by their hopes; and the celebration of the royal arrival pervades everything. What then would one say, Christ the immortal King arriving, not so that He might adorn cities and raise towers, D nor so that He might bestow gifts, which succumb to time; but so that He might...