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| Letter to Amun. Written before 354 A.D.
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Letter
XLVIII.—Letter to Amun4583
| 4583 See
Migne xxvi. 1169, sqq.; Prolegg. ch. ii, §7. Amun, probably
the Nitrian monk (supr. p. 212, and D.C.B. i. 102 init.). At any
rate, Athanasius addresses his correspondent as ‘elder’ and
‘father,’ which accords well with the language of Vit.
Ant. ubi supr. The letter states clearly Athanasius’ opinion
as to the relative value of the celibate and married state. It also
shews the healthy good sense of the great bishop in dealing with the
morbid scrupulosity which even at that early date had begun to
characterise certain circles in the Monastic world. | . Written before 354
a.d.
All things made by God
are beautiful and pure, for the Word of God has made nothing useless or
impure. For ‘we are a sweet savour of Christ in them that are
being saved4584
,’ as the Apostle says. But since
the devil’s darts are varied and subtle, and he contrives to
trouble those who are of simpler mind, and tries to hinder the ordinary
exercises of the brethren, scattering secretly among them thoughts of
uncleanness and defilement; come let us briefly dispel the error of the
evil one by the grace of the Saviour, and confirm the mind of the
simple. For ‘to the pure all things are pure,’ but both the
conscience and all that belongs to the unclean are defiled4585
. I marvel also at the craft of the devil, in
that, although he is corruption and mischief itself, he suggests
thoughts under the show of purity; but with the result of a snare
rather than a test. For with the object, as I said before, of
distracting ascetics from their customary and salutary meditation, and
of appearing to overcome them, he stirs some such buzzing thoughts as
are of no profit in life, vain questions and frivolities which one
ought to put aside. For tell me, beloved and most pious friend, what
sin or uncleanness there is in any natural secretion,—as though a
man were minded to make a culpable matter of the cleanings of the nose
or the sputa from the mouth? And we may add also the secretions of the
belly, such as are a physical necessity of animal life. Moreover if we
believe man to be, as the divine Scriptures say, a work of God’s
hands, how could any defiled work proceed from a pure Power? and if,
according to the divine Acts of the Apostles4586
,
‘we are God’s offspring,’ we have nothing unclean in
ourselves. For then only do we incur defilement, when we commit sin,
that foulest of things. But when any bodily excretion takes place
independently of will, then we experience this, like other things, by a
necessity of nature. But since those whose only pleasure is to gainsay
what is said aright, or rather what is made by God, pervert even a
saying in the Gospels, alleging
that ‘not that which goeth in defileth a man, but that which
goeth out4587
,’ we are obliged to make plain
this unreasonableness,—for I cannot call it a question—of
theirs. For firstly, like unstable persons, they wrest the Scriptures4588
to their own ignorance. Now the sense of the
divine oracle is as follows. Certain persons, like these of today, were
in doubt about meats. The Lord Himself, to dispel their ignorance, or
it may be to unveil their deceitfulness, lays down that, not what goes
in defiles the man, but what goes out. Then he adds exactly whence they
go out, namely from the heart. For there, as he knows, are the evil
treasures of profane thoughts and other sins. But the Apostle teaches
the same thing more concisely, saying, ‘But meat shall not bring
us before God4589
.’ Moreover,
one might reasonably say no natural secretion will bring us before him
for punishment. But possibly medical men (to put these people to shame
even at the hands of outsiders) will support us on this point, telling
us that there are certain necessary passages accorded to the animal
body, to provide for the dismissal of the superfluity of what is
secreted in our several parts; for example, for the superfluity of the
head, the hair and the watery discharges from the head, and the
purgings of the belly, and that superfluity again of the seminative
channels. What sin then is there in God’s name, elder most
beloved of God, if the Master who made the body willed and made these
parts to have such passages? But since we must grapple with the
objections of evil persons, as they may say, ‘If the organs have
been severally fashioned by the Creator, then there is no sin in their
genuine use,’ let us stop them by asking this question: What do
you mean by use? That lawful use which God permitted when He said,
‘Increase and multiply, and replenish the earth4590
,’ and which the Apostle approves in
the words, ‘Marriage is honourable and the bed undefiled4591
,’ or that use which is public, yet
carried on stealthily and in adulterous fashion? For in other matters
also which go to make up life, we shall find differences according to
circumstances. For example, it is not right to kill, yet in war it is
lawful and praiseworthy to destroy the enemy; accordingly not only are
they who have distinguished themselves in the field held worthy of
great honours, but monuments are put up proclaiming their achievements.
So that the same act is at one time and under some circumstances
unlawful, while under others, and at the right time, it is lawful and
permissible. The same reasoning applies to the relation of the sexes.
He is blessed who, being freely yoked in his youth, naturally begets
children. But if he uses nature licentiously, the punishment of which
the Apostle4592
writes shall await whoremongers and
adulterers.
For there are two ways in life, as touching these
matters. The one the more moderate and ordinary, I mean marriage; the
other angelic and unsurpassed, namely virginity. Now if a man choose
the way of the world, namely marriage, he is not indeed to blame; yet
he will not receive such great gifts as the other. For he will receive,
since he too brings forth fruit, namely thirtyfold4593
. But if a man embrace the holy and unearthly
way, even though, as compared with the former, it be rugged and hard to
accomplish, yet it has the more wonderful gifts: for it grows the
perfect fruit, namely an hundredfold. So then their unclean and evil
objections had their proper solution long since given in the divine
Scriptures. Strengthen then, father, the flocks4594
| 4594 This
is a clear reference to the Monastic Societies which had now long
existed in the Nitrian desert. |
under you, exhorting them from the Apostolic writings, guiding them
from the Evangelical, counselling them from the Psalms, and saying,
‘quicken me according to Thy Word4595
;’ but by ‘Thy Word,’ is
meant that we should serve Him with a pure heart. For knowing this, the
Prophet says, as if interpreting himself, ‘Make me a clean heart,
O God4596
,’ lest filthy thoughts trouble me.
David again, ‘And stablish me with Thy free spirit4597
,’ that even if ever thoughts disturb
me, a certain strong power from Thee may stablish me, acting as a
support. Giving then this and the like advice, say with regard to those
who are slow to obey the truth, ‘I will teach Thy ways unto the
wicked,’ and, confident in the Lord that you will persuade them
to desist from such wickedness, sing ‘and sinners shall be
converted unto Thee4598
.’ And be it
granted, that they who raise malicious questions may cease from such
vain labour, and that they who doubt in their simplicity may be
strengthened with a ‘free spirit;’ while as many of you as
surely know the truth, hold it unbroken and unshaken in Christ Jesus
our Lord, with whom be to the Father glory and might, together with the
Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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