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| Second Letter to Lucifer.
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Letter
LI.—Second Letter to Lucifer.
To the most glorious
lord and deservedly much-desired fellow-Bishop Lucifer, Athanasius
greeting in the Lord.
Although I believe that tidings have reached your
holiness also of the persecution which the enemies of Christ have just
now attempted to raise, seeking our blood, yet our own most beloved
messengers can tell your piety about it. For to such a length did they
dare to carry their madness by means of the soldiers, that they not
only banished the Clergy of the city, but also went out to the Hermits,
and laid their fatal hands upon Solitaries. Hence I also withdrew far
away, lest those who entertained me should suffer trouble at their
hands. For whom do Arians spare, who have spared not even their own
souls? Or how can they give up their infamous actions while they
persist in denying Christ our Lord the only Son of God? This is the
root of their wickedness; on this foundation of sand they build up the
perversity of their ways, as we find it written in the thirteenth
Psalm, ‘The fool said in his heart there is no God;’ and
presently follows, ‘Corrupt are they and become abominable in
their works4635
.’ Hence the Jews who denied the
Son of God, deserved to be called ‘a sinful nation, a people
laden with iniquity, a seed of evil doers, children without law4636
.’ Why ‘without
law?’—because you have deserted the Lord. And so the most
blessed Paul, when he had begun not only to believe in the Son of God,
but also to preach His deity, wrote, ‘I know nothing against
myself4637
.’ Accordingly we too, according
to your confession of faith, desire to hold the Apostolic tradition, and to live according to the
commands of the divine law, that we may be found along with you in that
band in which now Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles and Martyrs are
rejoicing. So then, though the Arian madness, aided by external power,
was so active that our brethren on account of their fury could not even
see the open air with freedom, yet by God’s favour, according to
your prayers, I have been able, though with trouble and danger, to see
the brother who is wont to bring me necessaries and the letters of your
holiness, along with those of others. And so we have received the books
of your most wise and religious soul, in which we have seen the image
of an Apostle, the confidence of a Prophet, the teaching of truth, the
doctrine of true faith, the way of heaven, the glory of martyrdom, the
triumphs against the Arian heresy, the unimpaired tradition of our
Fathers, the right rule of the Church’s order. O truly Lucifer,
who according to your name bring the light of truth, and have set it on
a candlestick to give light to all. For who, except the Arians, does
not clearly see from your teaching the true faith and the taint of the
Arians. Forcibly and admirably, like light from darkness, you have
separated the truth from the subtilty and dishonesty of heretics,
defended the Catholic Church, proved that the arguments of the Arians
are nothing but a kind of hallucination, and taught that the diabolical
gnashings of the teeth are to be despised. How good and welcome are
your exhortations to martyrdom; how highly to be desired have you shewn
death to be on behalf of Christ the Son of the living God4638
| 4638 Lucifer had written among other books one called ‘Moriendum
pro Dei Filio.’ His two books ‘pro sancto Athanasio’
are referred to below. | . What love you have shewn for the world to
come and for the heavenly life. You seem to be a true temple of the
Saviour, Who dwells in you and utters these exact words through you,
and has given such grace to your discourses. Beloved as you were before
among all, now such passionate affection for you is settled in the
minds of all, that they call you the Elijah of our times; and no
wonder. For if they who seem to please God are called Sons of God, much
more proper is it to give that name to the associates of the Prophets,
namely the Confessors, and especially to you. Believe me, Lucifer, it
is not you only who has uttered this, but the Holy Spirit with you.
Whence comes so great a memory for the Scriptures? Whence an unimpaired
sense and understanding of them? Whence has such an order of discourse
been framed? Whence did you get such exhortations to the way of heaven,
whence such confidence against the devil, and such proofs against
heretics, unless the Holy Spirit had been lodged in you? Rejoice
therefore to see that you are already there where also are your
predecessors the martyrs, that is, among the band of angels. We also
rejoice, having you as an example of valour, and patience, and liberty.
For I blush to say anything of what you have written about my name4639
| 4639 Lucifer’s two books pro Athanasio. | , lest I should appear a flatterer. But I
know and believe that the Lord Himself, Who has revealed all knowledge
to your holy and religious spirit, will reward you for this labour also
with a reward in the kingdom of the heavens. Since then you are such a
man, we ask the Lord in prayer that you may pray for us, that in His
mercy He may now deign to look down upon the Catholic Church, and
deliver all His servants from the hands of persecutors; in order that
all they too who have fallen on account of temporal fear may at length
be enabled to raise themselves and return to the way of righteousness,
led away from which they are wandering, poor people, not knowing in
what a pit they are. In particular I ask, if I have said anything
amiss, you would be good enough to overlook it, for from so great a
fountain my unskilfulness has not been able to draw what it might have
done. But as to our brethren, I ask you again to overlook my not having
been able to see them. For truth itself is my witness that I wished and
longed to compass this, and was greatly grieved at being unable. For my
eyes ceased not from tears, nor my spirit from groaning, because we are
not permitted even to see the brethren. But God is my witness, that on
account of their persecution I have not been able to see even the
parents whom I have4640
| 4640 ‘Parentes quos habeo.’ Can this refer to literal
parents? (1) he was now over 60 years old; (2) some 6 years later,
under Valens, he hid, according to the tale in Socr. iv. 13, for four
months in his father’s tomb (see Prolegg. ch. ii.
§9). | . For what is there
that the Arians leave undone? They watch the roads, observe those who
enter and leave the city, search the vessels, go round the deserts,
ransack houses, harass the brethren, cause unrest to everybody. But
thanks be to God, in so doing they are more and more incurring the
execration of all, and coming to be truly known for what your holiness
has called them: slaves of Antichrist. And, poor wretches, hated as
they are, they persist in their malice, until they shall be condemned
to the death of their ancestor Pharaoh. Those with me salute your
piety. Pray salute those who are with you. May God’s divine grace
preserve you, mindful of us and ever blessed, worthily called man of
God, servant of Christ, partner of the Apostles, comfort of the
brotherhood, master of truth, and in all things most longed for.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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