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| Letter to Maximus. (Written about 371 A.D.)
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Letter
LXI.—Letter to Maximus. (Written about 371 a.d.)
To our beloved and most truly longed-for son,
Maximus4776
| 4776 Maximus, probably the Cynic philosopher who plays so strange and
grotesque a part in the history of S. Gregory Nazianzen’s tenure
of the see of Constantinople (the identification is questioned by
Bright, p. 72, but without very cogent reasons), was the son of
Alexandrian parents, persons of high social standing, who had suffered
much for the Faith. He himself was an ardent opponent of Arianism and
heathenism, and was banished under Valens (further particulars in
Dict. Gr. and Rom. Biogr. s.v. Maximus Alexandrinus). The
present letter compliments him on his success in refuting heretics,
some of whom advocated the Arian Christology; others the doctrine of
Paul of Samosata and Photinus. The Epistle has much in common with
those to Epictetus and Adelphius; Montfaucon’s date for it is
adopted. (See Migne xxvi. 1085; Bright, Lat. Tr., p.
72.) | , philosopher, Athanasius greeting in
the Lord.
Having read the letter now come from you, I
approve your piety: but, marvelling at the rashness of those ‘who
understand neither what they say nor whereof they confidently affirm4777
,’ I had really decided to say nothing.
For to reply upon matters which are so plain and which are clearer than
light, is simply to give an excuse for shamelessness to such lawless
men. And this we have learned from the Saviour. For when Pilate had
washed his hands, and acquiesced in the false accusation of the Jews of
that day, the Lord answered him no more, but rather warned his wife in
a dream, so that He that was being judged might be believed to be God
not in word, but in power. While after vouchsafing Caiaphas no reply to
his folly, He Himself by his promise4778
brought all
over to knowledge. Accordingly for some time I delayed, and have
reluctantly yielded to your zeal for the truth, in view of the
argumentativeness of men without shame. And I have dictated nothing
beyond what your letter contains, in order that the adversary may from
henceforth be convinced on the points to which he has objected, and may
‘keep his tongue from evil and his lips that they speak no
guile4779
.’ And would that they would no longer
join the Jews who passed by of old in reproaching Him that hung upon
the Tree: ‘If thou be the Son of God save Thyself4780
.’ But if even after this they will not
give in, yet do you remember the apostolic injunction, and ‘a man
that is heretical after a first and second admonition refuse, knowing
that such an one is perverted and sinneth being self-condemned4781
.’ For if they are Gentiles, or of the
Judaisers, who are thus daring, let them, as Jews, think the Cross of
Christ a stumbling-block, or as Gentiles, foolishness4782
. But if they pretend to be Christians let
them learn that the crucified Christ is at once Lord of Glory, and the
Power of God and Wisdom of God4783
.
2. But if they are in doubt whether He is God at
all, let them reverence Thomas, who handled the Crucified and
pronounced Him Lord and God4784
. Or let them fear
the Lord Himself, who said, after washing the feet of the disciples:
‘Ye call Me Lord and Master4785
| 4785 Ath.
quotes John xiii. 13
in this, the order of several mss. and later fathers, both here and
elsewhere. | , and ye say
well, for so I am.’ But in the same body in which He was when he
washed their feet, He also carried up our sins to the Tree4786
. And He was witnessed to as Master of
Creation, in that the Sun withdrew his beams and the earth trembled and
the rocks were rent, and the executioners recognised that the Crucified
was truly Son of God. For the Body they beheld was not that of some
man, but of God, being in which, even when being crucified, He raised
the dead. Accordingly it is no good venture of theirs to say that the
Word of God came into a certain holy man; for this was true of each of
the prophets and of the other saints, and on that assumption He would
clearly be born and die in the case of each one of them. But this is
not so, far be the thought. But once for all ‘at the consummation
of the ages4787
, to put away sin’ ‘the
Word was made flesh4788
’ and
proceeded forth from Mary the Virgin, Man after our likeness, as also
He said to the Jews, ‘Wherefore seek ye to kill Me, a man that
hath told you the truth4789
?’ And we are
deified not by partaking of the body of some man, but by receiving the Body of the Word
Himself.
3. And at this also I am much surprised, how they
have ventured to entertain such an idea as that the Word became man in
consequence of His Nature. For if this were so, the commemoration of
Mary would be superfluous.4790
| 4790 Cf.
Ad Epict. 5 (supr. p. 572.) | For neither does
Nature know of a Virgin bearing apart from a man. Whence by the good
pleasure of the Father, being true God, and Word and Wisdom of the
Father by nature, He became man in the body for our salvation, in order
that having somewhat to offer4791
for us He might
save us all, ‘as many as through fear of death were all their
life-time subject to bondage.4792
’ For it was
not some man that gave Himself up for us; since every man is under
sentence of death, according to what was said to all in Adam,
‘earth thou art and unto earth thou shalt return.4793
’ Nor yet was it any other of the
creatures, since every creature is liable to change. But the Word
Himself offered His own Body on our behalf that our faith and hope
might not be in man, but that we might have our faith in God the Word
Himself. Why, even now that He is become man we behold His Glory,
‘glory as of one only-begotten of His Father—full of grace
and truth.4794
’ For what He endured by means of
the Body, He magnified as God. And while He hungered in the flesh, as
God He fed the hungry. And if anyone is offended by reason of the
bodily conditions, let him believe by reason of what God works. For
humanly He enquires where Lazarus is laid, but raises him up divinely.
Let none then laugh, calling Him a child, and citing His age, His
growth, His eating, drinking and suffering, lest while denying what is
proper for the body, he deny utterly also His sojourn among us. And
just as He has not become Man in consequence of His nature, in like
manner it was consistent that when He had taken a body He should
exhibit what was proper to it, lest the imaginary theory of
Manichæus should prevail. Again it was consistent that when He
went about in the body, He should not hide what belonged to the
Godhead, lest he of Samosata should find an excuse to call Him man, as
distinct in person from God the Word.
4. Let then the unbelievers perceive this, and
learn that while as a Babe He lay in a manger, He subjected the Magi
and was worshipped by them; and while as a Child He came down to Egypt,
He brought to nought the hand-made objects of its idolatry4795
| 4795 Cf.
de Incarn. 36. 4. | : and crucified in the flesh, He raised the
dead long since turned to corruption. And it has been made plain to all
that not for His own sake but for ours He underwent all things, that we
by His sufferings might put on freedom from suffering and
incorruption4796
, and abide unto life eternal.
5. This then I have concisely dictated,
following, as I said above, the lines of your own letter, without
working out any point any further but only mentioning what relates to
the Holy Cross, in order that the despisers may be taught better upon
the points where they were offended, and may worship the Crucified. But
do you thoroughly persuade the unbelievers; perhaps somehow they may
come from ignorance to knowledge, and believe aright. And even though
what your own letter contains is sufficient, yet it is as well to have
added what I have for the sake of reminder in view of contentious
persons; not so much in order that being refuted in their venturesome
statements they may be put to shame, as that being reminded they may
not forget the truth. For let what was confessed by the Fathers at
Nicæa prevail. For it is correct, and enough to overthrow every
heresy however impious, and especially that of the Arians which speaks
against the Word of God, and as a logical consequence profanes His Holy
Spirit. Greet all who hold aright. All that are with us greet you. E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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