Select Works and Letters
| Authors | Athanasius, St. Schaff, Philip |
| Series | Nicene & Post-Nicene Fathers Series [2.4] |
| Tags | Christian Classics Ethereal Library, CCEL, All; Proofed; Early Church; |
| Publisher | Christian Classics Ethereal Library |
| Published | 13 nov 1891 |
| Date | 17 nov 2012 |
| Languages | eng |
| Identifiers | uri: http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf204.html |
| Formats | EPUB, PDF |
Description
contains his famous "circular letter" (ref:178.1)
Also, St. Athanasius's predecesor Alexander did depose George, one of St. Athanasius's Eusebian usurpers (the other being Gregory). Pope St. Julius I wrote them (ref:190.27):
Why was nothing said to us [Pope Julius and the Roman Church] concerning the Church of the Alexandrians in particular? Are you ignorant that the custom has been for word to be written first to us, and then for a just decision to be passed from this place? If then any such suspicion rested upon the Bishop there, notice thereof ought to have been sent to the Church of this place [Rome]; whereas, after neglecting to inform us, and proceeding on their own authority as they pleased, now they desire to obtain our concurrence in their decisions, though we never condemned him. Not so have the constitutions of Paul, not so have the traditions of the Fathers directed; this is another form of procedure, a novel practice. I beseech you, readily bear with me; what I write is for the common good. For what we have received from the blessed Apostle Peter, that I signify to you; and I should not have written this, as deeming that these things were manifest unto all men, had not these proceedings so disturbed us.
Vizmanos pp. 66-7 (DjVu pp. 88-9) quotes Apologia ad Constantium imperatorem , n. 33 [Conduct of the Arians towards the consecrated Virgins]: PG 25, 640 [PDF p. 15] (ref:299.2):
The Son of God, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, having become man for our sakes, and having destroyed death, and delivered our race from the bondage of corruption1380, in addition to all His other benefits bestowed this also upon us, that we should possess upon earth, in the state of virginity1381, a picture of the holiness of Angels. Accordingly such as have attained this virtue, the Catholic Church has been accustomed to call the brides of Christ. And the heathen who see them express their admiration of them as the temples of the Word. For indeed this holy and heavenly profession is nowhere1382 established, but only among us Christians, and it is a very strong [μέγα τεκμήριόν, strongest?, "el argumento más fuerte "] argument that with us is to be found the genuine and true religion.
1380 2 Tim. i. 10; Rom. viii. 21.
1381 Cf. Ep. Fest. i. 3, Ep. ad Amun, also de Incar. 27, 48, 51.
1382 [Revillout (in the work quoted supr. p. 188), p. 479 sq. states the contrary with regard to Egypt. He refers to the opening of Plutarch’s de Is. et Osir., also to Brunet de Presle Serapeum.]