Saint Athanasius (295-373), one of
the Fathers of the Church and Archbishop of Alexandria, was a most prolific
writer, and defender of the Catholic Church. He is quoted by Catholics
and non-Catholics alike. In his many writings, he mentioned the Catholic
Church by name many times.
Here are some of his "Gems".
"Thus it is that sinners, and all those who are aliens
from the Catholic Church, heretics, and schismatics, since they are excluded
from glorifying (God) with the saints, cannot properly even continue observers
of the feast."
Festal Letters VII, 335 A.D.
"Who then is so negligent, or who so disobedient
to the divine voice, as not to leave everything, and run to the general
and common assembly of the feast? which is not in one place only, for not
one place alone keeps the feast; but 'into all the earth their song has
gone forth, and to the ends of the world their words.' And the sacrifice
is not offered in one place, but 'in every nation, incense and a pure sacrifice
is offered unto God'. So when in like manner from all in every place, praise
and prayer shall ascend to the gracious and good Father, when the whole
Catholic Church which is in every place, with gladness and rejoicing, celebrates
together the same worship to God, when all men in common send up a song
of praise and say, Amen."
Festal Letters XI,11, 339 A.D. "For the faith which the Council confessed in writings
is the faith of the Catholic Church."
Letter on the Council of Nicaea, 27, 350 A.D., J757
"Well then, what is there in common between the heresy
of Arius and the opinion of Dionysius: or why is Dionysius to be called
like Arius, when they differ widely? For the one is a teacher of the Catholic
Church, while the other has been the inventor of a new heresy."
Letter on the Opinion of Dionysius, 6, 350 A.D.
"The Arians then ought, if their intelligence were
sound, thus to have thought and held concerning the Bishop: 'for all things
are manifest to them that understand, and right to them that find knowledge'
(Prov. viii. 9). But since, not having understood the faith of the Catholic
Church, they have fallen into impiety, and consequently, maimed in their
intelligence, think that even straight things are crooked and call light
darkness, while they think that darkness is light, it is necessary to quote
also from the other letters of Dionysius, and state why they were written,
to the greater condemnation of the heretic, For it was from them that we
ourselves have learned to think and write as we are doing about the man."
Letter on the Opinion of Dionysius, 12, 350 A.D. "But let the impiety of Sabellius and of Paul of
Samosata also be anathematised by all, and the madness of Valentinian and
Basilides, and the folly of the Munichaens. For if this be done, all evil
suspicion will be removed on all hands, and the faith of the Catholic Church
alone be exhibited in purity."
Tomas ad Antiochenos, 3
"How then can they be Christians, who for Christians
are Ario-maniac? Or how are they of the Catholic Church, who have shaken
off the Apostolical faith, and become authors of fresh evils?"
Discourse Against the Arians, I-4, 356 A.D.
"Let us note that the very tradition, teaching, and
faith of the Catholic Church from the beginning, which the Lord gave, was
preached by the Apostles, and was preserved by the Fathers. On this was
the Church founded; and if anyone departs from this, he neither is nor
any longer ought to be called a Christian."
St. Athanasius, Letter to Serapion of Thmuis, 359 A.D..
"A desire to learn and a yearning for heavenly things
is suitable to a religious Emperor; for thus you will truly have 'your
heart' also 'in the hand of God'. Since then your Piety desired to learn
from us the faith of the Catholic Church, giving thanks for these things
to the Lord, we counselled above all things to remind your Piety of the
faith confessed by the Fathers at Nicaea. For this certain set at nought,
while plotting against us in many ways, because we would not comply with
the Arian heresy, and they have become authors of heresy and schisms in
the Catholic Church."
Letter of Athanasius to Jovian
"For a certain Arius and those with him attempted
to corrupt it, and to introduce impiety in its place, affirming that the
Son of God was from nought, and a creature, and a thing made and changeable.
But with these words they deceived many, so that even 'they that seemed
to be somewhat were carried away', with their blasphemy. And yet our holy
Fathers, as we said before, came promptly together at the Synod at Nicaea,
and anathematised them, and confessed in writing the faith of the Catholic
Church, so that, this being everywhere preached, the heresy kindled by
the heretics might be quenched. This faith then was everywhere in every
Church sincerely known and preached."
Letter of Athanasius to Jovian
"But those who say, that the Son was from nothing,
or from other subsistence and not from God; and that there was a time or
age when He was not, the Catholic and Holy Church regards as aliens. Likewise
those who say, that there are three Gods (Mormonism);
or that Christ is not God (Jehovah's Witnesses);
or that before the ages He was neither Christ nor Son of God; or that Father
and Son, or Holy Ghost, are the same; or that the Son is Ingenerate; or
that the Father begat the Son, not by choice or will; the Holy and Catholic
Church anathematizes."
De Synodis, 463, 359 A.D.
My insertions are in parentheses, to show there is nothing new under the
sun. Ecclesiastes 1:10
Old heresies recycle themselves.
"Although you have already subscribed to the letter
I addressed to Arius and his fellows, exhorting them to renounce his impiety,
and to submit themselves to the sound Catholic Faith, and have shewn your
right-mindedness and agreement in the doctrines of the Catholic Church:
..."
Deposition of Arius by St Athanasius, 360 A.D.
"As there is one body of the Catholic Church, and
a command is given us in the sacred Scriptures to preserve the bond of
unity and peace, it is agreeable thereto. that we should write and signify
to one another whatever is done by each of us individually; so that whether
one member suffer or rejoice, we may either suffer or rejoice with one
another."
Deposition of Arius by St Athanasius, 1, 360 A.D. "Since then our Lord and Saviour Jesus, Christ has
instructed us by His own mouth, and also hath signified to us by the Apostle
concerning such men, we accordingly being personal witnesses of their impiety,
have anathematized, as we said, all such, and declared them to be alien
from the Catholic Faith and Church. And we have made this known to your
piety, dearly beloved and most honoured fellow-ministers, in order that
should any of them have the boldness to come unto you, you may not receive
them, nor comply with the desire of Eusebius, or any other person writing
in their behalf. For it becomes us who are Christians to turn away from
all who speak or think any thing against Christ, as being enemies of God,
and destroyers of souls; and not even to "bid such God speed,"
lest we become partakers of their sins, as the blessed John hath charged
us. Salute the brethren that are with you. They that are with me salute
you."
Deposition of Arius by St Athanasius, 6, 360 A.D. "Again it is not tedious to speak of the [books]
of the New Testament. These are, the four Gospels, according to Matthew,
Mark, Luke, and John. Afterwards, the Acts of the Apostles and Epistles
(called Catholic), seven, viz. of James, one; of Peter, two; of John, three;
after these, one of Jude. In addition, there are fourteen Epistles of Paul,
written in this order. The first, to the Romans; then two to the Corinthians;
after these, to the Galatians; next, to the Ephesians; then to the Philippians;
then to the Colossians; after these, two to the Thessalonians, and that
to the Hebrews; and again, two to Timothy; one to Titus; and lastly, that
to Philemon. And besides, the Revelation of John."
Festal Letters XXXIX, 5, 367 A.D. "ATHANASIUS to the presbyters and deacons and the
people of the Catholic Church in the Mareotis, brethren beloved and longed
for, greeting in the Lord."
Festal Letters XLVI "Being well in body by God's favour, we have now
sent our most beloved deacon Eutyches, that your most pious holiness, as
is much desired by us, may be pleased to inform us of the safety of yourself
and those with you. For we believe it is by the life of you Confessors
and servants of God that the state of the Catholic Church is renewed; and
that what heretics have assayed to rend in pieces, our Lord Jesus Christ
by your means restores whole."
First Letter to Lucifer
"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 subtility 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."
Second Letter to Lucifer
"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."
Second Letter to Lucifer
"But those who say that He is a creature, or made,
or of nothing, or that there was once a time when He was not, the Catholic
Church anathematises."
To the Bishops of Africa, 9, 368 A.D.
"Now it would be proper to write this at greater
length. But since we write to you who know, we have dictated it concisely,
praying that among all the bond of peace might be preserved, and that all
in the Catholic Church should say and hold the same thing. And we are not
meaning to teach, but to put you in mind. Nor is it only ourselves that
write, but all the bishops of Egypt and the Libyas, some ninety in number.
For we all are of one mind in this, and we always sign for one another
if any chance not to be present. Such being our state of mind, since we
happened to be assembled, we wrote, both to our beloved Damasus, bishop
of the Great Rome, giving an account of Auxentius..."
To the Bishops of Africa, 10, 368 A.D. "For this Synod of Nicaea is in truth a proscription
of every heresy. It also upsets those who blaspheme the Holy Spirit, and
call Him a Creature. For the Fathers, after speaking of the faith in the
Son, straightway added, 'And we believe in the Holy Ghost', in order that
by confessing perfectly and fully the faith in the Holy Trinity they might
make known the exact form of the Faith of Christ, and the teaching of the
Catholic Church. For it is made clear both among you and among all, and
no Christian can have a doubtful mind on the point, that our faith is not
in the Creature, but in one God, Father Almighty, maker of all things visible
and invisible: and in one Lord Jesus Christ His Only-begotten Son, and
in one Holy Ghost; one God. known in the holy and perfect Trinity, baptized
into which, and in it united to the Deity, we believe that we have also
inherited the kingdom of the heavens, in Christ Jesus our Lord, through
whom to the Father be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen."
To the Bishops of Africa, 11, 368 A.D. Several non-Catholics have quoted
to me from writings of Saint Athanasius. From the samples which I have
shown here, if I were a non-Catholic, and was determined to remain one,
I would not ever quote from him again.
Gems
From Saint Athanasius