Life of Antony

 He was content with what he found, and sought nothing more. After the death of his parents, he was left alone with one very young sister and he was a

 he signified love for one another and thus filled, he would return to his own place of the hermitage then he himself, gathering to himself the thing

 I undertook to tickle the young, and I have been called the spirit of fornication. How many who wished to be chaste have I deceived! How many who were

 to learn of the ascetic from the life of the great Elijah, as in a mirror his own life always. Thus, then, having strengthened himself, Antony departe

 he forgot the contest of Antony, but came to his aid. So, looking up, he saw the roof as if opening, and a certain ray of light coming down to him. An

 that these were at work, and they themselves, being afraid, called for Antony. But he listened more to these than he cared for those. And coming near

 the Scriptures are sufficient for teaching but it is good for us to exhort one another in the faith, and to anoint one another with words. And you, t

 In this the Lord is also a helper, as it is written: To everyone who chooses the good, God works with him for the good. And so that we may not be negl

 in the air about us, and they are not far from us and there is a great difference among them. And concerning their nature and their difference would

 enemy: Having pursued I will overtake and again by another: I will take the whole world in my hand, as a nest, and I will take it up as abandoned egg

 God said to the sinner: Why do you declare my 26.884 statutes, and take up my covenant in your mouth? For they do all things, and they speak, and make

 worlds from which they ought rather to be despised as weak. For the true angel, sent by the Lord against the Assyrians, had no need of crowds, nor of

 they themselves lied. So also concerning the river's water they sometimes babble for having seen many rains occurring in the parts of Ethiopia, and k

 God so granting. For the vision of the saints is not troubled. For he will not strive, nor cry out, neither shall any man hear their voice. But it hap

 is of our virtue and life but to cast out demons, this grace is of the Savior who gave it. Whence to those who boast not in virtue, but in signs, and

 long-nosed. Then as I was saying Why then are you here? he said Why do the monks, and all other Christians, blame me in vain? Why do they curse me e

 was cast out, and the conceit of others was stopped and all were persuaded to despise the demonic plotting, marveling at the grace given to Antony by

 zeal for he himself also prayed to be martyred, as I said before. He therefore seemed to be grieving, because he had not been martyred but the Lord

 and a few neglected palm trees. Antony, therefore, as if moved by God, loved the place for this was what he who had spoken to him by the banks of the

 you are hesitating, but depart 26.920 for I am a servant of Christ. As Antony said these things, they fled, as if pursued by the whip of his word. Th

 examine, and test yourselves. Therefore, let each one take account to himself day by day of his actions by day and by night and, if he has sinned, le

 and for them to enter, this indeed he did not permit, but said: Go, and you will find her, if she has not died, healed. For this is not my achievement

 Amoun had fallen asleep at the hour in which his old man saw his soul being carried up. And indeed both these and those marveled at the purity of Anto

 to hinder so that he might not pass through. But when his guides fought against them, they demanded an account, whether he was not subject to them. So

 he conversed for their benefit but he yielded to him in the matter of prayer, not being ashamed to learn himself. For he often inquired, and 26.940 a

 believing they were being helped. Indeed, so many became 26.944 Christians in those few days, as many as one might see become in a year. Then, when so

 that Christ was made manifest as a man whereas you, separating the soul from heaven, claim that it has wandered and fallen from the vault of the heav

 we understand by faith, this you attempt to construct through words and often you are not even able to express what we understand so that the operat

 but faith working through love for Christ which if you also should have, you will no longer seek proofs through words but you will consider faith in

 Arians act irrationally like beasts. And when he saw this vision, he exhorted those with him, saying: Do not be disheartened, children for just as th

 coming upon you Therefore cease persecuting Christians, lest at any time the wrath should seize you for it is already about to come upon you. But Ba

 we shall see one another again in this life. It is time for me at last to depart for I am nearly one hundred and five years old. So when they heard t

 Remember me as a father. Do not let anyone take my body to Egypt, lest they place it in their houses for it was for this reason that I went into the

 those who are hiding themselves, and are striving to withdraw, He makes manifest and renowned everywhere on account of both their own virtue and the b

Arians act irrationally like beasts. And when he saw this vision, he exhorted those with him, saying: Do not be disheartened, children; for just as the Lord was angered, so again will He heal. And again the Church will quickly receive her own adornment, and will shine forth as usual; and you will see those who were persecuted restored, and impiety withdrawing again into its own dens, and the pious faith speaking boldly with all freedom everywhere; only do not defile yourselves with the Arians. For this teaching is not of the apostles, but of demons, and of their father the devil; and it is rather barren, and irrational, and of an unsound mind, like the irrationality of mules. Such were the words of Antony. But we must not disbelieve if so many wonders have been wrought through a man. For it is the promise of the Savior, who says: If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain: Move from here, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. And again: Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Ask, and you will receive. And it is he who says to his disciples, and to all who believe in him: Heal the sick; cast out demons; freely you have received, freely give. 26.961 Antony, at any rate, did not heal by commanding, but by praying and naming Christ; so that it became clear to all that it was not he who did it, but the Lord, showing his love for humanity through Antony, and healing the suffering. But only the prayer and the ascetic practice were Antony's, for the sake of which he sat on the mountain, rejoicing in the contemplation of divine things, but grieving at being disturbed by many and being dragged to the outer mountain. For indeed all the judges asked him to come down from the mountain, since it was not possible for them to enter there, because of the followers of those on trial. But they asked nevertheless, that he might come and they might only see him; he, therefore, turned away and declined the journeys to them; but they persisted, and even sent those who were liable under guard of soldiers; so that at least on their pretext he might come down. Suffering constraint, therefore, and seeing them lamenting, he would come to the outer mountain; but again his trouble was not without benefit; for his arrival was a help and a blessing to many. And he helped the judges, advising them to prefer justice above all things; and to fear God, and to know that with what judgment they judge, they will be judged. But he loved his sojourn on the mountain more than anything. Once, therefore, having suffered such constraint from those who had need, and the commander having requested him with many pleas to come down; he came, and after speaking a few things that pertained to salvation, and about those in need, he hurried away. But when the so-called duke asked him to delay, he said that he could not stay long with them, and he persuaded him with a graceful parable, saying: Just as fish die when they linger on dry land, so monks who delay with you and spend time among you are ruined. Therefore, just as the fish must hasten to the sea, so we must hasten to the mountain; lest by delaying, 26.964 we forget the things within. And the commander, hearing these things and many others from him, marveled and said that this was truly a servant of God; for from where could an unlearned man have such and so great an intellect, if he were not beloved by God? But a certain commander, whose name was Balacius, bitterly persecuted us Christians because of his zeal for the ill-named Arians. And since he was so cruel as to even beat virgins, and to strip and scourge monks; Antony sends to him, and writes a letter with such a meaning: I see wrath

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Ἀρειανοὶ ἀλόγως πράττουσιν ὡς τὰ κτήνη. Ὡς δὲ ταύτην εἶδε τὴν θεωρίαν, τοὺς συνόντας παρεκάλεσε, λέγων· Μὴ ἀθυ μεῖτε, τέκνα· ὥσπερ γὰρ ὠργίσθη ὁ Κύριος, οὕτω πάλιν ἰάσεται. Καὶ πάλιν ταχέως ἀπολήψεται τὸν ἑαυτῆς κόσμον ἡ Ἐκκλησία, καὶ συνήθως ἀναλάμψει· καὶ ὄψεσθε τοὺς διωχθέντας ἀποκαθισταμένους, καὶ τὴν μὲν ἀσέβειαν πάλιν εἰς τοὺς ἰδίους φωλεοὺς ἀνα χωροῦσαν, τὴν δὲ εὐσεβῆ πίστιν παῤῥησιαζομένην μετὰ πάσης ἐλευθερίας πανταχοῦ· μόνον μὴ μιάνητε ἑαυτοὺς μετὰ τῶν Ἀρειανῶν. Οὐκ ἔστι γὰρ τῶν ἀποστόλων αὕτη ἡ διδασκαλία, ἀλλὰ τῶν δαιμόνων, καὶ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῶν τοῦ διαβόλου· καὶ μᾶλλον ἄγονος, καὶ ἄλογος, καὶ διανοίας ἐστὶν οὐκ ὀρθῆς, ὡς ἡ τῶν ἡμιόνων ἀλογία. Τοιαῦτα μὲν τὰ τοῦ Ἀντωνίου. Οὐ δεῖ δὲ ἡμᾶς ἀπιστεῖν, εἰ δι' ἀνθρώπου τοσαῦτα γέγονε θαύματα. Τοῦ γὰρ Σωτῆρός ἐστιν ἐπαγγελία, λέγοντος· Ἐὰν ἔχητε πίστιν ὡς κόκκον σινάπεως, ἐρεῖτε τῷ ὄρει τούτῳ· Μετάβηθι ἐντεῦθεν, καὶ μεταβήσεται· καὶ οὐδὲν ἀδυνατήσει ὑμῖν. Καὶ πάλιν· Ἀμὴν, ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἐάν τι αἰτήσητε τὸν Πατέρα ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου, δώσει ὑμῖν. Αἰτεῖτε, καὶ λή ψεσθε. Καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ τοῖς μαθηταῖς λέγων, καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς πιστεύουσιν εἰς αὐτόν· Ἀσθενοῦντας θε ραπεύετε· δαίμονας ἐκβάλλετε· δωρεὰν ἐλάβετε, δωρεὰν δότε. 26.961 Οὐ προστάττων γοῦν ἐθεράπευεν ὁ Ἀντώ νιος, ἀλλ' εὐχόμενος καὶ τὸν Χριστὸν ὀνομάζων· ὡς πᾶσι φανερὸν γενέσθαι, ὅτι οὐκ ἦν αὐτὸς ὁ ποιῶν, ἀλλ' ὁ Κύριος, δι' Ἀντωνίου φιλανθρωπευόμενος, καὶ θεραπεύων τοὺς πάσχοντας. Ἀντωνίου δὲ μόνον ἡ εὐχὴ καὶ ἡ ἄσκησις, ἧς ἕνεκεν ἐν τῷ ὄρει καθήμε νος, ἔχαιρε μὲν τῇ τῶν θείων θεωρίᾳ, ἐλυπεῖτο δὲ διοχλούμενος ὑπὸ πολλῶν καὶ ἑλκόμενος εἰς τὸ ὄρος τὸ ἔξω. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ δικασταὶ πάντες ἠξίουν ἀπὸ τοῦ ὄρους αὐτὸν κατέρχεσθαι, ἐπεὶ μὴ δυνατὸν ἦν αὐτοὺς εἰσελθεῖν ἐκεῖ, διὰ τοὺς ἀκολουθοῦντας τῶν δικαζο μένων. Ἠξίουν δὲ ὅμως, ἵνα ἔλθῃ καὶ μόνον αὐτὸν ἴδωσιν· αὐτὸς μὲν οὖν ἐξετρέπετο καὶ παρῃτεῖτο τὰς πρὸς τούτους ὁδούς οἱ δὲ ἐπέμενον, καὶ μᾶλλον τοὺς ὑπευθύνους ὄντας ὑπὸ στρατιώτας προσέπεμπον· ἵνα κἂν διὰ τὴν ἐκείνων πρόφασιν κατέλθῃ. Πάσχων οὖν ἀνάγκην, καὶ ὁρῶν αὐτοὺς ὀδυρομένους, ἤρχετο μὲν εἰς τὸ ὄρος τὸ ἔξω· οὐκ ἀνωφελὴς δὲ πάλιν ἦν ὁ σκυλ μὸς αὐτοῦ· πολλοῖς μὲν γὰρ εἰς ὄνησιν ἐγίνετο, καὶ εἰς εὐεργεσίαν ἡ ἄφιξις αὐτοῦ. Τοὺς δὲ δικαστὰς ὠφέ λει, συμβουλεύων πάντων μᾶλλον προκρίνειν τὸ δί καιον· καὶ φοβεῖσθαι τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ εἰδέναι, ὅτι οἵῳ κρίματι κρίνουσι, κριθήσονται. Πλὴν τὴν ἐν τῷ ὄρει διατριβὴν πάντων μᾶλλον ἠγάπα. Ποτὲ οὖν βίαν τοιαύτην παθὼν παρὰ τῶν χρείαν ἐχόντων, καὶ τοῦ στρατηλάτου διὰ πολλῶν ἀξιώσαντος αὐτὸν κατελθεῖν· ἐλθὼν, καὶ ὁμιλήσας ὀλίγα, τὰ εἰς σωτηρίαν φθάνοντα, καὶ περὶ τῶν δεομένων, ἠπείγετο. Τοῦ δὲ λεγομένου δουκὸς ἀξι οῦντος αὐτὸν ἐμβραδύνειν, ἔλεγε μὴ δύνασθαι χρονί ζειν μετ' αὐτῶν, καὶ παραδείγματι χαρίεντι τοῦτον ἔπειθε λέγων· Ὥσπερ οἱ ἰχθύες ἐγχρονίζοντες τῇ ξηρᾷ γῇ τελευτῶσιν, οὕτως οἱ μοναχοὶ βραδύνοντες μεθ' ὑμῶν, καὶ παρ' ὑμῖν ἐκδιατρίβοντες ἐκλύονται. ∆εῖ οὖν, ὥσπερ τὸν ἰχθὺν εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν, οὕτως ἡμᾶς εἰς τὸ ὄρος ἐπείγεσθαι· μήποτε ἐμβραδύνοντες, 26.964 ἐπιλαθώμεθα τῶν ἔνδον. Ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ στρατηλάτης ταῦτα παρ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἕτερα πολλὰ, θαυμάσας, ἔλε γεν, ἀληθῶς εἶναι τοῦτον δοῦλον τοῦ Θεοῦ· πόθεν γὰρ ἰδιώτῃ τοιοῦτος καὶ τοσοῦτος νοῦς, εἰ μὴ ἦν ἀγαπώ μενος ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ; Εἷς δέ τις στρατηλάτης, Βαλάκιος δὲ ἦν ὄνο μα αὐτῷ, πικρῶς ἐδίωκεν ἡμᾶς τοὺς Χριστιανοὺς διὰ τὴν ὑπὲρ τῶν δυσωνύμων Ἀρειανῶν σπουδήν. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ τοσοῦτον ἦν ὠμὸς, ὡς καὶ παρθένους τύπτειν, καὶ μονάζοντας γυμνοῦν καὶ μαστίζειν· ἀποστέλλει πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ Ἀντώνιος, καὶ γράφει τοιοῦτον ἔχου σαν νοῦν ἐπιστολήν· Ὁρῶ ὀργὴν

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