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Disputation against Arius

DIALOGUE OF OUR FATHER AMONG THE SAINTS ATHANASIUS AT THE COUNCIL OF NICAEA WITH ARIUS.

By the providence of God, I was proceeding with my dearest brothers to the servants of God whom I longed to see. And as I was walking rather slowly because of the weakness of my body, together with the aforementioned servants of God, one of the men traveling with me asked me about the Lord's saying which states: "My Father who sent me is greater than I." And I say in response to the question he had brought forward: For the present, hold off the inquiry concerning this, sweetest of brothers; but when, God permitting, we return to our own homes, we shall make a most secure examination of the matter. And when I had said this, a sudden inspiration of piety came into my heart, and I said to myself: Not without purpose did the blessed Paul, writing to his own disciple Timothy, say: "Train yourself for godliness." For truly, piety towards God happens to be a divine treasure filled with unspoken and incomparable goods. And I said to myself in my mind, that piety is magnificent and glorious, and able to save the one who has approached its comeliness. And the parable of my Lord Jesus Christ about blessed piety also came to my mind, how it is something most great and filled with all ambrosial riches, and is rarely found among men, unless perhaps a few from the many, with a truth-loving mind, should hardly attain its incorruptible beauty. And these have not grasped its lovely vision by their own power; but having cultivated friendship with God, using frequent prayers, they have received this gift from God, so that those who reflect its most beautiful dignity might cherish eternal joy in their hearts. The Lord says: "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and rejoiced, then he goes and sells all, 28.441 that he has, and buys that field." Then, as if standing in my heart, it spoke to me kindly, and says: Man, even if your sins are many, hold fast to piety towards God. For through this, both the remission of sins is given by God, and death is conquered, and a man will be best able to enter into the kingdom of heaven. And in addition to these things, I also called to mind the saying, "God knows how to rescue the godly, but to keep the lawless for the day of judgment to be punished with eternal fire." For this one happens to be lawless and impious; and from impiety, sin comes into being. Impiety, therefore, is the mother of all evils, and folly is the nurse of all blameworthy things. Blessed, therefore, is the son of piety, because he will be called a son of Christ. And suddenly we arrived at the place for which we had set out, and meeting with the true brethren, we were all glad, both we, because we were deemed worthy to see the holy ones, and they, because they had seen brothers. And while we were conversing at length about matters belonging to the most venerable religion with great order and discretion, suddenly a man-shaped beast from the root of the Christ-fighting Arius leapt in among us, and having listened for a short while to the words of piety, unable to bear it, he spoke as follows: "Teach me your doctrine, or I will teach you my way of thinking." But I answered him: "Do not summon everyone to an inquiry; for there are great ones in the house of God. But if you wish for the present to examine together with me alone, the very least, I will most gladly provide this for you concerning the matter. Bring forth first

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Disputatio contra Arium

ΤΟΥ ΕΝ ΑΓΙΟΙΣ ΠΑΤΡΟΣ ΗΜΩΝ ΑΘΑΝΑΣΙΟΥ ∆ΙΑΛΟΓΟΣ ΕΝ ΤΗ ΚΑΤΑ ΝΙΚΑΙΑΝ ΣΥΝΟ∆Ω ΠΡΟΣ ΑΡΕΙΟΝ.

Τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ προνοίᾳ ἀπῄειν προσεληλυθὼς σὺν τοῖς φιλτάτοις μου ἀδελφοῖς πρὸς τοὺς ἐμοὶ ποθου μένους τοῦ Θεοῦ δούλους. Ἠρέμα δέ πως βαδί ζοντα διὰ τὴν τοῦ σώματος ἀσθένειαν ἅμα τοῖς προειρημένοις τοῦ Θεοῦ δούλοις, ἤρετό μέ τις τῶν συμπορευομένων μοι ἀνδρῶν περὶ τοῦ Κυριακοῦ ῥητοῦ τοῦ φάσκοντος· «Ὁ Πατήρ μου ὁ πέμψας με μείζων μου ἐστί.» Κἀγώ φημι πρὸς τὴν πεῦσιν, ἣν προσαγήοχεν· Ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος ἐπίσχες τὴν περὶ τούτου ζήτησιν, γλυκύτατε ἀδελφῶν· ἐπὰν δὲ, Θεοῦ ἐπιτρέποντος, ἐν τοῖς οἰκείοις ἐπαναζεύξωμεν, τὴν ἐξέτασιν τοῦ κεφαλαίου ἀσφαλεστάτην ποιησό μεθα. Κἀμοῦ τοῦτο εἰρηκότος, αἰφνίδιός τις κατοχὴ τῆς εὐσεβείας γίνεται ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ μου, ἔλεγον δὲ ἐν ἐμαυτῷ· Οὐκ ἀσκόπως ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος ἐπι στέλλων τῷ ἑαυτοῦ μαθητῇ Τιμοθέῳ ἔφασκε· «Γύμναζε σεαυτὸν πρὸς εὐσέβειαν.» Ἀληθῶς γὰρ θεῖος θη σαυρὸς ἀῤῥήτων καὶ ἀνεικάστων ἀγαθῶν πε πληρωμένη τυγχάνει ἡ εἰς τὸ Θεῖον εὐσέβεια. Ἔλεγον δὲ ἐν ἐμαυτῷ κατὰ διάνοιαν, ὅτι μεγαλοπρεπὴς καὶ ἐπίδοξός ἐστιν ἡ εὐσέβεια, καὶ δυναμένη σῶσαι τὸν προσπελάσαντα τῇ ἑαυτῆς εὐπρεπείᾳ. Ὑπεισῄει δέ με καὶ τοῦ Κυρίου μου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ παραβολὴ περὶ τῆς μακαρίας εὐσεβείας, ὡς μεγίστη τις καὶ πάντων ἀμβροσίων πλούτων πεπληρω μένη τυγχάνει, καὶ σπανίως εὑρίσκεται ἐν τοῖς ἀνθρώ ποις, εἰ μὴ ἄρα ἀπὸ τῶν πολλῶν ὀλίγοι μόλις φιλαλήθει γνώμῃ κατατύχωσι τοῦ ἀφθάρτου κάλλους αὐτῆς. Καὶ οὗτοι δὲ οὐκ ἰδίᾳ δυνάμει κατειλήφασι τὴν ἐπέραστον ταύτης ὄψιν· ἀλλὰ τὴν πρὸς Θεὸν φιλίαν στειλάμενοι, συχναῖς λιταῖς χρησάμενοι, εἰλή φασι τοῦτο παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ δῶρον, ὅπως ἀΐδιον χαρὰν ἐνστερνίσωνται οἱ κατοπτριζόμενοι τὸ ὡραιότατον ταύτης ἀξίωμα. Φησὶν ὁ Κύριος· «Ὁμοία ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν θησαυρῷ κεκρυμμένῳ ἐν ἀγρῷ, ὃν εὑρὼν ἄνθρωπος ἐχάρη, εἶτα ὑπάγει καὶ πωλεῖ πάντα, 28.441 ὅσα ἔχει, καὶ ἀγοράζει τὸν ἀγρὸν ἐκεῖνον.» Εἶτα ὥσπερ ἑστὼς ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ μου, προσωμίλει μοι προσ ηνῶς, καί φησιν· Ἄνθρωπε, εἰ καὶ πολλαί σου εἰσὶν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι, κράτει ἰσχυρῶς τὴν εἰς τὸ Θεῖον εὐσέβειαν. ∆ιὰ γὰρ ταύτην, καὶ ἡ ἄφεσις τῶν ἁμαρ τιῶν παρὰ Θεοῦ δίδοται, καὶ θάνατος νικᾶται, καὶ εἰς βασιλείαν οὐρανῶν ἄνθρωπος εἰσελάσαι ἄριστα δυνήσεται. Πρὸς δὲ τούτοις εἰς ὑπόμνησιν εἴληφα καὶ τὸ, «Οἶδεν ὁ Θεὸς εὐσεβεῖς ῥύεσθαι, ἀνόμους δὲ τηρεῖν εἰς ἡμέραν κρίσεως κολαζομένους αἰωνίῳ πυρί.» Καὶ γὰρ ὁ ἄνομος οὗτος τυγχάνει καὶ ἀσε βής· ἐκ δὲ τῆς ἀσεβείας ἁμαρτία γίνεται. Μήτηρ οὖν πάντων τῶν κακῶν ἡ ἀσέβεια, τιθηνὸς δὲ ψεκτῶν ἁπάντων ἡ ἄνοια τυγχάνει. Μακάριος οὖν ὁ τῆς εὐ σεβείας υἱὸς, ὅτι οὗτος υἱὸς Χριστοῦ κληθήσεται. Ἀθρόως δὲ ἐπέστημεν τῷ τόπῳ ἔνθα ἦμεν τὴν ὁρμὴν πεποιημένοι, καὶ περιτυγχάνοντες τοῖς γνησίοις, ἀσμένως διετελοῦμεν ἅπαντες ἡμεῖς τε, ὅτι ἠξιώθημεν τοὺς ἁγίους θεάσασθαι, ἐκεῖνοι δὲ, ὅτι ἀδελφοὺς ἑωράκασι. Κοινολογούντων δὲ ἡμῶν ἐπὶ πολὺ τῶν ἀνηκόντων τῇ σεβασμιωτάτῃ θρησκείᾳ μετὰ πολλῆς εὐταξίας καὶ φειδοῦς, αἰφνιδίως ἀπὸ τῆς ῥίζης τοῦ χριστομάχου Ἀρείου θηρίον ἀνθρωπό μορφον εἰσεπήδησε πρὸς ἡμᾶς, καὶ πρὸς βραχὺ ἐπακροασάμενος τῶν εὐσεβείας ῥημάτων, μὴ δυνά μενος φέρειν, ἔλεξε τοιάδε· «∆ιδάξατέ με τὴν ὑμετέ ραν δόξαν, ἢ διδάξω ὑμᾶς τὸ ἐμὸν φρόνημα.» Ἐγὼ δὲ ἀπεκρινόμην πρὸς αὐτόν· «Μὴ πάντας προσκαλοῦ εἰς ζήτησιν· μεγάλοι γάρ εἰσιν ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Εἰ δὲ βούλει ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος πρὸς μὲ τὸν σμικρό τατον μόνον συνεξετάσαι, ἥδιστα ἐγώ σοι τοῦτο παρ έξω περὶ τοῦ ζητήματος. Προσάγαγε πρῶτος