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Letter to Epiphanius

And Athanasius, the great luminary of the Alexandrian Church, in the aforementioned letter to bishop Epiphanius, teaches, saying thus: Therefore, just as you have struggled with and rejoiced with, so also cease from blaming; and rather pray that for the future the Church may have firm peace, and that the heresies may cease from their blood-stained purpose; and that these men may cease from contention, who have invented questions for themselves, on the pretext, indeed, of the saving Passover, but in reality, especially for the sake of their own strife; because, though seeming to be of us and boasting to be called Christians, they emulate those Jews who betrayed. For what plausible defense could there be for them because it is written: On the first day of Unleavened Bread, 26.1260 and on which it was necessary to sacrifice the Passover. But that was done well then; now, according to what is written: They always go astray in their heart. 26.1240 The benefit of the Lord’s likeness to us is great, because we too are made like him. For if he had not been made like men, men could not have been made like God. But

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Epistula ad Epiphanium

Καὶ Ἀθανάσιος δὲ ὁ μέγας τῆς Ἀλεξανδρέων Ἐκκλησίας φωστὴρ, ἐν τῇ μνημονευθείσῃ πρὸς Ἐπιφάνιον ἐπίσκοπον ἐπιστολῇ διδάσκει λέγων οὕτως· Οὐκοῦν ὥσπερ συνήθλησας, καὶ συνεχάρης, οὕτω καὶ τοῦ μέμφεσθαι παῦσαι· καὶ μᾶλλον εὔχου ἵνα τοῦ λοιποῦ ἡ μὲν Ἐκκλησία βεβαίαν τὴν εἰρήνην ἔχῃ, καὶ παύσωνται αἱ αἱρέσεις τῆς μιαιφόνου προαιρέσεως· παύσωνται δὲ καὶ οὗτοι φιλονεικοῦντες, οἱ ἐφευρόντες ἑαυτοῖς ζητήματα, προφάσει μὲν τοῦ σωτηριώδους Πάσχα, ἔργῳ δὲ τῆς ἰδίας ἔριδος χάριν μάλιστα· ὅτι, ἐξ ἡμῶν εἶναι δοκοῦντες καὶ Χριστιανοὶ αὐχοῦντες λέγεσθαι, ζηλοῦσι τούτων προδεδωκότων Ἰουδαίων. Ὁποία γὰρ αὐτοῖς καὶ πιθανὴ ἀπολογία γένοιτ' ἂν ἄρα ἐπειδὴ γέγραπται· Τῇ δὲ πρώτῃ τῶν Ἀζύμων, 26.1260 καὶ ἐν ᾖ ἔδει θύειν τὸ Πάσχα. Ἀλλὰ ἐγίνετο τότε καλῶς· νυνὶ, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον· Ἀεὶ πλανῶνται τῇ καρδίᾳ. 26.1240 Τῆς ὁμοιώσεως τοῦ Κυρίου τῆς πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἡ ὠφέλεια μεγάλη, ὅτι καὶ ἡμεῖς ὁμοιούμεθα πρὸς αὐτόν. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ αὐτὸς ὡμοίωτο πρὸς ἀνθρώπους, οὐκ ἠδύναντο οἱ ἄνθρωποι ὁμοιοῦσθαι πρὸς Θεόν. Ἀλλὰ