Sermo ad Antiochum ducem

OF OUR FATHER AMONG THE SAINTS ATHANASIUS, ARCHBISHOP OF ALEXANDRIA, TO ANTIOCHUS THE PREFECT.

Let us consider, O blessed man of God, in all things, through all things and before all things, how we walk, and what we plan for ourselves; knowing that many unseen witnesses are present for the things done and thought by us, not looking only at what is seen, but stooping over our very souls and examining the secret part of the heart. For truly many of the angelic powers stand by us from every side, recording in heaven with all accuracy the things said and done by us, and the things thought, even to a bare notion, for our conviction on the fearful day of judgment; when all visible creation, shaken with an unspeakable urgency, is pushed toward its own consummation; and the heaven and the earth will pass away from their foundations, and the elements between, burning, will be dissolved; and the Ancient of Days will be seated, and books will be opened, having the written records of our deeds and words and thoughts, faithfully and without corruption. And a thousand thousands minister to him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stand by him, and the threat of a fire running everywhere and encompassing all things around, and melting mountains like wax; for a river of fire was drawn before him; when Tartarus and a vast and unimaginable pit, and the outer darkness, and the sleepless worm, are shown to be present. And over them fear stood suspended for those awaiting the outcome; and avenging angels of wrath, gleaming with fire, and seeing fire, and breathing fire, stand ready for every vengeance of every transgression. And in addition to these, all creation, earthly and heavenly, as much as is in angels and in the powers above angels, and as much as is in the heavens, stand by with trembling, awaiting the fearful manifestation of the divine will. Upon which, as we go down, deeds will be read aloud, and there will be a laying bare of secret things; so that everyone will thus know the sins of one another, as each knows his own, reading the book of his own conscience. "For I will convict you," he says, "and I will set your sins before your face;" and again, "Their own counsels will surround them." And behold the man and his work, and an incorruptible judge, having the magnificent power of the heavenly orders standing by, presides on high, flashing forth all righteousness, and to each distributing what is worthy through a true and just retribution, to those who on account of their good deeds will be placed on the right, being grac 28.592 ious, gentle, kind, giving the kingdom prepared from the foundation of the world; but to those who have been allotted their place on the left because of the destitution of good works, pushing them away with wrath into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels. Who could bear that raging fire? Who would not cower at that strange spectacle of the worm? Who will be able to bear the thickness and weight together of that outer darkness? Who will withstand roaring Tartarus, and the abyss boiling up with it from the depths? Who does not tremble, shaken, at the grim and piercing gaze, and the downcast countenance of the angels appointed for this? Who will not fear the most terrible of all evils, the turning away of the face of God who is by nature gentle and loving-mankind and merciful? All creation turns away together and abhors those

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Sermo ad Antiochum ducem

ΤΟΥ ΕΝ ΑΓΙΟΙΣ ΠΑΤΡΟΣ ΗΜΩΝ ΑΘΑΝΑΣΙΟΥ ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΥ ΑΛΕΞΑΝ∆ΡΕΙΑΣ, ΠΡΟΣ ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟΝ ΑΡΧΟΝΤΑ.

Σκοπήσωμεν, ηὐλογημένε τοῦ Θεοῦ ἄνθρωπε, ἐπὶ πᾶσι, διὰ πᾶσι καὶ πρὸ πάντων, πῶς περιπατοῦμεν, καὶ τί περὶ ἑαυτῶν βουλευόμεθα· πολλοὺς γινώσκον τες τῶν παρ' ἡμῶν γινομένων τε καὶ νοουμένων ἀοράτους παρίστασθαι μάρτυρας, οὐκ εἰς τὸ φαινόμενον βλέποντας μόνον, ἀλλ' ἐπ' αὐτὰς παρακύπτοντας τὰς ψυχὰς καὶ τὸ κρυπτὸν διελέγχοντας τῆς καρδίας. Πολλοὶ γὰρ ὡς ἀληθῶς πανταχόθεν ἀγγελικῶν δυνά μεων ἡμᾶς παρειστήκεισαν, τὰ λεγόμενά τε καὶ γι νόμενα παρ' ἡμῶν, καὶ νοούμενα μέχρι ψιλῆς ἐνθυμήσεως, δι' ἀκριβείας πάσης ἐν οὐρανῷ καταγράφοντες, πρὸς ἔλεγχον ἡμῶν ἐν τῇ φοβερᾷ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς κρίσεως· ὅτε πᾶσα τῶν ὁρατῶν ἡ κτίσις, κλονουμένη κατ' ἔπειξιν ἄφατον, πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν ὠθεῖται συν τέλειαν· καὶ ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ ῥιζηδὸν παρελεύσεται, καὶ τὰ διὰ μέσου στοιχεῖα καυσούμενα λυθήσονται· καὶ Παλαιὸς ἡμερῶν καθέξεται, καὶ βίβλοι ἀνοίγονται, τῶν ἡμετέρων ἔργων τε καὶ λόγων καὶ νοημάτων τὰ ἔγγραφα, πιστῶς τε καὶ ἀνοθεύτως ἔχουσι. Χίλιαί τε χιλιάδες λειτουργοῦσιν αὐτῷ, καὶ μύριαι μυριάδες παρειστήκεισαν αὐτῷ, καὶ ἀπειλὴ πυρὸς πανταχοῦ διατρέχουσα καὶ τὰ κύκλῳ πάντα περιλαμβάνουσα, καὶ ὄρη ὡσεὶ κηρὸν ἐκτήκουσα· ποταμὸς γὰρ πυρὸς εἷλκεν ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ· ἡνίκα τάρταρος καὶ βόθρος ἀχανὴς καὶ ἀνείκαστος, καὶ σκότος ἐξώτερον, καὶ σκώληξ ἀκοίμητος, ἀναδειχθῶσι παρόντα. Καὶ ὁ ἐπ' αὐτὰς φόβος εἱστήκει μετέωρος, ἐκδεχομένων τὴν ἔκβασιν· καὶ ὀργῆς ἄγγελοι κολαστικοὶ, πῦρ ἀποστίλβοντες, πῦρ τε βλέποντες, καὶ πῦρ ἀναπνέοντες, ἕτοιμοι εἰς πᾶσαν ἐκδίκησιν πάσης παρανομίας ἑστήκασι. Πᾶσά τε πρὸς τούτοις κτίσις ἐπί γειός τε καὶ ἐπουράνιος, ὅση τε ἐν ἀγγέλοις καὶ ταῖς ὑπὲρ ἀγγέλοις δυνάμεσι, καὶ ὅση ἐν οὐρανοῖς παρίστανται μετὰ τρόμου τὴν φοβερὰν τῆς θείας βουλῆς ἐκδεχόμενοι φανέρωσιν. Ἐφ' ὧν κατειόντων ἡμῶν, ἀναγνωσθήσονται πράξεις, καὶ τῶν κρυπτῶν γύμνωσις γενήσεται· ὥστε πάντας οὕτως γινώσκειν ἀλλήλων τὰς ἁμαρτίας· ὡς ἕκαστος τὰς ἑαυτοῦ, τὴν βίβλον ἀναγινώσκειν τῆς ἑαυτοῦ συνειδήσεως. «Ἐλέγξω σε» γὰρ, φησὶ, «καὶ παραστήσω κατὰ πρόσωπόν σου» τὰς ἁμαρτίας σου· καὶ πάλιν, «Κυκλώσει αὐτοὺς τὰ διαβούλια αὐτῶν.» Καὶ ἰδοὺ ἄνθρωπος καὶ τὸ ἔργον αὐτοῦ, καὶ δικαστὴς ἀπαραλόγιστος, παρισταμένην ἔχων τὴν μεγαλοπρεπῆ τῶν οὐρανίων ταγμάτων δύναμιν, ὑψηλῶς προκαθέζεται πᾶσαν ἀπαστράπτων δικαιοσύνην, καὶ ἑκάστῳ δι' ἀποδόσεως ἀληθοῦς καὶ δικαίας νέμων τὰ πρὸς ἀξίαν, τοῖς μὲν ἐκ δεξιῶν διὰ τὰς καλὰς πράξεις σταθήσιν προσ 28.592 ηνὴς πράως ἐπιεικὴς, τὴν ἡτοιμασμένην ἀπὸ κα ταβολῆς κόσμου βασιλείαν διδούς· τοῖς δὲ ἐξ εὐωνύ μων διὰ τὴν ἐρημίαν τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἔργων στάσει λαχόντας, εἰς τὸ αἰώνιον πῦρ, τὸ ἡτοιμασμένον τῷ διαβόλῳ καὶ τοῖς ἀγγέλοις αὐτοῦ, μετ' ὀργῆς ἀπωθούμενος. Τίς ἐκεῖνο τὸ πῦρ ἐνέγκοι μενόμενον; τίς οὐ καταπτήσσει τὸ ξένον ἐκεῖνο τοῦ σκώληκος θέαμα; Τίς τοῦ σκότους ἐκείνου τοῦ ἐξωτέρου τὸ παχύν τε ὁμοῦ καὶ βαρὺν φέρειν δυνήσεται; Τίς μυ κώμενον τὸν τάρταρον, καὶ ἐκ πυθμένος αὐτῷ συμβραζομένην τὴν ἄβυσσον ὑποστήσεται; Τίς τῶν ἐπὶ τοῦτο τεταγμένων ἀγγέλων τὸ βλοσυρόν τε καὶ δριμὺ τοῦ βλέμματος, καὶ τοῦ προσώπου τὸ κατηφὲς οὐχ ὑποτρέμει δονούμενον; Τίς τὸ πάντων δεινότε ρον τῶν κακῶν, τὴν ἀποστροφὴν τοῦ προσώπου τοῦ φύσει πράου καὶ φιλανθρώπου Θεοῦ καὶ οἰκτίρμονος οὐ φοβηθήσεται; Ἅπασα κτίσις συναποστρέφεται καὶ βδελύττεται τοὺς

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