St Athanasius the Great LETTERS, Part I, Complete

Translated by Cardinal Newman.

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Page 74

3. Yet even in this state, the man-loving Word, who came for this very reason, that He might seek and find that which was lost, sought to restrain them from such folly, crying and saying, 'Be ye not as the horse and the mule which have no understanding, whose cheeks ye hold in with bit and bridle [3940] .' Because they were careless and imitated the wicked, the prophet prays in spirit and says, 'Ye are to me like merchant-men of Phoenicia [3941] .' And the avenging Spirit protests against them in these words, 'Lord, in Thy city Thou wilt despise their image [3942] .' Thus, being changed into the likeness of fools, they fell so low in their understanding, that by their excessive reasoning, they even likened the Divine Wisdom to themselves, thinking it to be like their own arts. Therefore, 'professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of the corruptible image of man, and birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient [3943] .' For they did not listen to the prophetic voice that reproved them (saying), 'To what have ye likened the Lord, and with what have ye compared Him [3944] ?' neither to David, who prayed concerning such as these, and sang, 'All those that make them are like unto them, and all those who put their trust in them [3945] .' Being blind to the truth, they looked upon a stone as God, and hence, like senseless creatures, they walked in darkness, and, as the prophet cried, 'They hear indeed, but they do not understand; they see indeed, but they do not perceive; for their heart is waxen fat, and with their ears they hear heavily [3946] .'

[3940] Ps. xxxii. 9. Cf. Orat. iii. 18.

[3941] Is. xxiii. 2, LXX.

[3942] Ps. lxxiii. 20.

[3943] Rom. i. 22, 28, and cf. c. Gent. 19. 2.

[3944] Is. xl. 18.

[3945] Ps. cxv. 8.

[3946] Is. vi. 9.

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