St Athanasius the Great LETTERS, Part I, Complete

Translated by Cardinal Newman.

St Athanasius the Great Resources Online and in Print

This Part: 128 Pages

Page 97

5. Also in the Gospel, He praises those who increased the grace twofold, both him who made ten talents of five, and him who made four talents of two, as those who had profited, and turned them to good account; but him who hid the talent He cast out as wanting, saying to him, 'Thou wicked servant! oughtest thou not to have put My money to the exchangers? then at My coming I should have received Mine own with interest. Take, therefore, from him the talent, and give it to him that hath ten talents. For to every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have more abundantly; but from him that hath not, shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth [4092] .' For it is not His will that the grace we have received should be unprofitable; but He requires us to take pains to render Him His own fruits, as the blessed Paul saith; 'The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, and peace [4093] .' Having therefore this right resolution, and owing no man anything, but rather giving everything to every man, he was a teacher of the like rightness of principle, saying, 'Render to all their dues [4094] .' He was like those sent by the householder to receive the fruits of the vineyard from the husbandmen [4095] ; for he exhorted all men to render a return. But Israel despised and would not render, for their will was not right, nay moreover they killed those that were sent, and not even before the Lord of the vineyard were they ashamed, but even He was slain by them. Verily, when He came and found no fruit in them, He cursed them through the fig-tree, saying, 'Let there be henceforth no fruit from thee [4096] ;' and the fig-tree was dead and fruitless so that even the disciples wondered when it withered away.

[4092] Matt. xxv. 26-30

[4093] Gal. v. 22.

[4094] Rom. xiii. 7.

[4095] Matt. xxi. 33.

[4096] Ib. 19

Previous Page / First / Next Page of Athanasius - LETTERS

St Athanasius the Great Home Page ||| More Church Fathers

Elpenor's Free Greek Lessons

Reference address : https://elpenor.org/athanasius/letters.asp?pg=97