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Devil in Athanasius of Alexandria, part 2

Herein we continued, from part 1, considering info on the Devil in Athanasius of Alexandria (296-373 AD). The fuller complete result consists of quotations of those sections within the text that refer to Angels, Cherubim, Seraphim, Devil, Satan, demons, serpent and dragon. The point is not to elucidate these references but to provide relevant partial quotations and citations. See my section on Angels here, Cherubim and Seraphim here, Satan here and Demons here.

Devil in Athanasius of Alexandria’s The Deposition of Arius, On Luke 10:22 and Matthew 11:27, De Decretis / The Decrees, De Sententia Dionysii and Apologia de Fuga.

The Deposition of Arius
2 Accordingly, when some one asked them, whether the Word of God can possibly change as the devil changed, they were not afraid to say that He can; for being something made and created, His nature is subject to change.

5 Paul, who was taught these things by our Saviour, wrote that “in the latter times some shall depart from the sound faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, which reject the truth. ”

On Luke 10:22 and Matthew 11:27
2 For whereas man sinned, and is fallen, and by his fall all things are in confusion: death prevailed from Adam to Moses, the Earth was cursed, Hades was opened, Paradise shut, Heaven offended, man, lastly, corrupted and brutalised cf.Psalm 49:12, while the devil was exulting against us—then God, in His loving-kindness, not willing man made in His own image to perish, said, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go?’

De Decretis / The Decrees Chapter 2

2, 4 And do thou, beloved, consider whether it be not so. If, the devil having sowed their hearts with this perverseness , they feel confidence in their bad inventions, let them defend themselves against the proofs of heresy which have been advanced, and then will be the time to find fault, if they can, with the definition framed against them…But this, as the Shepherd has said, is “the child of the devil ,” and the note of hucksters rather than of doctors.

Chapter 6
26-27 For it is the doctrine of the presumptuous Marcion, to sever and divide the Divine Monarchy into three origins—a devil’s teaching, not that of Christ’s true disciples and lovers of the Saviour’s lessons…Not one of the understanding and wise; for all abhor you, but the devil alone ; none but he is your father in this apostasy.

Chapter 7
29 But instead of this, the evil-minded men do all things with craftiness like their father, the devil; for as he attempts to deceive in the guise of others, so these have broached the term Unoriginate, that they might pretend to speak piously of God, yet might cherish a concealed blasphemy against the Lord, and under a veil might teach it to others.

De Sententia Dionysii
3 On the contrary, both the Jews of that day, and the new Jews of the present day inherited their mad enmity against Christ from their father the devil.

27 Unless perchance they will henceforth speak of the devil, for he is their only partisan, or rather he it is who suggested their heresy to them. Who then can any longer call men ‘Christians’ whose leader is the devil, and not rather ‘Diabolici,’ so that they may bear the name not merely of adversaries of Christ, but of partisans of the devil?

Apologia de Fuga
1 Now as to their imputations and calumnies, although there are many things that I could write, which even they are unable to deny, and which all who have heard of their proceedings know to be true, yet I shall not be prevailed upon to make any reply to them, except only to remind them of the words of our Lord, and of the declaration of the Apostle, that ‘a lie is of the Devil,’ and that, ‘revilers shall not inherit the kingdom of God.’

10 But although the proof against them is sufficiently clear from all this, yet since they still dissemble with soft words after the manner of their ‘father the devil,’ and pretend to charge me with cowardice, while they are themselves more cowardly than hares; let us consider what is written in the Sacred Scriptures respecting such cases as this.

23 They cannot say, from the Saints. No, but from the Devil (that is the only answer which is left to them)—from him who says, ‘I will persue, I will overtake.’ Our Lord commanded to flee, and the saints fled: but persecution is a device of the Devil, and one which he desires to exercise against all.

In the next segment, we will consider more on the Devil in Athanasius.

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