Opening
Second Letter to Monks.
Second Letter to Monks.
Athanasius, Archbishop of Alexandria, to the Solitaries.
Athanasius, Archbishop of Alexandria, to the Solitaries.
Athanasius to those who practice a solitary life and are established in faith in God, most beloved brothers, greetings in the Lord.
Athanasius to those who practise a solitary life, and are settled in faith in God, most beloved brethren, greeting in the Lord.
I thank the Lord who has enabled you to believe in him, so that you too may share eternal life with the saints. However, there are certain people who follow Arius and visit the monasteries with no purpose other than to deceive the simple-minded under the pretense of visiting you and coming from us. There are also some who claim they do not follow Arius, yet compromise themselves and worship with his followers. Because of this, some very sincere brothers have urged me to write immediately so that you may faithfully and sincerely keep the devout faith that God's grace produces in you, and not give the brothers reason to stumble. For when anyone sees you, the faithful in Christ, associating and sharing fellowship with such people or worshiping together with them, they will certainly think it doesn't matter and will fall into the pit of irreligion. So to prevent this from happening, dear friends, please avoid those who hold Arius's impiety, and also stay away from those who claim not to follow Arius yet worship with the impious. We are especially obligated to flee from fellowship with people whose beliefs we detest. If anyone comes to you and, as blessed John says, brings the right doctrine with him, greet him warmly and receive him as a brother. But if anyone claims to confess the right faith yet appears to share fellowship with those others, urge him to stop such fellowship. If he promises to do so, treat him as a brother, but if he persists in a contentious spirit, avoid him. I could make this letter much longer by adding the framework of this teaching from the divine Scriptures. But since you are wise and can anticipate what writers will say, and in fact, being devoted to self-discipline, are qualified to teach others as well, I have dictated a short letter as from one loving friend to others, confident that by living as you do, you will preserve a pure and sincere faith, and that those people, seeing that you do not worship with them, will benefit by fearing they will be considered impious and like those who follow them.
I thank the Lord who has given to you to believe in Him, that you too may have with the saints eternal life. But because there are certain persons who hold with Arius and go about the monasteries with no other object save that under color of visiting you, and returning from us they may deceive the simple; whereas there are certain who, while they affirm that they do not hold with Arius, yet compromise themselves and worship with his party; I have been compelled, at the instance of certain most sincere brethren, to write at once in order that keeping faithfully and without guile the pious faith which God's grace works in you, you may not give occasion of scandal to the brethren. For when any sees you, the faithful in Christ, associate and communicate with such people, [or worshipping along with them], certainly they will think it a matter of indifference and will fall into the mire of irreligion. Lest, then, this should happen, be pleased, beloved, to shun those who hold the impiety [of Arius], and moreover to avoid those who, while they pretend not to hold with Arius, yet worship with the impious. And we are specially bound to fly from the communion of men whose opinions we hold in execration. [If then any come to you, and, as blessed John 2 John 10 says, brings with him right doctrine, say to him, All hail, and receive such an one as a brother.] But if any pretend that he confesses the right faith, but appear to communicate with those others, exhort him to abstain from such communion, and if he promise to do so, treat him as a brother, but if he persist in a contentious spirit, him avoid. [I might greatly lengthen my letter, adding from the divine Scriptures the outline of this teaching. But since, being wise men, you can anticipate those who write, and rather, being intent upon self-denial, are fit to instruct others also, I have dictated a short letter, as from one loving friend to others, in the confidence] that living as you do you will preserve a pure and sincere faith, and that those persons, seeing that you do not join with them in worship, will derive benefit, fearing lest they be accounted as impious, and as those who hold with them.