It
is very tricky, the Athanasius question. There is no doubt whatever
Athanasius was a Lefebvre on steroids. There is also no doubt there
was no precedent for the situation in which Athanasius found himself,
whilst the SSPX has the shining example and illuminating precedent
of… Athanasius. We know as a fact that Athanasius refused to obey
to the point of incurring excommunication, did not recant after
receiving it, appointed bishops of his own, and really did not care
what Patheos would have said.
Amateur
Brain Surgeon tried to steer him away from the deceptive path he
is on but he would not post the cautionary comment ABS wrote at his blog which, throughout the trad world, is
of such tremendous import and impact owing to the effectiveness
of his puissant polemics.
So,
here goes from this crummy blog, a 2014 repost about the truth of the
Athanasius situation and how it does not even come with a
galactic distance of the Mons Lefevbre situation.
You
know, men often ask ABS why he is so vehemently opposed to
the SSPX schism and this is one strong reason why; a
Schism produces lies and insanity, it does not preserve
Tradition.
Saturday,
January 25, 2014
"Yeah,
well, Lefebvre is just like St Athanasius..."
Um,
no. He was not. Mons Lefebvre was not
unjustly
excommunicated by a Pope who was being held captive and tortured
by an Emperor and whose excommunication of Saint Athanasius was,
by Saint Athanasius his own self, credited to the Arians, and
not to Pope Liberius.
Saint
Athanasius considered Pope Liberius an orthodox man of Faith
whereas Mons. Lefebvre thought Pope John Paul II was an
antiChrist.
And
in no way can Pope Blessed John Paul II be thought of as a heretic -
although Mons Lefebvre called him an AntiChrist - and in no way can
Mons
Lefebvre be thought of as a champion of orthodoxy because he rejected
the very ecumenical council he participated in and signed all of its
documents; he also rejected the normative mass, and refused communion
with his local Bishop and the Pope and he started his own
petit ecclesia.
(More about
this fact will be forth coming).
It
is owing to the historical ignorance of those who succor it that
the SSPX can get away withtheir malign and disingenuous
propaganda in
defense of their indefensible schism.
On
the other hand, as the SSPX is an ideological movement, and as it is the
case that an ideology is, like a delusion, not correctable by
facts and reason, maybe the SSPX do think the modern Popes are the
captives of Masons and are being tortured by them.
Who
knows what their real motives really are?
Who
cares?
What
is crucial is that their historical claims are without value
and their doctrinal beliefs are heretical - as we shall see in
upcoming posts.
In
any event, attend to the words of the great Saint Athanasius and turn
a deaf ear to the lying claims of those who succor the schism; those
who try and sell you the fools gold that Mons Lefebvre is a
latter-day Saint Athanasius; the price of their lies is your soul.
History
of the Arians, Part V
BY
ST. ATHANASIUS
35.
Persecution and Lapse of Liberius
35.
Now it had been better if from the first
Constantius had
never become connected with
this heresy at
all; or being connected with it, if he
had
not yielded so much to those impious men; or having yielded to
them, if he had stood by them only thus far, so that judgment might
come upon them
all
for these atrocities alone. But as it would seem,
like madmen,
having fixed themselves in the bonds
of
impiety, they are drawing down upon their own heads a more
severe judgment. Thus
from the first
they
spared not even Liberius, Bishop of Rome,
but extended their
fury even to those parts; they
respected
not his bishopric, because it was an Apostolical throne;
they felt no reverence for Rome, because she is
the Metropolis of Romania ; they remembered not
that formerly in their letters they had spoken of
her Bishops as Apostolical men. But confounding
all things together, they at once forgot everything, and cared only
to show their zeal in behalf
of impiety. When
they perceived that he was
an orthodox man and hated the Arian
Heresy,
and earnestly endeavoured to persuade all persons to
renounce and withdraw from it,
these impious men reasoned thus with themselves: 'If we can
persuade Liberius, we shall soon prevail over all.' Accordingly
they accused him falsely before the Emperor;
and he, expecting easily to draw over all men to his side by
means of Liberius, writes to him, and sends a certain eunuch
called Eusebius with letters and offerings, to
cajole him with the presents, and to threaten him with the letters.
The eunuch accordingly went to Rome, and first proposed
to Liberius to subscribe against Athanasius, and to
hold communion with the Arians , saying, 'The
Emperor wishes it, and commands you to do so.'
And
then showing him the offerings, he took him by he hand, and
again besought him saying, 'Obey the Emperor, and receive these.'
- The Eunuch Eusebius attempts Liberius in vain
But
the Bishop endeavoured to convince him, reasoning with him
thus: 'How is it possible for me to do this against Athanasius?
How can we condemn a man, whom not one Council only,
but a second assembled from all parts of the world, has fairly
acquitted, and whom the Chuch of the
Romans
dismissed in peace? Who will approve
of our conduct, if we reject in his absence one, whose
presence among us we gladly welcomed,
and
admitted him to our communion? This
is no Ecclesiastical Canon; nor have we had transmitted to
us any such tradition from the Fathers, who in
their
turn received from the great and blessed Apostle Peter. But
if the Emperor is really concerned for the peace of the Church,
if he requires our letters respecting Athanasius to be
reversed, let their proceedings both against him and against all the
others be reversed also; and then let an
Ecclesiastical Council be
called at a distance rom the Court, at which the Emperor
shall not be present, nor any Count be admitted, nor
magistrate to threaten us, but where only the fear of God and
the Apostolical rule shall
prevail;
that so in the first place, the faith of
the Church may be secure, as the Fathers defined it in
the Council of Nicæa, and the supporters of
the Arian doctrines may be cast out, and their heresy
anathametaized. And then after that, an enquiry being made into
the charges brought against Athanasius, and any other besides,
as well as into those things of which the other party is
accused, let the culprits be cast out, and the innocent receive
encouragement and support. For it is impossible that they who
maintain an impious creed can be admitted as members of
a Council: nor is it fit that an enquiry into matters of
conduct should precede the enquiry concerning the faith ;
but all diversity of opinions on points of faith ought
first to be eradicated, and then the enquiry made into matters of
conduct. Our Lord Jesus Christ did not heal them that were
afflicted, until they showed and declared what faith they
had in Him. These things we have received from theFathers; these
report to the Emperor; for they are both profitable for him and
edifying to the Church. But let not Ursacius and Valens be
listened to, for they have retracted their former assertions, and in
what they now say they are not to be trusted.'
- Liberius refuses the Emperor's offering
These
were the words of the Bishop Liberius. And he eunuch,
who was vexed, not so much because he would not subscribe, as because
he found him an enemy to the heresy, forgetting that he was
in the presence of a Bishop, after threatening him severely,
went away with the offerings; and next commits an offense, which
is foreign to a Christian, and too audacious for a eunuch. In
imitation of the transgression of Saul, he went to
the Martyry of the Apostle Peter, and then
presented the offerings. But Liberius having notice of it,
was very angry with the person who kept the
place, that he had not prevented him, and cast out the offerings as
an unlawful sacrifice ,
which increased the anger of the mutilated creature
against him. Consequently he exasperates the Emperor against him,
saying The matter that concerns us is no longer the
obtaining the subscription of Liberius, but the fact that
he is so resolutely opposed to the heresy, that
he anathamatizes the Arians by name.' He also
stirs up he other eunuchs to say the same; for many of those who
were about Constantius, or rather the whole number of them, are
eunuchs , who engross all the influence with him, and
it is impossible to do anything there without them. The
Emperor
accordingly
writes to Rome , and again Palatines, and
Notaries, and Counts are sent off with letters to the Prefect,
in order that either they may inveigle
Liberius by stratagem away from Rome and send him to
the Court to him, or else persecute him by
violence.
- The evil influence of Eunuchs at Court
Such
being the tenor of the letters, there also fear and
treachery immediately became rife throughout he whole city. How
many were the families against which threats were held out! How
many received great promises on condition of
their acting against Liberius! How many Bishops hid
themselves when
they
saw these things! How many noble women etired to country
places in consequence of the calumnies of the enemies
of Christ! How many
ascetics were
made the objects of their plots! How many who were sojourning there,
and had made that place their home, did they cause to be
persecuted!
How often and how strictly did hey guard the harbour and
the approaches to he gates, lest any orthodox
person should enter
and
visit Liberius! Rome also had trial of the enemies
of christ, and now experienced what before she would
notbelieve, when she heard how
the
other Churches in every city were ravaged by them. It was
the eunuchs who instigated these proceedings against all. And the
most remarkable circumstance in the matter is this; that
the Arian heresy which denies the Son of God,
receives its support from eunuchs, who, as both their bodies
are
fruitless, and their souls barren of virtue, cannot
bear even to hear the name of son.
The Eunuch of
Ethopia indeed, though he understood not what he read Acts
8:27, believes the words of Philip, when he taught him
concerning the Saviour; but the eunuchs
of Constantius cannot endure the confession
of Peter , nay, they turn away when the Father manifests
the Son, and madly rage against those who say, that
the Son of God is His genuine
Son,
thus claiming as a heresy of eunuchs, that there is no
genuine and true offspring of the Father. On these grounds
it is that the law forbids such persons to be
admitted into any ecclesiastical Council ;
notwithstanding which they have now regarded these as
competent judges of
ecclesiastical causes,
and whatever seems good to them, that Constantiusdecrees,
while men with the name of Bishops dissemble with
them. Oh! Who shall be their historian? Who shall transmit the
record of these things to another generation? Who indeed
would believe it, were he to hear it, that eunuchs who are
scarcely entrusted with household services
(for
theirs is a pleasure-loving race, that has no serious
concern but that of hindering in others what nature has
taken from them); that these, I say, now exercise authority
in ecclesiastical matters, and that Constantius in
submission to their will treacherously conspired against
all, and banished Liberius!
- Liberius's speech to Constantius
For
after the Emperor had frequently written to Rome, had
threatened, sent commissioners, devised schemes, on
the persecution subsequently breaking out
at Alexandria, Liberius is dragged before him, and
uses great boldness of speech towards him. 'Cease,' he said,
'to persecute the Christians; attempt not by my
means to introduce impiety into the Church. We are ready to
suffer anything rather than to be called Arian madmen. We
are Christians; compel us not to become enemies of Christ. We
also give you this counsel: fight not against Him who
gave
you this empire, nor show impiety towards Him instead of
thankfulness ;'persecute not them hat believe in
Him, lest you also hear the words, 'It is hard for you to kick
against the pricks
Acts
9; 5.'
Nay,
I would that you might hear them, that you might obey , as
the holy Paul did. Behold, here we are; we have come,
before they fabricate charges. For this cause we hastened
hither, knowing that banishment awaits us at your hands,
that we might suffer before a charge encounters us, and that all may
clearly see that all the others too have suffered as we shall suffer,
and that the charges brought against them were fabrications of
their enemies, and all their proceedings were mere calumny and
falsehood.
- Banishment of Liberius and others
These
were the words of Liberius at that time, and he was
admired by all men for them. But the Emperor instead
of answering , only gave orders for their banishment,
separating each of them from the rest, as he had done in the former
cases. For he had himself devised this plan in the banishments which
he inflicted, that so the severity of his punishments might be
greater than that of former tyrants and persecutors. In the
former persecution Maximian,
who was then Emperor, commanded a number of Confessors to
be banished together , and thus lightened their punishment by
the consolation which he gave them in each other's society. But
this man was more savage than he; he separated those who had spoken
boldly and confessed
together,
he put asunder those who were united by the bond of faith, that
when they came to die they might not see one another; thinking that
bodily separation can disunite also the affections of
the mind, and that being severed from each other, they would
forget the concord and unanimity which existed among them.
He knew not that however each one may remain apart
from the rest, he has nevertheless with him that Lord, whom
they confessed in one body together, who will also
provide (as he did in the case of the Prophet Elisha 2
Kings 6:16) that more shall be with each of them, than there are
soldiers with Constantius. Of a truth iniquity is
blind; for in that they thought to afflict the Confessors, by
separating them from one another, they rather brought thereby a great
injury upon themselves. For had they continued in each other's
company, and abode together, the pollutions of those
impious men would have been proclaimed from one place only;
but now by putting them asunder, they have made their impious
heresy and wickedness to spread abroad and
become known in every place.
41. Lapse
of Liberius
Who
that shall hear what they did in the course of these
proceedings will not think them to be anything rather
than Christians When Liberius sent Eutropius,
a Presbyter, and Hilarius, a Deacon, with
letters to the Emperor, at the time that Lucifer and
his fellows made their confession, they banished
the Presbyter on the spot, and after
stripping Hilarius the Deacon and
scourging him on the back, they banished him too, clamouring
at him, 'Why did you not resist Liberius instead of
being the bearer of letters from him.' Ursacius and Valens, with
the eunuchs who sided with them, were the authors of this outrage.
The Deacon, while he was being scourged, praised the Lord,
remembering His words, 'I gave My back to the smiters Isaiah
50:6;' but they while they scourged him laughed and mocked
him, feeling no shame that they were insulting a Levite. Indeed
they acted but consistently in laughing while he continued
to praise God; for it is the part of Christians to
endure stripes, but to scourge Christians is the outrage of
a Pilate or a Caiphas . Thus they endeavoured at
the first to corrupt the Church of the Romans,
wishing to introduce impiety into it as well
as others. But Liberius
after he had been in banishment two years gave way, and from fear of
threatened death subscribed. Yet even this only
shows
their violent conduct, and the hatred of Liberius against
the heresy, and his support of Athanasius, so long as he
was suffered to exercise a free choice. For that which men are
forced by torture to do contrary to their first judgment,
ought not to be considered the willing deed of those who
are in fear, but rather of their tormentors.They
however attempted everything in support of their heresy, while
the people in every Church, preserving the faith which
they had learned, waited for the return of their teachers, and
condemned the Antichristian heresy, and all avoid it, as
they would a serpent.