39. I should have liked to speak no further and to say nothing from my own promptings, satisfied with what I have said: but lest you should think that I speak at random and believe that I detail these things without experience or truth; for this cause even though I should become as a fool, yet the Lord who heareth knoweth the clearness of my conscience, and that it is not for my own sake, but on account of your affection towards me and at your petition that I again tell what I saw of the practices of evil spirits. How often have they called me blessed and I have cursed them in the name of the Lord! How often have they predicted the rising of the river, and I answered them, "What have you to do with it?" Once they came threatening and surrounded me like soldiers in full armour. At another time they filled the house with horses, wild beasts and creeping things, and I sang: "Some in chariots and some in horses, but we will boast in the name of the Lord our God [1074] ;" and at the prayers they were turned to flight by the Lord. Once they came in darkness, bearing the appearance of a light, and said, "We are come to give thee a light, Antony." But I closed my eyes and prayed, and immediately the light of the wicked ones was quenched. And a few months after they came as though singing psalms and babbling the words of Scripture, "But I like a deaf man, heard not [1075] ." Once they shook the cell [1076] with an earthquake, but I continued praying with unshaken heart. And after this they came again making noises, whistling and dancing. But as I prayed and lay singing psalms to myself they forthwith began to lament and weep, as if their strength had failed them. But I gave glory to the Lord who had brought down and made an example of their daring and madness.'
40. Once a demon exceeding high appeared with pomp, and dared to say, "I am the power of God and I am Providence, what dost thou wish that I shall give thee?" But I then so much the more breathed upon him [1077] , and spoke the name of Christ, and set about to smite him. And I seemed to have smitten him, and forthwith he, big as he was, together with all his demons, disappeared at the name of Christ. At another time, while I was fasting, he came full of craft, under the semblance of a monk, with what seemed to be loaves, and gave me counsel, saying, "Eat and cease from thy many labours. Thou also art a man and art like to fall sick." But I, perceiving his device, rose up to pray; and he endured it not, for he departed, and through the door there seemed to go out as it were smoke. How often in the desert has he displayed what resembled gold, that I should only touch it and look on it. But I sang psalms against him, and he vanished away. Often they would beat me with stripes, and I repeated again and again, "Nothing shall separate me from the love of Christ [1078] ," and at this they rather fell to beating one another. Nor was it I that stayed them and destroyed their power, but it was the Lord, who said, "I beheld Satan as lightning fall from Heaven; [1079] " but I, children, mindful of the Apostle's words, transferred [1080] this to myself, that you might learn not to faint in discipline, nor to fear the devil nor the delusions of the demons.'
41. And since I have become a fool in detailing these things, receive this also as an aid to your safety and fearlessness; and believe me for I do not lie. Once some one knocked at the door of my cell, and going forth I saw one who seemed of great size and tall. Then when I enquired, "Who art thou?" he said, "I am Satan." Then when I said, "Why art thou here?" he answered, "Why do the monks and all other Christians blame me undeservedly? Why do they curse me hourly?" Then I answered, "Wherefore dost thou trouble them?" He said, "I am not he who troubles them, but they trouble themselves, for I am become weak. Have they not read [1081] ," "The swords of the enemy have come to an end, and thou hast destroyed the cities?" "I have no longer a place, a weapon, a city. The Christians are spread everywhere, and at length even the desert is filled with monks. Let them take heed to themselves, and let them not curse me undeservedly." Then I marvelled at the grace of the Lord, and said to him: "Thou who art ever a liar and never speakest the truth, this at length, even against thy will, thou hast truly spoken. For the coming of Christ hath made thee weak, and He hath cast thee down and stripped thee." But he having heard the Saviour's name, and not being able to bear the burning from it, vanished.'
42. If, therefore, the devil himself confesses that his power is gone, we ought utterly to despise both him and his demons; and since the enemy with his hounds has but devices of this sort, we, having got to know their weakness, are able to despise them. Wherefore let us not despond after this fashion, nor let us have a thought of cowardice in our heart, nor frame fears for ourselves, saying, I am afraid lest a demon should come and overthrow me; lest he should lift me up and cast me down; or lest rising against me on a sudden he confound me. Such thoughts let us not have in mind at all, nor let us be sorrowful as though we were perishing; but rather let us be courageous and rejoice always, believing that we are safe. Let us consider in our soul that the Lord is with us, who put the evil spirits to flight and broke their power. Let us consider and lay to heart that while the Lord is with us, our foes can do us no hurt. For when they come they approach us in a form corresponding to the state in which they discover us [1082] , and adapt their delusions to the condition of mind in which they find us. If, therefore, they find us timid and confused, they forthwith beset the place, like robbers, having found it unguarded; and what we of ourselves are thinking, they do, and more also. For if they find us faint-hearted and cowardly, they mightily increase our terror, by their delusions and threats; and with these the unhappy soul is thenceforth tormented. But if they see us rejoicing in the Lord, contemplating the bliss of the future, mindful of the Lord, deeming all things in His hand, and that no evil spirit has any strength against the Christian, nor any power at all over any one--when they behold the soul fortified with these thoughts--they are discomfited and turned backwards. Thus the enemy, seeing Job fenced round with them, withdrew from him; but finding Judas unguarded, him he took captive. Thus if we are wishful to despise the enemy, let us ever ponder over the things of the Lord, and let the soul ever rejoice in hope. And we shall see the snares of the demon are like smoke, and the evil ones themselves flee rather than pursue. For they are, as I said before, exceeding fearful, ever looking forward to the fire prepared for them.'
43. And for your fearlessness against them hold this sure sign--whenever there is any apparition, be not prostrate with fear, but whatsoever it be, first boldly ask, Who art thou? And from whence comest thou? And if it should be a vision of holy ones they will assure you, and change your fear into joy. But if the vision should be from the devil, immediately it becomes feeble, beholding your firm purpose of mind. For merely to ask, Who art thou [1083] ? and whence comest thou? is a proof of coolness. By thus asking, the son of Nun learned who his helper was; nor did the enemy escape the questioning of Daniel [1084] .'
[1019] Compare c. Gent. 1, de Synod. 6.
[1020] Ps. xc. 10. LXX.
[1021] Rom. viii. 18.
[1022] Eccl. iv. 8, vi. 2.
[1023] Ezek. xviii. 26.
[1024] Rom. viii. 28, R.V. Marg.
[1025] 1 Cor. xv. 31.
[1026] Phil. iii. 13; Gen. xix. 26; Luke ix. 62
[1027] Luke xvii. 21 (from memory).
[1028] Josh. xxiv. 23.
[1029] Matt. iii. 3.
[1030] James i. 20 and 15.
[1031] Prov. iv. 23.
[1032] Eph. vi. 12.
[1033] This is not quite the view of Athanasius himself, who regards the air as cleared of evil spirits by the Death of Christ, de Incar. xxv. 5: but Athan. does not mean that their power over the wicked is done away; nor does Antony ascribe to them any power over the Christian, see §§24, 28, 41.
[1034] 2 Cor. ii. 11.
[1035] See above, §13.
[1036] Job xli. 18, 19, 20 (vv. 9-11, LXX.), see above §5, note 15.
[1037] Job xli. 27 sq.
[1038] Exod. xv. 9.
[1039] Isai. x. 14, cf. Ep Æg. 2.
[1040] Job xli. 1.
[1041] Ibid. 2. Cf. Job xl. 19-24
[1042] Habak. ii. 15. LXX.
[1043] Luke iv. 41.
[1044] hetera anth' heteron, as in de Incar. 11. 4.
[1045] Ps. l. 16, Ep Æg. 3.
[1046] Ps. xxxix. 2.
[1047] Ps. xxxviii. 14.
[1048] Cf. de Incar. 47, 48.
[1049] John viii. 44.
[1050] Ecclesiasticus i. 25.
[1051] 2 Kings xix. 35.
[1052] Job i. and ii.
[1053] Matt. viii. 31.
[1054] Cf. de Incar. 3. 3, and passim.
[1055] Luke x. 19.
[1056] This materialistic view of demons may be paralleled from Origen and other fathers (D.C.B. i. 809), but is not Athanasian. But it would be congenial to the Coptic mind; compare the story told by Cassian of the Monk Serapion, who, on being convinced that God is a Spirit,' cried out, You have taken my God from me' (and see D.C.B. 1. p. 120).
[1057] Susann. 42.
[1058] 2 Sam. xviii. 24.
[1059] De Incar. 47.
[1060] Compare below, §§59, 62, for examples. This quite goes beyond any teaching of Athanasius himself; at the same time it finds a point of contact in what he says about dreams in c. Gent. 30 (manteuomenos kai progignoskon), and about the soul's capacity for objective thought, ib. 33, de Incar. 17. 3.
[1061] 2 Kings v. 26.
[1062] 2 Kings vi. 17.
[1063] Col. ii. 15.
[1064] Matt. xii. 19, cf. Isai. xlii. 2.
[1065] Luke i. 13.
[1066] Matt. xxviii. 5.
[1067] John viii. 56.
[1068] Luke i. 41.
[1069] theotokos, as in Orat. iii. 14 (where see note 3).
[1070] Matt. iv. 10.
[1071] Luke x. 20.
[1072] Matt. vii. 22.
[1073] 1 John iv. 1.
[1074] Ps. xx. 7.
[1075] Ps. xxxviii. 14.
[1076] monasterion
[1077] See D.C.A. p. 652.
[1078] Rom. viii. 35.
[1079] Luke x. 18.
[1080] 1 Cor. iv. 6.
[1081] Ps. ix. 6.
[1082] An important psychological observation.' (Schaff. Ch. Hist.)
[1083] Josh. v. 13.
[1084] Susann. 51-59
44. While Antony was thus speaking all rejoiced; in some the love of virtue increased, in others carelessness was thrown aside, the self-conceit of others was stopped; and all were persuaded to despise the assaults of the Evil One, and marvelled at the grace given to Antony from the Lord for the discerning of spirits. So their cells were in the mountains, like filled with holy bands of men who sang psalms, loved reading, fasted, prayed, rejoiced in the hope of things to come, laboured in alms-giving, and preserved love and harmony one with another. And truly it was possible, as it were, to behold a land set by itself, filled with piety and justice. For then there was neither the evil-doer, nor the injured, nor the reproaches of the tax-gatherer: but instead a multitude of ascetics; and the one purpose of them all was to aim at virtue. So that any one beholding the cells again, and seeing such good order among the monks, would lift up his voice and say, How goodly are thy dwellings, O Jacob, and thy tents, O Israel; as shady glens and as a garden [1085] by a river; as tents which the Lord hath pitched, and like cedars near waters [1086] .'
[1085] LXX. gardens.'
[1086] Num. xxiv. 5, 6.
45. Antony, however, according to his custom, returned alone to his own cell, increased his discipline, and sighed daily as he thought of the mansions in Heaven, having his desire fixed on them, and pondering over the shortness of man's life. And he used to eat and sleep, and go about all other bodily necessities with shame when he thought of the spiritual faculties of the soul. So often, when about to eat with any other hermits, recollecting the spiritual food, he begged to be excused, and departed far off from them, deeming it a matter for shame if he should be seen eating by others. He used, however, when by himself, to eat through bodily necessity, but often also with the brethren; covered with shame on these occasions, yet speaking boldly words of help. And he used to say that it behoved a man to give all his time to his soul rather than his body, yet to grant a short space to the body through its necessities; but all the more earnestly to give up the whole remainder to the soul and seek its profit, that it might not be dragged down by the pleasures of the body, but, on the contrary, the body might be in subjection to the soul. For this is that which was spoken by the Saviour: Be not anxious for your life what ye shall eat, nor for your body what ye shall put on. And do ye seek not what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, and be not of a doubtful mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after. But your Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. Howbeit seek ye first His Kingdom, and all these things shall be added unto you [1087] .'