This Quote Archive is on the philosophy, theology, and history of Christendom. Each Archive is a treasury of original source quotes on various topics relevant to the Catholic Faith, and addressed in Becoming Catholic articles. They are intended to help people explore the “gold, silver, and precious gems” that have been mined and sifted from the sources of the Great Tradition by Eternal Christendom as a labor of love for our readers, and all seekers of Truth. They are periodically updated as more research is completed.
The designation of Christendom as “a great mountain” refers to the mountain prophesied in Daniel 2:35, Isaiah 2:2, etc., which is the kingdom of the Messiah.
St. Athanasius (c. 296/98-373) | EAST
St. Athanasius, On the Incarnation of the Word
(§46) When did men begin to desert the worshipping of idols, save since God, the true Word of God, has come among men? Or when have the oracles among the Greeks, and everywhere, ceased and become empty, save when the Savior has manifested Himself upon earth?
Or when did those who are called gods and heroes in the poets begin to be convicted of being merely mortal men, save since the Lord erected His conquest of death, and preserved incorruptible the body he had taken, raising it from the dead?
Or when did the deceitfulness and madness of demons fall into contempt, save when the power of God, the Word, the Master of all these as well, condescending because of man’s weakness, appeared on earth? Or when did the art and the schools of magic begin to be trodden down, save when the divine manifestation of the Word took place among men?
And, in a word, at what time has the wisdom of the Greeks become foolish, save when the true Wisdom of God manifested itself on earth? For formerly the whole world and every place was led astray by the worshipping of idols, and men regarded nothing else but the idols as gods. But now, all the world over, men are deserting the superstition of the idols, and taking refuge with Christ; and, worshipping Him as God, are by His means coming to know that Father also Whom they knew not.
And, marvelous fact, whereas the objects of worship were various and of vast number, and each place had its own idol, and he who was accounted a god among them had no power to pass over to the neighboring place, so as to persuade those of neighboring peoples to worship him, but was barely served even among his own people; for no one else worshipped his neighbor’s god—on the contrary, each man kept to his own idol, thinking it to be lord of all—Christ alone is worshipped as one and the same among all peoples; and what the weakness of the idols could not do—to persuade, namely, even those dwelling close at hand—this Christ has done, persuading not only those close at hand, but simply the entire world, to worship one and the same Lord, and through Him God, even His Father…
(§55) This, then, after what we have so far said, it is right for you to realize, and to take as the sum of what we have already stated, and to marvel at exceedingly; namely, that since the Savior has come among us, idolatry not only has no longer increased, but what there was is diminishing and gradually coming to an end: and not only does the wisdom of the Greeks no longer advance, but what there is is now fading away: and demons, so far from cheating any more by illusions and prophecies and magic arts, if they so much as dare to make the attempt, are put to shame by the sign of the Cross.
And to sum the matter up: behold how the Savior’s doctrine is everywhere increasing, while all idolatry and everything opposed to the faith of Christ is daily dwindling, and losing power, and falling. And thus beholding, worship the Savior, “Who is above all” and mighty, even God the Word; and condemn those who are being worsted and done away by Him.
For as, when the sun is come, darkness no longer prevails, but if any be still left anywhere it is driven away; so, now that the divine Appearing of the Word of God is come, the darkness of the idols prevails no more, and all parts of the world in every direction are illumined by His teaching.
And as, when a king is reigning in some country without appearing but keeps at home in his own house, often some disorderly persons, abusing his retirement, proclaim themselves; and each of them, by assuming the character, imposes on the simple as king, and so men are led astray by the name, hearing that there is a king, but not seeing him, if for no other reason, because they cannot enter the house; but when the real king comes forth and appears, then the disorderly impostors are exposed by his presence, while men, seeing the real king, desert those who previously led them astray.
In like manner, the evil spirits formerly used to deceive men, investing themselves with God’s honor; but when the Word of God appeared in a body, and made known to us His own Father, then at length the deceit of the evil spirits is done away and stopped, while men, turning their eyes to the true God, Word of the Father, are deserting the idols, and now coming to know the true God.
Now this is a proof that Christ is God the Word, and the Power of God. For whereas human things cease, and the Word of Christ abides, it is clear to all eyes that what ceases is temporary, but that He Who abides is God, and the true Son of God, His only-begotten Word.
St. Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335-395) | EAST
St. Gregory of Nyssa, Catechetical Discourse
(Part 3, Ch. 18, §§1-3) (pgs. 103-105)
(§1) And yet perhaps it is superfluous for those who believe that God has sojourned in [human] life to object to [his] presence as not taking place with wisdom and superior reason; for those who are not violent in fighting against the truth there is no small proof of the divine sojourn, one that is manifest in the present life even before the life to come—I mean the testimony of the facts themselves.
(§2) For who does not know how the deceit of demons had filled every part of the inhabited world, having mastered the life of men through the madness of idolatry? [Or] how this was customary for all the peoples in the world, worshipping demons by means of idols, with animal sacrifice and pollutions upon [their] altars? 103 | 104
(§3) But from when, as the Apostle says, “the saving grace of God appeared to all men” (Tit. 2:11) by sojourning in human nature, all like smoke departed into non-being, so that the madness of oracles and soothsayers ceased, annual processions and the blemishes of the blood of hecatombs was abolished, and among most of the peoples altars and temple gateways and sacred precincts by the worshippers of demons to the deception both of themselves and of those who chanced upon them, so that in many of the places it is not even remembered if these things had ever happened, but in all the inhabited world temples and altars have arisen in Christ’s name, and the august and bloodless priesthood, and the lofty philosophy, which is directed more by deed than by word, and contempt for bodily life and disdain for death, which those who were compelled by tyrants to abandon the faith manifestly exhibited, accepting the body’s torments and the sentence of death as if it were nothing. 104 | 105
Obviously they would not withstand these things unless they had a clear and indisputable proof of the divine sojourn.
St. Augustine (354-430) | WEST
St. Augustine, Sermon 80: On the Miracle of the Five Loaves and Fishes
He came, He bound the strong one with the bonds of His Passion; He entered into his house [Matt. 12:29] into the hearts, that is, of those where he did dwell, and took away his vessels. We are his vessels. He had filled them with his own bitterness. This bitterness too he pledged to our Redeemer in the gall. He had filled us then as his vessels; but our Lord spoiling his vessels, and making them His Own, poured out the bitterness, filled them with sweetness.
St. Pope Celestine I (c. 376-432) | WEST
St. Pope Celestine, Letter 19: To Emperor Theodosius II (431)
(pgs. 204-205)
May the concern showed by your clemency suffice for the defense of the Catholic faith, which out of love for Christ our God, who directs your reign, you hasten to support in every way. By condemning the error of perverse doctrines you keep the faith pure and immaculate; in this you place the protection of your reign, knowing that your rule when protected by the observance of holy religion, will endure more firmly. But in virtue of episcopal office, each of us as far as he is able devotes his labor to the glory of this heavenly responsibility, and we are present at the council [of Ephesus] you have ordered in those whom we send, while we entreat your piety, as we appeal to the divine judgment, that your mildness should not give any scope to unruly novelty, and that no opportunity should be given to those who endeavor to restrict the authority of divine majesty within the limits of human debate–which would upset the peace of the church. The cause of the faith ought to be more important to you than that of your rule, and your clemency ought to be more concerned about the peace of the churches than about the security of all your territories. For success in everything else will follow if priority is given to preserving the things of God, as being still more dear. Abraham flourished through faith and 204 | 205 filled the whole world with the fame of his success; Moses, the liberator of his people, armed himself with zeal for the Lord against those who had departed form the true worship of God; and the Lord protected King David by subjecting his enemies to him, because in his reign he upheld the Lord’s commandments. Fortified by these examples, uphold by faith, vigilance, and power the universal church’s most pious worship of our God, lest dissension arrogate anything to itself. For your rule is assisted by every labor undergone on behalf of the peace of the church and the respect due to holy religion.
St. Pope Gelasius I (died 496) | WEST
St. Pope Gelasius, Letter 12: To Emperor Anastasius Augustus (494)
(§§2-3) (pgs. 74-75)
(§2) …In fact, august Emperor, there are two ways in which this world is chiefly ruled: the hallowed authority [auctoritas] of the pontiffs (pontificum) and royal power [potestas]. In these two the responsibility of the bishops (sacerdotum) is so much greater, to the extent that at the time of divine judgment they will render an account even for the very rulers of human beings. Indeed, my most indulgent son, you must know that you are permitted to superintend through high office of a human kind; however, in your devotedness you bow your head to the leaders (praesulibus) of divine affairs, and from them you await the occasions for your salvation, and, in both taking the heavenly sacraments and being suitably disposed to them, you acknowledge that you must be subject to the order of religion, rather than be in control of it. And so in these affairs you depend on their judgment, and do not wish them to be reduced to your will. For if, as much as pertains to the order of public discipline, by acknowledging that the imperial rule has been conferred on you by heavenly dispensation, the overseers (antistites) of religion themselves also obey your laws, lest their opinions which are extrinsic to worldly affairs be regarded as standing in opposition to them, with what willingness, I entreat you, is it fitting that you obey those who have been assigned to the most excellent and venerable mysteries? Accordingly, just as a charge of no light weight presses upon the pontiffs to remain silent because of the worship of the Divinity, as is proper, so there is no middling danger for those (heaven forbid!) who despise those whom they should obey. And if, in general, when all the bishops are administering divine affairs properly, it is appropriate for the hearts of the faithful to be subject to them, how much more should agreement with the leader of that see [Rome] be adhered to, whom the most high Divinity willed to be preeminent among all the bishops, and the loyalty of the entire church has honored continually?
(§3) Wherever Your Piety turns a clear gaze, never has anybody been able to raise himself by any completely human counsel to the privilege or acknowledgement of that one whom the voice of Christ set before all [Peter], whom the venerable church has always acknowledged and in her 74 | 75 devotedness holds as primate. The ordinances established by divine judgment can be assailed by acts of human presumption, but they cannot be overcome by the power of any of them.
St. Bruno of Cologne (c. 1030-1101)
St. Bruno of Cologne, Commentary on 2 Thessalonians
SOURCE: Kevin L. Hughes, Constructing Antichrist: Paul, Biblical Commentary, and the Development of Doctrine in the Early Middle Ages (Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press, 2005), 199, 201. Quoting from PL 153.419A and PL 153.420A.
If he [Antichrist] would come into the world now, when the majority of people obey the Roman pontiff and when Christian kings thus far preserve the faith, he would have a beast to mount that was not ready, and he would not be able to proceed on his way. When there is such a discessio, the faith will survive on the throne of Peter, even if only in a few. For the saints are said to have obtained the prayer of Christ when he said to Peter, “I have prayed for you, Peter, that your faith may not fail” (Luke 22:32)… 199 | 201
Just this restrains Antichrist, that who now holds the Christian empire and the unity of the faith may hold this for so long, until iniquity, which is now secret, may be taken from among the midst, that is from among the community, that just as now faith is in public (in communi) and iniquity in secret, so in the time of Antichrist faith may be in secret and iniquity in public, since his members will blush no more at acts of impurity than acts of purity, and those who have faith will be few.
St. Thomas Becket (1119/20-1170)
St. Thomas Becket, Letter to King Henry II (1166)
SOURCE: James Bruce Ross and Mary Martin McLaughlin, eds., The Portable Medieval Reader (New York: Penguin Books, 1977).
(pgs. 249-50)
For your sake for three causes: because you are my lord, because you are my king, and because you are my spiritual son. In that you are my lord I owe and offer to you my counsel and service, such as a bishop owes to his lord according to the honor of God and the holy church. And in that you are my king I am bound to you in reverence and regard. In that you are my son I am bound by reason of my office to chasten and correct you…
Christ founded the Church and purchased her liberty with His blood, undergoing the scourging and splitting, the nails, and the anguish of death, leaving us an example that we should follow in His steps. Whence also saith the apostle, “If we suffer with Him we shall also reign with Him. If we die with Him, with Him we shall rise again” (2 Tim. 2:12).
The Church of God consists of two orders, clergy and people. Among the clergy are apostles, apostolic men, bishops, and other doctors of the Church, to whom is committed the care and governance of the Church, who have to perform ecclesiastical business, that the whole may redound to the saving of souls. Whence also it was said to Peter, and in Peter to the other rulers of the Church, not kings nor to princes, “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock will I build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18).
Among the people are kings, princes, dukes, earls, and other powers, who perform secular business, that the whole may conduce to the peace and unity of the Church. And since it is certain that kings receive their power from the Church, not she from them but from Christ, so, if I may speak with your pardon, you have not the power to give rules to bishops, nor to absolve or excommunicate anyone…
Let my lord, therefore, if it pleases him, listen to the counsel of his subject, to the warnings of his bishop, and to the chastisement of his father…
It is known almost to the whole world with what devotion you formerly received our lord the Pope and what attachment you showed the Church of Rome, and also what respect and deference were shown you in return. Forbear then, my lord, if you value your soul, to deprive that Church of her rights. Remember also the promise which you made, and which you placed in writing on the altar at Westminster when you were consecrated and anointed king by my predecessor, of preserving to the Church her liberty…
We are ready faithfully and devotedly with all our strength to serve you as our dearest lord and king with all our strength in whatsoever we are able, saving the honor of God and of the Roman Church, and saving our order [the clergy]. Otherwise, know for certain that you shall feel the divine severity and vengeance.
