- At long last he entered Alexandria. He had grown
older and thinner but maintained the same fiery Spirit.
Wearing the same old garb of monks, he seemed more
majestic and magnetic to his people. Cries of love and
admiration echoed and re-echoed from one end of the city
to the other. And as he advanced amidst his people,
smiling serenely and joyously, his whole being radiated
with paternal love.
Abba Athanasius set himself immediately to the
task of re-organising his church. His first act was to
convoke a council in which he laid the rules for accepting
repentant Arians. Some of his bishops were not exactly
pleased at the clemency of his regulations; but he quieted
their fears by explaining that "The Kingdom of God
should not belong to us alone; we must, therefore
endeavour to the best of our ability to accompany with us
to this glorious realm as many of our brethren as possible.
We must bend to reach the fallen. Violence is no remedy;
it will render the wounds of the Church more incurable.
Both Christian charity and reason demand that we
maintain in their dignity all those who give us proof of
their sincere repentance. "When this plea did not satisfy
all those present, Athanasius added: "Shall we be more
demanding than God? When the Prodigal son repented,
after dissipating his heritage on riotous living, he had the
joy of being welcomed home; he was accounted worthy of
his father's embrace; he received a gold ring and was
dressed in the sumptuous robes which he had worn before
his fall. And the father disapproved of his elder son's
indigence. Henceforth those who abjure the heresy in
order to adopt the Faith of our fathers, are to be admitted
within our ranks. Far from closing the door in their faces,
elle
(Elle)
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