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SCHOLIA 1. By reason, the nature of beings is circumscribed for the genesis of virtue, according to procession; which is the complete denial of nature according to virtue. By intellect, however, the movement of all age and time is defined, for the constitution of an unerring union, according to ascent; which 15Α_048 is the transcendence of those things in which nature is; I mean, place and time, in which is the hypostasis of beings. But the restoration according to grace to Him from whom, and through whom, and to whom are all things as the end of all, happens according to assumption; which is a passion of the one being assumed; but an energy of the one assuming.

2. Person, that is hypostasis; nature, that is essence. For essence, that which is according to the image, is the reason; but that which is according to the likeness, the life, is hypostasis, from which both virtue is completed. For they call virtue the hypostasis of wisdom; and they say wisdom is the essence of virtue. Therefore, the unerring manifestation of wisdom is the mode of contemplative discipline; but the basis of virtue has been established as the reason of practical theory. And the most veracious character of both is the unwavering contemplation of that which truly is.

3. That man is not immutable by nature; and how. 4. That the will is characteristic either of essence or of hypostasis; and there is no middle ground

between them, neither common and composite from both, nor partaking of neither. 5. That the choice in Christ signifies the natural will; that is, the

appetitive power of nature. 6. Behold the mystery of the economy. 0040 7. On the text, "For in him we live, and move, and have our being;" that is, concerning

essence, and power, and energy. 8. Concerning theosis. And may you too, Nilus, hear these things; and understand what

the teachers of truth understand. TO MARINUS THE MOST HOLY PRESBYTER

FROM THE TREATISE CONCERNING ENERGIES AND WILLS, CHAPTER 50 15Α_050 That Severus maliciously says that hypostasis is the same as nature,

in order that he might sanction the confusion by means of the one nature, and might flee refutation, by saying he understood hypostasis as nature; and again might introduce the division, advocating a union from hypostases; and might seem to be concealed by asserting that he accepts hypostases instead of natures. And again, being accused of the non-existence of the natures through a mere difference, he might find a refuge for defense in the mere difference in natural quality. And that just as Nestorius, by calling the union mere, introduced a real division; so also Severus, by calling the difference of natures mere, makes the confusion real.

But Severus, being straitened by these arguments and not bearing the test of truth, again, as is his habit, puts forward falsehood as an ally; asserting that in the economy hypostasis is the same as nature; and the difference in natural quality is the same as the real and according to-nature difference; because every quality is both natural and is called a thing; so that, if he is caught and exposed by the refutations, clearly through the one composite nature, advocating both the fantasy of Manes, and the confusion of Apollinaris, 15Α_052 and the contraction of Eutyches after the union into one essence of the things united, changing his colors like a chameleon, he might change his own voice, asserting that he understood hypostasis as nature. But if again, saying that the union came to be from hypostases, that is, persons,

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ΣΧΟΛΙΑ 1. Λόγῳ μέν ἡ φύσις περιγράφεται τῶν ὄντων πρός ἀρετῆς γένεσιν, κατά

πρόοδον· ἥτις ἐστί παντελής κατ᾿ ἀρετήν τῆς φύσεως ἄρνησις. Νῷ δέ περιορίζεται ἡ παντός αἰῶνος καί χρόνου κίνησις, πρός σύστασιν ἁπλανοῦς ἑνώσεως, κατά ἀνάβασιν· ἥτις 15Α_048 ἐστί τῶν ἐν οἷς ἐστιν ἡ φύσις ὑπέρβασις· λέγω δέ τόπον καί χρόνον, ἐν οἷς τῶν ὄντων ὑπόστασις. Ἡ δέ πρός τόν ἐξ οὗ τά πάντα καί δι' οὗ καί εἰς ὅν ὡς πέρας τῶν ὅλων, κατά χάριν ἀποκατάστασις, κατ᾿ ἀνάληψιν γίνεται· ἥτις ἐστί τοῦ μέν ἀναλαμβανομένου πάθος· ἐνέργεια δέ τοῦ ἀναλαμβάνοντος.

2. Πρόσωπον, ἤτοι ὑπόστασις· φύσις, ἤτοι οὐσία. Οὐσία γάρ, τό κατ᾿ εἰκόνα, ὁ λόγος· τό καθ᾿ ὁμοίωσιν δέ, ὁ βίος, ὑπόστασις ἐστιν, ἐξ ὧν ἀμφοτέρων ἡ ἀρετή συμπεπλήρωται. Ὑπόστασιν γάρ σοφίας, τήν ἀρετήν· οὐσίαν δέ φασιν ἀρετῆς εἶναι τήν σοφίαν. ∆ιό τῆς μέν σοφίας ἀπλανής ἔκφανσίς ἐστιν, ὁ τρόπος τῆς τῶν θεωρητικῶν ἀγωγῆς· τῆς ἀρετῆς δέ βάσις, ὁ λόγος τῆς τῶν πρακτικῶν θεωρίας καθέστηκεν. Ἀμφοτέρων δέ χαρακτήρ ἀψευδέστατος, ἡ πρός τό κυρίως ὄν ἀκλινής ἐνατένησις.

3. Ὅτι οὐκ ἄτρεπτος φύσει ὁ ἄνθρωπος· καί πῶς. 4. Ὅτι τό θέλημα, ἤ οὐσίας ἤ ὑποστάσεως ἐστι χαρακτηριστικόν· καί μέσον

τούτων οὐκ ἔστιν, οὔτε κοινόν καί σύνθετον ἐξ ἀμφοῖν· οὔτε οὐδετέρου μετέχον. 5. Ὅτι ἡ προαίρεσις ἐπί Χριστοῦ, τήν φυσικήν σημαίνει θέλησιν· ἤτοι τήν

ὀρεκτικήν τῆς φύσεως δύναμιν. 6. Βλέπε τό τῆς οἰκονομίας μυστήριον. 0040 7. Εἰς τό, ∆ι᾿ αὐτοῦ γάρ ζῶμεν καί κινούμεθα, καί ἐσμέν· ἤτοι περί

οὐσίας, καί δυνάμεως, καί ἐνεργείας. 8. Περί θεώσεως. Ἀκούσαις δέ τούτων καί σύ, Νεῖλε· καί φρονήσαις ἅ

φρονοῦσιν οἱ τῆς ἀληθείας διδάσκαλοι. ΠΡΟΣ ΜΑΡΙΝΟΝ ΤΟΝ ΟΣΙΩΤΑΤΟΝ ΠΡΕΣΒΥΤΕΡΟΝ

ΕΚ ΤΗΣ ΠΕΡΙ ΕΝΕΡΓΕΙΩΝ ΚΑΙ ΘΕΛΗΜΑΤΩΝ ΠΡΑΓΜΑΤΕΙΑΣ, ΚΕΦΑΛ. Ν' 15Α_050 Ὅτι Σευῆρος κακούργως ταυτόν εἶναι λέγει τῇ φύσει τήν

ὑπόστασιν, ἵνα τήν σύγχυσιν διά τῆς μιᾶς κυρώσῃ φύσεως, καί φύγῃ τόν ἔλεγχον, ὑπόστασιν λέγων νενοηκέναι τήν φύσιν· καί πάλιν τήν διαίρεσιν εἰσηγήσηται, τήν ἐξ ὑποστάσεως πρεσβεύων ἕνωσιν· καί δόξῃ λανθάνειν ἀντί φύσεων ἐκδέχεσθαι φάσκων τάς ὑποστάσεις. Καί αὖθις τήν ἀνυπαρξίαν τῶν φύσεων, διά τῆς ψιλῆς διαφορᾶς ἐγκαλούμενος, εὕρῃ καταφυγήν ἀπολογίας, τήν ψιλήν ἐν ποιότητι φυσικῇ διαφοράν. Καί ὅτι καθάπερ Νεστόριος ψιλήν λέγων τήν ἕνωσιν, πραγματικήν εἰσῆγε διαίρεσιν· οὕτω καί Σευῆρος ψιλήν λέγων φύσεων διαφοράν, πραγματικήν ποιεῖται τή σύγχυσιν.

Ἀλλά τούτοις Σευῆρος στενοχωρούμενος τοῖς λόγοις καί μή φέρων τῆς ἀληθείας τήν βάσανον, πάλιν ἑαυτῷ συνήθως τό ψεῦδος προβάλλεται σύμμαχον· ταυτόν εἶναι φάσκων ἐπί τῆς οἰκονομίας τῇ φύσει τήν ὑπόστασιν· καί τήν ἐν ποιότητι φυσικῇ διαφοράν, τῇ πραγματικῇ καί κατά φύσιν· διά τό καί φυσικήν εἶναι πᾶσαν ποιότητα, καί πρᾶγμα προσαγορεύεσθαι· ἵνα, εἰ μέν ἁλούς τοῖς ἐλέγχοις φωραθῇ, σαφῶς διά τῆς μιᾶς συνθέτου φύσεως, τήν τε Μάνεντος φαντασίαν, καί τήν Ἀπολιναρίου σύγχυσιν, 15Α_052 καί τήν Εὐτυχοῦς μετά τήν ἕνωσιν εἰς μίαν οὐσίαν τῶν ἑνωθέντων πρεσβεύων συναίρεσιν, χαμαιλέοντος δίκην τάς χρόας ὑπαλλάσοντος, τήν οἰκείαν μεταβάλοι φωνήν, φάσκων, ὑπόστασιν νενοηκέναι τήν φύσιν. Εἰ δέ πάλιν ἐξ ὑποστάσεων ἤγουν προσώπων λέγων γεγενῆσθαι τήν ἕνωσιν,