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Besides, how can some say there is simply one energy in Christ the God? For it must either belong to His parts, or entirely to Him as a whole. But if it belongs to the parts, it will obviously be divided and apportioned to both; and in suffering this, it will be altogether dissolved, and will dissolve with itself the things united in it. But if it belongs to the whole, it will be receptive of opposites, being mortal and immortal, created and uncreated, circumscribed and uncircumscribed. And if this is so, Christ would have His own energy by way of possession and privation, existing and not existing; through which, as acting suitably according to it, He would be receptive of opposites in the same respect, and not in one respect and another; than which what is more impious?

15Α_146 The same can also be said concerning the will. But how then did the Logos take His own flesh as a co-worker, according to Cyril the wise, if it did not have its natural energy? For that which has neither energy nor natural motion is entirely dead and soulless; and for what reason did He accept that which is dead for cooperation? For that which is without energy is rendered useless by complete inactivity. And how did He show it to be capable of giving life, as Cyril himself again taught, through its natural movements, such as touch, voice, and walking, if these were not its own, or in it substantially? For if they were substantially its own, the flesh certainly had a natural energy; for the movement of the hands and feet, and the voice in utterance, are of its substantial energy. 0112 But if these were not naturally its own, the Savior did not demonstrate it to be capable of giving life.

These few things out of many, having been instructed by the teachings of you and the God-wise saints among you, at your most sacred command, I have dared to write down in this modest letter, and to venture on things beyond my power, being small and lowly; and having neither a mind quick for conception, nor speech pliable for clarity, nor character well-ordered for the attainment of better things; but rather by grace, being sheltered through your mediation by the all-good God, who also covers the multitude of my sins. And I beseech you with tears, prostrating myself at your precious feet as if present, since the Holy Spirit has appointed you bishops and saviors of souls, not to hesitate where I have not written with precision, to make a benevolent correction; so that by this you may show yourselves to be mediators of God rather than imitators; His illumination and mercy upon all, not only by having received it, but also by worthily bestowing it; to whom I also implore you to commend the weakness of me, a poor and destitute man, so as to be sheltered from the visible and invisible flame that consumes all things on account of my sins; and to be ever refreshed and guarded in the dew 15Α_148 of both His all-holy and orthodox faith, and of sacred virtue. Amen

SCHOLION

1. See, the difficulty is solved for you. For when God came forth with the assumption, the great one, saying one and one from two opposites, he spoke on account of the hypostatic union; but he did not take the "one" to mean nature.

TO THOSE DWELLING IN THIS CHRIST-LOVING ISLAND OF THE SICILIANS

TO THE HOLY FATHERS ... To the holy Fathers dwelling in this Christ-loving island of the Sicilians,

Fathers, both abbots and monks, and to the orthodox laity, Maximos, a humble and sinful, unworthy servant.

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Ἄλλως τε, πῶς μίαν ἁπλῶς ἐπί Χριστοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ τινές φασι τήν ἐνέργειαν; Ἀνάγκη γάρ ἤ τῶν αὐτοῦ ταύτην ὑπάρχειν μερῶν, ἤ αὐτοῦ πάντως ὡς ὅλου. Ἀλλ᾿ εἰ μέν τῶν μερῶν, μερισθήσεται πρός ἄμφω δηλαδή τεμνομένη· τοῦτο δέ πάσχουσα, λυθήσεται πάντως, καί συνδιαλύσει τά κατ᾿ αὐτήν ἡνωμένα. Εἰ δέ τοῦ ὅλου, τῶν ἐναντίων ἔσται δεκτική, θνητή καί ἀθάνατος οὖσα, κτιστή καί ἄκτιστος, περιγραπτή καί ἀπερίγραφος. Καί εἰ τοῦτο, καθ᾿ ἕξιν καί στέρησιν οὖσαν καί μή οὖσαν τήν οἰκείαν ὁ Χριστός εἶχεν ἐνέργειαν· δι᾿ ἥν, ὡς κατ᾿ αὐτήν προσφυῶς ἐνεργῶν, τῶν ἐναντίων κατά τό αὐτό δεκτικός· ἀλλ᾿ οὐ κατ' ἄλλο καί ἄλλο· οὗ τί δυσσεβέστερον;

15Α_146 Τό αὐτό δέ καί περί θελήματος ἔστιν εἰπεῖν. Πῶς δέ ἄρα συνεργάτιν τήν οἰκείαν ὁ Λόγος παρελάμβανε σάρκα, κατά Κύριλλον τόν σοφόν, οὐκ ἔχουσαν τήν κατά φύσιν ἐνέργειαν; Τό γάρ μή ἔχον ἐνέργειαν μήτε κίνησιν φυσικήν, νεκρόν πάντως καί ἄψυχον· καί τίνι λόγῳ προσίετο τό νεκρόν εἰς συνέργειαν; Τό γάρ ἀνενέργητον, τῇ παντελεῖ ἀκινησίᾳ καταργεῖ. Πῶς δέ ταύτην ἐδείκνυε ζωοποιεῖν δυναμένην, ὡς αὐτός πάλιν Κύριλλος ἐξεπαίδευσε, διά τῶν κατά φύσιν αὐτῆς κινημάτων· οἷον τῆς ἀφῆς, τῆς φωνῆς, τοῦ περιπάτου, τούτων οὐκ ὄντων αὐτῆς, ἤ ἐν αὐτῇ κατ᾿ οὐσίαν. Εἰ γάρ αὐτῆς κατ᾿ οὐσίαν, φυσικήν πάντως ἡ σάρξ εἶχεν ἐνέργειαν· ἐνεργείας γάρ αὐτῆς οὐσιώδους ἐστίν, ἤ τε κίνησις τῶν χειρῶν καί τῶν ποδῶν, καί ἡ κατά τήν προφοράν φωνή. 0112 Εἰ δέ οὐκ αὐτῆς κατά φύσιν ταῦτα, ζωοποιεῖν δυναμένην ταύτην ὁ Σωτήρ οὐκ ἀπέδειξε.

Ταῦτα μικρά ἐκ πολλῶν, ὑμᾶς τε καί τῶν καθ᾿ ὑμᾶς θεοσόφων ἁγίων παιδευθείς διδαγμάτων, δι τήν ἱερωτάτην ὑμῶν κέλευσιν, ἐθάῥῤησα διά τοῦδε τοῦ μετρίου γράμματος χαράξαι, καί τῶν ὑπέρ δύναμιν κατατολμῆσαι, μικρός ὤν καί εὐτελής· καί μήτε νοῦν εὔστοχον εἰς ἐπιβολήν, μήτε λόγον εὔεικτον εἰς σαφήνειαν, μήτε ἦθος εὔκοσμον εἰς τήν τῶν κρειττόνων ἐξάνεσιν ἔχων· ἀλλά μᾶλλον χάριτι, διά τῆς μεσιτείας ὑμῶν σκεπαζόμενος ὑπό τοῦ παναγάθου Θεοῦ, καί καλύπτοντος τά πλήθη τῶν ἐμῶν ἁμαρτημάτων. ∆υσωπῶ δέ μετά δακρύων, τοῖς τιμοίοις ὑμῶν ὡς παρών προκαλινδούμενος ἴχνεσιν, ἐπειδή ὑμᾶς κατέστησε τό Πνεῦμα τό ἅγιον ἐπισκόπους ψυχῶν καί σωτῆρας μή κατοκνῆσαι ἐν οἷς οὐκ ἡκριβωμένως γέγραφα, φιλάγαθον ποιήσασθαι τήν διόρθωσιν· ἵν᾿ ἐκ τούτου μεσίτας Θεοῦ μᾶλλον, ἤ μιμητάς ἑαυτούς ἀναδείξηται· τόν ἐπί πάντας αὐτοῦ φωτισμόν, καί τό ἔλεος· οὐ μόνον ἕξει λαχόντες, ἀλλά καί ἀξίᾳ παρέχοντες· ᾧ καί παραθέσθαι τήν ἐμήν τοῦ πένητος καί φτωχοῦ ἀσθένειαν καθικετεύω, πρός τό σκεπασθῆναι τῆς τό πᾶν νεμομένης διά τάς ἐμάς ἁμαρτίας, ὁρατῆς τε καί ἀοράτου, φλογός· καί εἰς τήν δρόσον 15Α_148 τῆς τε παναγίας αὐτοῦ καί ὀρθοδόξου πίστεως, καί τῆς ἱερᾶς ἀρετῆς διά παντός ἐπαναπαύεσθαι καί φρουρεῖσθαι. Ἀμήν

ΣΧΟΛΙΟΝ

1. Ἴδε σοι τό ἄπορον λέλυται. Προελθών δέ Θεός μετά τῆς προσλήψεως, ἕν καί ἕν ἐκ δύο τῶν ἐναντίων, εἰπών ὁ μέγας, διά τήν καθ᾿ ὑπόστασιν ἕνωσιν· ἀλλ᾿ οὐ φύσιν τό ἕν ἐξεδέξατο.

ΤΟΙΣ ΚΑΤΑ ΤΗΝ∆Ε ΤΗΝ ΣΙΚΕΛΩΝ ΦΙΛΟΧΡΙΣΤΟΝ ΝΗΣΟΝ ΠΑΡΟΙΚΟΥΣΙΝ

ΑΓΙΟΙΣ ΠΑΤΡΑΣΙΝ ... Τοῖς κατά τήνδε τήν Σικελῶν φιλόχριστον νῆσον παροικοῦσιν ἁγίοις

Πατράσιν, ἡγουμένοις τε καί μονάζουσι, καί ὀρθοδόξοις λαοῖς, Μάξιμος ταπεινός καί ἁμαρτωλός, ἀνάξιος δοῦλος.