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will the energies be brought together? For what you say with us to those who propose those things against the natures, these things will also suffice for us concerning the energies against you; but thus the argument has slapped you on equal terms, showing the irrationality of the difficulty. But from a superior position, we say that the one according to the species of man is not the same as the one according to the substance of soul and body. For the one according to the species of man indicates the invariability in all the individuals under the nature; whence we do not say it indefinitely, but adding "of man." But the one according to the substance of soul and body destroys their very being, pushing it into complete non-existence. But if the one according to the species of man is not the same, then there is no necessity for us, when we speak of one energy according to species, either to call this hypostatic, or to speak of three energies, because the energy looks to the nature.

PYRRHUS: But by the energies the persons are introduced according to Nestorius; and it is necessary for those who speak of two energies to vindicate his foul dogmas.

MAXIMUS: And yet Nestorius, though speaking of two persons, dogmatizes one energy. But if, according to you, persons 15Γ_178 are introduced by the energies, then the energies will be brought together in accordance with the persons; and you will be forced, following your own rules, either on account of the 0337 one energy of the holy Godhead, to say also one person of it; or on account of its three hypostases, three energies as well; or to speak of a relative union, as Nestorius does; for of this the one energy is the union, as Nestorius himself and those of his faction have shown in their writings. And in our own case, since there is one energy according to species, but many hypostases; either on account of the one energy according to species, one must also say one person of all; or on account of the many persons, many energies as well; and thus the saying has fallen from the Fathers: "Things that are of the same substance, are also of the same energy."

Furthermore, if according to them a person is introduced by the energy, and they have granted that many energies proceed from one and the same incarnate God the Word, they will also grant the persons introduced by the proceeding energies; if indeed they have resolved to be consistent with themselves; and there will be found infinite persons, and energies of the same one.

And again, if a person is introduced, according to their proposition, by the energy, then when this is abolished, it is certainly abolished along with it. If this is true, then by the abolition of the two, and of the one energy, both the two and the one person are abolished along with them; and Christ has passed, as far as it depends on them, from that which is, and is above being, into that which is not; than which what could be more impious?

But if someone should wish, out of great abundance, to test this in the case of each of us, he will find us at one and the same time both reasoning and walking; or even thinking some things, while conversing with those present about other things; which Moses is also recorded to have done, at the same time 15Γ_180 both interceding with God on behalf of the people, and speaking to the people, and urging them to good hopes; and neither by operating dually in a way suited to his natures is each one two; nor by being one who operates dually does he confuse the motions essentially present in his natures. And likewise in the case of uttered speech, we see both the thought inherent in the speech, and the speech underlying the thought, and their complete interpenetration of one another; and neither by their difference is a difference of persons introduced, nor by their extreme union is confusion. And what might one say also about the red-hot sword, no less of the natures, that is of the fire and the iron, and their natural energies, I mean the burning 0340 and the cutting,

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συναχθήσονται ἐνέργειαι; Ἅ γάρ ὑμεῖς μεθ᾿ ἡμῶν πρός τούς ἐκεῖνα κατά τῶν φύσεων προτείνοντας λέγετε, ταῦτα καί ἡμῖν περί τῶν ἐνεργειῶν πρός ὑμᾶς ἀρκέσει· ἀλλ᾿ οὕτω μέν ὑμᾶς ἐκ τοῦ ἴσου ὁ λόγος ἀπεῤῥάπισε, δείξας τῆς ἀπορίας τό παράλογον. Ἐκ δέ τοῦ ὑπερέχοντός φαμεν, ὅτι οὐ ταυτόν τό κατ᾿ εἶδος τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἕν, καί τό κατ᾿ οὐσίαν ψυχῆς καί σώματος ἕν. Τό μέν γάρ κατ᾿ εἶδος τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἕν, τήν ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ὑπό τήν φύσιν ἀτόμοις ἀπαραλλαξίαν ἐνδείκνυται· ὅθεν οὐδέ ἀπροσδιορίστως αὐτό φαμεν, ἀλλά προσεπάγοντες τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. Τό δέ κατ᾿ οὐσίαν ψυχῆς καί σώματος ἕν, αὐτό τό εἶναι αὐτῶν λυμαίνεται, εἰς ἀνυπαρξίαν αὐτό παντελῆ ὠθοῦν. Εἰ δέ οὐ ταυτόν τό κατ᾿ εἶδος τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἕν, οὐκ ἄρα ἀνάγκη ἡμῖν, τήν κατ᾿ εἶδος μίαν λέγοντας ἐνέργειαν, ἤ ὑποστατικήν ταύτην λέγειν, ἤ τρεῖς ἐνεργείας, διά τό πρός φύσιν ὁρᾷν τήν ἐνέργειαν.

ΠΥΡ. Ἀλλά ταῖς ἐνεργείαις τά πρόσωπα κατά Νεστόριον συνεισάγεται· καί ἀνάγκη, τούς δύο λέγοντας ἐνεργείας, τά ἐκείνου μιαρά διεκδικεῖν δόγματα.

ΜΑΞ. Καί μήν Νεστόριος, δύο πρόσωπα λέγων μίαν δογματίζει ἐνέργειαν. Εἰ δέ ταῖς ἐνεργείαις πρόσωπα καθ᾿ ὑμᾶς 15Γ_178 συνεισάγεται, καί τοῖς προσώποις ἀκολούθως αἱ ἐνέργειαι συναχθήσονται· καί βιασθήσεσθε, τοῖς ἰδίοις ἑπόμενοι κανόσιν, ἤ διά τήν 0337 μίαν ἐνέργειαν τῆς ἁγίας Θεότητος, καί ἕν λέγειν αὐτῆς πρόσωπον· ἤ διά τάς τρεῖς αὐτοῦ ὑποστάσεις, τρεῖς καί ἐνεργείας· ἤ σχετικήν, ὡς Νεστόριος λέγειν ἕνωσιν· ταύτης γάρ ἡ μία ἐνέργεια ἡ ἕνωσις, ὡς αὐτός Νεστόριος καί οἱ τῆς αὐτοῦ φατρίας ἐν τοῖς αὐτῶν ἀπέδειξαν γράμμασι. Καί ἐφ᾿ ἡμῶν δέ, ἐπειδή μία μέν ἡ κατά τό εἶδος ἐνέργεια, πολλαί δέ αἱ ὑποστάσεις· ἤ διά τήν μίαν κατ' εἶδος ἐνέργειαν, καί ἕν τῶν πάντων λέγειν πρόσωπον· ἤ διά τά πολλά πρόσωπα, πολλάς καί ἐνεργείας· καί διαπέπτωκε τοῖς Πατράσιν οὕτω γε ὁ φάσκων λόγος· "Τά τῆς αὐτῆς ὄντα οὐσίας, καί τῆς αὐτῆς εἶναι ἐνεργείας."

Ἔτι τε , εἰ τῇ ἐνεργείᾳ πρόσωπον συνεισάγεται κατ᾿ αὐτούς, πολλάς δέ δεδώκασιν ἐνεργείας ἐξ ἑνός καί τοῦ αὐτοῦ σεσαρκωμένου Θεοῦ Λόγου προελθεῖν, καί τά συνεισαγόμενα ταῖς προελθούσαις ἐνεργείαις πρόσωπα δώσουσιν· εἴπερ ἑαυτοῖς στοιχεῖν διέγνωσαν· καί εὑρεθήσοντα ἄπειρα καί τά πρόσωπα, καί αἱ ἐνέργειαι τοῦ αὐτοῦ.

Καί αὖθις, εἰ συνεισάγεται πρόσωπον, κατά τήν αὐτῶν πρότασιν, τῇ ἐνεργείᾳ, καί ἀναιρουμένη ταύτῃ συναναιρεῖται πάντως. Εἰ δέ τοῦτο ἀληθές, ἄρα τῇ ἀναιρέσει τῶν δύο, καί τῆς μιᾶς ἐνεργειῶν, συναναιρεῖται καί τά δύο καί τό ἕν πρόσωπον· καί ἐχώρησεν, ὅσον τό ἐπ᾿ αὐτοῖς, ὁ Χριστός, ἐκ τοῦ ὄντος, καί ὑπερόντος, εἰς τό μή ὄν· οὗ τι γένοιτο ἄν ἀσεβέστερον;

Εἰ δέ καί ἐπί τοῦ καθ᾿ ἕκαστον ἡμῶν τοῦτό τις ἐκ πολλής περιουσίας γυμνάζειν βουληθείη, εὑρήσει καί ἡμᾶς καθ᾿ ἕνα καί τόν αὐτόν καιρόν καί λογιζομένους, καί περιπατοῦντας· ἤ καί ἕτερα μέν διανοουμένους, ἕτερα δέ τοῖς παρατυγχάνουσι διαλεγομένους· ὅπερ καί Μωϋσῆς ποιήσας ἱστορεῖται, κατά τόν αὐτόν καιρόν 15Γ_180 καί Θεῷ ἐντυγχάνων ὑπέρ τοῦ λαοῦ, καί τῷ λαῷ διαλεγόμενος, καί πρός χρηστάς παρορμῶν ἐλπίδας· καί οὔτε τῷ προσφυῶς ταῖς αὐτοῦ φύσεσι δυϊκῶς ἐνεργεῖν, δύο ὁ καθεῖς ἐστιν· οὔτε τῷ ἕνα εἶναι τόν δυϊκῶς ἐνεργοῦντα, τάς οὐσιωδῶς προσούσας ταῖς αὐτοῦ φύσεσι κινήσεις συγχεῖ. Καί ἐπί τοῦ κατά προφοράν δέ λόγου ὡσαύτως, καί τήν ἐγκειμένην τῷ λόγῳ ὁρῶμεν ἔννοιαν, καί τόν ὑποκείμενον τῇ ἐννοίᾳ λόγον, καί τήν αὐτῶν δι᾿ ὅλου εἰς ἄλληλα περιχώρησιν· καί οὔτε τῇ διαφορᾷ αὐτῶν τό διάφορον τῶν προσώπων συνεισάγεται, οὔτε τῇ ἄκρᾳ ἑνώσει τό συγκεχυμένον. Τί δ᾿ ἄν τις εἴποι καί περί τῆς πεπυρακτωμένης μαχαίρας, οὐχ ἦττον τῶν φύσεων, τουτέστι τοῦ πυρός καί τοῦ σιδήρου, καί τάς αὐτῶν φυσικάς ἐνεργείας, τήν καῦσίν φημι 0340 καί τήν τομήν,