48

MAX. According to this argument, even those who speak of one nature do not say this for the suppression of the human nature; but because the nature, when contrasted with the divine, is called passible on this account.

PYR. What then? Is it not by way of distinction from the divine energy that the Fathers called the human movement a passion?

MAX. May it not be! For the existence of nothing, to speak generally, is known or defined by juxtaposition or by comparison; or in that case things would be found to be causes of one another. For if because the divine movement is an energy, the human is a passion; then certainly also because the divine nature is good, the human will be evil. Likewise, and according to the inverse antithesis, because the human movement is called a passion, the divine movement is called an energy; and because the human nature is evil, the divine will be good. But away with it! For these things are truly of great stupidity.

PYR. What then? Did the Fathers not name the human movement a passion? MAX. 0352 In many ways, clearly, with respect to the underlying concepts,

they named it. PYR. How do you say this? MAX. They called it also power, and energy, and difference, and

movement, and property, and quality, and passion, not by way of contradistinction to the divine; but as unchangeably cohesive, power; as characteristic and revealing the invariability in all those of the same species, energy; as defining, difference; as indicative, movement; as constitutive, and belonging to it alone and to no other, property; as specific, quality; as moved, passion. For all things that are from God, and after God, suffer in being moved, as not being self-motion, 15Γ_198 or self-power; therefore, not by way of contradistinction, as has been said, but because of the principle creatively implanted in them by the cause that constituted all things. Whence also, when speaking of it in conjunction with the divine, they called it energy. For he who said, "For each form operates with the communion of the other," what else has he done? Or he who said: "For having remained without food for forty days, he later was hungry; for he permitted nature, when he wished, to operate its own things"? Or those who spoke of his distinct energy? Or those [who spoke of] a double one, or one and another?

PYR. In truth, the investigation concerning the energies has shown the one energy to be absurd, in whatever way it is said of Christ. But I ask for pardon both for myself and for my predecessors. For it was out of ignorance that we were carried away into these absurd notions and arguments; and I ask that a way be found, so that this imported absurdity may be annulled, and the memory of our predecessors be preserved.

MAX. There is no other way, than that the persons be passed over in silence, but such doctrines be anathematized.

PYR. But if this happens, it will be found that there are cast out along with these, both Sergius and the synod held under me.

MAX. I have reason to wonder how you can call it a synod, which was not held according to the laws and synodical canons or ecclesiastical statutes; for neither was the encyclical letter sent out with the consent of the patriarchs; nor was a place or day for the meeting appointed. There was no prosecutor or accuser. Those who assembled had no letters of commendation, neither the bishops from their metropolitans, nor the metropolitans from their patriarchs. No letters or legates were sent from the other patriarchs. What person endowed with reason, then, would endure to call it a synod, which filled the whole world with scandals and dissension?

48

ΜΑΞ. Κατά τοῦτον τόν λόγον, καί οἱ μίαν φύσιν λέγοντες, οὐκ ἐπ᾿ ἀναιρέσει τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης ταύτην λέγουσιν· ἀλλ᾿ ἐπειδή ἀντιδιαστελλομένη ἡ φύσις τῇ θεία παθητική λέγεται κατά τοῦτο.

ΠΥΡ. Τί οὖν; οὐ πρός τήν θείαν ἐνέργειαν διαστολῇ οἱ Πατέρες πάθος τήν ἀνθρωπίνην προσηγόρευσαν κίνησιν;

ΜΑΞ. Μή γένοιτο· οὐδενός γάρ, καθόλου φάναι, ὕπαρξις ἐκ παραθέσεως, ἤ ἐκ συγκρίσεως γινώσκεται ἤ ὁρίζεται· ἤ οὕτω δ᾿ ἄν ἀλληλαίτια εὑρεθήσονται ὄντα τά πράγματα. Εἰ γάρ διά τό ἐνέργειαν εἶναι τήν θείαν κίνησιν, ἡ ἀνθρωπίνη πάθος ἐστί· πάντως καί διά τό ἀγαθήν εἶναι τήν θείαν φύσιν, πονηρά ἔσται ἡ ἀνθρωπίνη. Ὁμοίως δέ καί κατά τήν σύν ἀντιθέσει ἀντιστροφήν, διά τό πάθος λέγεσθαι τήν ἀνθρωπίνην κίνησιν, ἡ θεία κίνησις ἐνέργεια λέγεται· καί διά τό πονηράν εἶναι τήν ἀνθρωπίνην φύσιν, ἀγαθή ἔσται ἡ θεία. Ἀλλ᾿ ἄπαγε· πολλῆς γάρ ὄντως ἀβελτηρίας ἐστί ταῦτα.

ΠΥΡ. Τί οὖν; οὐκ ὠνόμασαν πάθος τήν ἀνθρωπίνην κίνησιν οἱ Πατέρες; ΜΑΞ. 0352 Πολυτρόπως αὐτήν πρός τάς ὑποκειμένας δηλονότι ἐννοίας,

ὠνόμασαν. ΠΥΡ. Πῶς τοῦτο λέγεις; ΜΑΞ. Προσηγόρευσαν αὐτήν καί δύναμιν, καί ἐνέργειαν, καί διαφοράν, καί

κίνησιν, καί ἰδιότητα, καί ποιότητα, καί πάθος, οὐ κατά ἀντιδιαστολήν τῆς θείας· ἀλλ᾿ ὡς μέν συνεκτικήν ἀναλλοίωτον, δύναμιν· ὡς δέ χαρακτηριστικήν καί τήν ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ὁμοειδέσιν ἀπαραλλαξίαν ἐκφαίνουσαν, ἐνέργειαν· ὡς δέ ἀφοριστικήν, διαφοράν· ὡς δέ ἐνδεικτικήν, κίνησιν· ὡς δέ συστατικήν, καί μόνῃ αὐτῇ καί οὐκ ἄλλῃ προσοῦσαν, ἰδιότητα· ὡς δέ εἰδοποιόν, ποιότητα· ὡς δέ κινουμένην, πάθος. Πάντα γάρ τά ἐκ θεοῦ, καί μετά θεόν, πάσχει τῶ κινεῖσθαι, ὡς μή ὄντα αὐτοκίνησις, 15Γ_198 ἤ αὐτοδύναμις· οὐ κατά ἀντιδιαστολήν οὖν, ὡς εἴρηται, ἀλλά διά τόν δημιουργικῶς αὐτοῖς ἐντεθέντα παρά τῆς τό πᾶν συστησαμένης αἰτίας λόγον. Ὅθεν καί μετά τῆς θείας συνεκφωνοῦντες αὐτήν, ἐνέργειαν προσηγόρευσαν. Ὁ γάρ εἰπών, "Ἐνεργεῖ γάρ ἑκατέρᾳ μορφῇ μετά τῆς θατέρου κοινωνίας," τί ἕτερον πεποίηκεν; ἤ ὁ εἰπών· "Καί γάρ τεσσαράκοντα ἡμέρας ἀπόσιτος διαμείνας, ὕστερον ἐπείνασεν· ἔδωκε γάρ τῇ φύσει, ὅτε ἠθέλησε, τά ἴδια ἐνεργῆσαι;" ἤ οἱ διάφορον αὐτοῦ φήσαντες ἐνέργειαν; ἤ οἱ διπλῆν, ἤ οἱ ἄλλην καί ἄλλην;

ΠΥΡ. Ἐπ᾿ ἀληθείας, καί ἡ περί τῶν ἐνεργειῶν ζήτησις ἄτοπον ἔδειξε τήν μίαν ἐνέργειαν, καθ᾿ οἱανδήποτε τρόπον ἐπί Χριστοῦ λεγομένην. Ἀλλά συγγνώμην αἰτῶ καί ὑπέρ ἑμαυτοῦ, καί τῶν προλαβόντων. Ἐξ ἀγνοίας γάρ εἰς τάς ἀτόπους ταύτας ἐξηνέχθημεν ἐννοίας καί ἐπιχειρήσεις· καί παρακαλῶ εὑρεῖν τρόπον, ἵνα καί ἡ ἐπείσακτος αὕτη ἀτοπία καταργηθῇ, καί ἡ μνήμη τῶν προλαβόντων φυλαχθῇ.

ΜΑΞ. Ἀλλος οὐκ ἔστι τρόπος, ἤ παρασιωπηθῆναι μέν τά πρόσωπα· ἀναθεματισθῆναι δέ τά τοιαῦτα δόγματα.

ΠΥΡ. Ἀλλ᾿ εἰ τοῦτο γένηται, εὑρίσκονται τούτοις συνεκβαλλόμενοι, Σέργιός τε καί ἡ ἐπί ἐμοῦ γενομένη σύνοδος.

ΜΑΞ. Θαυμάζειν ὕπεστί μοι, πῶς σύνοδον ἀποκαλεῖς, τήν μή κατά νόμους καί κανόνας συνοδικούς ἤ θεσμούς γενομένην ἐκκλησιαστικούς· οὔτε γάρ ἡ ἐπιστολή ἐγκύκλιος κατά συναίνεσιν τῶν πατριαρχῶν γέγονεν· οὔτε τόπος ἤ ἡμέρα ὑπαντήσεως ὡρίσθη. Οὐκ εἰσαγώγιμός τις ἤ κατήγορος ἦν. Συστατικάς οἱ συνελθόντες οὐκ εἶχον, οὔτε οἱ ἐπίσκοποι ἀπό τῶν μητροπολιτῶν, οὔτε οἱ μητροπολῖται ἀπό τῶν πατριαρχῶν.Οὐκ ἐπιστολαί ἤ τοποτηρηταί, ἀπό τῶν ἄλλων πατριαρχῶν ἐπέμφθησαν. Τίς οὖν λόγου μεμοιραμένος, σύνοδον καλεῖν ἀνάσχοιτο, τήν σκανδάλων καί διχονοίας ἅπασαν πληρώσασαν τήν οἰκουμένην;