Chapter IX.—In reply to the question whether there is Nature that has no Subsistence.

For although633    Another allegation of the Severian party is in view here. See Leont., De Sect., Act. 7, Contr. Nestor. et Eutych. 1.; John of Dam., Dialect. 29. there is no nature without subsistence, nor essence apart from person (since in truth it is in persons and subsistences that essence and nature are to be contemplated), yet it does not necessarily follow that the natures that are united to one another in subsistence should have each its own proper subsistence. For after they have come together into one subsistence, it is possible that neither should they be without subsistence, nor should each have its own peculiar subsistence, but that both should have one and the same subsistence634    Leont., De sect., Act 7.. For since one and the same subsistence of the Word has become the subsistence of the natures, neither of them is permitted to be without subsistence, nor are they allowed to have subsistences that differ from each other, or to have sometimes the subsistence of this nature and sometimes of that, but always without division or separation they both have the same subsistence—a subsistence which is not broken up into parts or divided, so that one part should belong to this, and one to that, but which belongs wholly to this and wholly to that in its absolute entirety. For the flesh of God the Word did not subsist as an independent subsistence, nor did there arise another subsistence besides that of God the Word, but as it existed in that it became rather a subsistence which subsisted in another, than one which was an independent subsistence. Wherefore, neither does it lack subsistence altogether, nor yet is there thus introduced into the Trinity another subsistence.

Πρὸς τό, εἰ οὐκ ἔστι φύσις ἀνυπόστατος, ἀπάντησις

Εἰ γὰρ καὶ μή ἐστι φύσις ἀνυπόστατος ἢ οὐσία ἀπρόσωπος (ἐν ὑποστάσεσι γὰρ καὶ προσώποις ἥ τε οὐσία καὶ ἡ φύσις θεωρεῖται), ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀνάγκη τὰς ἀλλήλαις ἑνωθείσας φύσεις καθ' ὑπόστασιν ἑκάστην ἰδίαν κεκτῆσθαι ὑπόστασιν: δύνανται γὰρ εἰς μίαν συνδραμοῦσαι ὑπόστασιν μήτε ἀνυπόστατοι εἶναι μήτε ἰδιάζουσαν ἑκάστῃ ἔχειν ὑπόστασιν, ἀλλὰ μίαν καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν ἀμφότεραι. Ἡ αὐτὴ γὰρ τοῦ λόγου ὑπόστασις ἀμφοτέρων τῶν φύσεων ὑπόστασις χρηματίσασα οὔτε ἀνυπόστατον μίαν αὐτῶν εἶναι συγχωρεῖ οὔτε μὴν ἑτεροϋποστάτους ἀλλήλων εἶναι παραχωρεῖ, οὐδὲ ποτὲ μὲν τῆσδε ποτὲ δὲ ἐκείνης, ἀλλ' ἀεὶ ἀμφοτέρων ἀδιαιρέτως καὶ ἀχωρίστως ὑπάρχει ὑπόστασις, οὐ μεριζομένη καὶ διαιρουμένη καὶ μέρος μὲν αὑτῆς τῇδε, μέρος δὲ τῇδε διανέμουσα, ἀλλὰ πᾶσα ταύτης καὶ πᾶσα ἐκείνης ἀμερῶς καὶ ὁλοσχερῶς ὑπάρχουσα. Οὐ γὰρ ἰδιοσυστάτως ὑπέστη ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου σὰρξ οὐδὲ ἑτέρα ὑπόστασις γέγονε παρὰ τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου ὑπόστασιν, ἀλλ' ἐν αὐτῇ ὑποστᾶσα ἐνυπόστατος μᾶλλον καὶ οὐ καθ' αὑτὴν ἰδιοσύστατος ὑπόστασις γέγονε. Διὸ οὐδὲ ἀνυπόστατός ἐστιν οὐδὲ ἑτέραν ἐν τῇ τριάδι παρεισφέρει ὑπόστασιν.