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being warred against by them. (15B_324> For thus it is profitable to speak, because of the commandment that bids us to pray for those who curse us.

I then have briefly gone through these matters for you about which you asked, servant of God, for the sake of your full assurance; not holding one thing in my soul, as some of those who delight in Severus circulate; and speaking another thing to those I meet; do not think this, but I speak as I was taught and as I think and as I believe, and as I received from the Fathers. And, to say what is more important, I put forth my very thought embodied in these words. If my account is false, may I not attain the blessedness from there; but may I carry away alienation from the promised good things as the fruit of falsehood. But you, on account of my obedience, deign to repay me with your prayers; so that Christ our God, the salvation of those who fear him, may heal the wounds of my soul by the power of the mystery of His life-giving sufferings for us; who alone with the Father and the Holy Spirit is glorified unto the ages. Amen.

SCHOLIA

1. In the definition, he says, the commonality of things that are the same in essence is considered. 2. That the properties characterizing the composite hypostasis, he says, are common

to its parts. 3. An exact definition of hypostasis. 4. A definition or description of the enhypostatic. 5. A general definition of difference. 6. A general definition of identity. 7. The genus is called the quantity, which the number indicates. 8. He spoke properly, because the proper definitions do not change into one another.

For of things of which the definition is not one, the principle is not one; and of things of which (15B_326> the principle is not one, the mode of being is different; and of things of which the mode of being is different, their identity in all respects does not exist. Therefore nature and hypostasis are not identical; because the mode and principle and definition of being for these is not properly one. Therefore, 'hypostasis' will be said improperly, and in relation to something, but not properly.

LETTER 16. ... TO THE SAME. 16. Of the same, to the same. (15B_328> To me, afflicted by many scourges of grief over the things that have happened from

the slander of those who do not fear the Lord, to the noble guardian of virtues, lord 0577 George, your sacred letter arrived and consoled me, holy Father; on the one hand, bringing the good news of your health, desired by all; on the other hand, indicating the steadfastness of the orthodox confession in the Lord Jesus Christ our true God. Which, having been confirmed by the trial of sufferings, has been transformed into immutability for you, who considers as nothing the misfortune of the present life, whose good fortune you have long held as easily despised, and you have transferred the entire longing of your soul to the things hoped for alone; which faith and a good conscience are wont to characterize; the one guarding the pious doctrine, stained in no way by false opinion; the other creating a God-pleasing life, made right by the keeping of the commandments. For there is need of both, I mean of doctrine and of life, for one who is eager to prefer above all else living with wisdom; so that we may piously proclaim the mystery of the immutable emptying through the flesh of the God of all for our sake; confessing Christ to be truly both God and man; the one being uncaused through himself,

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παρ᾿ αὐτῶν πολεμουμένης. (15Β_324> Οὕτω γάρ συμφέρει λέγειν, διά τήν κελεύουσαν ἐντολήν ὑπερεύχεσθαι τῶν καταρωμένων.

Ἐγώ μέν οὖν ταῦτα πρός σέ κατ᾿ ἐπιτομήν περί ὧν ἠρώτησας διεξῆλθον, δοῦλε Θεοῦ, τῆς σῆς χάριν πληροφορίας· οὐκ ἄλλως μέν ἔχων κατά ψυχήν, ὥς τινες τῶν Σευήρῳ χαιρόντων διαθρυλλοῦσιν· ἄλλως δέ λαλῶν τοῖς παρατυγχάνουσι· μή τοῦτο νομίσης, ἀλλ᾿ ὡς ἐδιδάχθην καί φρονῶ καί πιστεύω, καί παρά τῶν Πατέρων παρέλαβον, λαλῶ. καί τό δέ κυριώτερον εἰπεῖν, αὐτήν μου τήν διάνοιαν προφέρω σωματουμένην τοῖς ῥήμασιν. Εἰ δέ ψευδής ὁ λόγος, μή τύχω τῆς ἐκεῖθεν μακαριότητος· ἀλλά τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων ἀγαθῶν τήν ἀλλοτρίωσιν ὡς ψεύδους καρπόν ἀπενέγκωμαι. Σύ δέ τῆς εὐπειθείας ἕνεκεν τῆς ἐμῆς, ἀμείψασθαί με ταῖς εὐχαῖς καταξίωσον· ὅπως Χριστός ὁ Θεός ἡμῶν, ἡ σωτηρία τῶν φοβουμένων αὐτόν, ἰάσηταί μου τά τραύματα τῆς ψυχῆς τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ μυστηρίου τῶν ὑπέρ ἡμῶν αὐτοῦ ζωοποιῶν παθημάτων· ὁ μόνος σύν τῷ Πατρί καί τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι δεδοξασμένος εἰς τούς αἰῶνας. Ἀμήν.

ΣΧΟΛΙΑ

1. Ἐν τῷ ὅρῳ, ἡ τῶν κατ᾿ οὐσίαν ταυτῶν, φησί, θεωρεῖται κοινότης. 2. Ὅτι τά χαρακτηρίζονταα τήν σύνθετον ὑπόστασιν ἰδιώματα, φησί, κοινά

τῶν αὐτῆς ὑπάρχει μερῶν. 3. Ὅρος ὑποστάσεως ἀκριβής. 4. Ὅρος ἤγουν ὑπογραφή τοῦ ἐνυποστάτου. 5. Ὅρος διαφορᾶς γενικός. 6. Ὅρος ταυτότητος γενικός. 7. Γένος λέγεται τό ποσόν, οὗ δηλωτικός ἐστιν ὁ ἀριθμός. 8. Κυρίως εἶπε, διά τό μή μεταβάλλειν εἰς ἀλλήλους τούς οἰκείους ὁρισμούς.

Ὧν γάρ οὐχ εἷς ὁρισμός, οὐχ εἷς λόγος· ὧν δέ (15Β_326> οὐχ εἷς ὁ λόγος, διάφορος ὁ τοῦ εἶναι τρόπος· ὧν δέ διάφορος ὁ τοῦ εἶναι τρόπος ἐστίν, τούτων ἡ διά πάντων ταυτότης οὐκ ἔστιν. Οὐκοῦν οὐκ ἔστι ταυτόν φύσις καί ὑπόστασις· ὅτι μή κυρίως εἷς τούτων ἐστίν ὁ τοῦ εἶναι τρόπος καί λόγος καί ὁρισμός. Καταχρηστικῶς οὖν, καί πρός τι τυχόν, ἀλλ᾿ οὐ κυρίως λεχθήσεται ὑπόστασις.

ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗ ΙS'. ... ΠΡΟΣ ΤΟΝ ΑΥΤΟΝ. Ιστ΄. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ, πρός τόν αὐτόν. (15Β_328> Πολλαῖς με λύπης καταικιζόμενον μάστιξιν ἐπί τοῖς συμβᾶσιν ἐκ

συκοφαντίας τῶν μή φοβουμένων τόν κύριον, τῷ γενναίῳ τῶν ἀρετῶν φύλακι κυρίῳ 0577 Γεωργίῳ, φθάσαν παρεμυθήσατο τό γράμμα σου τό ἱερόν, ὅσιε Πάτερ· τοῦτο μέν, τῆς ποθουμένης σου πᾶσιν ὑγείας εὐαγγέλια φέρον· τοῦτο δέ, τῆς εἰς Κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν τόν ἀληθινόν ἡμῶν Θεόν ὀρθῆς ὁμολογίας μηνύον τό βάσιμον. Ὅπερ παθημάτων δοκιμασίᾳ βεβαιωθέν, πρός ἀτρεψίαν σοι μετεποιήθη, παρ᾿ οὐδέν θεμένῳ τῆς παρούσης ζωῆς τήν δυσημερίαν, ἧς πάλαι τήν εὐημερίαν ἔχων εὐκαταφρόνητον, πρός μόνα τά ἐλπιζόμενα τῆς ψυχῆς ὅλον τόν πόθον μεθώρμισας· ὅντινα πίστις καί ἀγαθή πέφυκε χαρακτηρίζειν συνείδησις· ἡ μέν τόν εὐσεβῆ φυλάττουσα λόγον, μηδενί τρόπῳ ψεύδους δόξης χραινόμενον· ἡ δέ, τόν θεάρεστον δημιουργοῦσα βίον, τῇ τηρήσει τῶν ἐντολῶν κατορθούμενον. Ἀμφοτέρων γάρ, λόγου τέ φημι καί βίου χρεία, τῷ προτιμᾷν ἐσπουδακότι πάντων τήν τῆς σοφίας συμβίωσιν· ἵνα καί τό μυστήριον τῆς ὑπέρ ἡμῶν διά σαρκός τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων ἀτρέπτου κενώσεως, εὐσεβῶς καταγγέλλωμεν· ὁμολογοῦντες τόν Χριστόν κατ᾿ ἀλήθειαν Θεόν ὁμοῦ τε καί ἄνθρωπον· τό μέν ἀναιτίως ὄντα δι᾿ ἑαυτόν,