163

but being moved, as having a relation to that towards which it will be moved; but of the change according to motion, it knows the cause to be not nature, but judgment, whenever this happens to be in error.

The change, therefore, is not about the very substance of the soul, as I think; since it would have also changed infinitely, and would not have remained the same in substance; but it is according to the motion which is up to us, being borne along with the self-determining will. Therefore, for those who contradict to say and declare that even the perpetual motion of the soul around the Divine has the power of turning, does not seem to be the statement of those who speak truth; but of those seeking what is elegant in a showy way, and not reverently what is precise in the argument. For what person, partaking of reason and not without a share in the friendship of virtue, is ignorant that the perpetual motion of the soul around the good is nothing other than a natural activity, being perfected for the cause for which and on account of which it came to be? But turning is a motion contrary to nature, introducing the failure of this cause. For turning, in my opinion, is nothing other than weakness and a falling away from the natural activities. No longer, then, deem it worthy for the babblers to say: you dare to compare God and creation. Since the Divine, to speak properly, is neither body, nor incorporeal, nor substance, nor any of the things conceived or spoken of, that I may not enumerate everything in order; but even when conceived it remains incomprehensible, and when spoken of, ineffable.

Let these things, then, be said by us in a spirit of inquiry, but not dogmatically; and if it is sufficient for the subject, as is possible through a brief letter, and has not fallen far short of your magnanimity, thanks be to God, and to you who lead us forward. But if you wish, should the objectors not be persuaded, to engage with them more contentiously, we are ready by the grace of God to bring down upon them the cloud of divine witnesses and testimonies that surrounds us; so that having laid aside the burden of all the laborious consideration concerning this, and the easily besetting wrangling of the contentious, we may possess without disturbance the true knowledge concerning God and His creatures. But if it is deficient, which is a necessary failing for all, and not accomplished, as things brought forth from an unlearned mind and a weak instrument; forgive me, beloved, for daring to say these things for the sake of obedience alone, as God, who searches the hearts, knows; and gently correct one who does not wish to be ignorant of anything (433) profitable, and sympathetically guide one who desires to walk aright.

7. From the same to John the presbyter, concerning the soul's having intellectual activity even after death, and not being divested of any natural power.

On the second of the present month of August of the current first indiction, our common friend delivered to me the precious letters of your paternal holiness; having read them, I was naturally comforted concerning you, my masters, and after God the causes of all good things for me, who are living in health. For the Holy Spirit of God is so wholly united to you, that even when you are absent, beholding you only with the eyes of the mind, I am ordered according to my underlying power, both life and word; as seeing and reverencing God made manifest through you in remembrance. But I was not moderately distressed at the dogma concerning the soul, preached fearlessly there by some, as you have written, understanding how much strength and boldness such an evil has here as well. But what fills me with more dejection here, and casts a weight like a cloud upon my mind, is the novel dogma concerning the resurrection now held by almost all, and especially by the supposedly distinguished monks; so as not even to conjecture any longer the prelude of the

163

κινούμενον δέ, ὡς ἔχον πρός ὅ κινηθήσεται· τῆς δέ κατά τήν κίνησιν τροπῆς αἴτιον, οὐ τήν φύσιν γινώσκει, ἀλλά τήν κρίσιν, ὅτ᾿ ἄν ἐσφαλμένη οὖσα τυγχάνῃ αὕτη.

Ἡ τροπή οὖν, οὐ περί αὐτήν τῆς ψυχῆς ὑπάρχει, ὡς οἶμαι, τήν οὐσίαν· ἐπεί καί μετέβαλλεν ἀπειράκις, καί οὐχ ἡ αὐτή διέμενε κατ᾿ οὐσίαν· ἀλλά κατά τήν κίνησιν τήν ἀφ᾿ ἡμῖν, τῷ αὐτοκρατορικῷ θελήματι συμφερομένη. Τοιγάρτοι τροπῆς δύναμιν ἔχειν τούς ἀντιλέγοντας φάσκειν καί ἀποφαίνεσθαι , καί αὐτήν τήν περί τό Θεῖον τῆς ψυχῆς ἀεικινησίαν, οὐ μή δοκεῖ ἀληθευόντων εἶναι· ἀλλά πομπικῶς τό κομψόν, καί οὐκ εὐλαβῶς τό ἀκριβές τοῦ λόγου ἐπιζητούντων. Ἐπεί τίς ἄν λόγου μέτοχος, καί ἀρετῆς φιλίας οὐκ ἄμοιρος ἀγνοεῖ, ὅτι οὐδέν ὑπάρχει ἕτερον ἡ περί τό καλόν τῆς ψυχῆς ἀεικινησία, ἤ ἐνέργεια φυσική, ἐφ᾿ ᾗ καί δι᾿ ἥν γεγένηται αἰτίαν τελουμένη; ἡ δέ τροπή, κίνησις παρά φύσιν, τήν ταύτης ἀποτυχίαν τῆς αἰτίας εἰσάγουσα. Τροπή γάρ, κατ᾿ ἐμέ εἰπεῖν, οὐδέν καθέστηκεν ἕτερον, ἤ ἀσθένεια, καί ἔκπτωσις τῶν κατά φύσιν ἐνεργειῶν. Μηκέτι οὖν φάναι ἀξίωσον τοῖς λογολέσχαις, Θεόν καί κτίσιν συγκρῖναι τολμήσητε. Ἐπειδή τό Θεῖον κυρίως εἰπεῖν, οὔτε σῶμα, οὔτε ἀσώματον, οὔτε οὐσία, οὔτε τι τῶν νοουμένων ἤ λεγομένων ἐστίν, ἵνα μή πάντα καθεξῆς ἀπαριθμῶμαι· ἀλλά καί νοούμενον ἄληπτον, καί λεγόμενον ἄῤῥητον διαμένει.

Ταῦτα μέν οὖν ζητητικῶς, ἀλλ᾿ οὐ δογματικῶς παρ᾿ ἡμῶν εἰρήσθω· καί εἰ μέν αὐτάρκως ἔχει πρός τήν ὑπόθεσιν, ὡς δι᾿ ἐπιτόμου ἐπιστολῆς δυνατόν, καί οὐ πολύ τῆς ὑμεστέρας μεγαλονοίας ἀπολέλειπται· Θεῷ χάρις, καί ὑμῖν τοῖς προβιβάζουσιν. Εἰ δέ βούλεσθε, εἴπερ μή πεισθεῖεν οἱ ἀντιλέγοντες, ἀγωνιστικώτερον αὐτοῖς συμπλακῆναι, ἕτοιμοί ἐσμεν Θεοῦ χάριτι, τό περικείμενον ἡμῖν τῶν θείων ματρύρων τε καί μαρτυριῶν καταφεῖναι αὐτῶν νέφος· ἵνα πάσης τῆς ἐπιπόνου περί τούτου διασκέψεως τόν ὄγκον ἀποθέμενοι, καί τή εὐπερίστατον τῶν φιλονείκων λογομαχίαν, ἀνενοχλήτως τήν ἀληθῆ περί τε Θεοῦ καί τῶν αὐτοῦ κτισμάτων γνῶσιν κατέχωμεν. Εἰ δέ ἐνδεῶς, ὅπερ πᾶσα παθεῖν ἀνάγκη, καί οὐκ ἐπιτετευγμένως, ὡς ἐξ ἀμαθοῦς διανοίας καί ἀσθενοῦς ὀργάνου προενηνεγμένα· σύγγνωτέ μοι, ἠγαπημένοι, δι᾿ ὑπακοήν καί μόνην, ὡς ὁ ἐρευνῶν τάς καρδίας ἐπίσταται Θεός, καί ταῦτα εἰπεῖν θαῤῥήσαντι· καί διορθώσασθε ἠπίως τόν οὐκ ἐθέλοντά τι (433) τῶν συμφερόντων ἀγνοεῖν, καί χειραγωγήσατε συμπαθῶς τόν ὀρθῶς βαίνειν ἐπιθυμοῦντα.

Ζ´. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ πρός Ἰωάννην πρεσβύτερον, περί τοῦ καί μετά θάνατον ἔχειν τήν ψυχήν τήν νοεράν ἐνέργειαν, καί μηδεμιᾶς ἐξίστασθαι φυσικῆς δυνάμεως.

Τῇ δευτέρᾳ τοῦ ἐνεστῶτος Αὐγούστου μηνός τῆς παρούσης πρώτης ἐπινεμήσεως, ὁ κοινός ἡμῶν φίλος τίμια τῆς ὑμετέρας πατρικῆς ἁγιωσύνης γράμματα ἐπιδέδωκέ μοι· οἷς ἐντυχών, παρεκλήθην μέν εἰκότως ἐφ᾿ ὑμῖν τοῖς ἐμοῖς δεσπόταις, καί μετά Θεόν πάντων μοι τῶν καλῶν αἰτίοις, ἐν ὑγείᾳ διάγουσι. Τοσοῦτον γάρ ὑμῖν ἥνωται δι᾿ ὅλου τό Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ τό ἅγιον, ὅτι καί ἀπόντας ὑμᾶς νοός ὀφθαλμοῖς μόνον ἀναθεωρῶν, ῥυθμίζομαι κατά τήν ὑποῦσάν μοι δύναμιν καί βίον καί λόγον· ὡς Θεόν κατά τήν μνήμην δι᾿ ὑμῶν ἐμφανιζόμενον, καί ὁρῶν καί αἰδούμενος. Ἠνιάθην δέ οὐ μετρίως ἐπί τῷ περί ψυχῆς δόγματι τῷ ὑπό τινων, ὡς γεγράφατε, ἀδεῶς ἐκεῖσε κηρυττομένῳ, ὅσην κἀνταῦθα τό τοιοῦτο κακόν ἔχειν ἰσχύν καί παῤῥησίαν ἐννοῶν. Τό δέ πλέον με κατηφείας ἐμπιπλῶν ἐνταῦθα, καί βάρος ὥσπερ νέφος τῇ διανοίᾳ ἐμβάλλον, τό νῦν ὑπό πάντων σχεδόν, καί μάλιστα τῶν δῆθεν ἐπιφανῶν μοναχῶν πρεσβευόμενον περί ἀναστάσεως καινοπρεπές δόγμα· ὥστε μηδέ στοχαστικῶς ἔτι προοιμιάζεσθαι τήν τοῦ