Disputation at Bizya 1 part 2/10

No one operates the hypostasis as a 'who,' but the nature as a 'what' — for example, Peter and Paul operate, but not 'in a Petrine way' and 'in a Pauline way,' but 'in a human way.'

For both are men naturally, according to the common and defining principle of nature, but not hypostatically, according to their own particular quality.

Likewise Michael and Gabriel operate, but not 'in a Michaelic way' and 'in a Gabrielic way,' but 'in an angelic way.'

And thus, in every nature that is predicated of many individuals in number, we observe the operation to be common, and not confined to one alone.

Therefore whoever speaks of a 'hypostatic operation' represents the nature itself — though it is one — as having become infinite in its operations, and as differing from itself according to the multitude of individuals comprised under it; and if we accept this to be sound, we thereby corrupt, for every nature, the very principle of how it exists.

And when these things had been said, as they were embracing one another, Theodosius the consul said:

Behold, all things have turned out well.

He will surely do so, if he wishes to be an imitator of God and to be humbled together with him for the sake of the common salvation of us all — reckoning that, if God, who by nature saves, did not save until he was willingly humbled, how shall man, who by nature is saved, either be saved or save, without being humbled?

And Theodosius the consul said:

I hope, God preserving my memory, that I shall say this word to him, and he will be persuaded.

And having embraced one another upon this, they departed in peace, the bishop having given to the abbot Maximus a small sum of money that had been sent to him, and a tunic and a cloak; and the tunic — the bishop of Bizya [took back] immediately, at that very hour; while at Rhegium they took away not only the sum given to him, but also whatever else he had by way of charity, together with the rest of his pitiable belongings and garments.

After the aforesaid men had departed, on the eighth of the month of September of the present fifteenth indiction, Paul the consul again went out to Bizya, to the abbot Maximus, bringing an order [imperial command] containing the following:

We command your excellency to go to Bizya and bring Maximus the monk, with much honor and courtesy, both because of his old age and infirmity, and because he was known to our forebears and was held in honor by them; and to place him in the pious monastery of Saint Theodore, situated near Rhegium; and to come and report to us. And we are sending, on our behalf, two patricians, who are to discuss with him the matters that have occurred to us — men who love us with their whole soul, and are loved by us.

And to come and announce to us his arrival.

So the same consul, having brought him and placed him in the aforesaid monastery, departed to announce [this].

And on the following day, Epiphanius and Troilus the patricians went out to him, with much pomp and ostentation, together with Theodosius the bishop; and they went up to him in the catechumeneion of the church of that same monastery; and when the customary greeting had taken place, they sat down, compelling him also to sit; and Troilus, opening the discourse to him, said:

Our master has ordered us to come to you, and to tell you what has seemed [right] to his God-established majesty.

But tell us first: will you do the emperor's bidding, or will you not?

Since, in regard to what is unknown [to me], what answer can I give?

It is not possible for us to say anything whatever, unless you first tell us whether you will do, or will not do, the emperor's bidding.

And when he saw them insisting, and looking rather bitterly on account of his delay, and answering rather harshly, together with all who were present with them — these too being puffed up with the trappings of [their] ranks — the abbot Maximus, answering, said:

Since you do not consent to tell your servant what has occurred to our master and emperor, behold, I say — with God and the holy angels listening, and all of you [listening] — that whatever he commands me concerning any matter that is dissolved and perishes together with this present age, I will do readily.

And Troilus, standing up at once, said:

And when a very great uproar had arisen, and much disturbance and confusion, Theodosius the bishop said to them:

Tell him the answer, and learn what he says.

For to go out thus, having said nothing and having heard nothing, is not reasonable.

Then Epiphanius the patrician said:

This the emperor makes known to you through us, saying:

For we know for certain that, if you enter into communion with the holy throne here, all those who, because of you and your teaching, have separated from our communion, will be united to us.

And the abbot Maximus, turning to the bishop, said to him with tears:

You know what was set forth and resolved upon the holy Gospels, and the life-giving Cross, and the icon of our God and Savior, and of the All-Holy Ever-Virgin Mother who bore him.

And the bishop, casting his face down, says to him in a rather gloomy voice:

And what am I to do, since something else has occurred to [been decided by] the most pious emperor?

And why did you, and those with you, touch the holy Gospels, when the outcome of what was said [sworn] did not rest with you?

Truly, all the power of the heavens will not persuade me to do this.

For what defense shall I offer — I do not say to God, but to my own conscience — that, for the sake of human glory, which by its own definition has no [real] existence, I renounced the faith that saves those who cling to it?

And at this word they rose up — anger commanding them all — and with hair-pulling and shoving and blows they battered him, deluging him from head to foot with spittle, the stench of which lingered until the garments he had been wearing were washed.

And the bishop, standing up, said:

This ought not to have happened thus, but we ought only to have heard his answer from him and gone in to report to our good master.

For canonical matters are administered in a different manner.

And the bishop, having with difficulty persuaded them to be calm, they sat down again; and having reviled him with countless insults and unimaginable curses, Epiphanius said, with anger and harshness:

Tell us, you utterly vile glutton — is it because you hold us, and our city, and the emperor to be heretics that you spoke these words?

'Nature altogether has, from nature, the [capacity] to will and to operate, since motion is proper to life, and will is proper to intellect.'

'And we know him to be possessed of will, not only in his divinity, but also in his humanity.'

'But neither do we deny his two wills and operations.'

And the abbot Maximus, answering, said:

If you believe thus, even as the rational [angelic] natures and the Church of God [believe], how is it that you compel me to enter into communion on the basis of the Typos, whose sole [effect] is the abolition of these very things?

And the abbot Maximus, answering, said again:

On the contrary, every man is sanctified through the exact confession of the faith, not indeed through the abolition [of doctrine] laid down in the Typos.

And in the palace they told you that it did not abolish [anything], but commanded that [both doctrines] be silenced, so that we might all be at peace.

And the abbot Maximus, answering, said:

The silencing of the doctrines is [itself] the abolition of the doctrines.

Therefore a doctrine that is not spoken is not even a doctrine at all.

Keep it in your heart, as you wish.

But God did not confine the whole of salvation to the heart, when He said: ‘He who confesses me before men, him will I also confess before my Father who is in heaven.’

And the divine Apostle also teaches, saying:

If, then, God and God’s prophets and apostles command that the mystery be confessed with holy voices — that great and awesome mystery, salvific for the whole world — there is no need whatsoever to silence in any way the voice that proclaims it, lest the salvation of those who remain silent be diminished.

And Epiphanius, answering with a most harsh word, said:

And the abba Maximus said:

‘And how did you dare,’ he said, ‘to sign and to anathematize those who confess and believe as the rational natures and the catholic Church [confess and believe]?’

In answer to this, the abba Maximus said:

‘Let it be as you have said — if indeed we anathematized those who confess the two natures of which the Lord consists, and the two natural willings and operations corresponding to Him who is, by nature, in truth, both God and man.’

— we, my fellow servants, as many as signed, also anathematized those who, following Arius and Apollinaris, speak of one will and one energy, and who do not confess our Lord and God according to each of the [natures] from which, and in which, He consists, and which He is by nature — each being rational — and, therefore, in respect of both, possessed of will and operative, for our salvation.

‘If we go along with this, we shall neither eat nor drink;’

‘but let us rise, and dine, and go in.’

‘For this man has sold himself to Satan.’

And having risen, they dined, and went in with anger, on the eve of the Exaltation of the precious and life-giving Cross.

And on the following day, at dawn, Theodosius the consul went out to the aforesaid abba Maximus, and took away everything he had, saying to him, on behalf of the emperor:

‘Since you did not desire honor, it shall be removed far from you.’

‘And go where you have judged yourself worthy to be, bearing the sentence of your disciples — both the one in Mesembria, and the one in Perberis, who had been notary of our blessed grandmother.’

‘But, that you may know, lord abba: if we gain a little respite from the turmoil of the nations, we shall settle accounts with you — by the Holy Trinity! — and with the pope now exalting himself, and all who speak there in his favor, and the rest of your disciples; and we shall melt down every one of you, each in his fitting place, just as Martin was melted down.’

And the aforesaid consul Theodosius, taking him, handed him over to soldiers, and they led him as far as Selymbria.

And they remained there two days, until one of the soldiers went off to the camp and told the whole army that ‘The monk who blasphemes the Mother of God is coming here,’ in order to stir up the army against the aforesaid abba Maximus, as one who blasphemed the Mother of God.

And after two days the soldier returned and brought him into the camp; and the general — or rather the general’s deputy — being pierced in heart by God, sent to him the senior men of the units, both presbyters and deacons, and the pious standard-guardians, whom the said abba Maximus, seeing them approach, rose and made a prostration, and they too made prostration in return; and they sat down, bidding him also to sit.

And a certain very venerable elder said to him with much reverence:

And having made a prostration, he arose, and stretching out his hands to heaven, with tears, said:

‘…in these things, let there be anathema and curse, from the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, the consubstantial and worshipful Trinity, and from every heavenly power, and from the choir of the holy Apostles and Prophets, and from the boundless host of the martyrs, and from every spirit made perfect in righteousness, now and always, and unto the boundless ages of ages.’

And weeping, they prayed for him, saying:

‘May God strengthen you, father, and grant you to finish this course without stumbling.’

And when these things had been said, many soldiers gathered together, having heard of the many good words that had been spoken; and one of the general’s domestici, seeing that a great crowd of soldiers was assembling and being edified, and condemning what was being done against him — suspecting something, God knows what — allowed him to be snatched away and cast out two miles from the camp, until they should hold the muster and those whose duty it was should come to lead him away to Perberis.

But the clergy, overcome by divine love, walked the two miles on foot, and came and greeted him and prayed for him; and, carrying him with their own hands, they set him upon the beast of burden, and returned in peace to their own places; and he was carried off to Perberis, to the guard-post that confined him.

And this too should be known: that at Rhegium, Troilus, addressing the abba Maximus, said that the counselor John had written to him about a settlement that had been proposed to them, and that this would have come to pass — [but] the disorderliness of your disciples prevented it.

But I think that the said counselor John did not write to Troilus, but to Mennas the monk, and he told those of the palace.

And after this they brought them to Constantinople, and drew up an indictment against them; and after anathematizing and uprooting Maximus, holy among the saints, and the blessed Anastasius his disciple, and the most holy pope Martin, and the holy Sophronius patriarch of Jerusalem, and all the orthodox and those of like mind with them, they also brought forward the other blessed Anastasius, and, using the same anathemas and insults against him as well, handed him over to the magistrates, saying thus:

‘You then, Anastasius, having put on the dun-colored garment of the universal curse of anathemas, depart from this canonical hearing, being carried off to the station of Gehenna which you have chosen — the glorious and most honorable and sacred Senate being present with us, which shall presently, after us, take up the judgment [against you], and shall carry out against you whatever seems fitting to the civil laws, as they shall determine, on account of your such great blasphemies and acts of tyranny.’

‘…taking you up in his multi-headed praetorium, and striking your backs with sinews, [both] Maximus and Anastasius and Anastasius, so as to cut out from within the instrument of the licentiousness of you — Maximus and Anastasius and Anastasius — that is, your blasphemous tongue.’

‘Then also, to cut off with iron the most sinister right hand that has served your blasphemous reasoning — these same detestable members being led about together with the amputation of them — having paraded through the twelve districts of this sovereign city; and thereafter to hand you over to perpetual exile and confinement, so that for all the rest of the time of your life you may bewail your own blasphemous errors, the curse devised against us having been turned back upon your own head.’

So the eparch, taking them and punishing them, cut off their limbs, and, having led them around the whole city, exiled them to Lazica.

On the day when they arrived by ship at this imperial city — the lord Maximus and those with him — about sunset, two mandators came with ten excubitors, and took them off the ship naked and unshod;

and having separated them from one another, they kept them in different guard-posts.

And after some days they bring them up to the palace, and bring in the elder to the place where the Senate had assembled, along with a great crowd besides;

and they set him in the midst of the seated officials, and the sacellarius says to him with much anger and fury:

‘By the grace of Christ, God of all, I am a Christian.’

The servant of God answered:

‘—but God says that I am, and remain, a Christian.’

‘If indeed you are a Christian, you hate the emperor.’

The servant of God, answering, said:

‘For hatred is a hidden disposition of the soul, just as love is too.’

‘From what you have done, you have become manifest to all, that you hate the emperor and his government;’

‘for you alone handed over Egypt, and Alexandria, and the Pentapolis, and Tripolis, and Africa to the Saracens.’

[Editorial note:] This text derives from the Patrologia of [—], volume ‘os’ (it was typed by the mother of Fr.

Arsenios Meskos), collated against the text of the ‘TO BYZANTION’ editions in the ‘GREGORIOS PALAMAS’ series, Thessaloniki, PHILOKALIA OF THE NEPTIC AND ASCETIC FATHERS, volume 3.

‘And what proof is there of this?’

And they bring forward John, formerly sacellarius of Peter who had been general of Numidia in Africa, saying: that twenty-two years before, the grandfather of our lord had commanded the blessed Peter to take an army and go to Egypt against the Saracens, and Peter wrote to you, speaking to you as to a servant of God, having confidence in you as a holy man, [asking] whether you counseled him to go.

‘And you wrote back to him, saying that he should do no such thing, since God was not well pleased, during the reign of Heraclius and his family, that the commonwealth of the Romans should be helped [to prosper].’

‘If this be true, you surely have both Peter’s letter to me, and my letter to him;’

‘…let them be produced, and I submit myself to whatever penalties the law deems fit.’

‘I have no letter, nor indeed do I know whether he ever wrote to you at all.’

‘But in the camp, at that time, everyone was saying these things.’

The servant of God said to him:

‘If the whole camp was saying this, how is it that you alone slander me with it?’

‘Have you ever seen me, or I you?’

Then, turning toward the Senate, the servant of God said:

‘Whether it is just to bring forward such men as accusers or witnesses, judge for yourselves;’

‘for with the judgment you judge, you shall be judged;’

‘and with the measure you measure, it shall be measured to you — thus says the God of all.’

And after him they bring forward Sergius Magoudas, saying:

‘Nine years ago, the blessed abba Thomas, coming from Rome, said to me that Pope Theodore had sent him to the patrician Gregory, to tell him not to fear anyone.’

‘For the servant of God, the abba Maximus, had seen in a dream that in the heavens, to the east and to the west, there were hosts of angels;’

‘and those to the east were crying out:’

‘Constantine Augustus, tu vincas! [may you conquer]’

‘Gregory Augustus, tu vincas! [may you conquer]’

‘and the voice of those to the west prevailed over the voice of those to the east.’

And then the sakellarios cried out:

"God sent you to be burned in this city!"

"I thank God, who cleanses me of my voluntary sins through this involuntary punishment;"

"yet, woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks."

"For it is necessary that stumbling blocks come;"

"but woe to the one through whom the stumbling block comes."

Indeed, such things ought not to have been spoken in the presence of Christians;

nor should those who do such things to please men — men who exist today and tomorrow exist no more — remain unpunished.

This one ought to have said these things while Gregory was still living, and made known to the emperor his goodwill toward him.

And then, in the presence of all, I said to the patrician Peter:

"Did you ever write to me concerning what your sakellarios said, or did I ever write to you?"

"And when he gave his deposition, I came under punishment."

Likewise also to the blessed pope I said:

"Tell me, master: did I ever relate a dream to you?"

"And when he reproved me for it, the fault was his, not mine — for I was only the one who had seen it."

"For a dream is a thing not subject to choice;"

"and the law punishes only what is a matter of choice, provided it is contrary to the law."

Then Troilus said to him:

"You are jesting, abba; you do not know where you are."

"I am not jesting; rather, I mourn that my life has been preserved until now, only that I should undergo the trial of such phantasms."

The patrician Epiphanius says:

"God knows — he does well to make light of these things, if indeed they are not true."

After him the sakellarios again said to him with anger:

"So everyone simply lies, and you alone speak the truth?"

And the servant of God answered, weeping as he spoke:

"You have authority — God permitting — both to give life and to put to death;"

"yet if these men speak the truth, then Satan too is God by nature."

"But if he is not [God] — as indeed he is not — then neither have these men spoken the truth."

"For may I never be deemed worthy, together with Christians, to behold the appearing of the supra-essential God — maker and fashioner, and creator, and provider, and judge, and Savior of all things — if ever I related such a dream, or heard another relate it, save only at this very hour, from lord Sergius, who is well disposed toward the imperial power."

Then they put forward a third false accuser, Theodore, the son of John called "the Candidate," surnamed Chila, now son-in-law of lord Plato the patrician, who said:

"When a conversation took place between us in Rome concerning the emperor, he ridiculed what was said, pulling mocking faces and making derisive gestures."

To whom the servant of God said:

"I never conversed with you at all, except once, with the most devout presbyter lord Theocharistus, brother of the exarch, concerning the primicerius — and that only because I had been prompted to do so by letters on the matter."

"And if I am found to be lying, let me reap the consequences."

And after him, they bring forward a fourth, Gregory the son of Photeinus, who said: "I went to the cell of abba Maximus in Rome, and when I said that the emperor is also a priest, abba Anastasius, his disciple, said:"

At once the servant of God said to him:

"Fear God, lord Gregory — my fellow servant has said absolutely nothing whatsoever in the discussion concerning these matters."

And he threw himself to the ground, saying to the senate:

"Bear with your servant, and I will tell everything just as it was said — let him refute me if I am lying."

"My lord — Gregory — having come to Rome, was pleased to come to the cell of your servant;"

"and when I saw him, as is my custom, I threw myself to the ground and did obeisance to him;"

"and I greeted him, and after he had sat down, I said to him:"

"What is the reason for the welcome presence of my lord?"

"Our good and God-established lord, caring for the peace of the holy Churches of God, issued a command to the God-honored pope, and also sent an offering to Saint Peter, urging him to be united with the president of Constantinople;"

"which his pious majesty deigned to send through my own humble self."

"Yet as to the manner in which the union should come about, his God-crowned Serenity has commanded [as follows]:"

"This, I think, has proven impossible;"

"for the Romans will not tolerate that the light-bearing words of the holy Fathers be destroyed together with the words of the unclean heretics;"

"or that the truth be extinguished together with falsehood;"

"or that the light be made to vanish together with darkness —"

"— that light which is worshipped — should there occur an abolition of the God-taught words."

"The Typos effects no abolition of the sacred words, but only silence, so that we might administer the peace."

"According to divine Scripture, silence is also abolition."

"There are no speeches, nor words, whose voices are not heard."

"Therefore, if the words concerning God are not spoken and heard, then according to Scripture they do not exist at all."

"I am content with the holy Creed."

"And how can you be content with the holy Creed," I said, "while accepting the Typos?"

"And what harm is there in accepting the Typos while still reciting the Creed?"

"Because the Typos manifestly abolishes the Creed."

"Recite to me," I said, "the Creed, and learn how it is abolished by the Typos."

"I believe in one God the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth,"

"and of all things visible and invisible."

"Wait a little," I said, "and learn how the faith of those [assembled] at Nicaea has been denied."

"All that the Lord willed, he made, in heaven and on earth,"

"in the seas, and in all the depths."

"But if, for the sake of 'economy,' the saving faith is abolished together with false belief, then such a form of the so-called 'economy' is a complete separation from God, not a union with God."

"For tomorrow the ill-named Jews will likewise say:"

"'Let us arrange peace between one another, and let us be united; let us — we — remove circumcision, and you remove baptism, and let us no longer make war on one another.'"

This the Arians once proposed in writing, in the time of Constantine the Great, saying:

"Let us remove the term 'homoousios' [consubstantial] and the term 'heteroousios' [of a different substance], and let the Churches be united."

And our God-bearing Fathers did not accept this;

but were rather drawn to be persecuted and to die, than to keep silent the utterance that sets forth the one supra-essential Godhead of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

And this was so even while the great Constantine himself joined in pressing against those who put forward such teaching, as has been recorded by many who diligently wrote of the events of that time.

And none of the emperors was able, by moderate words, to persuade the God-declaring fathers to come to terms with those who held heretical views in their day;

but they used clear, authoritative words suited to the doctrine in question, declaring openly that it belongs to priests to inquire into and to define the saving doctrines of the catholic Church —

not every Christian emperor is also a priest.

For he does not stand at the altar and, after the sanctification of the bread, lift it up, saying:

Nor does he baptize, nor perform the rite of chrismation, nor lay on hands to make bishops, presbyters, and deacons;

nor does he anoint churches, nor does he wear the symbols of the priesthood — the omophorion and the Gospel — just as he wears the symbols of kingship, the crown and the purple robe.

"And how does Scripture say that Melchizedek was king and priest?"

Melchizedek was a single type of the one who, by nature, is King, God of all, and who, by nature, for our salvation, became High Priest.

But seeing that you say, according to the order of Melchizedek, that someone else is both king and priest, then dare also to say the rest — "without father, without mother, without genealogy," having neither beginning of days nor end of life.

And consider the evil that springs from this:

for then another God would be found — one who thus became man according to the order of Melchizedek, and not according to the order of Aaron — performing our salvation as priest.

But why should we go on at length?

In the holy anaphora, at the holy table, after the high priests and deacons and every order of the priesthood, the emperors are commemorated together with the laity, when the deacon says:

"And of the laity who have fallen asleep in the faith: Constantine, Constans," and the rest.

And in the same way he also commemorates the living emperors, after all those in holy orders.

While he was saying these things, Menas cried out:

"By saying these things you have split the Church."

If the one who states the words of the holy Scriptures and of the holy Fathers splits the Church, what will he who abolishes the doctrines of the saints be shown to be doing to the Church — without which doctrines it is not even possible for the Church itself to exist?

And the sakellarios turned and shouted to the exarch's men:

"Was this the kind of man you ought to have let live, where you hold rule?"

And having taken him outside, they brought in the disciple, and when they demanded that he accuse his master of having oppressed Pyrrhus, he answered with a calm voice the words of truth, that no one had honored Pyrrhus as he had honored him;

and since he would not consent to depart from the reverent speech befitting monks, he ordered him to be struck by those standing by;

and beating him with their fists, they left him half dead.

And having sent them off to the prisons, Menas comes to the elder, saying in the presence of the officials:

"God has cast you down and brought you here, that you might receive back all that you did to others, leading everyone astray into the doctrines of Origen."

To whom the servant of God said, in the presence of all:

"Anathema to Origen and his doctrines, and to everyone of like mind with him."

And the patrician Epiphanius said:

"The charge you brought against him, lord abba Menas, is dissolved; so that even if he had been an Origenist, since he has now anathematized him, he has freed himself of such reproach."

"But I no longer accept that such a thing be said about him."

Each of them was led away to the place where he was kept under guard.