Andrew Louth - Syriac Christian Church

194 OPUSCULE 3
C
52A
B
C
The purport therefore of Severus, and his followers, is by a
certain natural diminishment to expel the assumed nature in
the ineffable union, and to cover themselves with the
defilement of Mani’s fantasy, 8 Apollinaris’ confusion, 9 and
Eutyches’ fusion. 10 I remember, when I was staying on the
island of Crete, 11 that I heard from certain false bishops of the
Severan party, who disputed with me, that ‘we do not say, in
accordance with the Tome of Leo, that there are two energies
in Christ, because it would follow that there were two wills,
and that would necessarily introduce a duality of persons, nor
again do we say one energy, which might be regarded as
simple, but we say, in accordance with Severus, that one will,
and every divine and human energy proceeds from one and
the same God the Word Incarnate.’ Against them one might
angrily apply that part of the prophecy: O, O, flee from the
north; in Zion you are saved, you who inhabit the daughter of
Babylon. 12 From the north: that is truly the understanding of
Severus, 13 a place become gloomy, and deprived of the
continuance of the divine light. Daughter of Babylon: the
confused teaching of false dogmas, wickedly brought forth from
the most wicked habit picked up from him, which those
inhabit who have turned away from the light of knowledge,
and do not wish to be saved through conversion to Zion, I
mean the Church.
For the doctrine of Severus, when examined, is opposed both
to theology and to the economy. 14
For if, according to him, the wills naturally follow the
energies, and persons are naturally introduced by the wills, as
effect follows cause (but what kind of an argument is this!),
then clearly according to him there is a will for every person,
and with this certainly a suitable energy is introduced. For
from the principle of preserving relationships intact, it follows
that there is equal reciprocity between those that are related.
Since therefore what is called simply has many meanings, if
the wills that are introduced by reciprocity between the
persons are natural, then, according to Severus, the blessed
monad will also be a triad of natures, but if they are gnomic,
they will certainly disagree with each other and there will be
no coming together of wills, as in a triad of persons, and
certainly, if there is one will of the triad beyond being, there
will be a Godhead with three names and a single person. 15 And
again, if on Severus’ premiss will follows energy, by this the
person will be introduced, and necessarily the energy will be
destroyed, and the will that follows it will be destroyed, too, as