That the Light of the Transfiguration Is Uncreated

¹ After this it was sought to be shown from the saints that the light of the Lord’s Transfiguration is uncreated, and that this is not the essence of God. And nearly all said that this had been demonstrated at the fourth assembly, in which the contradictors of the Church, being present, at one time blasphemously said this to be created, and a phantasm and a veil and an image; and at another impiously said it to be uncreated and the essence of God. For there was brought forward at that assembly the one surnamed for theology, Gregory, writing: “No one has stood in the substance and essence of the Lord, according to what is written, and has either known or declared the nature of God.” And the

² divine Maximus, writing in the seventh chapter of the third Century of theological [chapters]: “He who is participable to beings not according to essence, but willing to be participated in another mode by those who are able, in no way departs from the hiddenness that is according to essence.” And the divine Golden-mouthed, on the same feast, clearly somehow, as Master, showed to his own disciples the glory of his unseen divine kingdom. But at once those who carry about an unrestrained and predatory tongue will say: “Yes; if his divine glory is unseen, how did he show it to the apostles? For if visible, not unseen; and if unseen, not visible.” Wherefore hear with understanding. Here the Master Christ both showed to his own disciples the glory of his unseen kingdom, and did not show it; that is, he opened the divinity a little, and not perfectly: assuring on the one hand, sparing on the other; assuring, since he showed them the divine glory of the unseen kingdom, not as great as it was, but as much as those bearing bodily eyes were able to see; sparing, and not begrudging, in that he did not show them the whole divine glory of his unseen kingdom, lest along with the sight they lose their life as well. But also all the saints, calling it a shining and a brightness and grace, and a deification and a divinity shown forth somewhat more firmly even than sight, and unapproachable light, and a natural ray of the Son, a beginningless dart of divinity, a lightning-flash of divinity, and the like. And there was brought forward at that assembly also the first synodal Tome upon these matters, which piously and surely demonstrated this to be uncreated and not essence, through many testimonies from the divine Scripture, and through the sayings of our thrice-blessed and ever-memorable emperor, the lord Andronikos Palaiologos, in concord with the saints, and through God-revering decrees; against which sacred and divine Tome, seeing those then set in opposition and contradicting—the very ones set in opposition also to the most sacred [metropolitan] of Thessalonica—we cast these out, as positing the light of the Lord’s Transfiguration now created, now very senselessly the essence of God; and as not consenting that God has both essence and uncreated power and energy, but senselessly dragging down all the common powers and energies of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit into a creature, and reckoning as polytheists those who confess God uncreated, not according to essence alone, but also according to the hypostases, and according to the common divine powers and energies of the three hypostases. Upon all these things the book of Akindynos, brought into the

³ midst, was read; in which he appeared dogmatizing also other heterodoxies, both old and new; and he maintained that he reveres no uncreated energy common to the tri-hypostatic Godhead, but only the Son and the Holy Spirit. But the divine synod, recognizing rightly and in a God-loving manner that this impiety was that of Marcellus and Photinus and Sophronius, the old heretics, at once sent forth the divine Chrysostom against this evil opinion, as though hurling him from heaven like a thunderbolt to burn up the brushwood-like trifling of Akindynos; who, indeed, expounding the Epistle to the Philippians: “Marcellus,” he says, “and Photinus and Sophronius say that the Word is an energy; and that this energy dwelt in the one from the seed of David, not an essence or an enhypostatic [reality]. Arius confesses a Son, but in word only; and says that he is a creature, and much less than the Father. Others say that he has no soul. You have seen the chariots standing; behold now also their falls, how he overthrows them all together, and with one blow all at once. How then does he overthrow them? ‘For let this mind be in you,’ he says, ‘which was also in Christ Jesus; who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.’ Hence Paul of Samosata also fell, and Marcellus and Sabellius. ‘For being in the form of God,’ he says. ‘How then do you say, You wretch, that he began from Mary, and before this was not? And how do you say that he was an energy?’ ‘For being in the form of God, he took the form of a servant,’ he says. Is the form of the servant an energy of a servant, or a nature of a servant? Altogether a nature of a servant, surely; therefore the form of God too is a nature of God; therefore not an energy.” But also the divine Gregory of Nyssa, in the discourse to Ablabius: “God,” he says, “signifies one who works; but Godhead, an energy. And none of the three is energy; but rather each of them is one who works.” From these, then, the divine synod: “It has been demonstrated,” it says, “that he who says only the Son and the Holy Spirit to be uncreated energies of God, as not glorifying a common natural energy of the three hypostases—which Akindynos sets aside—dares to introduce into the Church of God the heresy of Marcellus and Photinus and Sophronius, long dead and abolished. But if also by some of the saints the Son or the Holy Spirit has been called a power or energy, yet it is [power or energy] of the Father; and thus each is as a perfect hypostasis, having both energy and power; and this is a common name, according to the divine Dionysius, of the wholly perfect and superabundant Godhead, in which signification the Father too is called a power. But our discourse is not about this energy and power, but about the common [energy] of the tri-hypostatic Godhead, which is not a hypostasis, but belongs by nature and supernaturally to each of the divine-principial hypostases, according to the tradition of the theologians. For we theologize one God in three hypostases, according to the great Athanasius, having one

⁴ essence and power and energy; and light, the holy, the life, the good, the strong, the almighty, and whatever others, both by transcendence and by causality—not each said to be essence, but about the essence; which are also called the aggregate and fullness of the Godhead, according to Scripture, contemplated and theologized equally in each of the three holy hypostases. For ‘all things that the Father has are mine; and I have been glorified in them.’ Besides, the Son is called a power of the Father, or also the Holy Spirit, both for other reasons which the theologians have handed down, and especially as the whole Fatherly power resides in the Son, as the great Basil expressly writes this, wrestling with Eunomius. How then is it just to do away with the natural and common power of the tri-hypostatic Godhead, on account of which both the Son and the Holy Spirit are hymned as power of the Father by the theologians?” Upon these things, by the decree of our mighty and holy emperor and king, each of the hierarchs and of the senatorial and ecclesiastical officials was asked by the grand chartophylax and consul of the philosophers what opinion he held concerning all the things now spoken and examined in the divine and sacred synod. And one by one all declared that they held concerning these things without doubt, and said that they owed much thanks to the most sacred metropolitan of Thessalonica, as having spoken and written in concord with all the saints, and having labored so greatly for the advocacy of the truth according to piety, and having borne so many insults and slanders and other injuries for the sake of refuting that Barlaam, and Akindynos, and those who after them, down to now, have appeared in concord with them, and have been zealous to remove the Church of Christ from the faith and piety toward God handed down from the Fathers. And after all, last of all, declared also our truly most magnanimous and in divine things wise, most serene, most mighty and holy emperor and king—all rising from their seats, both the most illustrious senators and the most sacred hierarchs, as is the law in such cases—the lord John Kantakouzenos, determining: “That injustice is a great evil even in these earthly and grovelling matters, such as can ruin and drag down a whole nation; since its opposite also, justice, according to what is written, exalts a nation. But if in things below injustice is so great an evil, how much more, when toward the things above

⁵ of those who think wrongly, the very truth that is in God is wronged by those who set it aside, and those who cherish and proclaim it, and further who advocate it according to their power, are injured and slandered and traduced by those who in perverse opinion undertake to lead the multitudes astray? I, then, see so great a concord with the saints in the things said by the most sacred metropolitan of Thessalonica, and in his writings now read for the advocacy of piety; and I see the saints having taken such pains in their own writings on behalf of the divine doctrines just now set forth, that none of those willing to live with right judgment could wish to seek more than this. And on behalf of the things theologized by the blessed disciples and apostles of Christ, and by the holy and ecumenical councils, and by the holy Fathers, so great is the eagerness in me, through the grace of Christ in me, that I am ready, if even one cup of blood were in me, to pour it out eagerly on their behalf. And I render thanks also to the God over all, our Master and Lord Jesus Christ, that he has done great mercy with us, having been well-pleased that the truth of piety should this day be manifested and established, and not having permitted it to be turned aside in anything, nor shaken by those who with many devices and guiles and contrivances have undertaken to pervert and shake it for fourteen years now.” These things, then, said also the most divine emperor. And since there had been issued by him a divine and venerable command to the Holy Mountain, that those distinguished in wisdom, understanding, and virtue should come to the synod convened in this prosperous great city; but they, both because of the length of the way and the difficulty of the season, were not able to come, they send two of the consecrated monks, honored for virtue and discourse, and a report to our mighty and holy emperor and king declaring that they had sent also their own opinion in writing to the synod. The hieromonks who had been sent, then, rose and rendered to the synod discourses, as common to the whole Holy Mountain, which the most sacred metropolitan of Herakleia, the lord Philotheos, while still remaining there with them, had composed. And they brought the written opinion of all, now sent from there, which, being read in the hearing of all, was found in concord and in joint testimony with the most sacred metropolitan of Thessalonica throughout, according to the truth of piety. These things, then, said also the whole Holy Mountain.

⁶ But we, the whole divine and sacred synod gathered, by the grace of Christ, in the hall thus styled the Alexiakon of the sacred Blachernae, now also contending for piety, and having made accurate and fitting examination and inquiry concerning the matters set forth, and ratifying as most pious the first synodal Tomes upon these things, rather also following them, do justly subject to the anathema from Christ that Barlaam and that Akindynos, as men who outraged the very vital points of piety, and in no way repented while yet remaining in this life; and those who have now appeared and been synodically convicted as of one mind with them, and simply as many as are of their faction, we hold to be both renounced and rejected from the catholic and apostolic Church of Christ, unless they repent, and we subject them to the anathema from Christ; and those who knowingly commune with them we hold to be excommunicate; and those who hold any priestly office we strip of all priestly ministry. But those who have been snatched up and dragged along by these men, and are not among the ringleaders of the heresy, if they remain unrepentant, we subject to the like; but if they repent genuinely, and anathematize both this evil opinion and those who have persisted in it to the end, we receive them not only into communion according to […] the holy and ecumenical seventh council determining: “That the ringleaders and chiefs and champions of the impiety we do not receive into the priesthood at all, even though they repent; but those who were compelled, or snatched up and dragged along, repenting truly and genuinely, we receive into the priesthood, each according to his own rank.” But also if anyone else of all should ever be detected either thinking or saying or writing the same things against the most sacred [metropolitan] of Thessalonica—rather, against the sacred theologians and the Church […]—whether he be one of the consecrated or of the laity. But this same oft-mentioned most sacred metropolitan, who writes and thinks nothing discordant with the divine oracles—having ascertained this by examination, and rather finding him contending, as was fitting, on behalf of the divine oracles and our common piety—we hold to be not only altogether superior to the cavils against him (rather, against the Church of Christ), as the former synodal Tomes also set forth, but we declare him also a most secure champion and foremost contender and helper

⁷ of piety. For thus also the Tomes issued at those synods will have, just as indeed they have, what is sure and firm. And these things having so come to pass, not without the cooperation and grace of the good Spirit, it remained still, in our eagerness to remove every ground of accusation from those willing to make accusation, that not even the things which the enemies of the Church laid to charge in the writings of the most sacred [metropolitan] of Thessalonica should be passed over unexamined—even if from the things examined in the divine synod at that time these too were all comprehended. When, therefore, our most mighty and holy emperor and king had found these things written out point by point by their own hand, and had given them to us, we read and examined each of them in the book of the most sacred [metropolitan] of Thessalonica, having come together in the Great Church and spent the day together not once, but twice and thrice and many times; and we found the most sacred metropolitan of Thessalonica in concord, in these matters too, with the sacred theologians, and an advocate, by the grace of Christ, of the truth according to piety; while they, both from the things by which they undertook in writing to distort and to accuse, were found falling into many and great heresies. For they continued openly contradicting the things expressly said by the theologians, and dared to declare the deification of the lordly assumed nature to be created; and to reckon those who think thus concerning the essence of God—because it is said by the saints to be unapproachable and imparticipable—to hold it corruptible (O impious audacity!): and this, though God said to Moses, “No one shall see my face, and live.” But also the things that rest, according to the prophecy, upon the flower from the root of Jesse—that is, upon our Lord Jesus Christ—the seven spirits, that is, the energies of the divine Spirit according to the sacred theologians, which the sacred Zechariah hymned as the seven eyes of Christ looking upon all the earth, and which the divine Maximus theologized to belong naturally to the Son of God, these they ranged among the creatures; and the

⁸ things more than these, and no less tending to impiety, it is not easy even to number. Wherefore also from these the condemnation upon them, unless indeed they repent, was ratified; and the things synodically examined and discerned by us just now together with the God-given imperial power, in concord with all the divine Fathers, and with the sacred and divine councils that preceded for the sake of this, and with the synodal Tomes upon them—this lawful and canonical decree throughout, written and subscribed just now, shall be kept unmoved unto the whole age, by the all-powerful energy and grace of the almighty great God and our Savior, in which and through which the present struggle has been accomplished for us. The original bore signatures: by the hand of the most divine emperors, both—“IN CHRIST GOD FAITHFUL KING AND EMPEROR OF THE ROMANS, JOHN KANTAKOUZENOS”; and the other emperor and autocrator; and by the venerable and patriarchal hand—“Kallistos, by the mercy of God archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome, and ecumenical patriarch.” The humble metropolitan of Herakleia, president of the most-honored and exarch of all Thrace and Macedonia, Philotheos. The humble metropolitan of Thessalonica, most-honored and exarch of all Thessaly, Gregory. The humble metropolitan of Kyzikos and exarch of all the Hellespont, Arsenios. The metropolitan of Philadelphia, most-honored and exarch of all Lydia and universal judge of the Romans, Makarios. The humble metropolitan of Chalcedon, most-honored and exarch of all Bithynia, Jacob. The metropolitan of Melenikon, most-honored and universal judge of the Romans, Metrophanes. The humble metropolitan of Amaseia, most-honored. The humble metropolitan of Pontoherakleia, most-honored, Methodios. The humble metropolitan of Pegai, most-honored, Georgios. The humble metropolitan of Berroia, most-honored and holding the place of Tyana, Dionysios. The humble metropolitan of Trebizond, most-honored, Niphon. The humble metropolitan of Traianoupolis, most-honored and exarch of all Rhodope, Germanos. The humble metropolitan of Selybria, most-honored and holding the place of Kotyaion, Isaias. The humble metropolitan of Eupron, most-honored and holding the place of Euchaita, Gabriel. The humble metropolitan of Exantidion, most-honored, Kallinikos. The humble metropolitan of Sougdaia, most-honored, Eusebios. The humble metropolitan of Ainos, most-honored, Daniel. The humble metropolitan of Bizye, most-honored, Theodoretos. The humble metropolitan of Madyta, most-honored, Jacob.