The Epitomes of The Mystagogy of The: Holy Spirit by Saint Photius The Great

The Epitomes of the Mystagogy of the
Holy Spirit by Saint Photius the Great

Chapters of Patriarch Photius against the followers of Old Rome,
showing that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father alone, and not from the Son.
1. If the Spirit is indeed simple, but proceeds from the Father and the Son, these two
would certainly be considered one hypostasis, and there would be introduced here
a Sabellian fusion, or better to say, a semi-Sabellian fusion.
2. If indeed the Holy Spirit does proceed from the Father and the Son, He would be
altogether double and composite. If the Holy Spirit is ascribed to two principles,
where will the much-hymned monarchy be?
3. If the Father and the Son both originate the Spirit, the Father will be both the
direct and indirect originator of the Spirit on account of His proceeding also from
the Son.
4. Certainly, if the procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father is perfect, then that
from the Son is superfluous.
5. If the Son has the property of originating the Spirit like the Father, the property of
origination will be common to both. But how will the property be shared in
common? If by opposition, will not one destroy the other? For contraries are
destructive of one another. If by divergence, then part of the Spirit will proceed in
one way and part in another, and He will be composed of unequal parts.
6. If, indeed, both the Son and the Spirit have come forth from one cause, namely
the Father, and the Son again originates the Spirit, then the Spirit should also
originate the Son. For the Father and Originator brought forth both with equal
honour.
7. If, indeed, the Son does share with the Father in originating the Holy Spirit, then
the Holy Spirit will also share in it, for all that the Father has in common with the
Son, He also has in common with the Holy Spirit. Hence He will be at the same
time cause and caused, which thing is more monstrous than the fables of the
[pagan] Greeks.
8. If the Son has the power of origination, but the Spirit is denied it, He is inferior in
power to the Son, which was the insanity of Macedonius.
9. They allege as an excuse, however, that Ambrose wrote thus in his treatises
concerning the subject, as did also Augustine and Jerome. One must say in
defence of these men that perhaps the Pneumatomachians corrupted their
writings, or perhaps they spoke according to the tactics used by the great Basil,
who for a time refrained from preaching the divinity of the All-Holy Spirit, or
perhaps they, since they were only human, had been led astray from sound
theology; for many great men, like Dionysius of Alexandria, Methodius of Patara
and Pierios, Pamphilius, Theognostus, and Irenaeus of Lyons with his disciple
Hippolytus, have suffered so in certain things. For we do not accept some of their
statements though we greatly admire the rest.
10. So Ambrose, Augustine, and Jerome, said what the Latins claim; but the hierarchs
of the Seven Synods did not. All the synods in succession confirmed the
definition of our faith. The leaders and lights of the Church of Old Rome agreed
with them without any contradiction and decreed that it was not permitted to add
or subtract anything from the aforesaid definition of the faith, and that he who
dared to do so should absolutely be cast out of the Church.
11. Divine Gregory the Dialogist, who flourished not long after the Sixth Synod,
preached and wrote in Latin that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father alone.
Zacharias, 165 years later, translated the Dialogues into Greek and said, the
Paraclete Spirit, proceeds from the Father and abides in the Son; for he had been
taught this by the Forerunner, who saw the Spirit descending like a dove and
abiding upon Him.
12. Leo and Benedict, great hierarchs of Old Rome in later times, decreed that the
Symbol of Faith be recited in Greek at the mystical rites in Old Rome and in the
other churches subject to her, lest the inadequacy of Latin furnish an occasion for
blasphemy. This Leo, when he had opened the treasury of the Apostolic Church
of Old Rome, brought forth two shields which had been preserved among the
other sacred heirlooms and which were engraved with the pious exposition of the
Faith in Greek letters and words [St Photius was mistaken; the words were
engraved in Greek and Latin], and which he ordered to be read before all the
people of Old Rome. Up to the time of the pious patriarch of New Rome Sergius,
the hierarchs of Old Rome sent confirmatory letters of their belief at the
beginning of their high priesthood to all the patriarchal sees, and in these letters
they inscribed the Symbol of Faith without any variation.
13. But what need is there to say much? The Son and Master reveals that the Spirit
proceeds from the Father; and likewise the great Paul declares, saying, But though
we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other Gospel unto you other than that
which we have preached unto you, let him be anathema. And who will ask for
another teacher unless he be plainly insane?
From another portion of the same work from a different manuscript:
9. When David said, By the Spirit of His mouth, he taught also that the Spirit
proceeds from the Father alone, since he applies the phrase of His mouth to the
Father, not to the Son, in order that he might destroy by anticipation the
blasphemy of those who hold the Spirit proceeds also from the Son.
10. In all other cases, procession denotes simple egress, as when it is said in the
Psalms, He went forth and spoke in a like manner. [Psalm 40:6] But the
procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father does not signify simply egress,
which is accidental, coming to pass and then ceasing, but it is an essential and
natural procession, signifying the mode of being and declaring the subsistence of
the Holy Spirit, Who is not by generation, as is the Son, but by procession, in His
own proper manner. For the characteristic property of the Son is to be begotten
by nature from the Father, but the characteristic property of the Holy Spirit is to
proceed by nature from the Father. They differ from each other only thus, namely,
in the characteristic property of subsistence, while in other respects they are one
in essence, in nature, in dignity, in power, and, to put it simply, one in everything
else, both with the Father and with each other. How then do you say the Holy
Spirit proceeds from the Father and from the Son? If as cause, then there are two
causes and two principles (Father and Son), and you are advocating a dyarchy
rather than a monarchy; but it is not our task to speak about the many absurdities
following from this belief. However, if the Spirit proceeds in another way, as if
from the mutual linking by reason of their reciprocal indwelling and interchange
of the other properties, and, to speak simply, proceeds as if being sent, then you
are sound in your understanding. For just as the Father sends the Son, so does
the Son send the Spirit. The Son says, But when the Paraclete is come, whom I
will send unto you from the Father, the Spirit of truth which proceeds from the
Father, He shall witness of Me. Nevertheless, you err in another respect: first, in
changing and falsifying through this addition the exposition of faith confirmed by
the Seven Synods -- and no one but you has done it! -- and secondly, that which
you interpolate between the two phrases and which we are accustomed to call a
conjunction, implies the meaning of equal procession from both the Father and
the Son, even though you might understand the procession from the Son in
another way, just as we said above. One ought, however, not only to think
correctly, but also not to scandalise others. For if he who gives scandal to one
person has been judged worthy of a fearful punishment, according to the Gospels,
what punishment will they deserve who have scandalised almost the entire world?
11. When God the Son was speaking concerning the Holy Spirit, He said not once, but
twice in the course of the same speech that the Holy Spirit is from the Father.
Why did He not say, and from Me? Our opponents reply that he was speaking
humbly as a man; but we, answering quickly, convict them at once of a lie. The
words, Whom I will send unto you, were not spoken as man, but rather as God;
for a man does not send God, if the Holy Spirit is indeed God. Therefore, twice
He said from the Father in order to confirm such a sublime utterance and to stop
the mouths of those who in the future would say that the Spirit proceeds from the
Son. This argument was propounded by the acumen of the very wise emperor, for
he used it when he disputed with the bishop of Milan. [A note in the Latin text
indicates the emperor was Alexius Comnenos and the bishop of Milan was Peter,
the year 1116.]

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