After
noting that the Synodical Letter is to be found in Theodoret and in
Sozomen (i.e. is in Theodoret I. viii. and in Socrates I.
ix.) the Ben. Ed. express surprise that Basil should indicate
concurrence with the Synodical Letter, which defines the Son to
be τῆς
αὐτῆςὑποστασεως
καὶ οὐσίας,
while he is known to have taught the distinction between
ὑπόστασις
and οὐσία. As a matter
of fact, it is not in the Synodical Letter, but in the anathemas
originally appended to the creed, that it is, not asserted that
the Son is of the same, but, denied that He is of a different
οὐσία or ὑπόστασις.
On the distinction between οὐσία and ὑπόστασις
see Letters xxxviii., cxxv., and ccxxxvi. and
the De Sp. Sancto. § 7. On the
difficulty of expressing the terms in Latin, cf. Letter
ccxiv. As ὑπόστασις
was in 325 understood to be equivalent to οὐσία, and in 370
had acquired a different connotation, it would be no more
difficult for Basil than for the Church now, to assent to what is
called the Nicene position, while confessing three
hypostases. In Letter cxxv. Basil does indeed try to
shew, but apparently without success, that to condemn the
statement that He is of a different hypostasis is not equivalent
to asserting Him to be of the same hypostasis.