B. There will then be not two natures, of God and of man?

A.  Godhead and manhood are one thing and another, according to the mode [of being] existing in each, yet in Christ have they come together, in unwonted wise and passing understanding, unto union, without confusion and turning . But wholly incomprehensible is the mode of the Union.

B.  And how out of two things, Godhead and manhood, will One Christ be conceived of?

A.  In no other wise (I suppose) than that whereby the things brought together one to another unto a union indissoluble and above comprehension will be One.

B.  As for example?

A.  Do we not say that a man like us is One and his nature one, although he has not simpleness [of nature] but is compounded out of two, I mean soul and body?

B.  We do.

A.  Does anybody, taking anew the flesh apart by itself, and sundering from it the soul that was united to it, divide a single person into two and not thereby destroy the right description of him?

B.  Yet the all-wise Paul writes, For even though our outward man perish yet is the inward renewed each day.

A. You said right: for he knew, he knew well from whence he is one, and makes the distinction [between the two] one to be grasped in idea only: he calls the soul, the inward man, and the flesh, the outward. For I call to mind the holy Scriptures which sometimes signify to us the whole living thing from a portion, as when God says , I will pour forth of My Spirit upon all flesh, and Moses says to them of Israel, In seventy five souls did thy fathers go down into Egypt. And we shall find that this has been done in regard to Emmanuel Himself: for after the Union, I mean that with the flesh, if any call Him Only-Begotten and God from forth of God, he will be conceiving of Him as not apart from flesh or manhood, and if he say that He is man, he will not be excluding Him from being God and Lord . 

B. But if we say that the Nature of the Son is One, even though He be conceived of as Incarnate, all need is there to confess that confusion and commixture take place , the nature of man being lost as it were within Him. For what is the nature of man unto the excellency of Godhead?

A. In highest degree, my friend, is he an idle talker who says that confusion and commixture have place, if one Nature of the Son Incarnate and made man, is confessed by us: for one will not be able to make proof thereof by needful and true deductions. But if they set their own. will as a law to us, they devised a counsel which they cannot establish, for we must give heed, not to them but to the God-inspired Scripture: if they think that needs, on account of the nature of man being nothing compared to the Divine Excellency, must it be lost and consumed as they say, we again will say, Ye do err not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God: for it were not impossible for God Who loves man to make Himself endurable to the measures of the manhood. And this He foresignified to us darkly, when initiating Moses and limning the mode of the Incarnation as yet in types, for He came in likeness of fire on the bush in the wilderness, and the fire kept playing on the shrub yet was it not consumed. And Moses marvelled at the sight. Yet how is not a tree a thing that has no alliance with fire? and how is the readily consumed wood patient of the onslaught of flame? But this matter was (as I said) a type of a mystery, which exhibited endurable to the measures of the human nature, the Divine Nature of the Word , at His Will, for to Him is nothing impossible.

B. Know well that they will not choose so to think.

A.  Their speech will be caught setting forth to us most undoubtedly two sons and two christs.

B.  Not two: they say that the Son by Nature, the Word from forth God the Father is One ; he that is assumed is a man by nature son of David , but is son of God by reason of his having been assumed by God the Word, and that by reason of God the Word dwelling in him hath ho come to this dignity and hath by grace the sonship.

A. Then wherever will they go as regards mind and understanding who thus think? or how do they say 'not a pair of sons,' when they are severing one from another man and God, if (according to them) the One has the sonship by Nature and truly, the other „ by grace and came „to this dignity, God the Word indwelling him?„ Hath he then ought greater than we? for He indwelleth in us too. And the most holy Paul confirms us in this, saying, For this cause bend I my knees to the Father from Whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that He would give you according to the riches of His glory to be strengthened with might through His Spirit that Christ may dwell in your hearts: for He is in us through the Spirit wherein we cry Abba Father. Hence our position is in no wise inferior, if we have been vouchsafed the equal by God the Father (for by grace WE too are sons and gods): we have been surely brought unto this supernatural and marvellous dignity as having the Only-Begotten Word of God in-dwelling.

But profane and distraught altogether is it that they should say that JESUS has been vouchsafed the sonship and has won the glory thereof as a matter of favour.

B. Would you say how?

A.  Certainly. For first (as I said) He will be thus conceived of as separately another son and christ and lord from Him Who is so truly and by Nature: besides this, another impossibility is brought in and which not unreasonably militates against right reasoning.

B.  What is that?

A. The all-wise John says of Christ, He came unto His own and His own received Him not, but as many as received Him He gave them authority to become God's children. Will then he who has the sonship of grace and has it as an adventitious dignity that he won the being what he is; will such an one bestow freely on others also what he has with difficulty grown rich in? does not this appear to you incongruous? 

Β: Ἄρ' οὖν οὐ δύο φύσεις εἶεν ἄν, Θεοῦ καὶ ἀνθρώπου.

Α: Ἕτερον μέν τι καὶ ἕτερον θεότης καὶ ἀνθρωπότης, κατά γε τοὺς ἐνόντας ἑκατέρῳ λόγους. Ἀλλ' ἦν ἐν Χριστῷ ξένως τε καὶ ὑπὲρ νοῦν εἰς ἑνότητα συνδεδραμηκότα, συγχύσεως δίχα καὶ τροπῆς. Ἀπερινόητος δὲ παντελῶς ὁ τῆς ἑνώσεως τρόπος.

Β: Καὶ πῶς ἐκ δυοῖν, θεότητός τε καὶ ἀνθρωπότητος, εἷς ἂν νοοῖτο Χριστός;

Α: Οὐ καθ' ἕτερον οἶμαι τρόπον ἢ καθ' ὃν ἂν εἶεν τὰ ἀλλήλοις συνηγμένα πρὸς ἕνωσιν ἀδιάτμητον, καὶ τὴν ὑπὲρ νοῦν, ὡς ἔφην.

Β: Οἷον δὴ τί;

Α: Ἆρ' οὐχ ἕνα φαμὲν τὸν καθ' ἡμᾶς νοούμενον ἄνθρωπον, καὶ μίαν αὐτοῦ φύσιν, καίτοι τὸ μονοειδὲς οὐκ ἔχοντος, συντεθειμένου δὲ μᾶλλον ἐκ δυοῖν, ψυχῆς δὴ λέγω καὶ σώματος;

Β: Φαμέν.

Α: Μὴ ἀναμέρος τις ἀπολαβὼν τὴν σάρκα, διαστήσας δὲ αὐτῆς τὴν ἑνωθεῖσαν αὐτῇ ψυχήν, εἰς ἀνθρώπους δύο τὸν ἕνα κατατέμῃ, καὶ τὸν τῆς ὀρθότητος οὐ καταφθείρῃ λόγον;

Β: Καὶ μὴν ὁ πάνσοφος γράφει Παῦλος· Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ὁ ἔξω ἡμῶν ἄνθρωπος διαφθείρεται, ἀλλ' ὁ ἔσω ἀνακαινοῦται ἡμέρᾳ καὶ ἡμέρᾳ.

Α: Ὀρθῶς ἔφης. Ἤδει γάρ, ᾔδει σαφῶς, τὰ ἐξ ὧν ὁ εἷς ἐστι καὶ θεωρίᾳ μόνῃ ληπτὴν ποιεῖται τὴν διαφοράν. Ἄνθρωπον δὲ τὸν ἔσω ψυχὴν ὀνομάζει, καὶ μὴν καὶ σάρκα τὸν ἔξω. ∆ιαμέμνηται γὰρ τῶν ἱερῶν Γραμμάτων καὶ ἀπὸ μέρους ἔσθ' ὅτε τὸ σύμπαν ἡμῖν καταδηλούντων ζῶον, ὡς ἔν γε τῷ φάναι Θεόν· Ἐκχεῶ ἀπὸ τοῦ Πνεύματός μου ἐπὶ πᾶσαν σάρκα, Μωϋσέα γε μὴν προσδιαλεγόμενον τοῖς ἐξ Ἰσραήλ· Ἐν ἑβδομήκοντα πέντε ψυχαῖς κατέβησαν οἱ πατέρες σου εἰς Αἴγυπτον, καὶ ἐπ' αὐτοῦ δὲ τουτὶ τοῦ Ἐμμανουὴλ γεγονὸς εὑρήσομεν. Μετὰ γάρ τοι τὴν ἕνωσιν, τὴν πρός γέ φημι τὴν σάρκα, κἂν Μονογενῆ καὶ Θεὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ καλέσειέ τις αὐτόν, οὐ δίχα σαρκὸς ἢ γοῦν ἀνθρωπότητος νοοῖτ' ἂν ὑπάρχειν. Κἂν εἴτουν ἄνθρωπον λέγοι, οὐκ ἀποσοβήσει τοῦ εἶναι Θεὸν καὶ Κύριον.

Β: Ἀλλ' εἰ μίαν εἶναι φύσιν Υἱοῦ φαμεν, κἂν εἰ νοοῖτο σεσαρκωμένος, πᾶσά πως ἀνάγκη γενέσθαι φυρμὸν ὁμολογεῖν καὶ σύγκρασιν, ὑποκλεπτομένης ὥσπερ τὴς ἀνθρώπου φύσεως ἐν αὐτῷ. Τί γὰρ ἡ ἀνθρώπου φύσις πρὸς τὴν τῆς θεότητος ὑπεροχήν;

Α: Μάλιστα μέν, ὦ ἑταῖρε, περιττοεπὴς ὁ λέγων φυρμὸν γενέσθαι καὶ σύγκρασιν εἰ δὴ μία πρὸς ἡμῶν ὁμολογοῖτο φύσις Υἱοῦ σεσαρκωμένου τε καὶ ἐνηνθρωπηκότος. Οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἔχοι τις ἐξ ἀναγκαίων τε καὶ ἀληθῶν συλλογισμῶν ποιεῖσθαι τὴν δεῖξιν. Ἀλλ' εἰ μὲν νόμον ἡμῖν τὸ οἰκεῖον ἱστᾶσι θέλημα, διελογίσαντο βουλὴν ἣν οὐ μὴ δύνωνται στῆσαι. Προσεκτέον γὰρ ἡμῖν οὐκ ἐκεῖνοις μᾶλλον, ἀλλὰ τῇ θεοπνεύστῳ Γραφῇ. Εἰ δὲ δεῖν οἴονται, διὰ τὸ εἶναι μηδὲν τὴν ἀνθρώπου φύσιν ὡς πρός γε τὴν θείαν ὑπεροχήν, ὑποκλέπτεσθαι τε καὶ δαπανᾶσθαι, καθά φασιν αὐτοί, πάλιν ἐροῦμεν· Πλανᾶσθε, μὴ εἰδότες τὰς Γραφὰς μηδὲ τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Οὐ γὰρ ἦν ἀμήχανον τῷ φιλαγάθῳ Θεῷ οἰστὸν ἑαυτὸν ἀποφῆναι τοῖς τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος μέτροις, καὶ τοῦτο ἡμῖν προϋπέφηνεν αἰνιγματωδῶς Μωϋσέα μυσταγωγῶν, καὶ τὸν τῆς ἐνανθρωπήσεως τρόπον ὡς ἐν τύποις ἔτι ζωγραφῶν. Ἐπεφοίτησε μὲν γὰρ ἐν εἴδει πυρὸς τῷ βάτῳ κατὰ τὴν ἔρημον, καὶ ἐνήστραπτε μὲν τῷ θάμνῳ τὸ πῦρ, πλὴν οὐ κατεκαίετο. Τεθαύμακε δὲ τὴν ὅρασιν ὁ Μωϋσῆς. Καίτοι πῶς οὐκ ἀσύμβατον εἴη ἂν τῷ πυρὶ τὸ ξύλον; Οἰστὴ δὲ ὅπως ταῖς τῆς φλογὸς ἐμβολαῖς ἡ εὐκατάπρηστος ὕλη. Ἀλλ' ἦν, ὡς ἔφην, μυστηρίου τὸ χρῆμα τύπος, οἰστὴν ἀποφαίνοντος τοῖς τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος μέτροις τὴν θείαν τοῦ Λόγου φύσιν, αὐτοῦ γε ἐθέλοντος. Ἀδυνατεῖ γὰρ αὐτῷ παντελῶς οὐδέν.

Β: Ὡς εὖ ἴσθι τοι, μὴ ἂν ἑλέσθαι τὰ ἴσα φρονεῖν αὐτούς.

Α: Ἁλώσεται τοίνυν καὶ ἀναμφιλόγως υἱοὺς ἡμῖν δύο καὶ δύο χριστοὺς ὁ πρὸς αὐτῶν πρεσβεύων λόγος.

Β: ∆ύο μὲν οὐχί. Φασὶ δὲ ὅτι εἷς μέν ἐστιν ὁ κατὰ φύσιν Υἱός, ὁ ἐκ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς Λόγος, ὁ δὲ ληφθεὶς ἄνθρωπος φύσει μέν ἐστιν υἱὸς ∆αυείδ, υἱὸς δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ διὰ τὸ ἀνειλῆφθαι ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου, καὶ διὰ τὸ κατῳκηκέναι ἐν αὐτῷ τὸν Θεὸν Λόγον, εἰς ταύτην ἦλθε τὴν ἀξίαν, καὶ χάριτι τὴν υἱοθεσίαν ἔχει.

Α: Εἶτα ὅποι ποτὲ νοῦ καὶ φρενὸς εἴεν ἂν οἱ τῇδε δοξάζοντες; Ἢ πῶς οὐ δυάδα φασὶν υἱῶν, ἀποδιϊστάντες ἀλλήλων ἄνθρωπον καὶ Θεόν; Εἴπερ ἐστὶ κατ' αὐτοὺς ὁ μὲν φύσει τε καὶ ἀληθῶς Υἱός, ὁ δὲ χάριτι τὴν υἱοθεσίαν ἔχων, καὶ εἰς ταύτην ἦλθε τὴν ἀξίαν ὡς ἐνοικοῦντος αὐτῷ τοῦ Λόγου, ἆρ' οὖν ἔχει τι τὸ μεῖζον ἢ καθ' ἡμᾶς; Ἐναυλίζεται γὰρ καὶ ἐν ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς, καὶ πρός γε τοῦτο ἡμᾶς ἐμπεδοῖ λέγων ὁ ἱερώτατος Παῦλος· Τούτου χάριν κάμπτω τὰ γόνατά μου πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα ἐξ οὗ πᾶσα πατρία ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς ὀνομάζεται, ἵνα δῷ ὑμῖν κατὰ τὸ πλοῦτος τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ δυνάμει κραταιωθῆναι διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος αὐτοῦ, κατοικῆσαι τὸν Χριστὸν ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν. Ἐν ἡμῖν γάρ ἐστι διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος, ἐν ᾧ κράζομεν· Ἀββᾶ ὁ Πατήρ. Οὐκοῦν, κατ' οὐδένα τρόπον εἴη ἂν τὰ καθ' ἡμᾶς ἐν μείοσιν εἰ τῶν ἴσων ἠξιώμεθα παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρός. Χάριτι γὰρ καὶ ἡμεῖς υἱοὶ καὶ θεοί. Ἐνηνέγμεθα δὲ πάντως εἰς ταύτην τὴν ὑπερφυᾶ καὶ τεθαυμασμένην ἀξίαν, ὡς ἔναυλον ἔχοντες τὸν μονογενῆ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγον. Ἀνόσιον δὲ καὶ ἀπόπληκτον παντελῶς τὸ ἠξιῶσθαι λέγειν αὐτοὺς τῆς υἱοθεσίας τὸν Ἰησοῦν, καὶ ὡς ἐν χάριτος μοίρᾳ τὴν ἐπὶ τῷδε δόξαν ἑλεῖν.

Β: Φράσαις ἂν ὅπως.

Α: Καὶ μάλα. Πρῶτον μὲν γάρ, ὡς ἔφην, ἕτερος ὢν ἰδικῶς Υἱὸς καὶ Χριστὸς καὶ Κύριος παρὰ τὸν ἀληθῆ τε καὶ κατὰ φύσιν, νοοῖτ' ἂν ἐντεῦθεν. Εἶτα πρὸς τούτῳ καὶ ἕτερόν τι τῶν ἀμηχάνων εἰσκρίνεται, καὶ τοῖς εἰς ὀρθότητα λογισμοῖς οὐκ ἀπεοικότως ἀντανιστάμενον.

Β: Τὸ ποῖόν τι φής;

Α: Ὁ πάνσοφος Ἰωάννης περὶ Χριστοῦ φησιν· Εἰς τὰ ἴδια ἦλθε, καὶ οἱ ἴδιοι αὐτὸν οὐ παρέλαβον. Ὅσοι δὲ ἔλαβον αὐτόν, ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ἐξουσίαν τέκνα Θεοῦ γενέσθαι. Ἆρ' οὖν ὁ χάριτι τὴν υἱοθεσίαν ἔχων, καὶ εἰσκεκριμένον ἑλῶν ἀξίωμα τὸ εἶναι ὅ ἐστι, χαρίσαιτ' ἂν καὶ ἑτέροις ὃ πεπλούτηκε μόλις; Οὐκ ἀπίθανον εἶναί σοι τὸ χρῆμα δοκεῖ;