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We, for our part, received the words of Vitalius in a more pious sense, as our will persuaded us, but do others rage against the sense of what was written? 102.17 Which seems to me why Damasus himself, having been taught differently and at the same time having learned that they were abiding by their former interpretations, had them repudiated and their written statement of faith overturned with an anathema, being displeased at their very deception, which he suffered out of simplicity.

102.18 Having been clearly refuted on these points, therefore, let them not be angry with us, but be ashamed, nor lie against us, but restrain themselves, and let them wipe from their portals that great and wonderful proclamation and preaching of their orthodoxy, at once meeting those who enter with questioning and distinction, that one must worship not a God-bearing man, but a flesh-bearing God. 102.19 What could be more irrational than this, even if these new heralds of the truth pride themselves on this great saying? For it has a certain sophistic charm in the quickness of its inversion and a marvel of word-play that delights the uneducated; but it is more ridiculous than the ridiculous and more senseless than the senseless. 102.20 For if one were to change the word "man" and "flesh" into God (of which the one pleases us, the other them), and then were to use this wonderful and God-known inversion, what will be concluded? That one must worship not a God-bearing flesh, but a man-bearing God. 102.21 O, the absurdity! They proclaim to us today the wisdom that was hidden after Christ, at which it is worthy even to weep. 102.22 For if the faith began thirty years ago, though almost four hundred years have passed since Christ appeared, our Gospel has been empty for so long a time, and our faith also empty, 102.23 and in vain have the martyrs borne their witness, and in vain have such and so great leaders presided over the people, and the grace is of the measures, but not of the faith.

102.24 And who would not admire their teaching, who clearly themselves divide the things of Christ, and the "was born" and "was tempted" and "was hungry" and "was thirsty" and "grew weary" and "slept," they assign to the human, 102.25 but the "was glorified by angels" and "conquered and turned back the tempter" and so also "walked upon the sea," they reckon to the divinity; 102.26 and the "Where have you laid Lazarus?" they say is ours, but to cry, "Lazarus, come forth" and to raise the four-day-dead man, is beyond us; 102.27 and the "was in agony" and "was crucified" and "was buried" belongs to the covering, but the "was confident" and "rose again" and "ascended," belongs to the treasure? 102.28 Then they accuse us of introducing two natures, separated or conflicting, and of dividing the transcendent and wonderful union; 102.29 when they ought either not to do what they accuse others of, or not accuse others of what they themselves practice, if indeed they have decided to be consistent with themselves at least, and not to say both their own things and those of their opponents. 102.30 Such is irrationality; to fight against both itself and the truth, so that they neither perceive nor are ashamed of contradicting themselves. 102.31 And if anyone thinks we write or say these things willingly, and not under compulsion, and that we hasten away from union and are not very zealous for it, let him know he is mistaken and has not correctly guessed our desire, 102.32 we for whom nothing is or has been more precious than peace, as the facts themselves persuade, even if the things they do and the youthful follies they commit against us completely preclude concord.

202.t To Nectarius, Bishop of Constantinople 202.1 seems to have entirely abandoned the present life the of God

providence, which in the times before us guarded the Churches. 202.2 And to me

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Οὐϊταλίου λόγους ἡμεῖς μὲν ἐπὶ τὸ εὐσεβέστερον ἐδεξάμεθα, οὕτω τοῦ θέλειν πείθον τος, ἄλλοι δὲ πρὸς τὸν τῶν γεγραμμένων νοῦν ἀγριαίνουσιν; 102.17 ὅ μοι δοκεῖ καὶ ∆άμασος αὐτὸς μεταδιδαχθεὶς καὶ ἅμα 102.17 πυθόμενος ἐπὶ τῶν προτέρων μένειν αὐτοὺς ἐξηγήσεων, ἀποκηρύκτους αὐτοὺς πεποιῆσθαι καὶ τὸ γραμματεῖον ἀνατετραφέναι τῆς πίστεως σὺν ἀναθεματισμῷ καὶ πρὸς αὐτὴν τὴν ἀπάτην αὐτῶν δυσχεράνας, ἣν ἔπαθεν ἐξ ἁπλότητος.

102.18 Ταῦτ' οὖν ἐληλεγμένοι σαφῶς, μὴ χαλεπαινέτωσαν ἡμῖν, ἀλλ' ἐντρεπέσθωσαν, μηδὲ καταψευδέσθωσαν, ἀλλὰ συστελλέσθωσαν, καὶ τῶν πυλώνων ἐξαλειφέτωσαν τὸ μέγα καὶ θαυμαστὸν αὐτῶν ἐκεῖνο πρόγραμμά τε καὶ κήρυγμα τῆς ὀρθοδοξίας, μετὰ ζητήματος εὐθὺς ἀπαντῶντες τοῖς εἰσιοῦσι καὶ διακρίσεως, τὸ δεῖν προσκυνεῖν μὴ ἄνθρωπον θεοφόρον, ἀλλὰ Θεὸν σαρκοφόρον. 102.19 Οὗ τί γένοιτ' ἂν ἀλογώτερον, κἂν τῷ ῥήματι μέγα τούτῳ φρονῶσιν οἱ νέοι τῆς ἀληθείας κήρυκες; Χάριν μὲν γὰρ ἔχει τινὰ σοφιστικὴν τῷ τάχει τῆς ἀντιστροφῆς καὶ ψηφολογικὴν τερατείαν τοὺς ἀπαιδεύτους τέρπουσαν· ἔστι δὲ τῶν γελοίων γελοιότερον καὶ τῶν ἀσυνέτων ἀσυνετώτερον. 102.20 Εἰ γάρ τις μεταβαλὼν τὴν «ἄνθρωπος» φωνὴν καὶ τὴν «σὰρξ» εἰς Θεὸν (ὧν τὸ μὲν ἡμῖν ἀρέσκει, τὸ δὲ αὐτοῖς), ἔπειτα τῇ ἀντιστροφῇ χρήσαιτο τῇ θαυμασίᾳ ταύτῃ καὶ θεογνώστῳ, τί συναχθήσε ται; τὸ δεῖν προσκυνεῖν μὴ σάρκα θεοφόρον, ἀλλὰ Θεὸν ἀνθρωποφόρον. 102.21 Ὢ τῆς ἀτοπίας· τὴν ἀποκεκρυμμένην μετὰ Χριστὸν σοφίαν σήμερον ἡμῖν καταγγέλλουσιν, ἐφ' ᾧ καὶ δακρύειν ἄξιον. 102.22 Εἰ γὰρ πρὸ τριάκοντα τούτων ἐτῶν ἡ πίστις ἤρξατο, τετρακοσίων σχεδὸν ἐτῶν γεγονότων ἀφ' οὗ Χριστὸς πεφανέρωται, κενὸν ἐν τοσούτῳ χρόνῳ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον ἡμῶν, κενὴ δὲ καὶ ἡ πίστις ἡμῶν, 102.23 καὶ μάτην μὲν οἱ μαρτυρήσαντες ἐμαρτύρησαν, μάτην δὲ καὶ τοῦ λαοῦ προέστησαν οἱ τοιοῦτοι καὶ τηλικοῦτοι προστάται, καὶ τῶν μέτρων ἡ χάρις, ἀλλ' οὐ τῆς πίστεως.

102.24 Τίς δὲ οὐκ ἂν αὐτοὺς ἀγάσαιτο τῆς παιδεύσεως, οἳ σαφῶς αὐτοὶ τὰ Χριστοῦ διαιροῦντες καὶ τὸ μὲν ἐγεννήθη καὶ ἐπειράσθη καὶ ἐπείνησε καὶ ἐδίψησεν, ἐκοπίασέ τε καὶ ὕπνωσε, τῷ ἀνθρωπίνῳ προσνέμοντες, 102.25 τὸ δὲ ὑπὸ ἀγγέλων ἐδοξάσθη, καὶ τὸν πειραστὴν ἐνίκησε καὶ ἔτρεψεν, οὕτω καὶ ὕπερθε θαλάσσης ἐπέζευσε, τῇ θεότητι λογιζόμενοι· 102.26 καὶ τὸ μὲν «Ποῦ τεθείκατε Λάζαρον» ἡμέτερον εἶναι λέγοντες, τὸ δὲ «Λάζαρε, δεῦρο ἔξω» βοᾶν καὶ τὸν τετραήμερον νεκρὸν ἐγείρειν, ὑπὲρ ἡμᾶς· 102.27 καὶ τὸ μὲν ἠγωνίασε καὶ ἐσταυρώθη καὶ ἐτάφη, τοῦ προκαλύμματος, τὸ δὲ ἐθάρσησε καὶ ἀνέστη καὶ ἀνέβη, τοῦ θησαυρίσματος; 102.28 Ἔπειτα κατηγοροῦσιν ἡμῶν ὡς δύο φύσεις εἰσαγόντων ἀπηρτημένας ἢ μαχομένας καὶ μεριζόντων τὴν ὑπερφυᾶ καὶ θαυμασίαν ἕνωσιν· 102.29 δέον ἢ μὴ ποιεῖν ὃ κατηγοροῦσιν ἢ μὴ κατηγορεῖν ὃ πράτ τουσιν, εἴπερ ἑαυτοῖς γοῦν ἀκολουθεῖν ἐγνώκασιν, ἀλλὰ μὴ καὶ τὰ ἴδια λέγειν καὶ τὰ τῶν ἀντιπάλων. 102.30 Τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν ἡ ἀλογία· καὶ πρὸς ἑαυτὴν καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἀπομάχεσθαι, ὡς μηδὲ περιπίπτοντας αὐτοὺς ἑαυτοῖς ἢ νοεῖν ἢ αἰσχύνεσθαι. 102.31 Καὶ εἴ τις οἴεται ταῦτα γράφειν ἡμᾶς ἢ λέγειν ἑκόντας, ἀλλ' οὐ τυραννουμένους, καὶ τὴν ἕνωσιν ἀποσπεύδοντας, ἀλλ' οὐχὶ καὶ λίαν σπουδάζοντας, ἴστω κακῶς φρονῶν καὶ οὐκ ἐστοχασμένως τῆς ἡμετέρας ἐπιθυμίας, 102.32 οἷς οὐδὲν εἰρήνης ἐστὶν ἢ γέγονε προτιμότερον, ὡς αὐτὰ πείθει τὰ πράγματα, κἂν ἃ ποιοῦσί τε καὶ νεανιεύονται καθ' ἡμῶν ἀποκλείῃ παντάπασι τὴν ὁμόνοιαν.

202.t Πρὸς Νεκτάριον ἐπίσκοπον Κωνσταντινουπόλεως 202.1 Ἔοικε τὴν παροῦσαν ζωὴν ἐπιλελοιπέναι καθόλου ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ

κηδεμονία, ἡ ἐν τοῖς πρὸ ἡμῶν χρόνοις τὰς Ἐκκλησίας φυλάττουσα. 202.2 Καί μοι