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61 If the things from which Christ is [composed] are not in him, either they have perished or they are in another; and where, show us. 62 If in the case of consubstantial beings the "one nature" that is spoken of signifies an identity of nature, not of hypostasis, how in the case of things of different substance will the "two natures" not signify the difference of substances, but rather declare a division of hypostases? 63 Things in relation to something are simultaneous and always simultaneous; and the union and the things united are among things in relation. Therefore the union and the things united are simultaneous. Either, therefore, proclaim the things united, or cease speaking of the union. And who then is the cause of the division? 64 "One and another" are pronouns for hypostases, while "one thing and another" are for natures, according to Gregory the Theologian. If, therefore, "one and another" in theology always signifies the hypostases, then "one thing and another" in the economy would always signify the natures. 65 To say "other in nature" and "another nature" is the same thing. If, therefore, the first is always said of the divinity of Christ and of his humanity, so too is the second. But one nature and another nature will not be one. 66 What does "composite nature" mean to you? Does it signify two things with a singular expression, as in the Fathers the "twofold" and "double" nature and as "chorus" and "people," or one thing with a plural expression, like "Athens," "Thebes," and such things? If, then, the former, it is superfluous to say "one"; for the Fathers did not say "one." But if the latter, "composite" is superfluous; for the same thing is signified for you by both the simple and the composite. But if it is something other than what has been said, you are introducing to us another, confused nature, like a mule, and the monstrosity of polymorphic animals among the Greeks. 67 The one incarnate nature either is clothed with the flesh as with a form, and is one and incarnate like bronze shaped into the form of a statue; or the assumed flesh was changed into the nature of the one who assumed it; or the nature of the one who assumed was changed into the nature of the thing assumed, and its own substance suffered a departure from itself; or substance is united to substance and they are two. Whichever, therefore, you choose, proclaim either that Christ is two natures or not two at all; for things said contradictorily are wholly opposed. Therefore, either proclaim two or say one absolutely. For why do you put forward a word whose meaning you deny, for the deception of the more simple? 68 By saying "one incarnate nature of God the Word," you either deny the meaning of "incarnate," or you speak of two natures periphrastically from a name and a definition, openly naming one nature, but indicating the other from its definition, since flesh ensouled with a rational and intellectual soul is the nature of a man. 69 Things of different substance become one by union and not by nature; for consubstantial things are one by nature. Therefore nature is one thing and union is another, and the one resulting from each is another thing: from consubstantiality, one nature; and from the hypostatic union, one hypostasis. 70 "The name 'Christ'," according to the blessed Cyril, "neither has the force of 70 a definition nor does it signify any substance." But if it does not signify a substance and does not have the force of a definition, it would be a hypostasis and not a nature. For substance and nature are naturally signified by a definition, while person and hypostasis by a description, since the one is composed of essential properties, and the other of non-essential ones. But the name "God" is indicative of substance, and likewise also "man." Why then will you not proclaim the one Christ, who is God and man, to be one composite hypostasis as Christ, but two natures as God and man? 71 Even if the union came from perfect things, nevertheless, in relation to the whole, that is, the result of the union, the things that came together for the union are called parts, as a brick, for instance, is made from clay and straw and water, each of which is perfect in itself, but a part in relation to the
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61 Εἰ τὰ ἐξ ὧν ὁ Χριστὸς μὴ ἐν αὐτῷ, ἢ ἀπώλοντο ἢ ἐν ἑτέρῳ· καὶ ποῦ, δείξατε. 62 Εἰ ἐπὶ τῶν ὁμοουσίων ἡ μία φύσις λεγομένη ταυτότητα φύσεως, οὐχ ὑποστάσεως δηλοῖ, πῶς ἐπὶ τῶν ἑτεροουσίων αἱ δύο φύσεις οὐ τὸ διάφορον τῶν οὐσιῶν, ἀλλ' ὑποστάσεων δηλώσει διαίρεσιν; 63 Τὰ πρός τι ἅμα καὶ ἀεὶ ἅμα· ἡ δὲ ἕνωσις καὶ τὰ ἑνωθέντα τῶν πρός τι. Ἅμα οὖν ἡ ἕνωσις καὶ τὰ ἑνωθέντα. Ἢ τοίνυν καὶ τὰ ἑνωθέντα κηρύξατε ἢ καὶ τὴν ἕνωσιν παύσατε. Καὶ τίς λοιπὸν τῆς διαιρέσεως αἴτιος; 64 Τὸ ἄλλος καὶ ἄλλος ὑποστάσεων ἀντωνυμίαι, φύσεων δὲ τὸ ἄλλο καὶ ἄλλο κατὰ τὸν θεολόγον Γρηγόριον. Εἰ οὖν ἀεὶ τὸ ἄλλος καὶ ἄλλος ἐπὶ τῆς θεολογίας τὰς ὑποστάσεις δηλοῖ, ἄρα καὶ τὸ ἄλλο καὶ ἄλλο ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκονομίας ἀεὶ τὰς φύσεις δηλώσειεν. 65 Τὸ ἄλλο τῇ φύσει εἰπεῖν καὶ τὸ ἄλλην φύσιν ταὐτόν. Εἰ οὖν τὸ πρῶτον ἀεὶ ἐπὶ τῆς θεότητος τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος αὐτοῦ, ἀεὶ καὶ τὸ δεύτερον. Ἄλλη δὲ καὶ ἄλλη φύσις οὐκ ἔσται μία. 66 Τί ὑμῖν βούλεται ἡ σύνθετος φύσις; Ἑνικῇ προφορᾷ δύο σημαίνει πράγματα ὡς παρὰ τοῖς πατράσιν ἡ διττὴ καὶ ἡ διπλῆ φύσις καὶ ὡς χορὸς καὶ λαός, ἢ πληθυντικῇ προφορᾷ μίαν ὡς Ἀθῆναι, Θῆβαι καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα. Εἰ μὲν οὖν τὸ πρότερον, περιττὸν τὸ μίαν λέγειν· οὐδὲ γὰρ οἱ πατέρες μίαν εἶπον. Εἰ δὲ τὸ δεύτερον, περιττὸν τὸ σύνθετον· ταὐτὸν γὰρ ὑμῖν ἔκ τε τῆς ἁπλῆς καὶ τῆς συνθέτου σημαίνεται. Εἰ δ' ἕτερόν τι παρὰ τὰ εἰρημένα, ἄλλην ἡμῖν συγκεχυμένην εἰσκομίζετε φύσιν ὥσπερ ἡμίονον καὶ τὴν παρ' Ἕλλησιν τῶν πολυμόρφων ζῴων τερατείαν. 67 Ἡ μία σεσαρκωμένη φύσις ἢ ὡς σχῆμα τὴν σάρκα περίκειται καὶ μία ἐστὶ καὶ σεσαρκωμένη οἷα χαλκὸς ἀνδριάντος μεμορφωμένος σχήματι ἢ τῆς σαρκὸς τραπείσης τῆς προσληφθείσης εἰς τὴν τοῦ προσλαβομένου φύσιν ἢ ὡς τῆς τοῦ προσλαβόντος φύσεως μεταβληθείσης εἰς τὴν τοῦ προσλήμματος φύσιν καὶ τῆς οἰκείας οὐσίας πεπονθυίας ἔκστασιν ἢ οὐσία οὐσίᾳ ἥνωται καὶ δύο εἰσίν. Οἷον οὖν αἱρεῖσθε, κηρύξατε ἢ δύο φύσεις ὁ Χριστὸς ἢ παντελῶς οὐ δύο· τὰ γὰρ ἀντιφατικῶς λεγόμενα ὁλικῶς ἀντίκειται. Ἢ τοίνυν δύο κηρύξατε ἢ μίαν ἀπολύτως εἴπατε. Τί γὰρ λέξιν προβάλλεσθε, ἧς ἀρνεῖσθε τὴν δύναμιν, πρὸς ἐξαπάτην τῶν ἁπλουστέρων; 68 Μίαν φύσιν τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου σεσαρκωμένην λέγοντες ἢ τοῦ σεσαρκωμένην ἀρνεῖσθε τὴν δύναμιν ἢ ἐξ ὀνόματος καὶ ὅρου δύο φύσεις κατὰ περίφρασιν λέγετε, μίαν μὲν φύσιν ἀναφανδὸν ὀνομάζοντες, τὴν δὲ ἑτέραν ἐξ ὅρου μηνύοντες, εἴπερ σὰρξ ἐψυχωμένη ψυχῇ λογικῇ τε καὶ νοερᾷ ἀνθρώπου φύσις ἐστί. 69 Τὰ ἑτεροούσια ἑνώσει γίνεται ἓν καὶ οὐ φύσει· φύσει γὰρ ἓν τὰ ὁμοούσια. Ἕτερον τοίνυν φύσις καὶ ἕτερον ἕνωσις καὶ τὸ ἐξ ἑκάστου ἀποτελούμενον ἓν ἕτερον, ἐξ ὁμοουσιότητος μὲν φύσις μία, ἐκ δὲ τῆς καθ' ὑπόστασιν ἑνώσεως μία ὑπόστασις. 70 «Τὸ Χριστὸς ὄνομα» κατὰ τὸν μακάριον Κύριλλον «οὔτε δύναμιν 70 ὅρου ἔχει οὔτε τήν τινος οὐσίαν δηλοῖ.» Εἰ δὲ μὴ οὐσίαν δηλοῖ καὶ ὅρου δύναμιν οὐκ ἔχει, ὑπόστασις ἂν εἴη καὶ οὐ φύσις. Ὅρῳ μὲν γὰρ οὐσία καὶ φύσις δηλοῦσθαι πέφυκεν, ὑπογραφῇ δὲ πρόσωπον καὶ ὑπόστασις, εἴπερ ὁ μὲν ἐξ οὐσιωδῶν, ἡ δὲ ἐξ ἐπουσιωδῶν σύγκειται. Τὸ δὲ θεὸς ὄνομα δηλωτικὸν οὐσίας ἐστίν, ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ τὸ ἄνθρωπος. Τί οὖν τὸν ἕνα Χριστόν, τὸν θεόν τε καὶ ἄνθρωπον, μὴ μίαν μὲν ὑπόστασιν σύνθετον ὡς Χριστόν, ὡς θεὸν δὲ καὶ ἄνθρωπον δύο φύσεις κηρύξετε; 71 Εἰ καὶ ἐκ τελείων ἡ ἕνωσις γένοιτο, ἀλλά γε πρὸς τὸ ὅλον ἤτοι τὸ ἐκ τῆς ἑνώσεως ἀποτέλεσμα μέρη τὰ πρὸς ἕνωσιν συνελθόντα λέγεται, ὡς ἐκ χοὸς τυχὸν ἡ πλίνθος καὶ ἀχύρου καὶ ὕδατος, ὧν ἕκαστον καθ' αὑτὸ μὲν τέλειον, μέρος δὲ πρὸς τὴν