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However, to omit the many and various things that happened before the passion, after the resurrection He showed to the disbelieving apostles not the divinity, but the humanity; "‘See my hands and my feet,’ he says, ‘that it is I myself; handle me, and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.’” Behold, we have fulfilled our promise to you; for we have shown to those ignorant of the divinity the teaching offered concerning it; and to those disbelieving in the resurrection of the flesh, this demonstrated; Cease, therefore, being contentious, and confess the two natures of the Savior. {ERAN.} There were two before the union; but having come together they completed one nature. {ORTH.} But when do you say the union occurred? {ERAN.} I say, immediately at the conception. {ORTH.} And do you say that God the Word did not pre-exist the conception? {ERAN.} I say that he is from before the ages. {ORTH.} But did the flesh co-exist with him? {ERAN.} Certainly not. {ORTH.} But was it formed from the Holy Spirit after the angel’s address? {ERAN.} So I say. {ORTH.} Therefore, there were not two natures before the union, but only one. For if the divinity pre-exists, but the humanity does not 133 co-exist (for it was formed after the angelic salutation, and the union was joined to its formation), then there was one nature before the union, the one that always is and is from before the ages. But let us examine this very thing again. Do you think the incarnation, that is, the becoming man, is anything other than the union? {ERAN.} No. {ORTH.} For by assuming flesh was he made flesh? {ERAN.} It seems so. {ORTH.} And was the union joined to the assumption? {ERAN.} So I say. {ORTH.} Therefore, there was one nature before the becoming man. For if union and becoming man are the same thing, and he became man by taking human nature, and the form of God took the form of a servant, then there was one nature, the divine, before the union. {ERAN.} And how are union and becoming man the same thing? {ORTH.} You just now agreed that these names do not differ. {ERAN.} You deceived me with your reasonings. {ORTH.} And yet I brought you a simple question. {ERAN.} But I was still paying attention to the aforesaid reasonings. {ORTH.} Then, if you please, let us take up the same argument again. {ERAN.} This must be done. {ORTH.} Does incarnation have a difference from union in respect to the very nature of the thing? {ERAN.} Indeed, a very great one. {ORTH.} Teach the kinds of this difference freely. {ERAN.} The very meaning of the names shows the difference. For incarnation signifies the assumption of the flesh, while union signifies the joining of things that were separate. {ORTH.} But do you say that the incarnation is prior to the union? {ERAN.} Certainly not. {ORTH.} But that the union occurred at the conception? {ERAN.} So I say. {ORTH.} Therefore, if not even an instant of time came between the taking of the flesh and the union, and the nature that was taken 134 did not pre-exist the taking and the union; incarnation and union signify the same thing; then there was one nature before the union, that is, the incarnation, but after the union it is fitting to speak of two, the one that took and the one that was taken. {ERAN.} I say Christ is from two natures, but I do not say two natures. {ORTH.} Explain to us how you say 'from two natures'—like silver sprinkled with gold, like the making of amber, like the solder mixed from lead and tin? {ERAN.} I say that this union is like none of these; for it is ineffable and unutterable and surpasses all understanding. {ORTH.} I too confess that the account of the union is not comprehensible. But that each nature remained unmixed even after the union, I have been taught by the divine scripture. {ERAN.} And where has the divine scripture taught this? {ORTH.} All of it is full of this teaching. {ERAN.} Give the proofs for what you are saying. {ORTH.} For do you not confess the properties of each nature? {ERAN.} After the union, by no means. {ORTH.} This very thing, therefore, from the divine

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ὅμως, ἵνα τὰ πρὸ τοῦ πάθους παρῶ πολλά γε ὄντα καὶ διάφορα, μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν ἀπιστοῦσι τοῖς ἀποστόλοις οὐ τὴν θεότητα, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα ἔδειξε· "Βλέπετε, γάρ φησι, τὰς χεῖράς μου καὶ τοὺς πόδας μου, ὅτι αὐτὸς ἐγώ εἰμι· ψηλαφήσατέ με, καὶ ἴδετε, ὅτι πνεῦμα σάρκα καὶ ὀστέα οὐκ ἔχει, καθὼς ἐμὲ θεωρεῖτε ἔχοντα." Ἰδού σοι πεπληρώκαμεν τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν· ἐδείξαμεν γὰρ τοῖς μὲν ἀγνοοῦσι τὴν θεότητα τὴν περὶ ταύτης προσενεχθεῖσαν διδασκαλίαν· τοῖς δὲ ἀπιστοῦσι τῇ τῆς σαρκὸς ἀναστάσει ταύτην ἐπιδειχθεῖσαν· παῦσαι τοίνυν φιλονεικῶν, καὶ τὰς δύο τοῦ σωτῆρος ὁμολόγησον φύσεις. {ΕΡΑΝ.} ∆ύο πρὸ τῆς ἑνώσεως ἦσαν· συνελθοῦσαι δὲ μίαν ἀπετέλε σαν φύσιν. {ΟΡΘ.} Πότε δὲ φὴς γεγενῆσθαι τὴν ἕνωσιν; {ΕΡΑΝ.} Εὐθὺς ἐγὼ λέγω παρὰ τὴν σύλληψιν. {ΟΡΘ.} Τὸν δὲ θεὸν λόγον οὐ προϋπάρχειν τῆς συλλήψεως λέγεις; {ΕΡΑΝ.} Πρὸ τῶν αἰώνων εἶναί φημι. {ΟΡΘ.} Τὴν δέ γε σάρκα συνυπάρχειν αὐτῷ; {ΕΡΑΝ.} Οὐ δῆτα. {ΟΡΘ.} Ἀλλ' ἐκ πνεύματος ἁγίου μετὰ τὴν τοῦ ἀγγέλου διαπλασθῆ ναι πρόσρησιν; {ΕΡΑΝ.} Οὕτως φημί. {ΟΡΘ.} Οὐκοῦν οὐ δύο ἦσαν πρὸ τῆς ἑνώσεως φύσεις, ἀλλὰ μία μόνη. Εἰ γὰρ προϋπάρχει μὲν ἡ θεότης, ἡ δέ γε ἀνθρωπότης οὐ 133 συνυπάρχει (διεπλάσθη γὰρ μετὰ τὸν ἀγγελικὸν ἀσπασμόν, συνῆπται δὲ τῇ διαπλάσει ἡ ἕνωσις), μία ἄρα φύσις πρὸ τῆς ἑνώσεως ἦν, ἡ ἀεὶ οὖσα καὶ πρὸ τῶν αἰώνων οὖσα. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ αὖθις αὐτὸ τοῦτο σκοπήσωμεν. Τὴν σάρκωσιν ἤγουν τὴν ἐνανθρώπησιν ἄλλο τι νομί ζεις παρὰ τὴν ἕνωσιν; {ΕΡΑΝ.} Οὐχί. {ΟΡΘ.} Σάρκα γὰρ προσλαβὼν ἐσαρκώθη; {ΕΡΑΝ.} Φαίνεται. {ΟΡΘ.} Συνῆπται δὲ τῇ προσλήψει ἡ ἕνωσις; {ΕΡΑΝ.} Οὕτω λέγω. {ΟΡΘ.} Μία οὖν φύσις πρὸ τῆς ἐνανθρωπήσεως ἦν. Εἰ γὰρ ταὐτὸν ἕνωσίς τε καὶ ἐνανθρώπησις, ἐνηνθρώπησε δὲ τὴν ἀνθρωπείαν φύσιν λαβών, ἔλαβε δὲ ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ μορφὴ τὴν τοῦ δούλου μορφήν, μία ἄρα φύσις ἡ θεία πρὸ τῆς ἑνώσεως ἦν. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Καὶ πῶς ταὐτὸν ἕνωσίς τε καὶ ἐνανθρώπησις; {ΟΡΘ.} Συνωμολόγησας ἀρτίως μὴ διαφέρειν ταυτὶ τὰ ὀνόματα. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Τοῖς σοῖς με παρεκρούσω συλλογισμοῖς. {ΟΡΘ.} Καὶ μὴν ἁπλῆν σοι παρενήνοχα πεῦσιν. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Ἀλλὰ τοῖς προρρηθεῖσι προσεῖχον συλλογισμοῖς ἔτι. {ΟΡΘ.} Τὸν αὐτὸν οὖν, εἰ δοκεῖ, πάλιν ἀναλάβωμεν λόγον. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Τοῦτο ποιητέον. {ΟΡΘ.} Ἡ σάρκωσις πρὸς τὴν ἕνωσιν ἔχει διαφορὰν κατ' αὐτὴν τὴν τοῦ πράγματος φύσιν; {ΕΡΑΝ.} Πλείστην μὲν οὖν. {ΟΡΘ.} ∆ίδαξον τὰ εἴδη ταύτης ἀφθόνως. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Καὶ αὐτὸς τῶν ὀνομάτων ὁ νοῦς δηλοῖ τὸ διάφορον. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ σάρκωσις τῆς σαρκὸς δηλοῖ τὴν ἀνάληψιν, ἡ δέ γε ἕνωσις τὴν τῶν διεστώτων συνάφειαν. {ΟΡΘ.} Πρεσβυτέραν δὲ τὴν σάρκωσιν τῆς ἑνώσεως λέγεις; {ΕΡΑΝ.} Οὐ δῆτα. {ΟΡΘ.} Ἀλλ' ἐν τῇ συλλήψει γεγενῆσθαι τὴν ἕνωσιν; {ΕΡΑΝ.} Οὕτω φημί. {ΟΡΘ.} Οὐκοῦν εἰ μηδὲ τὸ ἀκαριαῖον τοῦ χρόνου τῆς λήψεως τῆς σαρκὸς καὶ τῆς ἑνώσεως γεγένηται μέσον, ἡ δὲ ληφθεῖσα φύσις 134 οὐ προϋπῆρχε τῆς λήψεως καὶ τῆς ἑνώσεως· ταὐτὸ μὲν πρᾶγμα σημαίνουσι σάρκωσίς τε καὶ ἕνωσις· μία δὲ ἄρα φύσις πρὸ τῆς ἑνώ σεως ἤγουν σαρκώσεως ἦν, μετὰ δέ γε τὴν ἕνωσιν δύο λέγειν προσ ήκει, τήν τε λαβοῦσαν καὶ τὴν ληφθεῖσαν. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Ἐκ δύο φύσεων λέγω τὸν Χριστόν, δύο δὲ φύσεις οὐ λέγω. {ΟΡΘ.} Ἑρμήνευσον ἡμῖν, πῶς τὸ ἐκ δύο φύσεων λέγεις, ὡς τὸν χρυσόπαστον ἄργυρον, ὡς τὴν τοῦ ἠλέκτρου κατασκευήν, ὡς τὴν κόλλην τὴν ἐκ μολίβδου καὶ κασσιτέρου κεραννυμένην; {ΕΡΑΝ.} Οὐδενὶ τούτων ἐοικέναι τήνδε λέγω τὴν ἕνωσιν· ἄρρητός τε γάρ ἐστι καὶ ἄφραστος καὶ πάντα νοῦν ὑπερβαίνουσα. {ΟΡΘ.} Ὁμολογῶ κἀγὼ μὴ ἐφικτὸν εἶναι τὸν τῆς ἑνώσεως λόγον. Ὅτι δέ γε φύσις ἑκατέρα καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἕνωσιν μεμένηκεν ἀκραιφνής, παρὰ τῆς θείας ἐδιδάχθην γραφῆς. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Καὶ ποῦ τοῦτο ἐδίδαξεν ἡ θεία γραφή; {ΟΡΘ.} Πᾶσα ταύτης ἐστὶ τῆς διδασκαλίας ἀνάπλεως. {ΕΡΑΝ.} ∆ὸς ὧν λέγεις τὰς ἀποδείξεις. {ΟΡΘ.} Σὺ γὰρ οὐχ ὁμολογεῖς φύσεως ἑκατέρας τὰ ἴδια; {ΕΡΑΝ.} Μετὰ τὴν ἕνωσιν οὐδαμῶς. {ΟΡΘ.} Τοῦτο τοίνυν αὐτὸ παρὰ τῆς θείας