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«This our God appeared upon the earth», and: This man is uncreated and impassible and uncircumscribed. 49 Concerning the number of natures Just as in the case of the Godhead we confess one nature, but we say there are in truth three hypostases and we say that all things natural and essential are simple, but the difference of the hypostases we recognize only in the three properties, the uncaused and paternal, and the caused and filial, and the processional; and we know that they do not depart from and are not separate from one another, and are united, and unconfusedly coinhere in one another, and united indeed without confusion (for they are three, even if they are united), but divided without separation. For even if each subsists in itself, that is, is a perfect hypostasis, and possesses its own property, that is, a different mode of existence, yet they are united in essence and in natural properties and in not being separated nor departing from the paternal hypostasis and they are and are called one God. In the same manner also in the case of the divine and ineffable economy which surpasses all mind and comprehension, of the one of the Holy Trinity, the God-Logos and our Lord Jesus Christ, we confess two natures, divine and human, which have come together with one another and have been united hypostatically, and one composite hypostasis brought to completion from the two natures. And we say that the two natures are preserved even after the union in the one composite hypostasis, that is, in the one Christ, and that they truly exist, and their natural properties, united, however, without confusion and without division, being distinct and numbered. And just as the three hypostases of the Holy Trinity are united without confusion and are divided without separation and are numbered, and the number does not produce division or separation or estrangement and severance in them (for we acknowledge one God: the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit), in the same manner also the natures of Christ, even if they are united, yet they are united without confusion, and if they coinhere in one another, yet they do not admit of change or alteration into one another; for each nature preserves its own natural property unchanged. Therefore they are also numbered, and the number does not introduce division. For Christ is one, perfect in divinity and in humanity; for number is not by nature the cause of division or union, but indicative of the quantity of the things numbered, whether they are united or divided; united, for instance, that this wall has fifty stones, but divided, for instance, that fifty stones lie in this field; and united, for instance, that there are two natures in the charcoal, I mean fire and wood, but divided, for instance, that the nature of fire is one and that of wood is another, something else uniting and dividing them, and not the number. Just as, therefore, it is impossible to call the three hypostases of the Godhead, even if they are united to one another, one hypostasis, so as not to cause confusion and effacement of the difference of the hypostases, so also it is impossible to call the two natures of Christ, which are hypostatically united, one nature, lest we cause the effacement and confusion and non-existence of their difference. 50 That the whole divine nature was united in one of its hypostases to the whole human nature and not part to part The common and universal are predicated of their underlying particulars. Therefore, essence is common, but hypostasis is particular. Particular, not because it has a part of the nature and does not have a part, but particular in number as an individual; for hypostases are said to differ in number and not in nature. And essence is predicated of hypostasis, because in each of the consubstantial hypostases the essence is perfect. Therefore, the hypostases do not differ from one another in essence, but in accidents, which are the characteristic properties, characteristic of hypostasis and not of nature; for they also define hypostasis as essence with accidents. Thus the hypostasis has the common with the particular; but essence does not subsist by itself, but is contemplated in the hypostases. Therefore, when one of the hypostases suffers, the whole

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«Οὗτος ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ὤφθη», καί· Ὁ ἄνθρωπος οὗτος ἄκτιστός ἐστι καὶ ἀπαθὴς καὶ ἀπερίγραπτος. 49 Περὶ ἀριθμοῦ τῶν φύσεων Ὥσπερ δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς θεότητος μίαν φύσιν ὁμολογοῦμεν, τρεῖς δὲ ὑποστάσεις κατὰ ἀλήθειαν οὔσας φαμὲν καὶ πάντα μὲν τὰ φυσικὰ καὶ οὐσιώδη ἁπλᾶ φαμεν, τὴν δὲ διαφορὰν τῶν ὑποστάσεων ἐν μόναις ταῖς τρισὶν ἰδιότησι, τῇ ἀναιτίῳ καὶ πατρικῇ καὶ τῇ αἰτιατῇ καὶ υἱϊκῇ καὶ ἐκπορευτῇ ἐπιγινώσκομεν· ἀνεκφοιτήτους δὲ αὐτὰς καὶ ἀδιαστάτους ἀλλήλων καὶ ἡνωμένας καὶ ἐν ἀλλήλαις ἀσυγχύτως περιχωρούσας ἐπιστάμεθα, καὶ ἡνωμένας μὲν ἀσυγχύτως (τρεῖς γάρ εἰσιν, εἰ καὶ ἥνωνται), διαιρουμένας δὲ ἀδιαστάτως. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἑκάστη καθ' ἑαυτὴν ὑφέστηκεν ἤγουν τελεία ἐστὶν ὑπόστασις καὶ τὴν οἰκείαν ἰδιότητα ἤτοι τὸν τῆς ὑπάρξεως τρόπον διάφορον κέκτηται, ἀλλ' ἥνωνται τῇ τε οὐσίᾳ καὶ τοῖς φυσικοῖς ἰδιώμασι καὶ τῷ μὴ διίστασθαι μηδὲ ἐκφοιτᾶν τῆς πατρικῆς ὑποστάσεως καὶ εἷς θεός εἰσί τε καὶ λέγονται. Τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς θείας καὶ ἀπορρήτου καὶ πάντα νοῦν καὶ κατάληψιν ὑπερεχούσης οἰκονομίας τοῦ ἑνὸς τῆς ἁγίας τριάδος θεοῦ λόγου κυρίου τε ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ δύο μὲν φύσεις ὁμολογοῦμεν, θείαν τε καὶ ἀνθρωπίνην, συνεληλυθυίας ἀλλήλαις καὶ καθ' ὑπόστασιν ἑνωθείσας, μίαν δὲ ὑπόστασιν ἐκ τῶν δύο φύσεων ἀποτελεσθεῖσαν σύνθετον. Σῴζεσθαι δέ φαμεν τὰς δύο φύσεις καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἕνωσιν ἐν τῇ μιᾷ συνθέτῳ ὑποστάσει ἤγουν ἐν τῷ ἑνὶ Χριστῷ καὶ κατὰ ἀλήθειαν αὐτὰς εἶναι καὶ τὰ τούτων φυσικὰ ἰδιώματα, ἡνωμένας μέντοι ἀσυγχύτως καὶ ἀδιαιρέτως διαφερούσας τε καὶ ἀριθμουμένας. Καὶ ὥσπερ αἱ τρεῖς ὑποστάσεις τῆς ἁγίας τριάδος ἀσυγχύτως ἥνωνται καὶ ἀδιαστάτως διῄρηνται καὶ ἀριθμοῦνται, καὶ ὁ ἀριθμὸς διαίρεσιν ἢ διάστασιν ἢ ἀλλοτρίωσιν καὶ διατομὴν ἐν αὐταῖς οὐκ ἐργάζεται (ἕνα γὰρ θεὸν ἐπιγινώσκομεν τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὸν υἱὸν καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον), τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον καὶ αἱ τοῦ Χριστοῦ φύσεις, εἰ καὶ ἥνωνται, ἀλλ' ἀσυγχύτως ἥνωνται, καὶ εἰ ἐν ἀλλήλαις περιχωροῦσιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν εἰς ἀλλήλας τροπήν τε καὶ μεταβολὴν οὐ προσίενται· φυλάττει γὰρ ἑκατέρα φύσις τὴν ἑαυτῆς φυσικὴν ἰδιότητα ἀμετάβλητον. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἀριθμοῦνται, καὶ ὁ ἀριθμὸς οὐκ εἰσάγει διαίρεσιν. Εἷς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ Χριστὸς ἐν θεότητι καὶ ἀνθρωπότητι τέλειος· ὁ γὰρ ἀριθμὸς οὐ διαιρέσεως ἢ ἑνώσεως αἴτιος πέφυκεν, ἀλλὰ τῆς ποσότητος τῶν ἀριθμουμένων σημαντικός, εἴτε ἡνωμένων εἴτε διῃρημένων· ἡνωμένων μέν, ὅτι πεντήκοντα λίθους ἔχει ὁ τοῖχος οὗτος, διῃρημένων δέ, ὅτι πεντήκοντα λίθοι κεῖνται ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ τούτῳ· καὶ ἡνωμένων μέν, ὅτι δύο φύσεις εἰσὶν ἐν τῷ ἄνθρακι, πυρὸς λέγω καὶ ξύλου, διῃρημένων δέ, ὅτι ἡ φύσις τοῦ πυρὸς ἑτέρα ἐστὶ καὶ ἡ τοῦ ξύλου ἑτέρα, ἄλλου τρόπου ἑνοῦντος καὶ διαιροῦντος αὐτὰ καὶ οὐ τοῦ ἀριθμοῦ. Ὥσπερ τοίνυν ἀδύνατον τὰς τρεῖς ὑποστάσεις τῆς θεότητος, εἰ καὶ ἥνωνται ἀλλήλαις, μίαν ὑπόστασιν εἰπεῖν διὰ τὸ μὴ σύγχυσιν καὶ ἀφανισμὸν τῆς τῶν ὑποστάσεων διαφορᾶς ἐργάσασθαι, οὕτω καὶ τὰς δύο φύσεις τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὰς καθ' ὑπόστασιν ἡνωμένας ἀδύνατον μίαν φύσιν εἰπεῖν, ἵνα μὴ ἀφανισμὸν καὶ σύγχυσιν καὶ ἀνυπαρξίαν τῆς αὐτῶν διαφορᾶς ἐργασώμεθα. 50 Ὅτι πᾶσα ἡ θεία φύσις ἐν μιᾷ τῶν αὐτῆς ὑποστάσεων ἡνώθη πάσῃ τῇ ἀνθρωπίνῃ φύσει καὶ οὐ μέρος μέρει Τὰ κοινὰ καὶ καθολικὰ κατηγοροῦνται τῶν αὐτοῖς ὑποκειμένων μερικῶν. Κοινὸν τοίνυν ἡ οὐσία, μερικὸν δὲ ἡ ὑπόστασις. Μερικὸν δέ, οὐχ ὅτι μέρος τῆς φύσεως ἔχει, μέρος δὲ οὐκ ἔχει, ἀλλὰ μερικὸν τῷ ἀριθμῷ ὡς ἄτομον· ἀριθμῷ γὰρ καὶ οὐ φύσει διαφέρειν λέγονται αἱ ὑποστάσεις. Κατηγορεῖται δὲ ἡ οὐσία τῆς ὑποστάσεως, διότι ἐν ἑκάστῃ τῶν ὁμοειδῶν ὑποστάσεων τελεία ἡ οὐσία ἐστί. ∆ιὸ οὐδὲ διαφέρουσιν ἀλλήλων αἱ ὑποστάσεις κατ' οὐσίαν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ συμβεβηκότα, ἅτινά εἰσι τὰ χαρακτηριστικὰ ἰδιώματα, χαρακτηριστικὰ δὲ ὑποστάσεως καὶ οὐ φύσεως· καὶ γὰρ τὴν ὑπόστασιν ὁρίζονται οὐσίαν μετὰ συμβεβηκότων. Ὥστε τὸ κοινὸν μετὰ τοῦ ἰδιάζοντος ἔχει ἡ ὑπόστασις· ἡ οὐσία δέ, καθ' ἑαυτὴν οὐχ ὑφίσταται, ἀλλ' ἐν ταῖς ὑποστάσεσι θεωρεῖται. Πασχούσης τοίνυν μιᾶς τῶν ὑποστάσεων πᾶσα ἡ