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he partook of hypostases; calling back to itself, and dedicating the human extremity, from which [ineffably] the simple Jesus was composed; and the eternal one has received a temporal extension; and has come to be within our nature, he who has supra-essentially transcended every natural order."

If then it was not according to the law and order of composite nature, but by another rule contrary to the nature of composites; for by assumption the Word of God was ineffably united to the flesh; but not by receiving being for composition at the same time as the flesh in generation, for the completion of a certain whole according to species, as the word of truth loudly proclaims to all; in vain do the ignorant lawlessly attempt to subject to natural laws the composition which transcends every limit and principle of nature. For this reason, he who says that the incarnation occurred by the assumption of flesh, both preserves the pre-eternal existence of God the Word, and piously confesses His voluntary and self-chosen incarnation in time; and the difference of the assuming Word Himself, and of the assumed flesh, he guards unconfused even after 0532 the union. But he who does not confess that the Word of God was unchangeably incarnate by the assumption of flesh, will in no way be able to confess any of the things that have been said. For how, if the Word did not pre-exist without beginning, did He by His will assume flesh of a different substance? in whom especially, as I think, the union by assumption of that which is of a different nature is properly said to have occurred; as He alone and in a unique way impassibly and truly assumed that which is of a different substance, and guarded Himself as unchangeable in every respect and manner and without multiplication, and that which was assumed as unaltered; which is impossible to happen in the case of created nature; in which, at the same time as the generation of the parts, for the completion of a certain whole according to species, by their simultaneous coming together, every composition is by nature formed, preserving an equal proportion of the parts to each other throughout the whole; just as is the case with us, and with as many things as have received a composite nature according to species. For in our case the soul has the natural powers of the body analogous to its own energies, since it is by nature receptive on account of its own simultaneous generation with the flesh into being. But the Word of God, having in no way or manner the powers of the nature assumed by Him analogous to His own natural energies—for that which is beyond nature is not measured by nature; nor is there anything at all among existing things that is by nature receptive of Him. Therefore He alone, by the assumption of flesh animated with a rational and intellectual soul, by His will ineffably became man; as one who is and who pre-exists, and who is all-powerful; having innovated the natures in a way beyond nature, that He might save man.

This faith I have learned and was taught from our holy and blessed Fathers who have departed before us, and from those now living, who are entrusted with the rudders of the holy catholic Church of God, and who rightly steer it toward the harbor of the divine will; with which, through their supplications, I shall also depart, leaving this present life; instead of any rank, offering to God this confession, pure and undefiled, and higher than any heretical storm. For I cannot boast of a life made splendid by works of righteousness, having been a willful transgressor of the divine laws throughout my whole life here.

And these things I have written to you briefly, as I was able, my blessed lords, so that you may know, if there is anything useful in what has been written, how you might in some way drive away the wolves clothed in sheepskins, who frighten with their indistinct howls the divine and gentle sheep of the holy flock of Christ, and not be led astray by the falsehood that maliciously feigns truth; but the

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ὑποστάσεων ἐκοινώνησεν· ἀνακαλουμένη πρός ἑαυτήν, καί ἀνατιθεῖσα τήν ἀνθρωπίνην ἐσχατιάν, ἐξ ἧς [ἀῤῥήτως] ὁ ἁπλοῦς Ἰησοῦς συνετέθη· καί παράτασιν εἴληφε χρονικήν ὁ ἀΐδιος· καί εἴσω τῆς καθ᾿ ἡμᾶς γέγονε φύσεως, ὁ πάσης τῆς κατά φύσιν τάξεως ὑπερουσίως ἐκβεβηκώς."

Εἰ τοίνυν μή κατά νόμον καί τάξιν τῆς τῶν συνθέτων φύσεως, ἀλλ᾿ ἑτέρῳ παρά τήν φύσιν τῶν συνθέτων θεσμῷ· κατά πρόσληψιν γάρ ἀφράστως ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ πρός τήν σάρκα συνετέθη Λόγος· ἀλλ᾿ οὐ κατά γένεσιν ἅμα τῇ σαρκί πρός σύνθεσιν τό εἶναι λαβών, εἰς ὅλου τινός κατ᾿ εἶδος συμπλήρωσιν, καθώς ὁ τῆς ἀληθείας διαπρυσίως πᾶσιν ἐμβοᾷ λόγος· μάτην τοῖς ὑπό φύσιν θεσμοῖς ὑπαγαγεῖν ἀθέσμως ἐπιχειροῦσιν οἱ ἀμαθεῖς τήν πάντα φύσεως ὅρον τε καί λόγον ἐκβαίνουσαν σύνθεσιν. ∆ιά τοῦτο κατά πρόσληψιν σαρκός ὁ λέγων γενέσθαι τήν ἐνανθρώπησιν, τήν τε τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου προαιώνιον ὕπαρξιν σιασώζει, καί τήν ἑκούσιον εὐσεβῶς ὁμολογεῖ καί αὐθαίρετον αὐτοῦ κατά χρόνον σάρκωσιν· καί τήν διαφοράν αὐτοῦ τοῦ προσλαβόντος Λόγου, καί τῆς προσληφθείσης σαρκός ἀσύγχυτον διαφυλάττει καί μετά 0532 τήν ἕνωσιν. Ὁ δέ μή κατά πρόσληψιν σαρκός ὁμολογῶν ἀτρέπτως ἐνανθρωπῆσαι τόν τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγον, οὐδέν τῶν εἰρημένων κατ᾿ οὐδένα τρόπον ἀληθῶς ὁμολογεῖν δυνήσεται. Πῶς γάρ εἰ μή προϋπῆρχεν ἀνάρχως ὁ Λόγος, κατά θέλησιν σάρκα προσέλαβε κατ᾿ οὐσίαν διάφορον; ἐφ᾿ οὗ μάλιστα, καθάπερ οἶμαι, κυρίως ἡ τοῦ ἑτεροφυοῦς λέγεται γεγενῆσθαι κατά πρόσληψιν ἕνωσις· ὡς μόνου τε καί μόνως ἀπαθῶς τε καί ἀληθῶς προσλαβόντος τό ἑτεροούσιον, καί ἄτρεπτον ἑαυτόν παντί λόγῳ τε καί τρόπῳ φυλάξαντος καί ἀπλήθυντον, καί τό προσληφθέν ἀναλλοίωτον· ὅπερ ἀμήχανον ἐπί τῆς γενητῆς γενέσθαι φύσεως· ἐφ᾿ ἧς ἅμα τῇ γενέσει τῶν μερῶν, εἰς ὅλου τινός κατ᾿ εἶδος συμπλήρωσιν, κατά τήν ἀθρόαν πρός ἄλληλα συνδρομήν, πᾶσα γίνεσθαι πέφυκε σύνθεσις, ἴση κατά τό ὅλον τήν πρός ἄλληλα τῶν μερῶν ἀναλογίαν (15Β_260> φυλάττουσα· καθάπερ ἐφ᾿ ἡμῶν ἔχει, καί τῶν ὅσα σύνθετον ἔχειν τήν κατ᾿ εἶδος ἔλαχον φύσιν. Ἐφ᾿ ἡμῶν γάρ ἀναλογούσας ἡ ψυχή ταῖς οἰκείαις ἐνεργείαις τάς φυσικάς ἔχει τοῦ σώματος δυνάμεις, ὡς δεκτικοῦ κατά φύσιν ὄντος διά τήν αὐτῆς ἀθρόαν ἅμα τῇ σαρκί πρός τό εἶναι γένεσιν. Ὁ δέ Θεοῦ Λόγος, κατ᾿ οὐδένα λόγον ἤ τρόπον ἀναλογούσας ἔχων ταῖς οἰκείαις κατά φύσιν ἐνεργείαις τῆς ὑπ᾿ αὐτοῦ προσληφθείσης φύσεως τάς δυνάμεις· οὐ γάρ μετρεῖται φύσει τό ὑπέρ φύσιν· οὐδέ τι τό παράπαν ἐν τοῖς οὖσίν ἐστι κατά φύσιν αὐτοῦ δεκτικόν. Ἄρα μονώτατος κατά πρόσληψιν σαρκός λογικῶς τε καί νοερῶς ἐψυχωμένης, θέλων ἀῤῥήτως γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος· ὡς ὤν καί προών, καί πάντα δυνάμενος· τῷ ὑπέρ φύσιν τρόπῳ τάς φύσεις καινοτομήσας, ἵνα σώσῃ τόν ἄνθρωπον.

Ταύτην ἔμαθον ἐγώ τήν πίστιν, καί ἐδιδάχθην ἐκ τε τῶν προαποδημησάντων ἁγίων καί μακαρίων Πατέρων ἡμῶν, καί ἐκ τῶν νῦν περιόντων, καί τούς οἴακας τῆς καθολικῆς ἁγίας τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἐκκλησίας πεπιστευμένων, καί ὀρθῶς πρός τόν λιμένα τοῦ θείου θελήματος αὐτήν διακυβερνώντων· μεθ᾿ ἧς ταῖς αὐτῶν ἰκεσίαις καί ἀπελεύσομαι τήν παροῦσαν ἀπολιμπάνων ζωήν· ἀντί παντός ἀξιώματος, ταύτην τῷ Θεῷ προσφέρων τήν ὁμολογίαν ἄχραντον καί ἀμόλυντον, καί πάσης αἱρετικῆς ζάλης ὑψηλοτέραν. Βίῳ γάρ ἔργοις καταγλαϊσμένῳ δικαιοσύνης οὐκ ἔχω καυχᾶσθαι, κατά πᾶσάν μου τήν ἐνθάδε ζωήν παραβάτης αὐθαίρετος τῶν θείων νόμων γενόμενος.

Καί ταῦτα μέν ὑμῖν, ὡς οἷόν τε ἦν, ἐπιτόμως ἐγώ γέγραφα, κύριοί μου εὐλογημένοι, πρός τό γινώσκειν ὑμᾶς, εἴπερ τι τοῖς γραφεῖσιν ἐνέστι χρήσιμον, πῶς κἄν ποσῶς ἀποπέμπεσθε τούς ἠμφιεσμένους τό κώδιον λύκους, ταῖς ἀσήμοις καταπτοοῦντας ὑλακαῖς τά θεῖα καί ἤπια τῆς ἁγίας τοῦ Χριστοῦ ποίμνης πρόβατα, καί μή παρασύρεσθε τῷ ψεύδει κακούργως ὑποκρινομένῳ ἀλήθειαν· τάς δέ