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With unwavering faith in God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the humble John explained this philosophical and soul-enlightening book. Having written this, therefore, in July and June, I offer worthy thanksgiving to the Lord who strengthened me, for glory is His. Lord Jesus Christ our God, save the writer along with the readers. I am desired. To those asking whether the two natures are referred to continuous quantity or to discrete [quantity]. The Lord's natures are not one body, nor surface, nor line, not place, not time, so as to be referred to continuous quantity; for these are the things that are continuously counted. But the Lord's natures are united without confusion according to hypostasis and are divided without division by the principle and mode of their difference. And in the mode in which they are united, they are not numbered (for we do not say that the natures of Christ are two hypostases or two according to the hypostasis), but in the mode in which they are indivisibly divided, they are numbered (for they are two natures by the principle and mode of their difference); for, being united according to hypostasis and mutually pervading one another, they are united without confusion, not admitting of change into one another, each preserving its own natural difference even after the union; for the created has remained created, and the uncreated uncreated. Therefore, in the mode of their difference and in that alone, being numbered, they will be referred to discrete quantity. For it is impossible for things that differ in no respect to be numbered; but in that they differ, in that they are also numbered, for example Peter and Paul, in that they are united, are not numbered (for being united in the principle of substance they neither are nor are called two natures), but differing in hypostasis they are called two hypostases. So that difference is the cause of number.

82 Concerning faith and baptism And we confess one baptism for the remission

of sins and for eternal life; for baptism signifies the death of the Lord. We are therefore buried with the Lord through baptism, as the divine apostle says. Therefore, just as the death of the Lord was accomplished once, so also must one be baptized once, and baptized according to the word of the Lord in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, being taught the confession in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Therefore as many as, having been baptized into the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, having been taught one nature of the Godhead in three hypostases, are baptized again, these crucify Christ again, as the divine apostle says: “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened” and so forth, “to be renewed again to repentance, since they crucify to themselves Christ and hold him up to contempt.” But as many as were not baptized into the Holy Trinity, these must be re-baptized. For even if the apostle says, that “into Christ” and “into His death we were baptized,” he does not say that the invocation of baptism must be thus, but that baptism is a type of the death of Christ; for through the three immersions baptism signifies the three days of the Lord's burial. To be baptized into Christ, therefore, signifies being baptized while believing in Him. But it is impossible to believe in Christ without being taught the confession in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. For Christ is the Son of the living God, whom the Father anointed with the Holy Spirit, as the divine David says: “Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions,” and Isaiah, from the person of the Lord: “The Holy Spirit is upon me, for which reason He has anointed me.” The invocation, however, the Lord, teaching His own disciples, said: “Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” For since God made us for incorruption, but when we transgressed His saving commandment He condemned us to the corruption of death, so that evil might not be immortal, as compassionate, He condescended to His servants and becoming as we are He redeemed us from corruption through His own passion, He made to spring forth for us from His holy and immaculate side a fountain

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ἀδιστάκτῳ θεοῦ πατρός, υἱοῦ καὶ ἁγίου πνεύματος πίστει ὁ ταπεινὸς Ἰωάννης τῆν φιλόσωφον ταῦτην καὶ ψυχώφεγγον δέλτον διμήνεον ταύτην οὖν Ἰουλίῳ τὲ καὶ Ἰουνίῳ γράψας καὶ κυρίῳ δόξις γὰρ τῷ δυναμώσαντι με τὴν ἐπάξιον εὐχαριστίαν ἄγ̣ω̣. Κύριε Ἰησοῦ Χριστὲ ἡμῶν, ὁ θεός, σῶσον σὺν τῷ γράψαντι καὶ τοῖς ἀναγινώσκουσι ποθο̣υ̣μ̣α̣ι̣ ν Πρὸς τοὺς ἐρωτῶντας, εἰ ὑπὸ τὸ συνεχὲς ποσὸν ἀνάγονται ἢ ὑπὸ τὸ διωρισμένον αἱ δύο φύσεισ Αἱ τοῦ κυρίου φύσεις οὔτε ἓν σῶμά εἰσιν, οὔτε ἐπιφάνεια οὔτε γραμμή, οὐ τόπος, οὐ χρόνος, ἵνα ὑπὸ τὸ συνεχὲς ποσὸν ἀναχθῶσι· ταῦτα γάρ εἰσι τὰ συνεχῶς ἀριθμούμενα. Ἥνωνται δὲ αἱ τοῦ κυρίου φύσεις ἀσυγχύτως καθ' ὑπόστασιν καὶ διῄρηνται ἀδιαιρέτως λόγῳ καὶ τρόπῳ τῆς διαφορᾶς. Καὶ ᾧ μὲν τρόπῳ ἥνωνται, οὐκ ἀριθμοῦνται (οὐ γὰρ λέγομεν δύο ὑποστάσεις εἶναι τὰς φύσεις τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἢ δύο κατὰ τὴν ὑπόστασιν), ᾧ δὲ τρόπῳ ἀδιαιρέτως διῄρηνται, ἀριθμοῦνται (δύο γάρ εἰσι φύσεις λόγῳ καὶ τρόπῳ τῆς διαφορᾶς)· ἡνωμέναι γὰρ καθ' ὑπόστασιν καὶ ἐν ἀλλήλαις περιχωροῦσαι ἀσυγχύτως ἥνωνται τὴν εἰς ἀλλήλας μεταβολὴν οὐ δεξάμεναι, τὴν οἰκείαν ἑκάστῃ φυσικὴν διαφορὰν καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἕνωσιν διασῴζουσα· τὸ γὰρ κτιστὸν μεμένηκε κτιστόν, καὶ τὸ ἄκτιστον ἄκτιστον. Τῷ τρόπῳ τοίνυν τῆς διαφορᾶς καὶ μόνῳ ἀριθμούμεναι ὑπὸ τὸ διωρισμένον ποσὸν ἀναχθήσονται. Ἀδύνατον γὰρ τὰ κατὰ μηδὲν διαφέροντα ἀριθμεῖσθαι· καθὸ δὲ διαφέρουσι, κατὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἀριθμοῦνται, οἷον ὁ Πέτρος καὶ ὁ Παῦλος, καθὸ μὲν ἥνωνται, οὐκ ἀριθμοῦνται (τῷ λόγῳ γὰρ τῆς οὐσίας ἑνούμενοι δύο φύσεις οὐδὲ εἰσὶν οὐδὲ λέγονται), καθ' ὑπόστασιν δὲ διαφέροντες δύο ὑποστάσεις λέγονται. Ὥστε ἡ διαφορὰ αἰτία τοῦ ἀριθμοῦ.

82 Περὶ πίστεως καὶ βαπτίσματοσ Ὁμολογοῦμεν δὲ ἓν βάπτισμα εἰς ἄφεσιν

ἁμαρτιῶν καὶ εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον· τὸ γὰρ βάπτισμα τὸν τοῦ κυρίου θάνατον δηλοῖ. Συνθαπτόμεθα γοῦν τῷ κυρίῳ διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματος, ὥς φησιν ὁ θεῖος ἀπόστολος. Ὥσπερ οὖν ἅπαξ ἐτελέσθη ὁ τοῦ κυρίου θάνατος, οὕτω καὶ ἅπαξ δεῖ βαπτίζεσθαι, βαπτίζεσθαι δὲ κατὰ τὸν τοῦ κυρίου λόγον εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος διδασκομένους τὴν εἰς πατέρα καὶ υἱὸν καὶ ἅγιον πνεῦμα ὁμολογίαν. Ὅσοι τοίνυν εἰς πατέρα καὶ υἱὸν καὶ ἅγιον πνεῦμα βαπτισθέντες μίαν φύσιν ἐν τρισὶν ὑποστάσεσι τῆς θεότητος διδαχθέντες αὖθις ἀναβαπτίζονται, οὗτοι ἀνασταυροῦσι τὸν Χριστόν, ὥς φησιν ὁ θεῖος ἀπόστολος· «Ἀδύνατον γὰρ τοὺς ἅπαξ φωτισθέντας» καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, «αὖθις ἀνακαινίζειν εἰς μετάνοιαν ἀνασταυροῦντας ἑαυτοῖς τὸν Χριστὸν καὶ παραδειγματίζοντας». Ὅσοι δὲ μὴ εἰς τὴν ἁγίαν τριάδα ἐβαπτίσθησαν, τούτους δεῖ ἀναβαπτίζεσθαι. Εἰ γὰρ καί φησιν ὁ ἀπόστολος, ὅτι «εἰς Χριστὸν» καὶ «εἰς τὸν θάνατον αὐτοῦ ἐβαπτίσθημεν», οὐχ οὕτω δεῖν γίνεσθαί φησι τὴν ἐπίκλησιν τοῦ βαπτίσματος, ἀλλ' ὅτι τύπος τοῦ θανάτου τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐστι τὸ βάπτισμα· διὰ γὰρ τῶν τριῶν καταδύσεων τὰς τρεῖς ἡμέρας τῆς τοῦ κυρίου ταφῆς σημαίνει τὸ βάπτισμα. Τὸ οὖν εἰς Χριστὸν βαπτισθῆναι δηλοῖ τὸ πιστεύοντας εἰς αὐτὸν βαπτίζεσθαι. Ἀδύνατον δὲ εἰς Χριστὸν πιστεῦσαι μὴ διδαχθέντας τὴν εἰς πατέρα καὶ υἱὸν καὶ ἅγιον πνεῦμα ὁμολογίαν. Χριστὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος, ὃν ἔχρισεν ὁ πατὴρ τῷ ἁγίῳ πνεύματι, ὥς φησιν ὁ θεῖος ∆αυίδ· «∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἔχρισέ σε ὁ θεὸς ὁ θεός σου ἔλαιον ἀγαλλιάσεως παρὰ τοὺς μετόχους σου», καὶ Ἡσαΐας ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ κυρίου· «Πνεῦμα ἅγιον ἐπ' ἐμέ, οὗ εἵνεκεν ἔχρισέ με». Τὴν μέντοι ἐπίκλησιν τοὺς οἰκείους μαθητὰς ὁ κύριος διδάσκων ἔλεγε· «Βαπτίζοντες αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος». Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐπ' ἀφθαρσίᾳ πεποίηκεν ἡμᾶς ὁ θεός, παραβάντας δὲ τὴν σωτήριον αὐτοῦ ἐντολὴν φθορᾷ θανάτου κατεδίκασεν, ἵνα μὴ ἀθάνατον ᾖ τὸ κα κόν, συγκαταβὰς τοῖς δούλοις ὡς εὔσπλαγχνος καὶ καθ' ἡμᾶς γενόμενος τῆς φθορᾶς διὰ τοῦ ἰδίου πάθους ἐλυτρώσατο, ἐπήγασεν ἡμῖν ἐκ τῆς ἁγίας καὶ ἀχράντου αὐτοῦ πλευρᾶς πηγὴν