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David according to the promise received a first-fruit.

THAT THE UNION IS UNCONFUSED

1. Those who believe that one nature of divinity and humanity came to be after the union abolish by this argument the properties of the natures; and the abolition of these is a denial of each nature. For confusion does not permit one to conceive of the things united, neither the flesh as flesh, nor God as God. But if even after the union the difference of the things united is distinct, then a confusion has not occurred, but an unconfused union. And if this is agreed, then the Lord Christ is not one nature, but one Son, displaying each nature uncorrupted. 2. Otherwise. We too affirm the union, and they themselves agree that it happened at the conception. If, therefore, the union mixed and confused the natures, how was the flesh seen after the birth having nothing new, but both displayed the human character, and preserved the measures of an infant, and endured swaddling clothes, and drew from its mother’s nipple? But if these things were accomplished according to fantasy and appearance, then we too have enjoyed salvation according to fantasy and appearance; but if even these themselves, as they say, do not accept fantasy and appearance, then what was seen was truly a body. And if this is agreed, then the union did not confuse the natures, but each remained uncorrupted. 3. Otherwise. Those who have composed this varied and multiform heresy, sometimes say that God the Word became flesh, and sometimes say that the flesh received a change into the nature of divinity. But each argument is stale and vain and full of falsehood. For if 258 God the Word became flesh according to their argument, why do they call him God, and this alone, and do not wish to call him man, but even vehemently accuse us who, along with confessing him to be God, also say that he is man? But if the flesh was changed into the nature of divinity, for what reason do they partake of the antitypes of the body? For the type is superfluous when the truth has been abolished. 4. Otherwise. An incorporeal nature is not circumcised corporeally. The "corporeally" is added because of the spiritual circumcision of the heart. Therefore circumcision is indeed of the body. But Christ was circumcised; therefore the Lord Christ had a body. And if this is agreed, then the argument of confusion has also been refuted. 5. Otherwise. We have learned, however, that the Savior Christ hungered and thirsted, and we believe that these things truly happened and not by appearance. But these are not properties of an incorporeal nature, but of a body. Therefore the Lord Christ had a body, which received the sufferings of its nature before the resurrection. The divine apostle also bears witness to these things: "For we do not have," he says, "a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things according to our likeness, without sin." For sin is not of nature, but of evil choice. ʹ. Otherwise. Concerning the divine nature the prophet David said: "He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep." But the history of the gospels shows the Lord Christ sleeping in the boat. But sleeping is the opposite of not sleeping; indeed the prophetic things are contrary to the evangelical things, if indeed, according to their argument, the Lord Christ is only God. But in fact they are not contrary; for both these and those are streams of one Spirit. Therefore the Lord Christ had a body, akin to other bodies, which received the need of sleep, and the argument of confusion has been shown to be a myth. 7. Otherwise. The prophet Isaiah has said concerning the divine nature: "He will not hunger, nor will he grow weary," and so on; and the evangelist 259 says: "But Jesus, being wearied from the

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∆αβὶδ κατὰ τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν ἔλαβεν ἀπαρχήν.

ΟΤΙ ΑΣΥΓΧΥΤΟΣ Η ΕΝΩΣΙΣ

αʹ. Οἱ μίαν φύσιν θεότητός τε καὶ ἀνθρωπότητος μετὰ τὴν ἕνωσιν γεγενῆσθαι πιστεύοντες ἀναιροῦσι τῷδε τῷ λόγῳ τὰς τῶν φύσεων ἰδιότητας· ἡ δὲ τούτων ἀναίρεσις ἑκατέρας φύσεως ἄρνησις. Οὐ γὰρ ἐᾷ νοεῖν τῶν ἑνωθέντων ἡ σύγχυσις, οὔτε σάρκα τὴν σάρκα, οὔτε θεὸν τὸν θεόν. Εἰ δὲ καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἕνωσιν εὐκρινὲς τὸ τῶν ἑνωθέντων διά φορον, οὐκ ἄρα σύγχυσις γέγονεν, ἀλλ' ἀσύγχυτος ἕνωσις. Εἰ δὲ τοῦτο συνωμολόγηται, οὐ μία ἄρα φύσις ὁ δεσπότης Χριστός, ἀλλ' εἷς υἱός, φύσιν ἑκατέραν ἐπιδεικνὺς ἀκραιφνῆ. βʹ. Ἄλλως. Τὴν ἕνωσιν καὶ ἡμεῖς φαμεν, καὶ αὐτοὶ δὲ συνομο λογοῦσιν ἐν τῇ συλλήψει γενέσθαι. Εἰ τοίνυν κεκέρακε τὰς φύσεις ἡ ἕνωσις καὶ συνέχεε, πῶς ἡ σὰρξ μετὰ τὸν τόκον οὐδὲν ἔχουσα καινὸν ἑωρᾶτο, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν ἀνθρώπινον ἐδείκνυ χαρακτῆρα, καὶ τοῦ βρέ φους τὰ μέτρα διέσωζε, καὶ τῶν σπαργάνων ἠνείχετο, καὶ τὴν μητρῴαν εἷλκε θηλήν; Εἰ δὲ κατὰ φαντασίαν ταῦτά γε καὶ δόκησιν τετέλεσται, κατὰ φαντασίαν ἄρα καὶ δόκησιν καὶ ἡμεῖς τῆς σωτηρίας ἀπολελαύκαμεν· εἰ δὲ καὶ αὐτοί γε οὗτοι τὴν φαντασίαν καὶ δόκησιν, ὥς φασιν, οὐ προσίενται, ἀληθῶς ἄρα σῶμα ἦν τὸ ὁρώμενον. Εἰ δὲ τοῦτο συνωμολόγηται, οὐκ ἄρα συνέχεε τὰς φύσεις ἡ ἕνωσις, ἀλλ' ἑκατέρα μεμένηκεν ἀκραιφνής. γʹ. Ἄλλως. Οἱ τὴν ποικίλην ταύτην συντεθεικότες καὶ πολύμορφον αἵρεσιν, ποτὲ μὲν σάρκα γεγενῆσθαι τὸν θεὸν λόγον φασί, ποτὲ δὲ τὴν σάρκα λέγουσι τὴν εἰς θεότητος φύσιν δεδέχθαι μεταβολήν. Ἑκάτερος δὲ λόγος ἕωλός τε καὶ μάταιος καὶ ψεύδους ἀνάμεστος. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ὁ 258 θεὸς λόγος κατὰ τὸν αὐτῶν γε λόγον ἐγένετο σάρξ, τί δήποτε αὐτὸν θεὸν ὀνομάζουσι, καὶ τοῦτό γε μόνον, ἄνθρωπον δὲ προσονομάζειν οὐ θέλουσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡμῶν μετὰ τοῦ θεὸν ὁμολογεῖν καὶ ἄνθρωπον εἶναι λεγόντων σφόδρα κατηγοροῦσιν; Εἰ δέ γε ἡ σὰρξ εἰς θεότητος μετεβλήθη φύσιν, τοῦ δὴ χάριν μεταλαμβάνουσι τῶν ἀντιτύπων τοῦ σώματος; περιττὸς γὰρ ὁ τύπος τῆς ἀληθείας ἀνῃρημένης. δʹ. Ἄλλως. Ἀσώματος σωματικῶς οὐ περιτέμνεται φύσις. Τὸ δὲ σωματικῶς πρόσκειται διὰ τὴν πνευματικὴν τῆς καρδίας περιτομήν. Σώματος οὖν δήπουθεν ἡ περιτομή. Περιετμήθη δὲ Χριστός· σῶμα ἄρα εἶχεν ὁ δεσπότης Χριστός. Εἰ δὲ τοῦτο συνωμολόγηται, καὶ ὁ τῆς συγχύσεως ἄρα διελήλεκται λόγος. εʹ. Ἄλλως. Πεινῆσαι μέντοι καὶ διψῆσαι τὸν σωτῆρα Χριστὸν μεμαθήκαμεν, καὶ ἀληθῶς γε ταῦτα καὶ οὐ δοκήσει γεγενῆσθαι πιστεύομεν. Ταῦτα δὲ οὐκ ἀσωμάτου φύσεως, ἀλλὰ σώματος ἴδια. Σῶμα ἄρα εἶχεν ὁ δεσπότης Χριστός, δεξάμενον πρὸ τῆς ἀναστάσεως τῆς φύσεως τὰ παθήματα. Μαρτυρεῖ δὲ τούτοις καὶ ὁ θεῖος ἀπόστολος· "Οὐ γὰρ ἔχομεν, φησίν, ἀρχιερέα μὴ δυνάμενον συμπαθῆσαι ταῖς ἀσθενείαις ἡμῶν, πεπειραμένον δὲ κατὰ πάντα καθ' ὁμοιότητα, χωρὶς ἁμαρτίας." Ἡ ἁμαρτία γὰρ οὐ τῆς φύσεως, ἀλλὰ τῆς κακῆς προαιρέσεως. ʹ. Ἄλλως. Περὶ τῆς θείας φύσεως ὁ προφήτης ἔφη ∆αβίδ· "Οὐ μὴ νυστάξει, οὐδὲ ὑπνώσει ὁ φυλάττων τὸν Ἰσραήλ." Ἡ δὲ τῶν εὐαγγελίων ἱστορία καθεύδοντα δείκνυσιν ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ τὸν δεσπότην Χριστόν. Ἐναντίον δὲ τῷ μὴ ὑπνοῦν τὸ καθεύδειν· ἐναντία δήπου τοῖς εὐαγγελικοῖς τὰ προφητικά, εἴπερ ἄρα, κατὰ τὸν ἐκείνων λόγον, μόνον θεὸς ὁ δεσπότης Χριστός. Ἀλλὰ μὴν οὐκ ἐναντία· ἑνὸς γὰρ πνεύματος ταῦτα κἀκεῖνα τὰ νάματα. Σῶμα ἄρα εἶχεν ὁ δεσπότης Χριστός, τοῖς ἄλλοις σώμασι συγγενές, τοῦ ὕπνου τὴν χρείαν δεξά μενον, καὶ ὁ τῆς συγχύσεως λόγος ἀποδέδεικται μῦθος. ζʹ. Ἄλλως. Ὁ προφήτης Ἡσαΐας περὶ τῆς θείας εἴρηκε φύσεως·"Οὐ πεινάσει, οὐδὲ κοπιάσει," καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς· καὶ ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς δέ 259 φησιν· "Ἰησοῦς δὲ κεκοπιακὼς ἐκ τῆς