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union; or teaching that the difference of the things that came together is abolished after the union; as can be learned from his countless writings.

If, then, the union always stands, and the things united always remain unconfused, and the difference of the things united is always preserved, on account of which the number was accepted, according to the Fathers; is it not necessary, if indeed the union and the things united and their difference always stand and remain and are preserved, both to speak piously of two natures to show the difference of the things that came together, and again to confess one incarnate nature of God the Word, to indicate the hypostatic union, with neither of these expressions, that is, being abolished by the other, as seems to some who make what is foolish the pretext for wisdom, so that neither confusion nor division may be introduced? For by remaining silent about the expression that appropriately declares the difference, we provide an opportunity for confusion; and again, by not speaking of the one that signifies the union, how do we not fail to know how to avert division? But concerning the same Christ, they are always posited and spoken of piously; but not in the same respect, because the things signified are not identical with one another. For difference and union are not the same thing, even if they exist and are spoken of concerning the same one and of the same one. For when one of these is uttered separately from the other, it is incomplete, as far as the declaration of the whole mystery is concerned, not bringing with it the other as a defender, and it is shown to possess what is suspect: the one [is suspect] of division, because of Nestorius, who denied the hypostatic union and did not tolerate confessing that the uncircumscribable was pleased to be contained in flesh for our sake; the other [is suspect] of confusion, because of Apollinarius and Eutyches, who denied the difference of the things that came together after the union, and were ashamed to confess that the invisible endured to fall under our senses, through the natural property of His holy flesh which is from us.

Therefore, as has been said, those who truly wish to be pious must both confess one incarnate nature of God the Word, so that through this the supreme union may be shown; and again say two natures, so that the difference of the things that came together and are unconfusedly preserved after the union may be declared; and for this purpose alone to adopt the number. For the Fathers did not approve, as is likely, that the difference be declared by another expression. But if anyone is confident in himself, and is able to devise a more fitting expression for declaring this, (481) let him not begrudge us the benefit, and we will not begrudge him the instruction, not to say the audacity.

How one must understand the saying located in the letter to Succensus of the holy Cyril; and that the expression, "In two," does not conflict with those who say one incarnate nature of the Word, unless it is taken impiously according to what seems right to Nestorius.

But if they should say that the proposition of those who speak of two natures united indivisibly after the union is no less in conflict with those who speak of one incarnate nature of the Word, as the holy Cyril suggests in the second memorandum to Succensus; I declare this to be manifestly [the act] either of those who are ignorant of or of those who misuse the expressions of the Fathers, and of those who decide it is more profitable to fight against the truth than to make a truce with it. For it was necessary for them, knowing that we will give an account even for a bare thought to the just Judge of our affairs, to encounter the Patristic writings with understanding and with the fear of God, and to be eager not to make the words that teach peace and concord a pretext for battle and dissension. For to whom

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ἕνωσιν· ἤ ἀνῃρῆσθαι διδάσκοντα τήν διαφοράν τῶν συνελθόντων μετά τήν ἕνωσιν· ὡς ἔστιν ἐκ μυρίων αὐτοῦ συγγραμμάτων καταμαθεῖν.

Εἰ τοίνυν ἀεί μέν ἡ ἕνωσις ἕστηκεν, ἀεί δέ καί τά ἑνωθέντα μένει ἀσύγχυτα· ἀεί δέ καί ἡ τῶν ἑνωθέντων σώζεται διαφορά, δι᾿ ἥν ὁ ἀριθμός παρελήφθη κατά τούς Πατέρας· πῶς οὐκ ἀνάγκη, εἴπερ ἄρα ἀεί ἡ ἕνωσις καί τά ἑνωθέντα, καί ἡ τούτων διαφορά ἕστηκε καί μένει καί σώζεται, καί δύο φύσεις εὐσεβῶς λέγειν ἐπί δηλώσει τῆς τῶν συνελθόντων διαφορᾶς, καί πάλιν μίαν φύσιν τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου σεσαρκωμένην ὁμολογεῖν, πρός ἔνδειξιν τῆς καθ᾿ ὑπόστασιν ἑνώσεως, μηδ᾿ ἑτέρας τῶν φωνῶν, τούτων δηλονότι, διά τῆς ἑτέρας ἀναιρουμένης, ὡς δοκεῖ τισιν ὑπόθεσιν σοφίας ποιουμένης τό ἄσοφον· ἵνα μή σύγχυσις ἤ διαίρεσις παρεισάγηται; Σιωπῶντες γάρ τήν προσφόρως δηλοῦσαν τήν διαφοράν φωνήν, τῇ συγχύσει χώραν ἔχειν παρέχομεν· μή λέγοντες δέ πάλιν τήν τῆς ἑνώσεως σημαντικήν, πῶς τήν διαίρεσιν τροπώσασθαι οὐ γινώσκομεν; ἀλλ᾿ ἐπί τοῦ αὐτοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀεί μέν κειμένων καί λεγομένων εὐσεβῶς· οὐ κατά τό αὐτό δέ, ὅτι μηδέ τά σημαινόμενα ἀλλήλοις ταὐτά. Οὐ γάρ ταὐτόν διαφορά καί ἕνωσις· εἰ καί περί τόν αὐτόν, καί τοῦ αὐτοῦ καί εἰσί καί λέγονται· ἑτέρα γάρ τούτων τῆς ἑτέρας κεχωρισμένως ἐκφωνουμένη, ἀτελής τέ ἐστιν, ὅσον πρός δήλωσιν τοῦ ὅλου μυστηρίου, μή συνεπαγομένη τήν ἄλλην συνήγορον, καί τό ὕποπτον ἔχουσα δείκνυται· ἡ μέν διαιρέσεως, διά Νεστόριον τόν ἀρνούμενον τήν καθ' ὑπόστασιν ἕνωσιν, καί κραττεῖσθαι σαρκί τόν ἀπερίγραφον εὐδοκῆσαι δι᾿ ἡμᾶς ὁμολογεῖν οὐκ ἀνεχόμενον· ἡ δέ συγχύσεως, διά Ἀπολινάριον καί Εὐτυχέα, τούς ἀρνουμένους τήν διαφοράν τῶν συνελθόντων μετά τήν ἕνωσιν· καί τό ἀόρατον αἰσθήσει ὑποπεσεῖν ἡμετέρᾳ, διά τήν φυσικήν ἰδιότητα τῆς ἐξ ἡμῶν ἁγίας αὐτοῦ σαρκός ἀνασχέσθαι ὁμολογεῖν αἰσχυνομένους.

∆εῖ οὖν, ὡς εἴρηται, τούς ἀληθῶς εὐσεβεῖν βουλομένους, καί μίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου φύσιν σασαρκωμένην ὁμολογεῖν, ἵνα διά τούτου ἡ ἄκρα δειχθῇ ἕνωσις· καί δύο πάλιν φύσεις λέγειν, ἵνα ἡ διαφορά τῶν συνελθόντων καί ἀσυγχύτως σωζομένων μετά τήν ἕνωσιν δηλωθῇ· καί πρός τοῦτο καί μόνον τόν ἀριθμόν παραλαμβάνειν. ∆ι᾿ ἄλλης γάρ, ὡς εἰκός, φωνῆς δηλοῦσθαι τήν διαφοράν οἱ Πατέρες οὐκ ἐδοκίμασαν. Εἰ δέ τις ἐφ᾿ ἑαυτῷ πεποιθώς ᾗ, καί δύναται ἀρμοδιωτέραν πρός τήν ταύτης δήλωσιν ἐπινοῆσαι φωνήν,(481) μή φθονείτω ἡμῖν τῆς ὠφελείας, καί οὐδ᾿ ἡμεῖς φθονήσομεν αὐτῷ τῆς παιδεύσεως, ἵνα μή λέγω τῆς θρασύτητος.

Πῶς χρή νοεῖν τήν κειμένην ῥῆσιν εἰς τήν πρός Σούκενσον ἐπιστολήν τοῦ ἁγίου Κυρίλλου· καί ὅτι οὐ μάχεται ἡ, Ἐν δύο φωνή, τοῖς λέγουσι μίαν τοῦ Λόγου φύσιν σεσαρκωμένην· εἰ μή κατά Νεστορίῳ δοκοῦν ἀσεβῶς λαμβανομένη.

Εἰ δέ φαῖεν, ἀλλ᾿ οὐδέν ἦττον μάχεσθαι τό πρόβλημα τῶν δύο λεγόντων φύσεις ἡνωμένας ἀδιαιρέτως μετά τήν ἕνωσιν, τοῖς μίαν λέγουσι τοῦ Λόγου φύσιν σεσαρκωμένην· ὡς ἐν τῷ πρός Σούκενσον δευτέρῳ ὑπομνηστικῷ ὁ ἅγιος ὑποτίθεται Κύριλλος· φανερῶς τοῦτο εἶναι ἤ ἀγνοούντων ἤ κακουργούντων τάς τῶν Πατέρων τίθεμαι φωνάς· καί τό πρός τήν ἀλήθειαν διαμάχεσθαι, τοῦ πρός αὐτήν σπένδεσθαι λισιτελέστερον ψηφιζομένων. Ἔδει γάρ αὐτούς γινώσκοντας, ὡς καί ὑπέρ ψιλῆς ἐννοίας ἀποδώσομεν λόγον τῷ δικαίῳ τῶν ἡμετέρων Κριτῇ, συνετῶς μετά τοῦ φόβου τοῦ Θεοῦ, τοῖς Πατρικοῖς ἐντυγχάνοντας συγγράμμασι, σπεύδειν μή ποιεῖσθαι ὑπόθεσιν μάχης καί διαστάσεως, τά τήν εἰρήνην καί τήν ὁμόνοιαν διδάσκοντα ῥήματα. Τίνι γάρ