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extremity, from which [ineffably] the simple Jesus was composed; and the eternal one has received a temporal extension; and he has come to be within our nature, who has super-essentially gone beyond all natural order."

If, therefore, it was not according to the law and order of the nature of composite things, but by another rule beyond the nature of composite things; for the Word of God was ineffably composed with the flesh by assumption; but not having received being for composition at the same time as the flesh by generation, for the completion of a certain whole in form, as the word of truth shrilly cries out to all; in vain do the ignorant unlawfully attempt to subject the composition which transcends every limit and principle of nature to the laws that are under nature. For this reason, he who says that the incarnation took place by the assumption of the flesh, both preserves the pre-eternal existence of the Word of God, and piously confesses His voluntary and self-chosen incarnation in time; and he preserves unconfused the difference between the assuming Word Himself and the assumed flesh even after (532) the union. But he who does not confess that the Word of God was immutably incarnate by the assumption of the flesh, will in no way be able to confess any of the things said. For how, if the Word did not pre-exist without beginning, did He, according to His will, assume a flesh different in essence? in whose case especially, as I think, the union of that which is of a different nature is properly said to have occurred by assumption; as He alone and uniquely impassibly and truly assumed that which is of a different essence, and in every way and manner kept Himself immutable and not multiplied, and the thing assumed unaltered; which is impossible to happen in the case of created nature; in which every composition is by nature formed at the same time as the generation of the parts, for the completion of a certain whole in form, according to their simultaneous concurrence with each other, preserving an equal proportion of the parts to each other in the whole; as is the case with us, and with all things that have been allotted a composite nature in form. For in our case the soul has the natural powers of the body corresponding to its own energies, since the body is naturally receptive because of the soul's simultaneous generation with the flesh into being. But the Word of God, in no way or manner having the powers of the nature assumed by Him corresponding 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 naturally receptive of Him. Therefore, He alone, by the assumption of a flesh endowed with a rational and intellectual soul, willingly and ineffably became man; as being and pre-being, and able to do all things; having innovated the natures in a way beyond nature, in order to save man.

This faith I learned, and was taught both from our holy and blessed Fathers who have gone before, and from those now living, who have been entrusted with the rudders of the holy Catholic Church of God, and who rightly steer her toward the harbor of the divine will; with which, by their supplications, I shall also depart, leaving this present life; in place of every dignity, offering to God this confession, undefiled and unblemished, and higher than any heretical storm. For I cannot boast of a life made splendid with works of righteousness, having been a voluntary transgressor of the divine laws throughout my whole life here.

And these things I have written to you in summary, my blessed lords, as I was able, so that you may know, if there is anything useful in what has been written, how you might somehow send away the wolves clothed in sheepskins, who with their indistinct howls terrify the divine and gentle sheep of the holy flock of Christ, and not be carried away by falsehood wickedly feigning truth; and the advocates of the ecclesiastical

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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 (532) 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 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 γρήσιμον, 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 συνηγόρους τῆς ἐκκλησιαστικῆς