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for it does not accept that Manes and Apollinarius and Eutyches speak simply of one nature in Christ, but one incarnate nature of God the Word; by the addition of “incarnate,” they indicate the nature of humanity, which the nature of God the Word assumed, and at the same time and with this became one Lord Jesus Christ; nor did the nature of the Word itself become other than itself and its divinely-fitting glories, even if it came to be in the assumption of flesh, but not of flesh simply; for this is Arian; but of ensouled flesh; and not only ensouled; for this again is of Apollinarius; but ensouled with an intelligent and rational soul; nor indeed did it pour into itself the human nature, (1492) which it assumed, or alter that nature beyond its natural and essential definition and principle, nor, as fire does wax, did it consume this. So that the whole definition, indicating these things, is thus stated by the pious: One incarnate nature of God the Word, with ensouled flesh, with an intelligent and rational soul. Again, the ecclesiastical teaching has rejected speaking simply of two natures in Christ according to Paul and Theodore and Nestorius; but two natures essentially united; through this addition, casting out every divisive notion, and anyone attempting in any way to separate the truly supernatural and marvelous union; and not only two natures essentially united, but also by a hypostatic union, at once inseparably and unconfusedly.

Explanation of the definition. Such a definition, by speaking of two natures, signifies the different kind and

different essence of the two natures that came together, both of the divinity that assumed and of the humanity that was assumed. And by speaking of them as essentially united, it signifies that the union of the two natures is not conceived according to good pleasure, or any other relative notion, but that they co-exist and are compounded in essence itself and subject and reality. And by speaking of a hypostatic union, it signifies that the humanity was not first formed and then the divinity entered into it, but that from the very first beginning of its existence it was united to the divinity. And by adding "inseparably and at the same time unconfusedly," it signifies that the natures that came together were in no way innovated by the unity, but that their union is always and likewise preserved, and each of the natures undiminished in its essential definition and principle. Therefore, with such unassailable additions, the teaching of the Church sends far away those who have erred from either side, and gives no ground to those wishing to slander the truth. For if some lover of division, on account of the confession of two natures, should attempt to deduce two hypostases, that is, persons, he is refuted not least by the aforementioned additions, but much more by the other of the definitions, and very easily. I mean, by the "one incarnate nature of the Word."

For this definition clearly shows that the humanity in Christ would never have been known in its hypostasis at all, unless the divine nature of the Word, having entered the virginal womb, by an ineffable principle formed and fashioned it for itself out of it, so that the assumed nature did not have even the first principles of its life-formation without the essential and natural indwelling of the nature of God the Word which was assuming it. And why do I speak of the principles of the God-formation, when not even the blessed Virgin herself beyond the limit of nature, fruitful (1493)

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γάρ Μάνητα καί Ἀπολινάριον καί Εὐτυχέα μίαν φύσιν ἁπλῶς ἐπί Χριστοῦ λέγειν οὐ παραδέχεται, ἀλλά μίαν φύσιν τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου σεσαρκωμένην· διά τῆς προσθήκης τοῦ, σεσαρκωμένην, δηλοῦσιν τήν φύσιν τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος, ἦν ἡ φύσις τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου προσλαμβανομένη, ἅμα τε καί σύν ταύτῃ εἷς Κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστός γέγονεν· οὐδέ αὐτή ἡ τοῦ Λόγου φύσις ἑτέρα παρ᾿ ἑαυτήν καί τῶν κατ᾿ αὐτήν θεοπρεπῶς αὐχημάτων γενομένη, εἰ καί ἐν προσλήψει σαρκός γέγονε, σαρκός δέ οὐχ ἁπλῶς· τοῦτο γάρ Ἀρειανικόν· ἀλλά σαρκός ἐμψυχωμένης· καί οὐχί ἐμψυχωμένης μόνο· πάλιν γάρ Ἀπολιναρίου καί τοῦτο· ἀλλ᾿ ἐμψυχωμένης ψυχῇ νοερᾷ καί λογικῇ· οὐδέ μήν τήν ἀνθρώπου φύσιν, (1492) ἧς ἐν προσλήψει γέγονεν, εἰς ἑαυτήν ἀνέχεεν, ἤ αὐτήν ἐκείνην ἠλλοίωσεν ἔξω τοῦ κατά τόν φυσικόν αὐτῆς καί οὐσιώδη ὅρον καί λόγον, οὐδέ, ὡς κηρόν πῦρ, ταύτην ἐξεδαπάνησεν. Ὥστε τόν ὅλον ὅρον ταῦτα δηλοῦντα οὑτωσί λέγεσθαι πρός τῶν εὐσεβῶν· Μία φύσις τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου σεσαρκωμένη, σαρκί ἐμψυχωμένη, ψυχῇ νοερᾷ καί λογικῇ. Πάλιν δέ κατά Παῦλον καί Θεόδωρον καί Νεστόριον δύο φύσεις ἁπλῶς ἐπί Χριστοῦ λέγειν ἀποδεδοκίμακεν ὁ λόγος ὁ ἐκκλησιαστικός· ἀλλά δύο φύσεις οὐσιωδῶς ἡνωμένας· διά τῆς ἐπα[γω]γῆς ταύτης ἀποβάλλων πᾶσαν διαιρετικήν ἔννοιαν, καί τόν καθ᾿ ὁτιοῦν ἐπιχειροῦντα διαζευγνύναι τήν ὄντως ὑπερφυᾶ καί θαυμαασίαν ἕνωσιν· καί οὐ μόνον δύο φύσεις οὐσιωδῶς ἡνωμένας, ἀλλά καί ἐνώσει τῇ καθ᾿ ὑπόστασιν ἀδιασπάστως ἅμα καί ἀσυγχύτως.

Ἐξήγησις τοῦ ὅρου. Ὁ δέ τοιοῦτος ὅρος, διά μέν τοῦ λέγειν δύο φύσεις, σημαίνει, τό ἑτερογενές καί

ἑτεροούσιον τῶν συνελθουσῶν δύο φύσεων, τῆς τε προσλαβούσης θεότητος καί τῆς προσειλημμένης ἀνθρωπότητος. ∆ιά δέ τοῦ λέγειν οὐσιωδῶς ἡνωμένας, σημαίνει τό μή κατ᾿ εὐδοκίαν, ἤ ἑτέραν τινά σχετικήν ἔννοιαν νοεῖσθαι τήν τῶν δύο φύσεων ἕνωσιν, ἀλλ᾿ αὐτῇ οὐσίᾳ καί ὑποκειμένῳ καί πράγματι συνυφεστάναι ταύτας καί συντεθεῖσθαι. ∆ιά δέ τοῦ λέγειν, ἑνώσει τῇ καθ᾿ ὑπόστασιν, σημαίνει τό μή πρότερον διαπεπλάσθαι τήν ἀνθρωπότητα, καί οὕτως αὐτῇ εἰσδεδυκέναι τήν θεότητα, ἀλλ᾿ ὅτι κατ᾿ αὐτό τό ὑφίστασθαι τήν πρώτην ἀρχήν ἥνωτο τῇ θεότητι. ∆ιά δέ τοῦ ἐπάγειν, ἀδιασπάστως ἅμα καί ἀσυγχύτως, σημαίνει μηδέ καινοτομηθῆναι τάς συνελθούσας φύσεις διά τῆς ἑνότητος, ἀλλά καί τήν ἕνωσιν τούτων ἀεί τε καί ὡσαύτως διαπεφυλάχθαι, καί ἑκατέραν τῶν φύσεων ἀμειώτως ἐπί τῷ οὐσιώδει αὐτῆς ὅρῳ καί λόγῳ. Ταῖς οὖν τοιαύταις ἀνεπηρεάστοις ἐπαγωγαῖς, τούς ἐξ ἑκατέρου μέρους ἀποσφαλέντας, καί μακράν ἀποπέμπεται ὁ λόγος τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, καί τοῖς συκοφαντεῖν ἐθέλουσι τήν ἀλήθειαν, χώραν οὐ δίδωσιν. Εἰ μέν γάρ τις φιλοδιαιρέτης διά τῆν τῶν δύο φύσεων ὁμολογίας, δύο ὑποστάσεις, ἤγουν πρόσωπα, συναγαγεῖν ἐπιχειροίη, οὐχ ἥκιστα μέν καί ταῖς προλεχθείσαις ἐπαγωγαῖς, πολλῷ δέ μᾶλλον τῷ ἑτέρῳ τῶν ὅρων διαλέγχεται, καί μάλα ῥᾳδίως. Φημί δέ τῷ, μία φύσις τοῦ Λόγου σεσαρκωμένη.

Οὗτος γάρ ὁ ὅρος ἐναργῶς παρίστησι, οὐκ ἄν ποτε ἐν ὑποστάσει τό καθόλου γνωσθῆναι τήν κατά Χριστόν ἀνθρωπότητα, εἰ μή ἡ τοῦ Λόγου θεϊκή φύσις ὑπεισδῦσα τήν παρθενικήν νηδύν, ἐξ αὐτῆς ἀῤῥήτῳ λόγῳ ταύτην ἑαυτῇ περιεμόρφου καί περιέπλαττεν, ὥστε μηδέ αὐτάς τάς πρώτας τῆς ζωοπλαστίας ἀρχάς ἐσχηκέναι τήν προσληφθεῖσαν φύσιν, ἄνευ τῆς οὐσιώδους καί φυσικῆς ἐμφολοχωρήσεως τῆς προσλαμβανομένης αὐτήν Θεοῦ Λόγου φύσεως. Καί τί λέγω τάς τῆς θεοπλαστίας ἀρχάς, ὅπουγε οὐδ᾿ ἄν αὐτή ἡ μακαρία Παρθένος ὑπέρ τόν ὅρον τῆς φύσεως γόνιμον (1493)