The Four Classes of Samaritans.
The Gorthenes celebrate their feasts at other times than Sebyaeans.
The Sebyaeans differ from the Gorthenes by reason of their feasts.
The Seven Heresies of the Jews.
Thus far the summary of the thirteen heresies contained in the second part of Book II.
The following belong to this third part, in which thirteen heresies are contained:
Thus far for the eighteen heresies of the fourth part of Book II.
The following five heresies are contained in the fifth part of Book II:
Thus far the five heresies of the fifth part of Book II.
The following seven heresies are contained in the first part of Book III:
Thus far similarly the seven heresies of the first part of Book III.
In the second part of Book III there are four heresies:
‘But’, they say, ‘since the humanity of Christ had its hypostasis in the Word and did not exist before the union with the Word, for this reason we say that the hypostasis of Christ is one’. Then we ourselves might reply by asking: ‘Do you or do you not think that nature and hypostasis mean the same thing, as just being different terms with the same meaning like sword and blade, or other and another?’ If they are the same, then, if there is one hypostasis, there must necessarily be one nature, too—as, when there is one blade, then there must necessarily be one sword. But, if there are two natures, then the hypostases will of necessity also be two. If however, the term nature means one thing, while that of hypostasis means something else, and if they consider a reason of Christ’s hypostasis being one to be the fact that the human hypostasis, that is to say, person, did not exist prior to the union with the Word—then would not the fact of Christ’s having two natures also be a reason for the human nature’s having existed prior to the union with the Word? If, however, the particular nature which was united to the Word did exist beforehand, then it is absolutely necessary for its hypostasis to have existed beforehand, too. Now, it is impossible for either of these to exist if the other one does not—I refer to the particular nature without its own hypostasis. For in their subject the both are one, even though they are oftentimes used synonymously, as we have shown a short while before. If, then, like the hypostasis, the nature that was united to the Word did not exist prior to its union with the Word—for precisely which reason they hold one hypostasis in Christ—then let them also hold that His nature is one, for as long as they do not differ in the union, then neither should they differ in this respect.
Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον τοῦ Χριστοῦ, φασίν, ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τὴν ὑπόστασιν ἔσχε καὶ οὐ προϋπέστη τῆς τοῦ λόγου ἑνώσεως, διὰ τοῦτο μίαν φαμὲν εἶναι τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὑπόστασιν. Πότερον οὖν φαίημεν ἂν καὶ ἡμεῖς ἓν καὶ ταυτὸν ἡγεῖσθαι σημαίνειν τὴν φύσιν καὶ τὴν ὑπόστασιν, ὡς ὀνόματα μόνον εἶναι διάφορα καθ' ἑνὸς σημαινομένου πίπτοντα, ὡς μάχαιρα καὶ ξίφος, ἢ ἕτερον καὶ ἕτερον; Εἰ μὲν οὖν ταυτόν, μιᾶς τῆς ὑποστάσεως οὔσης μίαν εἶναι καὶ τὴν φύσιν ἀνάγκη, ὡς, εἰ τὸ ξίφος ἓν εἴη, καὶ τὴν μάχαιραν μίαν εἶναι ἀνάγκη, ἢ εἰ αἱ φύσεις δύο, καὶ ὑποστάσεις ἐξ ἀνάγκης δύο ἔσονται. Εἰ δὲ ἄλλο μὲν σημαίνει τὸ τῆς φύσεως ὄνομα, ἄλλο δὲ τὸ τῆς ὑποστάσεως, αἴτιον δὲ τοῦ μίαν εἶναι τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὴν ὑπόστασιν ἡγοῦνται τὸ μὴ προϋπάρξαι τὴν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ὑπόστασιν ἤγουν πρόσωπον τῆς πρὸς τὸν λόγον ἑνώσεως, οὐκοῦν καὶ τοῦ δύο τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὰς φύσεις εἶναι αἴτιον ἂν εἴη τὸ προϋπάρξαι τὴν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου φύσιν τῆς πρὸς τὸν λόγον ἑνώσεως. Ἀλλ' εἰ προϋπέστη ἡ ἑνωθεῖσα τῷ λόγῳ μερικὴ φύσις, ἀνάγκη πᾶσα καὶ τὴν ταύτης προϋποστῆναι ὑπόστασιν. Τούτων γὰρ οὐκ ἐνδέχεται θάτερον εἶναι τοῦ λοιποῦ μὴ ὄντος, τὴν μερικὴν λέγω φύσιν ἄνευ τῆς ἰδίας ὑποστάσεως ἢ τὴν μερικὴν ὑπόστασιν ἄνευ τῆς ἰδίας φύσεως: ἓν γάρ ἐστιν ἄμφω τῷ ὑποκειμένῳ, εἰ καὶ εἰς ταυτὸν πολλάκις συντρέχουσι παρὰ τοῖς χρησαμένοις, ὡς μικρῷ πρόσθεν ἐδείξαμεν. Εἰ τοίνυν ὥσπερ ἡ ὑπόστασις, οὕτω καὶ ἡ φύσις ἡ τῷ λόγῳ ἑνωθεῖσα οὐ προϋπέστη τῆς πρὸς αὐτὸν ἑνώσεως, διόπερ ἄρα μίαν τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀξιοῦσιν ὑπόστασιν, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ φύσιν αὐτοῦ μίαν ἀξιούτωσαν εἶναι: μὴ διαφέρουσαι γὰρ κατὰ τὸ ἡνῶσθαι οὐδὲ κατὰ τοῦτο ἂν διαφέροιεν.