Epistula ad Theodosium imperatorem

Therefore we confess the only-begotten Son of God, perfect God, consubstantial with the Father according to the Godhead, and the same one consubstantial with us according to the manhood. For a union of two natures has been made, wherefore we confess one Christ, one Son, one Lord. And if it seems good, let us show as an example the composition within ourselves by which we are men. For we are composed of soul and body and we see two natures, one of the body, and another of the soul, but one man from both by union, and the being composed of two natures does not cause the one to be understood as two men, but as one man. For if we should abolish the fact that the one and only Christ is from two and different natures, those on the opposite side will say: if the whole is one nature, how was he made man, or what sort of flesh did he make his own? But those who say that a mixture or a confusion or a blending of the Word of God with the flesh occurred, these the catholic and apostolic church anathematizes.

Epistula ad Theodosium imperatorem

Τοιγαροῦν ὁμολογοῦμεν τὸν μονογενῆ υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ θεὸν τέλειον, ὁμοούσιον τῷ πατρὶ κατὰ τὴν θεότητα καὶ ὁμοούσιον ἡμῖν τὸν αὐτὸν κατὰ τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα. ∆ύο γὰρ φύσεων ἕνωσις γέγονεν, ὅθεν ἕνα Χριστόν, ἕνα υἱόν, ἕνα κύριον ὁμολογοῦμεν. Καὶ εἰ δοκεῖ, δειξώμεθα εἰς παράδειγμα τὴν καθ' ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς σύνθεσιν καθ' ἣν ἐσμὲν ἄνθρωποι. Συντεθείμεθα γὰρ ἐκ ψυχῆς καὶ σώματος καὶ ὁρῶμεν φύσεις δύο, ἑτέραν μὲν τοῦ σώματος, ἑτέραν δὲ τῆς ψυχῆς, ἀλλ' εἷς ἐξ ἀμφοῖν καθ' ἕνωσιν ἄνθρωπος καὶ οὐχὶ τὸ ἐκ δύο φύσεων συντεθεῖσθαι δύο ἀνθρώπους τὸν ἕνα νοεῖσθαι παρασκευάζει, ἀλλ' ἕνα ἄνθρωπον. Ἐὰν γὰρ ἀνέλωμεν τὸ ὅτι ἐκ δύο καὶ διαφόρων φύσεων ὁ εἷς καὶ μόνος ἐστὶ Χριστός, ἐροῦσιν οἱ δι' ἐναντίας· εἰ μία φύσις τὸ ὅλον, πῶς ἐνηνθρώπησεν ἢ ποίαν δὲ ἀνεποιήσατο σάρκα; Τοὺς δὲ λέγοντας ὅτι κρᾶσις ἢ σύγχυσις ἢ φυρμὸς ἐγένετο τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου πρὸς τὴν σάρκα, τούτους ἀναθεματίζει ἡ καθολικὴ καὶ ἀποστολικὴ ἐκκλησία.