John of Damascus, On the Nature of What Is Composed

De natura composita

Of our holy father John of Damascus concerning composite nature, against the Acephali.

1 A single composite nature comes to be from different natures, whenever from the natures being united something other than the united natures is brought into being. And that which is brought into being is properly neither this nor is it called this, nor that, but something else. For example, from the four elements, I mean fire and air and water and earth, a body is composed when the four are united and mingled, and the resulting body is not fire nor is it called fire, nor air, nor water, nor earth, but from these something other than them. Likewise also from a horse and a donkey a mule comes to be, and it is neither a horse nor a donkey, nor is it called so, but something other than them. But our Lord Jesus Christ, being of divinity and humanity, is both in divinity and humanity, and He is and is called perfect God and perfect man, and wholly God and wholly man, which cannot be found in the case of a composite nature; for the whole body is not fire, nor is it wholly air, likewise neither earth nor water, nor is the whole mule a horse, nor is it wholly a donkey, nor a perfect horse nor a perfect donkey, but Christ, as I said, is perfect God and perfect man, and wholly God and wholly man. Therefore He is not one composite nature, but one hypostasis known in two natures, and two natures in one composite hypostasis. 2 Let us then ask the heretics: When you say Christ is of two natures, of what natures do you speak? They will say then: Of divinity and humanity. Then let us say: And how, when you say Christ is in divinity and humanity, do you not say that He is in two natures? For they cannot say that Christ is not in divinity and humanity. Again let us ask them: Is the nature of Christ one composite, or two? And they will say: One composite. Then we say: Is the simple and the composite consubstantial? And they cannot say that the simple and the composite are consubstantial. Then we say: If, then, Christ is of one composite nature from divinity and humanity, He is not consubstantial with the Father; for the Father is not of a composite nature from divinity and humanity, but of a simple one. But neither will He be consubstantial with His mother; for His mother is not composed of divinity and humanity. But we, saying Christ is one hypostasis in two natures, in divinity and humanity, say that according to divinity He is consubstantial with the Father, and according to humanity He is consubstantial with His mother, and we neither divide Him, saying He is one hypostasis, nor do we confuse Him, confessing two natures united. And again we say thus: If there is one nature of the divinity of Christ and of His flesh, and one nature of the Father and of Christ, then there will be one nature of the Father and of the flesh. And again: How do you confess the difference of the natures? For difference introduces at least two differing things, either natures or hypostases, or one hypostasis being altered and changed according to a separable accident. That you do not speak of a difference of hypostases, then, is clear in the case of Christ. And that you do not speak concerning a separable accident, this too is clear; for you do not say that He is at one time immortal, and at another time mortal, having turned from immortality to mortality, just as we from sickness to health. It remains, therefore, for you to speak of the difference of the natures, as you also confess, and in confessing the difference of the natures, to first confess the natures of which there is a difference; for if the substances do not exist, neither will the substantial differences exist. But if there is one nature just as also one

De natura composita

Τοῦ ὁσίου πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ἰωάννου τοῦ ∆αμασκηνοῦ περὶ συνθέτου φύσεως κατὰ ἀκεφάλων.

1 Μία φύσις σύνθετος ἐκ διαφόρων φύσεων γίνεται, ὅταν ἑνουμένων φύσεων ἕτερόν τι παρὰ τὰς ἑνωθείσας φύσεις ἀποτελεσθῇ. Καὶ τὸ ἀποτελούμενον οὔτε τοῦτο κυρίως ἔστιν οὔτε λέγεται, οὔτε τοῦτο, ἀλλ' ἕτερον. Οἷον ἀπὸ τῶν τεσσάρων στοιχείων, πυρὸς λέγω καὶ ἀέρος καὶ ὕδατος καὶ γῆς, συνίσταται σῶμα ἑνουμένων τῶν τεσσάρων καὶ συγκιρναμένων, καὶ τὸ ἀποτελούμενον σῶμα οὔτε πῦρ ἔστιν οὔτε λέγεται οὔτε ἀὴρ οὔτε ὕδωρ οὔτε γῆ, ἀλλ' ἐκ τούτων ἕτερόν τι παρὰ ταῦτα. Ὁμοίως καὶ ἀπὸ ἵππου καὶ ὄνου γίνεται ἡμίονος, καὶ οὔτε ἵππος ἔστιν οὔτε ὄνος οὔτε λέγεται, ἀλλ' ἕτερόν τι παρὰ ταῦτα. Ὁ δὲ κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ἐκ θεότητος ὢν καὶ ἀνθρωπότητος καὶ ἐν θεότητί ἐστι καὶ ἀνθρωπότητι καὶ θεὸς ἔστι καὶ λέγεται τέλειος καὶ ἄνθρωπος τέλειος καὶ ὅλος θεὸς καὶ ὅλος ἄνθρωπος, ὅπερ ἐπὶ τῆς συνθέτου φύσεως οὐκ ἔστιν εὑρεῖν· οὐ γὰρ ὅλον τὸ σῶμα πῦρ ἐστιν οὐδὲ ὅλον ἀήρ, ὁμοίως οὔτε γῆ οὔτε ὕδωρ, οὐδὲ ὅλη ἡ ἡμίονος ἵππος ἐστὶν οὐδὲ ὅλη ὄνος οὐδὲ τέλειος ἵππος οὐδὲ τέλειος ὄνος, ὁ δὲ Χριστός, ὡς εἶπον, τέλειός ἐστι θεὸς καὶ τέλειος ἄνθρωπος καὶ ὅλος θεὸς καὶ ὅλος ἄνθρωπος. ∆ιὸ οὐ μία ἐστὶ σύνθετος φύσις, ἀλλὰ μία ὑπόστασις ἐν δυσὶ φύσεσι γνωριζομένη καὶ δύο φύσεις ἐν μιᾷ συνθέτῳ ὑποστάσει. 2 Ἐρωτήσωμεν τοίνυν τοὺς αἱρετικούς· Ἐκ δύο φύσεων τὸν Χριστὸν λέγοντες ποίων φύσεων λέγετε; Ἐροῦσιν οὖν· Ἐκ θεότητος καὶ ἀνθρωπότητος. Εἶτα εἴπωμεν· Καὶ πῶς ἐν θεότητι καὶ ἀνθρωπότητι λέγοντες τὸν Χριστὸν οὐ λέγετε αὐτὸν ἐν δυσὶ φύσεσιν; Οὐ γὰρ δύνανται εἰπεῖν, μὴ εἶναι τὸν Χριστὸν ἐν θεότητι καὶ ἀνθρωπότητι. Πάλιν ἐρωτήσωμεν αὐτούς· Μία φύσις σύνθετός ἐστι τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἢ δύο; Καὶ ἐροῦσι· Μία σύνθετος. Εἶτα λέγομεν· Τὸ ἁπλοῦν καὶ τὸ σύνθετον ὁμοούσιόν ἐστι; Καὶ οὐ δύνανται εἰπεῖν, ὅτι ὁμοούσιά εἰσι τὸ ἁπλοῦν καὶ τὸ σύνθετον. Εἶτα λέγομεν· Ἐὰν οὖν συνθέτου φύσεώς ἐστιν ὁ Χριστὸς μιᾶς ἐκ θεότητος καὶ ἀνθρωπότητος, οὐκ ἔστιν ὁμοούσιος τῷ πατρί· ὁ γὰρ πατὴρ οὐκ ἔστι συνθέτου φύσεως ἐκ θεότητος καὶ ἀνθρωπότητος, ἀλλ' ἁπλῆς. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τῇ μητρὶ ἔσται ὁμοούσιος· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἡ μήτηρ ἐκ θεότητος καὶ ἀνθρωπότητός ἐστι συντεθειμένη. Ἡμεῖς δὲ τὸν Χριστὸν μίαν ὑπόστασιν ἐν δυσὶ φύσεσι λέγοντες, ἐν θεότητι καὶ ἀνθρωπότητι, κατὰ μὲν τὴν θεότητά φαμεν αὐτὸν ὁμοούσιον τῷ πατρί, κατὰ δὲ τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα τῇ μητρὶ ὁμοούσιον, καὶ οὔτε διαιροῦμεν αὐτὸν μίαν ὑπόστασιν λέγοντες οὔτε συγχέομεν δύο φύσεις ἡνωμένας ὁμολογοῦντες. Καὶ πάλιν λέγομεν οὕτως· Εἰ μία φύσις τῆς θεότητος τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ τῆς σαρκὸς αὐτοῦ, μία δὲ φύσις τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, μία φύσις ἔσται τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τῆς σαρκός. Καὶ πάλιν· Πῶς ὁμολογεῖτε τὴν τῶν φύσεων διαφοράν; Ἡ γὰρ διαφορὰ τοὐλάχιστον δύο εἰσάγει τὰ διαφέροντα, ἢ φύσεις ἢ ὑποστάσεις, ἢ μίαν ὑπόστασιν ἀλλοιουμένην καὶ μεταβαλλομένην κατὰ τὸ χωριστὸν συμβεβηκός. Ὅτι μὲν οὖν οὐχ ὑποστάσεων διαφορὰν λέγετε, δῆλον ἐπὶ Χριστοῦ. Ὅτι δὲ οὐδὲ περὶ τοῦ χωριστοῦ συμβεβηκότος, καὶ τοῦτο δῆλον· οὐ γὰρ ποτὲ μὲν λέγετε αὐτὸν ἀθάνατον, ποτὲ δὲ θνητὸν ἐξ ἀθανασίας τραπέντα εἰς θνητότητα, ὥσπερ ἡμεῖς ἐκ νόσου εἰς ὑγείαν. Λείπεται οὖν τῶν φύσεων λέγειν ὑμᾶς τὴν διαφοράν, ὡς καὶ ὁμολογεῖτε, καὶ τὴν τῶν φύσεων διαφορὰν ὁμολογοῦντας πρῶτον τὰς φύσεις ὁμολογεῖν, ὧν ἐστιν ἡ διαφορά· τῶν γὰρ οὐσιῶν μὴ οὐσῶν οὐδὲ αἱ οὐσιώδεις ἔσονται διαφοραί. Εἰ δὲ μία φύσις ἐστὶν ὥσπερ καὶ μία