Theodoret of Cyrrhus→John, of Germanicia|c. 440 AD|theodoret cyrrhus
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From: Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrrhus
To: John, Bishop of Antioch
Date: ~433 AD
Context: Written after the "Formula of Reunion" (433 AD) between John of Antioch and Cyril of Alexandria. Theodoret examines Cyril's conciliatory letter and, to his surprise, finds it orthodox -- entirely different from the hated Twelve Chapters.
To John, Bishop of Antioch,
God, who governs all things in wisdom, who desires our unanimity and cares for the salvation of His people, has brought us together and shown us that our views are in agreement. We have assembled, read the Egyptian letter [Cyril's conciliatory letter], carefully examined its contents, and discovered that it is entirely consistent with our own statements -- and entirely opposed to the Twelve Chapters, against which we have waged war up to now as contrary to true religion.
The Chapters taught that God the Word was made flesh in a carnal sense; that there was a "hypostatic union"; that the combination in union was "of nature"; and that God the Word was "the firstborn from the dead." They forbade any distinction in the terms used of our Lord, and contained other doctrines at odds with the seeds sown by the apostles -- the harvest of heretical weeds.
The present letter, however, is adorned with apostolic nobility of origin. In it our Lord Jesus Christ is presented as perfect God and perfect man. It teaches two natures, with the distinction between them preserved; an unconfused union, accomplished not by mixture and blending but in a manner ineffable and divine, distinctly preserving the properties of each nature; the impassibility and immortality of God the Word; the capacity for suffering and temporary surrender to death of the temple [Christ's human body], and its resurrection by the power of the God united with it; and that the Holy Spirit does not derive from the Son or owe His existence to the Son, but proceeds from the Father and is properly said to be "of the Son" as being of the same substance.
Beholding this orthodoxy in the letter, we have praised the One who heals our stammering tongues and changes our discordant noise into the harmony of sweet music.
Letter 171
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Letter of Theodoret to John, Bishop of Antioch, after the Reconciliation.
God, who governs all things in wisdom, who provides for our unanimity, and cares for the salvation of His people, has caused us to be assembled together, and has shown us that the views of all of us are in agreement with one another. We have assembled together, and read the Egyptian Letter; we have carefully examined its purport, and we have discovered that its contents are quite in accordance with our own statements, and entirely opposed to the Twelve Chapters, against which up to the present time we have continued to wage war, as being contrary to true religion. Their teaching was that God the Word was carnally made flesh; that there was an union of hypostasis, and that the combination in union was of nature, and that God the Word was the first-born from the dead. They forbade all distinction in the terms used of our Lord, and further contained other doctrines at variance with the seeds sown by the apostles, and outcome of heretical tares. The present script, however, is beautified by apostolic nobility of origin. For in it our Lord Jesus Christ is exhibited as perfect God and perfect man; it shows two natures, and the distinction between them; an unconfounded union, made not by mixture and compounding, but in a manner ineffable and divine, and distinctly preserving the properties of the natures; the impassibility and immortality of God the Word; the passibility and temporary surrender to death of the temple, and its resurrection by the power of the united God; that the holy Spirit is not of the Son, nor derives existence from the Son, but proceeds from the Father, and is properly stated to be of the Son, as being of one substance. Beholding this orthodoxy in the letter, we have hymned Him who heals our stammering tongues, and changes our discordant noises into the harmony of sweet music.
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From:Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrrhus
To:John, Bishop of Antioch
Date:~433 AD
Context:Written after the "Formula of Reunion" (433 AD) between John of Antioch and Cyril of Alexandria. Theodoret examines Cyril's conciliatory letter and, to his surprise, finds it orthodox -- entirely different from the hated Twelve Chapters.
To John, Bishop of Antioch,
God, who governs all things in wisdom, who desires our unanimity and cares for the salvation of His people, has brought us together and shown us that our views are in agreement. We have assembled, read the Egyptian letter [Cyril's conciliatory letter], carefully examined its contents, and discovered that it is entirely consistent with our own statements -- and entirely opposed to the Twelve Chapters, against which we have waged war up to now as contrary to true religion.
The Chapters taught that God the Word was made flesh in a carnal sense; that there was a "hypostatic union"; that the combination in union was "of nature"; and that God the Word was "the firstborn from the dead." They forbade any distinction in the terms used of our Lord, and contained other doctrines at odds with the seeds sown by the apostles -- the harvest of heretical weeds.
The present letter, however, is adorned with apostolic nobility of origin. In it our Lord Jesus Christ is presented as perfect God and perfect man. It teaches two natures, with the distinction between them preserved; an unconfused union, accomplished not by mixture and blending but in a manner ineffable and divine, distinctly preserving the properties of each nature; the impassibility and immortality of God the Word; the capacity for suffering and temporary surrender to death of the temple [Christ's human body], and its resurrection by the power of the God united with it; and that the Holy Spirit does not derive from the Son or owe His existence to the Son, but proceeds from the Father and is properly said to be "of the Son" as being of the same substance.
Beholding this orthodoxy in the letter, we have praised the One who heals our stammering tongues and changes our discordant noise into the harmony of sweet music.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.