Chapter 2 (15): 1. Whether The Divine Nature Ought To Be Said To Have Been
Distinction V | 21 by any suspicion of evil understanding. And so we say that the person of the Son took on a human nature, and that a divine nature was united to a human nature in the Son, and that he united it to himself or took it, so that he is truly called incarnate.
11. DETERMINATION OF THE AUTHORITIES. But in saying that the Son alone took the form of a servant," the divine nature is not thereby excluded from taking on a servile form, but the other two persons, namely the Father and the Holy Spirit, are—Also, that other assertion, namely
'that which is proper to the Son alone, not that which is common to the Trinity, took human form,'" is to be understood as follows: that is, it was specifically in the hypostasis of the Son, not jointly in the three persons, that divine nature united the human one to itself.
12. JOHN OF DAMASCUS. This sense is confirmed by the words of John of Damascus, who clearly asserts that the whole divine nature became incarnate in one of the hypostases. He says: "In the Word of God becoming man, we say that the whole and perfect nature of the divinity became incarnate, that is, it was united to a human nature in one of the divine hypostases, and not a part to a part. For we say that the whole nature or substance of the divinity was united to the whole human nature."**—A\lso:
"The same nature is in each of the hypostases, that is, of the persons. And when we Say that 'the nature of the Word became incarnate,' according to the blessed Athanasius and Cyril, we are saying that the divinity was united to the flesh.""° "And we confess that the one nature of the Word of God became incarnate.""° "And the Word both possesses what is common to the substance, and has what is proper to the hypostasis, that is, to the person."*'—From these words, it is manifestly shown that the divine nature became incarnate; and so the same nature is truly said to have taken on a human nature.
Chapter 2 (15)
1. WHETHER THE DIVINE NATURE OUGHT TO BE SAID TO HAVE BEEN
MADE FLESH. But it is asked whether the same divine nature ought to be said 'to have been made flesh,' just as the Word is said to have been made flesh.' For if to become incarnate is the same as to be made flesh, it may seem that the divine nature ought to be said to have been made flesh, just
Cf. Toledo XI, above, n4.
3Toledo VI, under the name of Toledo VIII, above, n4.
*4John of Damascus, De fide orthodoxa, bk 3 c6.
Ibid.
*"Thid:, bk 3°¢7.
2"Ibid., bk 3 c6.
'Cf Jn. 1, 14.