A memorandum from the most holy
Bishop Cyril to Eulogius, priest of Alexandria, residing in Constantinople.
Certain people have been attacking
the exposition of faith which the Orientals have made, asking why did the [bishop]
of Alexandria support and even praise it since they spoke about two natures?
Those who think like Nestorius are saying that even Alexandria must now think
as they do, and in this way they are drawing over those who do not know the
truth of the matter. It is necessary to reply to such critics that we must
not feel obliged to flee from and contradict every single thing that the
heretics might say. For there are many things which they confess which we do
too. For example, when the Arians say that the father is the Lord and Maker
of all, we surely do not flee from such an admission on that account? It is the
same in the case of Nestorius, even if he does speak of two natures to signify
the difference between the flesh and God the Word. For the nature of the Word is
one thing, and that of the flesh quite another. But Nestorius does not confess
the union along with us. We unite these realities and confess that the
self-same is one Christ, One Son, and One Lord, and we confess moreover there
is one incarnate nature of the Son; . . . (John McGuckin, Saint Cyril of
Alexandria and the Christological controversy Crestwood, N.Y.: St Vladimir’s
Seminary Press, 2004], 349, emphasis in bold added)
