A Source Book for Ancient Church History - Mirrors

549flesh, how could He who was born be named God from God [cf.Nicene Creed], and of one being with the Father? for the fleshdoes not admit of such a designation.P. 314. The Logos was always in Jesus, also by His birth andwhen He was in the womb, at the first moment of his beginning;to His development He gave the rule and measure, and led Himfrom step to step to perfection.P. 310. If it is asked, did Mary bear a man, or is she the bearerof God [Theotokos], we can say that both statements are true.One is true according to the nature of the case; the other only [501]relatively. She bore a man according to nature, for He was a manwho was in the womb of Mary.… She is Theotokos, since Godwas in the man who was born; not enclosed in Him according tonature, but was in Him according to the relation of His will.(g) Nestorius, Fragments. Loofs, Nestoriana.The fragments of Nestorius have been collected by Loofs,Nestoriana, Halle, 1905; to this work the references are made.It now appears that what was condemned as Nestorianism wasa perversion of his teaching and that Nestorius was himself inharmony with the definition which was put forth at Chalcedon,a council which he survived and regarded as a vindication ofhis position after the wrong done him at Ephesus by Cyril;cf. Bethune-Baker, Nestorius and His Teaching, Cambridge,1908.P. 252. Is Paul a liar when he speaks of the godhead of Christ andsays: “Without father, without mother, without genealogy”? Mygood friend, Mary has not born the godhead, for that which isborn of the flesh is flesh.… A creature has not born the Creator,but she bore a man, the organ of divinity; the Holy Ghost did notcreate God the Word, but with that which was born of the VirginHe prepared for God the Word, a temple, in which He shoulddwell.