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1) AlloftheNarclaimthatGod{PraisebetoHim}isthreeuniquepersonsandthatallofthosethreepersonsareonesingle,harmoniousnature.Theysaid:Thosethree,in

theperceptionofthecertaintyofthesoul,areFather,Son,andHolySpirit.Theysaid:the

Fatherisnotonewhowasgenerated,theSonisason[ibn]andageneratedson[waladmald],andtheHolySpiritisneitheraprogenitornorgenerated.Eachoneofthethree,

accordingtowhatwehavesaid,isanexistentbeing.Theysaid:Thesethreepersonshave

notceasedbeingunitedtogether.Oneofthemdidnotprecedeanotherinexistencein

spiteofwhatwementionedconcerningtheFatherandtheHolySpiritandthegenerated

one[walad]eachoneofthemdidnotceaseinregardtodivinityandkingship.Therewas

nodifferencebetweenallthreeoftheminregardtodivinity,orinregardtoeternitypast,

orinregardtopower,orinregardtokingship,orinregardtowill.Allthreeofthemare

oneintermsofnature[abah].This[beingthatis]oneintermsofnatureisthreein

termsofseparatepersons,andthat,likethesun,inregardtowhatisperceivedofitbythe

senses;whichisasinglesuninitsperfectionanditsessence[dht]andisthreedifferentthingsinitsstate[l]anditsattributes.Eachoneofthemisnottheotherinregardtoits

personanditsattributeevenifitwasidenticalinitsessenceanditsnature.Fromthat,

theyclaimthatthesuninregardtoitsidentity[an]isliketheFatheranditslightinitisliketheSonanditsheatfromitisliketheSpirit.Thenitremainsasunwithnodoubt

concerningitbeingonething,evenifithasthismultiplicity,becausethesun,ifitslight

isseparatedfromit,isnotcalledasun.Likewise,ifitsheatisseparatedfromitisalsonot

calledasun.Thesunisonlycalledandnamedasunwheneachofthesethingsisinit

collectively.Thehumanislikewisealthoughheisasoneinregardtohumanity,wesee

himandyouseehimasagreatnumberofthingsamongwhicharehissoul,hisbody,

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hislife,andhisspeech.Hisbodyisnothissoulality[nafsniyyatihi],andhisspeechis

nothislife,becausenooneisabletoclaimthatlifeisspeech,northattheyareboth

togetheroneharmoniousthingbecausetherearemany(amongthe)livingbeingsthatdo

nottalkanddonotspeak.Theysaid,deceivingus:Bymaniq,wedonotmeanwordsthatareheardaudibly.Rather,wemeanthethoughtwhichGodcreatedinthehuman,an

instinctandanatureandanaturaldisposition[fira]particulartoman,notinanimals

otherthanhimlikethelifewhichGodcreatedinbeastsandotherwiseamongtheplants

oftheearthanditstrees.Ifthelifewerethespeech,thenalllivingthingswouldspeak.

AllofthebeastswouldspeakjustasthesonsofAdamspeak.

2) Theysaid:Sincethematterisnotlikethat,itdemonstrateswhatwesaidaboutittheFatherandtheSon[ibn]andtheHolySpiritwhethertheirperceptionisbyreasonor

sensetheybecameinessenceandnatureasonesingularityandconcerningthehypostases,whicharethepersons,asthreeinnumber.Natureunitesthemandforms

themintoone,whilethehypostasesseparatesthemandmakesthemnumericallydiverse.

TheFatherisnottheSon,andtheSonisnottheSpirit.Whatwesaidofitinthisregardis

evident,andhasbeensetforth[above].Allofthemareoneinregardtonatureand

essenceandtheyareinthreehypostases:Spirit,Son,andprogenitorFather[bwlid].

TheFatherisaprogenitor,notonewhowasgenerated;theSonisonewhowas

generated,notaprogenitor;andtheSpiritisathirdexistentbeing,neitheraprogenitor

noronewhowasgenerated.

3) Theysaid,then,thatthesethreehypostasesdidnotceasebeingtogetherasthreeinnumber.Theydidnotprecedeoneanotherinexistence,beginningoreternity.Oneof

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them,theSon,wassentdownfromthemtotheearthtotheVirginMary1asamercytohumansandmankind,withoutbeingseparatedfromtheFatherandtheHolySpirit.He

tookaveilandacoveringfromherandbecameincarnatefromherinabody,completein

totalhumanity.Hebecamemanifestinitandappearedinittotheeyesofobserversas

theylookedathim.Heatejustashumanseat,andhedrank,andhetraveledaroundonhistwolegsandheperseveredandhebecameweary.Asamercyandcompassionfor

humankind,hesubmittedhimselftothecrossandtothatwhichcametohimintermsofilltreatmentandhardshiponaccountofhisgenerosityandmagnanimity.

4) Thereafter,theNardifferedinwhattheyclaimconcerningtheson[ibn]andgeneratedone[walad],andconcerningthatwhichwasfromhisincarnation,concerning

thebody.TheRmsaidconcerninghimandtheirteachingiswell-knownthatthe

divinehypostasis,whodidnotceaseasanexistentbeing,andwasbegottenbythefather

beforetheages,wassentdowntotheVirginMary.Hetookfromheranaturewithouta

hypostasis.Hewas,[inaddition]tohernature,ahypostasis.Throughthenaturehetook

fromher,hedideverythingthatwaswell-knowninhernature.Hesleptjustassheslept

hersleep.Eventhoughhishypostasiswasnotherhypostasis,hedidtheactionsofher

naturealthoughhisoriginwasnotherorigininregardtohumanity.Theysaid:Heacted

accordingtohernature,thusal-Mas wasacompletehumanwithtwonatures,although

hewasonehypostasis,nottwo.Al-Mas,thus,wastheeternallybegottenSon[ibn]of

Godandthetwonaturesthatwereexistentinhimactedtogether.Theysaid:Whenhe

rejoicedorhewept,orlaughedorcomplainedallofthemconfessanddonotdoubtthat

hewasweepingandlaughing.Thatwhichconsistedofallofthatandthingssimilartoit,

1Allpersonalnameswithawell-knownEnglishequivalentarerenderedthus.

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whichisrelatedtothenatureofthehuman,wasdonebythehumannature,andthatwhichconsistedofhisresurrectingthedeadandhishealingtheblindandtheleperandthingssimilartoitwasdonebythedivinenature.

5) TheJacobitessaidthattheSon,whodidnotceasetoexist,leftfromtheheavenstotheearth.Hedescendedasamercyandincompassionforhumanityandoutofkindness

fromhimtowardmanwithbeneficence.HetookabodyfromtheVirginMary,and

becameincarnateinit.Hebecametogetherwithit[thebody].Theysaid:Doyounotsee

thatmanis[composed]ofspiritandbody,buttheniscalledamanbymeansofone

word?Youseebothofthem,althoughheiscalledaman.Isitnotsaidtobothofthem

thattheyaretwoinregardtohumanity,butitissaidthatheisoneman,whileheis,as

youknow,aspiritandabody.Theysaid:Likewise,al-Mas,whoistheassociationof

divinityandhumanity,iscalledaMessiahwhoistheSon[ibn]ofGodwhodoesnot

ceasetoexist.Doyounotseethatthisteaching,concerningwhatwementionedandwe

reflecteduponisevidentlytrue?

6) TheNestorianssaidthattheson,whodoesnotceasetoexist,inhislove,descendedoutofmercyandkindness.HebecameincarnatefromMaryduringhisdescentina

perfectandcompletebodywithanatureandahypostasisfromhumanity[insnyawa-

damya].Al-Maswastwocompletenaturesandtwocompletehypostasesafterhis

incarnationinthebody.Theysaid:Whenweseehimeatinganddrinking,comingand

goingonearth,andgettingtired,suffering,laughing,andcrying;weconsiderallofthat

andwhatwesawconcerningitandthingssimilartoittobefromhumanity.Whenwesee

himrevivingthedeadandhealingthesickandwalkingonthewater,weconsiderthat[to

be]onaccountofdivinity.

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7) EverysectoftheNarsaid,despitetheirdifferencesandthedivergenceoftheirteachings,thatthereasonofthedescentofthedivineSon,whodescendedfromheaven,

wasasamercytohumankindandtocomplywiththemessengersandprophets.Theysaid

thatthishappenedbecauseofthetransgressionofAdamthatis,whenhesinnedandate

fromthetreewhichGodhadforbiddenhedisobeyedandGodtheBlessedandExalted

freedhimselffromresponsibilityofhimandsubmittedhimtoSatanthroughfollowinghim.Theysaid:HebecameinthedomainofSatanandtherealmofhisauthority.

Likewise,theyclaimedthatallofhisdescendantsweretogetherwithhiminit,Satan

governingthemjustashelikedtorule.Theysaid:AmongthoseoverwhomSatanruled,

i.e.,Adamandhisdescendants,weremanysoulsoftheprophetsofGodandhis

messengers.AmongthemwerethesoulsofNoahandAbrahamandothersfromamong

themessengersandtheprophets.Theysaid:TheSonusedsubtlemeansandstratagems

inordertoextractthosesoulsfromthehandofSatan.Onaccountofthatandforthat

reasonheclothedhimselfinahuman[damyan]bodyinorderthathewouldbe,while

hewasclothedwithit,hiddenfromSatan.Withthat,theSondisguisedhimselffromhim

inorderthatSatanwouldnotbeonguardforhimoruncoverhisdeception.

8) Theysaid:Whensinovercamethepeopleandafflictionresidedwiththem,theyclaimitbecameevidenttoAdamwhatinfluenceSatanhadonhimandhistrickeryand

deceptionofhim.Atthattime,theSondeceivedSatanbyhiscunning.Heattainedwhat

hewantedinregardtothematterheextractedAdamandallhisoffspringfromthepower

andhandofSatan.Theysaid:Allofthat,itwasonlytheSonsacrificinghimselfonthe

crossandduetothehardshipheencounteredbeforeitasabenevolentactionfromthe

Sontowardus,andoutofgenerosityandkindnessandmercyfromtheSontous.They

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said:TheSonpurchasedmankindfromhisFather,throughthesufferingandcrossthatcametohim.Which,theyclaim,meansthatitwasnotinaccordancewiththewisdom

andjusticeofhisFatherthathetakeunjustlyfromSatanwhathehadconcededtohim,i.e.,Adamandhisdescendants,andthathadcometoobeySatanandhiscommand,

becauseaccordingtotheirdoctrines,theyclaimhesaidtoSatan,Allthosewhofollow

youbelongtoyou.Theysaid:Forthatreason,theSonpurchasedusjustlyfromhis

Fatherandbymeansofcunning,hewrestedfromSatanthatwhichwasinhishand,i.e.,

us.

9) WhenheextractedAdamandthesoulsofthemessengersandprophetsafterhecompletedhistreatmentofSatan,heascendedtoheavenafteraperiodoffortydayshadpassedfromhiscrucifixion.Theysaid:Hesatattherighthandofhisfather,completein

hisentirebeingandbody,andallofthatwhichwasinhiminregardtodivinityand

humanity,andalltheattributes thatwereinbothofthemandbelongedtobothofthem.

Theysa