By Water & Blood

On Apollinaris

Apollinaris of Laodicea in some writings did not corrupt the account concerning the Trinity; but like us he proclaimed both the one essence of the Godhead and the three hypostases. In some, however, he defined grades of dignity, appointing himself distributor of the divine allotment. For it is his invention: “Great, greater, greatest”—as though the Spirit were great, the Son greater, and the Father greatest. What could be more ridiculous than this? For if he truly says that the essence of the Trinity is one, how has he supposed the same both small and great? In bodies, quantity and magnitude produce such measures; but the nature free from these does not admit even these measures. But now we proposed not to refute, but to exhibit the differing opinions.

In some writings again this man confused the properties of the hypostases, and did the same concerning the Trinity that he dared concerning the economy. Whence he also received the accusation of Sabellianism; and he said that the God Word was incarnate, having taken a body and a soul—not the rational, but the irrational, which some name vegetative or vital; and saying that the mind is something other than the soul, he said it was not taken up, but that the divine nature sufficed to fill the need of the mind. And this most wise man did not understand that he would not even have needed a body if he had not wished; but he would have appeared even without a body, just as formerly to the patriarchs. But we will keep the account of the economy for the discourse after this.