Letter 181: My dear lord and very holy brother, Theodoret sends greetings in the Lord.

To Abundius, Bishop of Como, My dear lord and very holy brother, Theodoret sends greetings in the Lord. I have learned that your piety faithfully preserves the true and apostolic faith, and I have thanked Almighty God that the truth which was in danger has been renewed and brought to light by your holiness. Long ago, after the flood, Noah and his sons were left as seed for the human race. Just so in our own day, the Fathers of the West have been preserved, so that through them the holy churches of the East may recover the true religion that has been threatened with devastation and destruction by a new and impious heresy. We may well quote the words of the prophet: "Unless the Lord of hosts had left us a very small remnant, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been made like Gomorrah" [Isaiah 1:9]. For upon us, from this impious heresy, the wrath of God has fallen like a flood. We acknowledge the presence of our Savior in a human body, and one Son of God -- His Godhead perfect and His manhood perfect. We do not divide our one Lord Jesus Christ into two sons, for He is one. But we recognize the distinction between God and man. We know that one nature is from the Father, the other from the seed of David and Abraham, according to the divine Scriptures. The divine nature is free from suffering; the body, which was formerly subject to suffering, is now itself free from suffering as well -- for after the resurrection it is clearly delivered from all passion. This is what we have learned from the letter of the most holy and religious archbishop, our lord Leo [the Tome of Leo]. We have read what he wrote to Flavian of holy and blessed memory, and we have thanked the loving-kindness of the Lord for giving us an advocate and defender of the truth. I have given my full assent to this letter and have appended a copy to this present epistle, which I have also signed -- thereby proving that I follow the apostolic teachings, that I hold to them to this day, and that I am suffering for their sake. Assent has also been given by my lord Ibas and my lord Aquilinus, against whom the inventors of the new heresy have turned the imperial power. It remains for you and your most holy colleagues to bring aid to the beleaguered Church and drive away the war that threatens it. Banish the impious faction that has been roused against the truth. Restore to the churches their ancient peace. So will you receive from the Lord, who has promised to reward those who fight for Him, the recompense of eternal blessings.

Letter 181