A Treatise of Novatian Concerning the Trinity.

 A Treatise of Novatian Concerning the Trinity.

 The Rule of truth requires that we should first of all things believe on God the Father and Lord Omnipotent that is, the absolutely perfect Founder o

 And over all these things He Himself, containing all things, having nothing vacant beyond Himself, has left room for no superior God, such as some peo

 Him, then, we acknowledge and know to be God, the Creator of all things—Lord on account of His power, Parent on account of His discipline—Him, I say,

 Him alone the Lord rightly declares good, of whose goodness the whole world is witness which world He would not have ordained if He had not been good

 Moreover, if we read of His wrath, and consider certain descriptions of His indignation, and learn that hatred is asserted of Him, yet we are not to u

 And although the heavenly Scripture often turns the divine appearance into a human form,—as when it says, “The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous

 But when the Lord says that God is a Spirit, I think that Christ spoke thus of the Father, as wishing that something still more should be understood t

 This God, then, setting aside the fables and figments of heretics, the Church knows and worships, to whom the universal and entire nature of things as

 The same rule of truth teaches us to believe, after the Father, also on the Son of God, Christ Jesus, the Lord our God, but the Son of God—of that God

 But of this I remind you , that Christ was not to be expected in the Gospel in any other wise than as He was promised before by the Creator, in the Sc

 Chapter XI.—And Indeed that Christ Was Not Only Man, But God Also That Even as He Was the Son of Man, So Also He Was the Son of God.

 Why, then, should we hesitate to say what Scripture does not shrink from declaring? Why shall the truth of faith hesitate in that wherein the authorit

 And thus also John, describing the nativity of Christ, says: “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, the glory as of the o

 And yet the heretic still shrinks from urging that Christ is God, whom he perceives to be proved God by so many words as well as facts. If Christ is o

 If Christ is only man, how is it that He says, “Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true:  because I know whence I came, and whither I go

 If Christ was only man, how is it that He Himself says, “And every one that believeth in me shall not die for evermore?” And yet he who believes in ma

 What if Moses pursues this same rule of truth, and delivers to us in the beginning of his sacred writings, this principle by which we may learn that a

 Behold, the same Moses tells us in another place that “God was seen of Abraham.” And yet the same Moses hears from God, that “no man can see God and l

 What if in another place also we read in like manner that God was described as an angel? For when, to his wives Leah and Rachel, Jacob complained of t

 But if some heretic, obstinately struggling against the truth, should persist in all these instances either in understanding that Christ was properly

 And indeed I could set forth the treatment of this subject by all heavenly Scriptures, and set in motion, so to speak, a perfect forest of texts conce

 But why, although we appear to hasten to another branch of the argument, should we pass over that passage in the apostle: “Who, although He was in the

 In this place I may be permitted also to collect arguments from the side of other heretics. It is a substantial kind of proof which is gathered even f

 But the material of that heretical error has arisen, as I judge, from this, that they think that there is no distinction between the Son of God and th

 Therefore, say they, if Christ is not man only, but God also—and Scripture tells us that He died for us, and was raised again—then Scripture teaches u

 But from this occasion of Christ being proved from the sacred authority of the divine writings not man only, but God also, other heretics, breaking fo

 But since they frequently urge upon us the passage where it is said, “I and the Father are one,” in this also we shall overcome them with equal facili

 Hereto also I will add that view wherein the heretic, while he rejoices as if at the loss of some power of seeing special truth and light, acknowledge

 Moreover, the order of reason, and the authority of the faith in the disposition of the words and in the Scriptures of the Lord, admonish us after the

 And now, indeed, concerning the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, let it be sufficient to have briefly said thus much, and to have laid down t

 Thus God the Father, the Founder and Creator of all things, who only knows no beginning, invisible, infinite, immortal, eternal, is one God to whose

Chapter XXIX. Argument.—He Next Teaches Us that the Authority of the Faith Enjoins, After the Father and the Son, to Believe Also on the Holy Spirit, Whose Operations He Enumerates from Scripture.

Moreover, the order of reason, and the authority of the faith in the disposition of the words and in the Scriptures of the Lord, admonish us after these things to believe also on the Holy Spirit, once promised to the Church, and in the appointed occasions of times given. For He was promised by Joel the prophet, but given by Christ. “In the last days,” says the prophet, “I will pour out of my Spirit upon my servants and my handmaids.”243    Joel ii. 28; Acts ii. 17. And the Lord said, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost: whose sins ye remit, they shall be remitted; and whose ye retain, they shall be retained.”244    John xx. 22, 23. But this Holy Spirit the Lord Christ calls at one time “the Paraclete,” at another pronounces to be the “Spirit of truth.”245    John xiv. 16, 17. And He is not new in the Gospel, nor yet even newly given; for it was He Himself who accused the people in the prophets, and in the apostles gave them the appeal to the Gentiles. For the former deserved to be accused, because they had contemned the law; and they of the Gentiles who believe deserve to be aided by the defence of the Spirit, because they earnestly desire to attain to the Gospel law.  Assuredly in the Spirit there are different kinds of offices, because in the times there is a different order of occasions; and yet, on this account, He who discharges these offices is not different, nor is He another in so acting, but He is one and the same, distributing His offices according to the times, and the occasions and impulses of things. Moreover, the Apostle Paul says, “Having the same Spirit; as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak.”246    2 Cor. iv. 13. He is therefore one and the same Spirit who was in the prophets and apostles, except that in the former He was occasional, in the latter always. But in the former not as being always in them, in the latter as abiding always in them; and in the former distributed with reserve, in the latter all poured out; in the former given sparingly, in the latter liberally bestowed; not yet manifested before the Lord’s resurrection, but conferred after the resurrection. For, said He, “I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Advocate, that He may be with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth.”247    John xiv. 16, 17. And, “When He, the Advocate, shall come, whom I shall send unto you from my Father, the Spirit of truth who proceedeth from my Father.”248    John xv. 20. And, “If I go not away, that Advocate shall not come to you; but if I go away, I will send Him to you.”249    John xvi. 7.  And, “When the Spirit of truth shall come, He will direct you into all the truth.”250    John xvi. 13. And because the Lord was about to depart to the heavens, He gave the Paraclete out of necessity to the disciples; so as not to leave them in any degree orphans,251    [John xiv. 18, Greek.] which was little desirable, and forsake them without an advocate and some kind of protector. For this is He who strengthened their hearts and minds, who marked out the Gospel sacraments, who was in them the enlightener of divine things; and they being strengthened, feared, for the sake of the Lord’s name, neither dungeons nor chains, nay, even trod under foot the very powers of the world and its tortures, since they were henceforth armed and strengthened by the same Spirit, having in themselves the gifts which this same Spirit distributes, and appropriates to the Church, the spouse of Christ, as her ornaments.  This is He who places prophets in the Church, instructs teachers, directs tongues, gives powers and healings, does wonderful works, offers discrimination of spirits, affords powers of government, suggests counsels, and orders and arranges whatever other gifts there are of charismata; and thus make the Lord’s Church everywhere, and in all, perfected and completed. This is He who, after the manner of a dove, when our Lord was baptized, came and abode upon Him, dwelling in Christ full and entire, and not maimed in any measure or portion; but with His whole overflow copiously distributed and sent forth, so that from Him others might receive some enjoyment of His graces: the source of the entire Holy Spirit remaining in Christ, so that from Him might be drawn streams of gifts and works, while the Holy Spirit dwelt affluently in Christ. For truly Isaiah, prophesying this, said: “And the Spirit of wisdom and understanding shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and piety; and the Spirit of the fear of the Lord shall fill Him.”252    Isa. xi. 2, 3. This self-same thing also he said in the person of the Lord Himself, in another place, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; because He has anointed me, He has sent me to preach the Gospel to the poor.”253    Isa. lxi. 1. Similarly David:  “Wherefore God, even Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.”254    Ps. xlv. 7. Of Him the Apostle Paul says: “For he who hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of His.”255    Rom. viii. 9.  “And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”256    2 Cor. iii. 17. He it is who effects with water the second birth as a certain seed of divine generation, and a consecration of a heavenly nativity, the pledge of a promised inheritance, and as it were a kind of handwriting of eternal salvation; who can make us God’s temple, and fit us for His house; who solicits the divine hearing for us with groanings that cannot be uttered; filling the offices of advocacy, and manifesting the duties of our defence,—an inhabitant given for our bodies and an effector of their holiness. Who, working in us for eternity, can also produce our bodies at the resurrection of immortality, accustoming them to be associated in Himself with heavenly power, and to be allied with the divine eternity of the Holy Spirit. For our bodies are both trained in Him and by Him to advance to immortality, by learning to govern themselves with moderation according to His decrees. For this is He who “desireth against the flesh,” because “the flesh resisteth against the Spirit.”257    Gal. v. 17. This is He who restrains insatiable desires, controls immoderate lusts, quenches unlawful fires, conquers reckless impulses, repels drunkenness, checks avarice, drives away luxurious revellings, links love, binds together affections, keeps down sects, orders the rule of truth, overcomes heretics, turns out the wicked, guards the Gospel. Of this says the same apostle:  “We have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God.”258    1 Cor. ii. 12. Concerning Him he exultingly says: “And I think also that I have the Spirit of God.”259    1 Cor. vii. 40. Of Him he says: “The Spirit of the prophets is subject to the prophets.”260    1 Cor. xiv. 32.  Of Him also he tells: “Now the Spirit speaketh plainly, that in the last times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, doctrines of demons, who speak lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience cauterized.”261    1 Tim. iv. 1. Established in this Spirit, “none ever calleth Jesus anathema;”262    1 Cor. xii. 3. no one has ever denied Christ to be the Son of God, or has rejected God the Creator; no one utters any words of his own contrary to the Scriptures; no one ordains other and sacrilegious decrees; no one draws up different laws.263    [To commit any one of these errors, he thinks, is to prove one’s self “sensual, having not the Spirit.” Jude 19; Rom. viii. 7.] Whosoever shall blaspheme against Him, “hath not forgiveness, not only in this world, but also not in the world to come.”264    Matt. xii. 32. This is He who in the apostles gives testimony to Christ; in the martyrs shows forth the constant faithfulness of their religion; in virgins restrains the admirable continency of their sealed chastity; in others, guards the laws of the Lord’s doctrine incorrupt and uncontaminated; destroys heretics, corrects the perverse, condemns infidels, makes known pretenders; moreover, rebukes the wicked, keeps the Church uncorrupt and inviolate, in the sanctity of a perpetual virginity and truth.

CAPUT XXIX. Deinceps fidei auctoritatem admonere nos docet, post Patrem et Filium, credere etiam IN SPIRITUM SANCTUM: cujus operationes ex Scripturis recenset.

Sed enim ordo rationis et Fidei auctoritas digestis vocibus et Litteris Domini, admonet nos, post haec credere etiam in Spiritum sanctum, olim Ecclesiae repromissum, sed statutis temporum opportunitatibus redditum. Est enim per Joelem prophetam repromissus, sed per Christum redditus. In novissimis, inquit, diebus effundam de Spiritu meo super servos et ancillas meas (Joel. II, 28). Dominus autem: Accipite Spiritum 0943Bsanctum; quorum remiseritis peccata, erunt remissa; et quorum retinueritis, erunt retenta (Act. II, 17. Joan. XX, 22, 23). Hunc autem Spiritum sanctum Dominus Christus modo (Joan. XIV, 16, 17) Paraclitum appellat, modo Spiritum veritatis esse pronuntiat; qui non est in Evangelio novus, sed nec nove datus: nam hic ipse et in Prophetis populum accusavit, et in Apostolis advocationem Gentibus praestitit. Nam illi ut accusarentur merebantur, quia contempserant Legem: et qui ex Gentibus credunt, ut patrocinio Spiritus adjuventur merentur, quia ad Evangelicam pervenire gestiunt legem. Differentia sane in illo genera officiorum: quoniam in temporibus differens ratio causarum: nec ex hoc tamen ipse diversus, qui haec sic gerit; nec alter est, dum sic agit: sed unus atque ipse est, 0943C dividens officia sua per tempora, et rerum occasiones atque momenta. Denique Apostolus Paulus: Habentes, inquit, eumdem Spiritum, sicut scriptum est: Credidi propter quod locutus sum; et nos credimus, ideo loquimur (II Cor. IV, 13). Unus ergo et idem Spiritus, qui in Prophetis et Apostolis; nisi quoniam ibi ad momentum, heic semper. Caeterum ibi, non ut semper in illis inesset: heic, ut in illis semper maneret: et ibi mediocriter distributus, heic totus effusus; ibi parce datus, heic large commodatus; nec tamen ante resurrectionem Domini exhibitus, sed post resurrectionem Christi contributus. Rogabo enim, aiebat, Patrem: et alium advocatum dabit vobis, ut vobiscum sit in aeternum, Spiritum veritatis (Joan. XIV, 16, 17). Et: Cum venerit advocatus ille, quem ego missurus sum vobis 0943Da Patre meo, Spiritum veritatis, qui de Patre meo procedit (Joan. XV, 26). Et: Si non abiero ego, advocatus ille non veniet ad vos: si autem ego abiero, remittam illum ad vos (Joan. XVI, 7). Et: Cum venerit Spiritus 0944Averitatis, ille vos diriget in omnem veritatem (Joan. XVI, 13). Et quoniam Dominus in coelos esset abiturus, Paraclitum discipulis necessario dabat, ne illos quodammodo pupillos, quod minime decebat, relinqueret, et sine advocato et quodam tutore desereret. Hic est enim qui ipsorum animos mentesque firmavit, qui Evangelica Sacramenta distinxit, qui in ipsis illuminator rerum Divinarum fuit, qui confirmati pro nomine Domini nec carceres nec vincula timuerunt; quin immo ipsas saeculi potestates et tormenta calcaverunt, armati jam scilicet per ipsum atque firmati, habentes in se dona, quae hic idem Spiritus Ecclesiae Christi sponsae quasi quaedam ornamenta distribuit et dirigit. Hic est enim qui Prophetas in Ecclesia constituit, Magistros erudit, linguas dirigit, virtutes et sanitates 0944B facit, opera mirabilia gerit, discretiones spirituum porrigit, gubernationes contribuit, consilia suggerit, quaeque alia sunt charismatum dona componit et digerit; et ideo Ecclesiam Domini undique, et in omnibus perfectam et consummatam facit. Hic est qui in modum columbae, posteaquam Dominus baptizatus est, super eum venit et mansit (Matth. III, 16), habitans in solo Christo plenus et totus, nec in aliqua mensura aut portione mutilatus, sed cum tota sua redundantia cumulate distributus et missus; ut ex illo delibationem quamdam gratiarum caeteri consequi possint; totius sancti Spiritus in Christo fonte remanente, ut ex illo donorum atque operum venae ducerentur, Spiritu sancto in Christo affluenter habitante. Hoc etenim jam prophetans Isaias aiebat: 0944CEtrequiescet, inquit, super eum Spiritus sapientiae et intellectus, Spiritus consilii et virtutis, Spiritus scientiae et pietatis, et implebit eum Spiritus timoris Dei (Isa. XI, 2, 3). Hoc idem atque ipsum et alio in loco ex persona ipsius Domini: Spiritus Domini super me propter quod unxit me, evangelizare pauperibus misit me (Isa. LXI, 1). Similiter David: Propterea unxit te, Deus, Deus tuus oleo laetitiae a consortibus tuis (Psal. XLIV, 8). De hoc apostolus Paulus: Qui enim Spiritum Christi non habet, hic non est ejus (Rom. VIII, 9). Et: Ubi Spiritus Domini, ibi libertas (II Cor. III, 17). Hic est qui operatur ex aquis secundam nativitatem, semen quoddam divini generis, et consecrator coelestis nativitatis, pignus promissae haereditatis (Ephes. I, 14), et quasi chirographum quoddam aeternae salutis; 0944D qui nos Dei faciat templum (I Cor. VI, 19), et nos ejus efficiat domum; qui interpellat divinas aures pro nobis gemitibus ineloquacibus (Rom. VIII, 26), advocationis implens officia, et defensionis exhibens munera; 0945A inhabitator corporibus nostris datus, et sanctitatis effector: qui id agens in nobis ad aeternitatem, et ad resurrectionem immortalitatis corpora nostra producat, dum illa in se assuefacit cum coelesti virtute misceri, et cum Spiritus sancti divina aeternitate sociari. Erudiuntur enim in illo, et per ipsum corpora nostra ad immortalitatem proficere, dum ad decreta ipsius discunt se moderanter temperare. Hic est enim qui contra carnem desiderat, quia caro contra ipsum repugnat (Gal. V, 17). Hic est qui inexplebiles cupiditates coercet, immoderatas libidines frangit, illicitos ardores extinguit, flagrantes impetus vincit, ebrietates rejicit, avaritias repellit, luxuriosas comessationes fugat, charitates nectit, affectiones constringit, sectas repellit, regulam veritatis expedit, haereticos 0945B revincit, improbos foras expuit, Evangelia custodit. De hoc idem Apostolus: Non enim spiritum mundi accepimus, sed Spiritum qui ex eo est (I Cor. II, 12). De hoc exultat, et dicit: Puto autem quia et ego Spiritum Dei habeo (I Cor. VII, 40). De hoc dicit: EtSpiritus Prophetarum prophetis subjectus est (I Cor. XIV, 32). De hoc refert: Spiritus autem manifeste dicit, quia in novissimis temporibus recedent quidam a fide, attendentes spiritibus seductoribus, doctrinis daemoniorum, in hypocrisi mendacia loquentium, cauteriatam habentium conscientiam suam (I Tim. IV, 1). In hoc Spiritu positus nemo umquam dicit anathema Jesu (I Cor. XII, 3): nemo negavit Christum Dei Filium, aut repudiavit creatorem Deum: nemo contra Scripturas ulla sua verba depromit: nemo alia et sacrilega decreta 0945C constituit: nemo diversa jura conscribit. In hunc quisquis blasphemaverit, remissionem non habet, non tantum in isto saeculo, verum etiam nec in futuro (Matth. XII, 32). Hic in Apostolis Christo testimonium reddit, in Martyribus constantem fidem religionis ostendit, in Virginibus admirabilem continentiam signatae castitatis includit, in caeteris incorrupta et incontaminata doctrinae Dominicae jura custodit, haereticos 0946A destruit, perversos corrigit, infideles arguit, simulatores ostendit, improbos quoque corrigit, Ecclesiam incorruptam et inviolatam, perpetuae virginitatis et veritatis sanctitate custodit.