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A Treatise of Novatian Concerning the Trinity

Novatian of Rome

Chapter 15

About this work

A Latin exposition of the rule of faith treating God the Father, Christ’s divinity and humanity, and the Holy Spirit while arguing against several rival theological positions.

Author: Novatian of Rome
Traditional attribution: Tertullian or Cyprian (in earlier transmission)
Date: c. AD 240–250
Origin: Rome
Genre: Theological Treatise

Chapter XV. Argument.—Again He Proves from the Gospel that Christ is God.

If Christ is only man, how

‹ Chapter 14 Chapter 16 ›

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

;

ye

know

not

whence

I

came

,

and

whither

I

go

.

Ye

judge

after

the

flesh

?

”

Behold

,

also

He

says

,

that

He

shall

return

thither

whence

He

bears

witness

that

He

came

before

,

as

being

sent

,

—

to

wit

,

from

heaven

.

He

came

down

therefore

from

whence

He

came

,

in

the

same

manner

as

He

goes

thither

from

whence

He

descended

.

Whence

if

Christ

were

only

man

,

He

would

not

have

come

thence

,

and

therefore

would

not

depart

thither

,

because

He

would

not

have

come

thence

.

Moreover

,

by

coming

thence

,

whence

as

man

He

could

not

have

come

,

He

shows

Himself

to

have

come

as

God

.

For

the

Jews

,

ignorant

and

untaught

in

the

matter

of

this

very

descent

of

His

,

made

these

heretics

their

successors

,

seeing

that

to

them

it

is

said

,

“

Ye

know

not

whence

I

come

,

and

whither

I

go

:

ye

judge

after

the

flesh

.

”

As

much

they

as

the

Jews

,

holding

that

the

carnal

birth

of

Christ

was

the

only

one

,

believed

that

Christ

was

nothing

else

than

man

;

not

considering

this

point

,

that

as

man

could

not

come

from

heaven

,

so

as

that

he

might

return

thither

,

He

who

descended

thence

must

be

God

,

seeing

that

man

could

not

come

thence

.

If

Christ

is

only

man

,

how

does

He

say

,

“

Ye

are

from

below

,

I

am

from

above

;

ye

are

of

this

world

,

I

am

not

of

this

world

?

”

But

therefore

if

every

man

is

of

this

world

,

and

Christ

is

for

that

reason

in

this

world

,

is

He

only

man

?

God

forbid

!

But

consider

what

He

says

:

“

I

am

not

of

this

world

.

”

Does

He

then

speak

falsely

when

He

says

“

of

this

world

,

”

if

He

is

only

man

?

Or

if

He

does

not

speak

falsely

,

He

is

not

of

this

world

;

He

is

therefore

not

man

only

,

because

He

is

not

of

this

world

.

But

that

it

should

not

be

a

secret

who

He

was

,

He

declared

whence

He

was

:

“

I

,

”

said

He

,

“

am

from

above

,

”

that

is

,

from

heaven

,

whence

man

cannot

come

,

for

he

was

not

made

in

heaven

.

He

is

God

,

therefore

,

who

is

from

above

,

and

therefore

He

is

not

of

this

world

;

although

,

moreover

,

in

a

certain

manner

He

is

of

this

world

:

wherefore

Christ

is

not

God

only

,

but

man

also

.

As

reasonably

in

the

way

in

which

He

is

not

of

this

world

according

to

the

divinity

of

the

Word

,

so

He

is

of

this

world

according

to

the

frailty

of

the

body

that

He

has

taken

upon

Him

.

For

man

is

joined

with

God

,

and

God

is

linked

with

man

.

But

on

that

account

this

Christ

here

laid

more

stress

on

the

one

aspect

of

His

sole

divinity

,

because

the

Jewish

blindness

contemplated

in

Christ

the

aspect

alone

of

the

flesh

;

and

thence

in

the

present

passage

He

passed

over

in

silence

the

frailty

of

the

body

,

which

is

of

the

world

,

and

spoke

of

His

divinity

alone

,

which

is

not

of

the

world

:

so

that

in

proportion

as

they

had

inclined

to

believe

Him

to

be

only

man

,

in

that

proportion

Christ

might

draw

them

to

consider

His

divinity

,

so

as

to

believe

Him

to

be

God

,

desirous

to

overcome

their

incredulity

concerning

His

divinity

by

omitting

in

the

meantime

any

mention

of

His

human

condition

,

and

by

setting

before

them

His

divinity

alone

.

If

Christ

is

man

only

,

how

does

He

say

,

“

I

proceeded

forth

and

came

from

God

,

”

when

it

is

evident

that

man

was

made

by

God

,

and

did

not

proceed

forth

from

Him

?

But

in

the

way

in

which

as

man

He

proceeded

not

from

God

,

thus

the

Word

of

God

proceeded

,

of

whom

it

is

said

,

“

My

heart

hath

uttered

forth

a

good

Word

;

”

which

,

because

it

is

from

God

,

is

with

reason

also

with

God

.

And

this

,

too

,

since

it

was

not

uttered

without

effect

,

reasonably

makes

all

things

:

“

For

all

things

were

made

by

Him

,

and

without

Him

was

nothing

made

.

”

But

this

Word

whereby

all

things

were

made

(

is

God

)

.

“

And

God

,

”

says

he

,

“

was

the

Word

.

”

Therefore

God

proceeded

from

God

,

in

that

the

Word

which

proceeded

is

God

,

who

proceeded

forth

from

God

.

If

Christ

is

only

man

,

how

does

He

say

,

“

If

any

man

shall

keep

my

word

,

he

shall

not

see

death

for

ever

?

”

Not

to

see

death

for

ever

!

what

is

this

but

immortality

?

But

immortality

is

the

associate

of

divinity

,

because

both

the

divinity

is

immortal

,

and

immortality

is

the

fruit

of

divinity

.

For

every

man

is

mortal

;

and

immortality

cannot

be

from

that

which

is

mortal

.

Therefore

from

Christ

,

as

a

mortal

man

,

immortality

cannot

arise

.

“

But

,

”

says

He

,

“

whosoever

keepeth

my

word

,

shall

not

see

death

for

ever

;

”

therefore

the

word

of

Christ

affords

immortality

,

and

by

immortality

affords

divinity

.

But

although

it

is

not

possible

to

maintain

that

one

who

is

himself

mortal

can

make

another

immortal

,

yet

this

word

of

Christ

not

only

sets

forth

,

but

affords

immortality

:

certainly

He

is

not

man

only

who

gives

immortality

,

which

if

He

were

only

man

He

could

not

give

;

but

by

giving

divinity

by

immortality

,

He

proves

Himself

to

be

God

by

offering

divinity

,

which

if

He

were

not

God

He

could

not

give

.

If

Christ

was

only

man

,

how

did

He

say

,

“

Before

Abraham

was

,

I

Am

?

”

For

no

man

can

be

before

Him

from

whom

he

himself

is

;

nor

can

it

be

that

any

one

should

have

been

prior

to

him

of

whom

he

himself

has

taken

his

origin

.

And

yet

Christ

,

although

He

is

born

of

Abraham

,

says

that

He

is

before

Abraham

.

Either

,

therefore

,

He

says

what

is

not

true

,

and

deceives

,

if

He

was

not

before

Abraham

,

seeing

that

He

was

of

Abraham

;

or

He

does

not

deceive

,

if

He

is

also

God

,

and

was

before

Abraham

.

And

if

this

were

not

so

,

it

follows

that

,

being

of

Abraham

,

He

could

not

be

before

Abraham

.

If

Christ

was

only

man

,

how

does

He

say

,

“

And

I

know

them

,

and

my

sheep

follow

me

;

and

I

give

unto

them

eternal

life

,

and

they

shall

never

perish

?

”

And

yet

,

since

every

man

is

bound

by

the

laws

of

mortality

,

and

therefore

is

unable

to

keep

himself

for

ever

,

much

more

will

he

be

unable

to

keep

another

for

ever

.

But

Christ

promises

to

give

salvation

for

ever

,

which

if

He

does

not

give

,

He

is

a

deceiver

;

if

He

gives

,

He

is

God

.

But

He

does

not

deceive

,

for

He

gives

what

He

promises

.

Therefore

He

is

God

who

proffers

eternal

salvation

,

which

man

,

being

unable

to

keep

himself

for

ever

,

cannot

be

able

to

give

to

another

.

If

Christ

is

only

man

,

what

is

that

which

He

says

,

“

I

and

the

Father

are

one

?

”

For

how

can

it

be

that

“

I

and

the

Father

are

one

,

”

if

He

is

not

both

God

and

the

Son

?

—

who

may

therefore

be

called

one

,

seeing

that

He

is

of

Himself

,

being

both

His

Son

,

and

being

born

of

Him

,

being

declared

to

have

proceeded

from

Him

,

by

which

He

is

also

God

;

which

when

the

Jews

thought

to

be

hateful

,

and

believed

to

be

blasphemous

,

for

that

He

had

shown

Himself

in

these

discourses

to

be

God

,

and

therefore

rushed

at

once

to

stoning

,

and

set

to

work

passionately

to

hurl

stones

,

He

strongly

refuted

His

adversaries

by

the

example

and

witness

of

the

Scriptures

.

“

If

,

”

said

He

,

“

He

called

them

gods

to

whom

the

words

of

God

were

given

,

and

the

Scriptures

cannot

be

broken

,

ye

say

of

Him

whom

the

Father

sanctified

,

and

sent

into

this

world

,

Thou

blasphemest

,

because

I

said

,

I

am

the

Son

of

God

.

”

By

which

words

He

did

not

deny

Himself

to

be

God

,

but

rather

He

confirmed

the

assertion

that

He

was

God

.

For

because

,

undoubtedly

,

they

are

said

to

be

gods

unto

whom

the

words

of

God

were

given

,

much

more

is

He

God

who

is

found

to

be

superior

to

all

these

.

And

nevertheless

He

refuted

the

calumny

of

blasphemy

in

a

fitting

manner

with

lawful

tact

.

For

He

wishes

that

He

should

be

thus

understood

to

be

God

,

as

the

Son

of

God

,

and

He

would

not

wish

to

be

understood

to

be

the

Father

Himself

.

Thus

He

said

that

He

was

sent

,

and

showed

them

that

He

had

manifested

many

good

works

from

the

Father

;

whence

He

desired

that

He

should

not

be

understood

to

be

the

Father

,

but

the

Son

.

And

in

the

latter

portion

of

His

defence

He

made

mention

of

the

Son

,

not

the

Father

,

when

He

said

,

“

Ye

say

,

Thou

blasphemest

,

because

I

said

,

I

am

the

Son

of

God

.

”

Thus

,

as

far

as

pertains

to

the

guilt

of

blasphemy

,

He

calls

Himself

the

Son

,

not

the

Father

;

but

as

pertaining

to

His

divinity

,

by

saying

,

“

I

and

the

Father

are

one

,

”

He

proved

that

He

was

the

Son

of

God

.

He

is

God

,

therefore

,

but

God

in

such

a

manner

as

to

be

the

Son

,

not

the

Father

.

Notes

2
John viii. 14, 15.
3
John viii. 23.
4
John viii. 42.
5
Ps. xlv. 1.
6
John i. 3.
7
John i. 1.
8
John viii. 51.
9
John viii. 58.
10
John x. 27, 28.
11
John x. 30.
12
John x. 35, 36.
13
“Dispositione,” scil. οἰκονομίᾳ.—Jackson.