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A Treatise of Novatian Concerning the Trinity

Novatian of Rome

Chapter 2

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 II. Argument.—God is Above All Things, Himself Containing All Things, Immense, Eternal, Transcending the Mind of Man; Inexplicable in Discourse, Loftier Than All Sublimity.

And over all these things He Himself

‹ Chapter 1 Chapter 3 ›

,

containing

all

things

,

having

nothing

vacant

beyond

Himself

,

has

left

room

for

no

superior

God

,

such

as

some

people

conceive

.

Since

,

indeed

,

He

Himself

has

included

all

things

in

the

bosom

of

perfect

greatness

and

power

,

He

is

always

intent

upon

His

own

work

,

and

pervading

all

things

,

and

moving

all

things

,

and

quickening

all

things

,

and

beholding

all

things

,

and

so

linking

together

discordant

materials

into

the

concord

of

all

elements

,

that

out

of

these

unlike

principles

one

world

is

so

established

by

a

conspiring

union

,

that

it

can

by

no

force

be

dissolved

,

save

when

He

alone

who

made

it

commands

it

to

be

dissolved

,

for

the

purpose

of

bestowing

other

and

greater

things

upon

us

.

For

we

read

that

He

contains

all

things

,

and

therefore

that

there

could

have

been

nothing

beyond

Himself

.

Because

,

since

He

has

not

any

beginning

,

so

consequently

He

is

not

conscious

of

an

ending

;

unless

perchance

—

and

far

from

us

be

the

thought

—

He

at

some

time

began

to

be

,

and

is

not

above

all

things

,

but

as

He

began

to

be

after

something

else

,

He

would

be

beneath

that

which

was

before

Himself

,

and

would

so

be

found

to

be

of

less

power

,

in

that

He

is

designated

as

subsequent

even

in

time

itself

.

For

this

reason

,

therefore

,

He

is

always

unbounded

,

because

nothing

is

greater

than

He

;

always

eternal

,

because

nothing

is

more

ancient

than

He

.

For

that

which

is

without

beginning

can

be

preceded

by

none

,

in

that

He

has

no

time

.

He

is

on

that

account

immortal

,

that

He

does

not

come

to

an

end

by

any

ending

of

His

completeness

.

And

since

everything

that

is

without

beginning

is

without

law

,

He

excludes

the

mode

of

time

by

feeling

Himself

debtor

to

none

.

Concerning

Him

,

therefore

,

and

concerning

those

things

which

are

of

Himself

,

and

are

in

Him

,

neither

can

the

mind

of

man

worthily

conceive

what

they

are

,

how

great

they

are

,

and

what

they

are

like

;

nor

does

the

eloquence

of

human

discourse

set

forth

a

power

that

approaches

the

level

of

His

majesty

.

For

to

conceive

and

to

speak

of

His

majesty

,

as

well

all

eloquence

is

with

reason

mute

,

as

all

mind

poor

.

For

He

is

greater

than

mind

itself

;

nor

can

it

be

conceived

how

great

He

is

,

seeing

that

,

if

He

could

be

conceived

,

He

would

be

smaller

than

the

human

mind

wherein

He

could

be

conceived

.

He

is

greater

,

moreover

,

than

all

discourse

,

nor

can

He

be

declared

;

for

if

He

could

be

declared

,

He

would

be

less

than

human

discourse

,

whereby

being

declared

,

He

can

both

be

encompassed

and

contained

.

For

whatever

could

be

thought

concerning

Him

must

be

less

than

Himself

;

and

whatever

could

be

declared

must

be

less

than

He

,

when

compared

in

respect

of

Himself

.

Moreover

,

we

can

in

some

degree

be

conscious

of

Him

in

silence

,

but

we

cannot

in

discourse

unfold

Him

as

He

is

.

For

should

you

call

Him

Light

,

you

would

be

speaking

of

His

creature

rather

than

of

Himself

—

you

would

not

declare

Him

;

or

should

you

call

Him

Strength

,

you

would

rather

be

speaking

of

and

bringing

out

His

power

than

speaking

of

Himself

;

or

should

you

call

Him

Majesty

,

you

would

rather

be

describing

His

honour

than

Himself

.

And

why

should

I

make

a

long

business

of

going

through

His

attributes

one

by

one

?

I

will

at

once

unfold

the

whole

.

Whatever

in

any

respect

you

might

declare

of

Him

,

you

would

rather

be

unfolding

some

condition

and

power

of

His

than

Himself

.

For

what

can

you

fittingly

either

say

or

think

concerning

Him

who

is

greater

than

all

discourses

and

thoughts

?

Except

that

in

one

manner

—

and

how

can

we

do

this

?

how

can

we

by

possibility

conceive

how

we

may

grasp

these

very

things

?

—

we

shall

mentally

grasp

what

God

is

,

if

we

shall

consider

that

He

is

that

which

cannot

be

understood

either

in

quality

or

quantity

,

nor

,

indeed

,

can

come

even

into

the

thought

itself

.

For

if

the

keenness

of

our

eyes

grows

dull

on

looking

at

the

sun

,

so

that

the

gaze

,

overcome

by

the

brightness

of

the

rays

that

meet

it

,

cannot

look

upon

the

orb

itself

,

the

keenness

of

our

mental

perception

suffers

the

same

thing

in

all

our

thinking

about

God

,

and

in

proportion

as

we

give

our

endeavours

more

directly

to

consider

God

,

so

much

the

more

the

mind

itself

is

blinded

by

the

light

of

its

own

thought

.

For

—

to

repeat

once

more

—

what

can

you

worthily

say

of

Him

,

who

is

loftier

than

all

sublimity

,

and

higher

than

all

height

,

and

deeper

than

all

depth

,

and

clearer

than

all

light

,

and

brighter

than

all

brightness

,

more

brilliant

than

all

splendour

,

stronger

than

all

strength

,

more

powerful

than

all

power

,

and

more

mighty

than

all

might

,

and

greater

than

all

majesty

,

and

more

potent

than

all

potency

,

and

richer

than

all

riches

,

more

wise

than

all

wisdom

,

and

more

benignant

than

all

kindness

,

better

than

all

goodness

,

juster

than

all

justice

,

more

merciful

than

all

clemency

?

For

all

kinds

of

virtues

must

needs

be

less

than

Himself

,

who

is

both

.

God

and

Parent

of

all

virtues

,

so

that

it

may

truly

be

said

that

God

is

that

,

which

is

such

that

nothing

can

be

compared

to

Him

.

For

He

is

above

all

that

can

be

said

.

For

He

is

a

certain

Mind

generating

and

filling

all

things

,

which

,

without

any

beginning

or

end

of

time

,

controls

,

by

the

highest

and

most

perfect

reason

,

the

naturally

linked

causes

of

things

,

so

as

to

result

in

benefit

to

all

.

Notes

1
Viritior. [See Robert Hall on French Atheism.]