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A Treatise of Novatian Concerning the Trinity

Novatian of Rome

Chapter 22

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 XXII. Argument—That the Same Divine Majesty is in Christ, He Once More Asserts by Other Scriptures.

But why, although we appear to

‹ Chapter 21 Chapter 23 ›

hasten

to

another

branch

of

the

argument

,

should

we

pass

over

that

passage

in

the

apostle

:

“

Who

,

although

He

was

in

the

form

of

God

,

did

not

think

it

robbery

that

He

should

be

equal

with

God

;

but

emptied

Himself

,

taking

up

the

form

of

a

servant

,

being

made

in

the

likeness

of

men

;

and

found

in

fashion

as

a

man

,

He

humbled

Himself

,

becoming

obedient

even

unto

death

,

even

the

death

of

the

cross

.

Wherefore

also

God

hath

highly

exalted

Him

,

and

hath

given

Him

a

name

which

is

above

every

name

;

that

in

the

name

of

Jesus

every

knee

should

be

bent

,

of

things

in

heaven

,

and

things

in

earth

,

and

things

under

the

earth

;

and

every

tongue

should

confess

that

Jesus

is

Lord

,

in

the

glory

of

God

the

Father

?

”

“

Who

,

although

He

was

in

the

form

of

God

,

”

he

says

.

If

Christ

had

been

only

man

,

He

would

have

been

spoken

of

as

in

“

the

image

”

of

God

,

not

“

in

the

form

”

of

God

.

For

we

know

that

man

was

made

after

the

image

or

likeness

,

not

after

the

form

,

of

God

.

Who

then

is

that

angel

who

,

as

we

have

said

,

was

made

in

the

form

of

God

?

But

neither

do

we

read

of

the

form

of

God

in

angels

,

except

because

this

one

is

chief

and

royal

above

all

—

the

Son

of

God

,

the

Word

of

God

,

the

imitator

of

all

His

Father’s

works

,

in

that

He

Himself

worketh

even

as

His

Father

.

He

is

—

as

we

have

declared

—

in

the

form

of

God

the

Father

.

And

He

is

reasonably

affirmed

to

be

in

the

form

of

God

,

in

that

He

Himself

,

being

above

all

things

,

and

having

the

divine

power

over

every

creature

,

is

also

God

after

the

example

of

the

Father

.

Yet

He

obtained

this

from

His

own

Father

,

that

He

should

be

both

God

of

all

and

should

be

Lord

,

and

be

begotten

and

made

known

from

Himself

as

God

in

the

form

of

God

the

Father

.

He

then

,

although

He

was

in

the

form

of

God

,

thought

it

not

robbery

that

He

should

be

equal

with

God

.

For

although

He

remembered

that

He

was

God

from

God

the

Father

,

He

never

either

compared

or

associated

Himself

with

God

the

Father

,

mindful

that

He

was

from

His

Father

,

and

that

He

possessed

that

very

thing

that

He

is

,

because

the

Father

had

given

it

Him

.

Thence

,

finally

,

both

before

the

assumption

of

the

flesh

,

and

moreover

after

the

assumption

of

the

body

,

besides

,

after

the

resurrection

itself

,

He

yielded

all

obedience

to

the

Father

,

and

still

yields

it

as

ever

.

Whence

it

is

proved

that

He

thought

that

the

claim

of

a

certain

divinity

would

be

robbery

,

to

wit

,

that

of

equalling

Himself

with

God

the

Father

;

but

,

on

the

other

hand

,

obedient

and

subject

to

all

His

rule

and

will

,

He

even

was

contented

to

take

on

Him

the

form

of

a

servant

—

that

is

,

to

become

man

;

and

the

substance

of

flesh

and

body

which

,

as

it

came

to

Him

from

the

bondage

of

His

forefathers

’

sins

according

to

His

manhood

,

He

undertook

by

being

born

,

at

which

time

moreover

He

emptied

Himself

,

in

that

He

did

not

refuse

to

take

upon

Him

the

frailty

incident

to

humanity

.

Because

if

He

had

been

born

man

only

,

He

would

not

have

been

emptied

in

respect

of

this

;

for

man

,

being

born

,

is

increased

,

not

emptied

.

For

in

beginning

to

be

that

which

He

could

not

possess

,

so

long

as

He

did

not

exist

,

as

we

have

said

,

He

is

not

emptied

,

but

is

rather

increased

and

enriched

.

But

if

Christ

is

emptied

in

being

born

,

in

taking

the

form

of

a

servant

,

how

is

He

man

only

?

Of

whom

it

could

more

truly

have

been

said

that

He

was

enriched

,

not

emptied

,

at

the

time

that

He

was

born

,

except

because

the

authority

of

the

divine

Word

,

reposing

for

awhile

in

taking

upon

itself

humanity

,

and

not

exercising

itself

with

its

real

strength

,

casts

itself

down

,

and

puts

itself

off

for

the

time

,

in

bearing

the

humanity

which

it

has

undertaken

?

It

empties

itself

in

descending

to

injuries

and

reproaches

,

in

bearing

abominations

,

in

experiencing

things

unworthy

;

and

yet

of

this

humility

there

is

present

at

once

an

eminent

reward

.

For

He

has

“

received

a

name

which

is

above

every

name

,

”

which

assuredly

we

understand

to

be

none

other

than

the

name

of

God

.

For

since

it

belongs

to

God

alone

to

be

above

all

things

,

it

follows

that

the

name

which

is

that

God’s

who

is

above

all

things

,

is

above

every

name

;

which

name

by

consequence

is

certainly

His

who

,

although

He

was

“

in

the

form

of

God

,

thought

it

not

robbery

for

Him

to

be

equal

with

God

.

”

For

neither

,

if

Christ

were

not

God

,

would

every

knee

bend

itself

in

His

name

,

“

of

things

in

heaven

,

and

things

in

earth

,

and

things

under

the

earth

;

”

nor

would

things

visible

and

invisible

,

even

every

creature

of

all

things

,

be

subjected

or

be

placed

under

man

,

when

they

might

remember

that

they

were

before

man

.

Whence

,

since

Christ

is

said

to

be

in

the

form

of

God

,

and

since

it

is

shown

that

for

His

nativity

according

to

the

flesh

He

emptied

Himself

;

and

since

it

is

declared

that

He

received

from

the

Father

that

name

which

is

above

every

name

;

and

since

it

is

shown

that

in

His

name

“

every

knee

of

things

in

heaven

,

and

things

in

earth

,

and

things

under

the

earth

,

bend

and

bow

”

themselves

;

and

this

very

thing

is

asserted

to

be

a

furtherance

of

the

glory

of

God

the

Father

;

consequently

He

is

not

man

only

,

from

the

fact

that

He

became

obedient

to

the

Father

,

even

to

death

,

yea

,

the

death

of

the

cross

;

but

,

moreover

,

from

the

proclamation

by

these

higher

matters

of

the

divinity

of

Christ

,

Christ

Jesus

is

shown

to

be

Lord

and

God

,

which

the

heretics

will

not

have

.

Notes

2
Phil. ii. 6–11.
3
[Not “a seipso Deus.” See Bull, Defens., vol. v. p. 685.]