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A Treatise of Novatian Concerning the Trinity

Novatian of Rome

Chapter 29

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 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,

‹ Chapter 28 Chapter 30 ›

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

.

”

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

.

”

But

this

Holy

Spirit

the

Lord

Christ

calls

at

one

time

“

the

Paraclete

,

”

at

another

pronounces

to

be

the

“

Spirit

of

truth

.

”

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

.

”

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

.

”

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

.

”

And

,

“

If

I

go

not

away

,

that

Advocate

shall

not

come

to

you

;

but

if

I

go

away

,

I

will

send

Him

to

you

.

”

And

,

“

When

the

Spirit

of

truth

shall

come

,

He

will

direct

you

into

all

the

truth

.

”

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

,

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

.

”

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

.

”

Similarly

David

:

“

Wherefore

God

,

even

Thy

God

,

hath

anointed

Thee

with

the

oil

of

gladness

above

thy

fellows

.

”

Of

Him

the

Apostle

Paul

says

:

“

For

he

who

hath

not

the

Spirit

of

Christ

is

none

of

His

.

”

“

And

where

the

Spirit

of

the

Lord

is

,

there

is

liberty

.

”

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

.

”

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

.

”

Concerning

Him

he

exultingly

says

:

“

And

I

think

also

that

I

have

the

Spirit

of

God

.

”

Of

Him

he

says

:

“

The

Spirit

of

the

prophets

is

subject

to

the

prophets

.

”

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

.

”

Established

in

this

Spirit

,

“

none

ever

calleth

Jesus

anathema

;

”

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

.

Whosoever

shall

blaspheme

against

Him

,

“

hath

not

forgiveness

,

not

only

in

this

world

,

but

also

not

in

the

world

to

come

.

”

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

.

Notes

1
Joel ii. 28; Acts ii. 17.
2
John xx. 22, 23.
3
John xiv. 16, 17.
4
2 Cor. iv. 13.
5
John xiv. 16, 17.
6
John xv. 20.
7
John xvi. 7.
8
John xvi. 13.
9
[John xiv. 18, Greek.]
10
Isa. xi. 2, 3.
11
Isa. lxi. 1.
12
Ps. xlv. 7.
13
Rom. viii. 9.
14
2 Cor. iii. 17.
15
Gal. v. 17.
16
1 Cor. ii. 12.
17
1 Cor. vii. 40.
18
1 Cor. xiv. 32.
19
1 Tim. iv. 1.
20
1 Cor. xii. 3.
21
[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.]
22
Matt. xii. 32.