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A Treatise of Novatian Concerning the Trinity

Novatian of Rome

Chapter 3

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 III. Argument.—That God is the Founder of All Things, Their Lord and Parent, is Proved from the Holy Scriptures.

Him, then, we acknowledge and

‹ Chapter 2 Chapter 4 ›

know

to

be

God

,

the

Creator

of

all

things

—

Lord

on

account

of

His

power

,

Parent

on

account

of

His

discipline

—

Him

,

I

say

,

who

“

spake

,

and

all

things

were

made

;

”

He

commanded

,

and

all

things

went

forth

:

of

whom

it

is

written

,

“

Thou

hast

made

all

things

in

wisdom

;

”

of

whom

Moses

said

,

“

God

in

heaven

above

,

and

in

the

earth

beneath

;

”

who

,

according

to

Isaiah

,

“

hath

meted

out

the

heaven

with

a

span

,

the

earth

with

the

hollow

of

His

hand

;

”

“

who

looketh

on

the

earth

,

and

maketh

it

tremble

;

who

boundeth

the

circle

of

the

earth

,

and

those

that

dwell

in

it

like

locusts

;

who

hath

weighed

the

mountains

in

a

balance

,

and

the

groves

in

scales

,

”

that

is

,

by

the

sure

test

of

divine

arrangement

;

and

lest

its

greatness

,

lying

unequally

,

should

easily

fall

into

ruins

if

it

were

not

balanced

with

equal

weights

,

He

has

poised

this

burden

of

the

earthly

mass

with

equity

.

Who

says

by

the

prophet

,

“

I

am

God

,

and

there

is

none

beside

me

.

”

Who

says

by

the

same

prophet

,

“

Because

I

will

not

give

my

majesty

to

another

,

”

that

He

may

exclude

all

heathens

and

heretics

with

their

figments

;

proving

that

that

is

not

God

who

is

made

by

the

hand

of

the

workman

,

nor

that

which

is

feigned

by

the

intellect

of

a

heretic

.

For

he

is

not

God

for

whose

existence

the

workman

must

be

asked

.

And

He

has

added

hereto

by

the

prophet

,

“

The

heaven

is

my

throne

,

and

the

earth

is

my

footstool

:

what

house

will

ye

build

me

,

and

where

is

the

place

of

my

rest

?

”

that

He

may

show

that

He

whom

the

world

does

not

contain

is

much

less

contained

in

a

temple

;

and

He

says

these

things

not

for

boastfulness

of

Himself

,

but

for

our

knowledge

.

For

He

does

not

desire

from

us

the

glory

of

His

magnitude

;

but

He

wishes

to

confer

upon

us

,

even

as

a

father

,

a

religious

wisdom

.

And

He

,

wishing

moreover

to

attract

to

gentleness

our

minds

,

brutish

,

and

swelling

,

and

stubborn

with

cloddish

ferocity

,

says

,

“

And

upon

whom

shall

my

Spirit

rest

,

save

upon

him

that

is

lowly

,

and

quiet

,

and

that

trembleth

at

my

words

?

”

—

so

that

in

some

degree

one

may

recognise

how

great

God

is

,

in

learning

to

fear

Him

by

the

Spirit

given

to

him

:

Who

,

similarly

wishing

still

more

to

come

into

our

knowledge

,

and

,

by

way

of

stirring

up

our

minds

to

His

worship

,

said

,

“

I

am

the

Lord

,

who

made

the

light

and

created

the

darkness

;

”

that

we

might

deem

not

that

some

Nature

,

—

what

I

know

not

,

—

was

the

artificer

of

those

vicissitudes

whereby

nights

and

days

are

controlled

,

but

might

rather

,

as

is

more

true

,

recognise

God

as

their

Creator

.

And

since

by

the

gaze

of

our

eyes

we

cannot

see

Him

,

we

rightly

learn

of

Him

from

the

greatness

,

and

the

power

,

and

the

majesty

of

His

works

.

“

For

the

invisible

things

of

Him

,

”

says

the

Apostle

Paul

,

”

from

the

creation

of

the

world

,

are

clearly

seen

,

being

understood

by

those

things

which

are

made

,

even

His

eternal

power

and

godhead

;

”

so

that

the

human

mind

,

learning

hidden

things

from

those

that

are

manifest

,

from

the

greatness

of

the

works

which

it

should

behold

,

might

with

the

eyes

of

the

mind

consider

the

greatness

of

the

Architect

.

Of

whom

the

same

apostle

,

“

Now

unto

the

King

eternal

,

immortal

,

invisible

,

the

only

God

,

be

honour

and

glory

.

”

For

He

has

gone

beyond

the

contemplation

of

the

eyes

who

has

surpassed

the

greatness

of

thought

.

“

For

,

”

it

is

said

,

“

of

Him

,

and

through

Him

,

and

in

Him

are

all

things

.

”

For

all

things

are

by

His

command

,

because

they

are

of

Him

;

and

are

ordered

by

His

word

as

being

through

Him

;

and

all

things

return

to

His

judgment

;

as

in

Him

expecting

liberty

when

corruption

shall

be

done

away

,

they

appear

to

be

recalled

to

Him

.

Notes

1
Ps. cxlviii. 5.
2
Ps. ciii. 24.
3
Deut. iv. 39.
4
Ps. ciii. 32.
5
Isa. xl. 22, 12.
6
Isa. xlv. 22.
7
Isa. xlii. 8.
8
Isa. lxvi. 1. [No portable or pocket god.]
9
Isa. lxvi. 2.
10
Isa. xlv. 7. [A lesson to our age.]
11
Rom. i. 20. [“So that they are without excuse.”]
12
1 Tim. i. 17.
13
Rom. xi. 33.