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A Treatise of Novatian Concerning the Trinity

Novatian of Rome

Chapter 6

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 VI. Argument.—And That, Although Scripture Often Changes the Divine Appearance into a Human Form, Yet the Measure of the Divine Majesty is Not Included Within These Lineaments of Our Bodily Nature.

And although the heavenly Scripture often turns

‹ Chapter 5 Chapter 7 ›

the

divine

appearance

into

a

human

form

,

—

as

when

it

says

,

“

The

eyes

of

the

Lord

are

over

the

righteous

;

”

or

when

it

says

,

“

The

Lord

God

smelled

the

smell

of

a

good

savour

;

”

or

when

there

are

given

to

Moses

the

tables

“

written

with

the

finger

of

God

;

”

or

when

the

people

of

the

children

of

Israel

are

set

free

from

the

land

of

Egypt

“

with

a

mighty

hand

and

with

a

stretched

out

arm

;

”

or

when

it

says

,

“

The

mouth

of

the

Lord

hath

spoken

these

things

;

”

or

when

the

earth

is

set

forth

as

“

God’s

footstool

;

”

or

when

it

says

,

“

Incline

thine

ear

,

and

hear

,

”

—

we

who

say

that

the

law

is

spiritual

do

not

include

within

these

lineaments

of

our

bodily

nature

any

mode

or

figure

of

the

divine

majesty

,

but

diffuse

that

character

of

unbounded

magnitude

(

so

to

speak

)

over

its

plains

without

any

limit

.

For

it

is

written

,

“

If

I

shall

ascend

into

heaven

,

Thou

art

there

;

if

I

shall

descend

into

hell

,

Thou

art

there

also

;

and

if

I

shall

take

my

wings

,

and

go

away

across

the

sea

,

there

Thy

hand

shall

lay

hold

of

me

,

and

Thy

right

hand

shall

hold

me

.

”

For

we

recognise

the

plan

of

the

divine

Scripture

according

to

the

proportion

of

its

arrangement

.

For

the

prophet

then

was

still

speaking

about

God

in

parables

according

to

the

period

of

the

faith

,

not

as

God

was

,

but

as

the

people

were

able

to

receive

Him

.

And

thus

,

that

such

things

as

these

should

be

said

about

God

,

must

be

imputed

not

to

God

,

but

rather

to

the

people

.

Thus

the

people

are

permitted

to

erect

a

tabernacle

,

and

yet

God

is

not

contained

within

the

enclosure

of

a

tabernacle

.

Thus

a

temple

is

reared

,

and

yet

God

is

not

at

all

bounded

within

the

restraints

of

a

temple

.

It

is

not

therefore

God

who

is

limited

,

but

the

perception

of

the

people

is

limited

;

nor

is

God

straitened

,

but

the

understanding

of

the

reason

of

the

people

is

held

to

be

straitened

.

Finally

,

in

the

Gospel

the

Lord

said

,

“

The

hour

shall

come

when

neither

in

this

mountain

nor

in

Jerusalem

shall

ye

worship

the

Father

;

”

and

gave

the

reasons

,

saying

,

“

God

is

a

Spirit

;

and

those

therefore

who

worship

,

must

worship

in

spirit

and

in

truth

.

”

Thus

the

divine

agencies

are

there

exhibited

by

means

of

members

;

it

is

not

the

appearance

of

God

nor

the

bodily

lineaments

that

are

described

.

For

when

the

eyes

are

spoken

of

,

it

is

implied

that

He

sees

all

things

;

and

when

the

ear

,

it

is

set

forth

that

He

hears

all

things

;

and

when

the

finger

,

a

certain

energy

of

His

will

is

opened

up

;

and

when

the

nostrils

,

His

recognition

of

prayers

is

shown

forth

as

of

odours

;

and

when

the

hand

,

it

is

proved

that

He

is

the

author

of

every

creature

;

and

when

the

arm

,

it

is

announced

that

no

nature

can

withstand

the

power

of

His

arm

;

and

when

the

feet

it

is

unfolded

that

He

fills

all

things

,

and

that

there

is

not

any

place

where

God

is

not

.

For

neither

members

nor

the

offices

of

members

are

needful

to

Him

to

whose

sole

judgment

,

even

unexpressed

,

all

things

serve

and

are

present

.

For

why

should

He

require

eyes

who

is

Himself

the

light

?

or

why

should

He

ask

for

feet

who

is

everywhere

?

or

why

should

He

wish

to

go

when

there

is

nowhere

where

He

can

go

beyond

Himself

?

or

why

should

He

seek

for

hands

whose

will

is

,

even

when

silent

,

the

architect

for

the

foundation

of

all

things

?

He

needs

no

ears

who

knows

the

wills

that

are

even

unexpressed

;

or

for

what

reason

should

He

need

a

tongue

whose

thought

is

a

command

?

These

members

assuredly

were

necessary

to

men

,

but

not

to

God

,

because

man’s

design

would

be

ineffectual

if

the

body

did

not

fulfil

the

thought

.

Moreover

,

they

are

not

needful

to

God

,

whose

will

the

works

attend

not

so

much

without

any

effort

,

as

that

the

works

themselves

proceed

simultaneously

with

the

will

.

Moreover

,

He

Himself

is

all

eye

,

because

He

all

sees

;

and

all

ear

,

because

He

all

hears

;

and

all

hand

,

because

He

all

works

;

and

all

foot

,

because

He

all

is

everywhere

.

For

He

is

the

same

,

whatever

it

is

.

He

is

all

equal

,

and

all

everywhere

.

For

He

has

not

in

Him

any

diversity

in

Himself

,

being

simple

.

For

those

are

the

things

which

are

reduced

to

diversity

of

members

,

which

arise

from

birth

and

go

to

dissolution

.

But

things

which

are

not

concrete

cannot

be

conscious

of

these

things

.

And

what

is

immortal

,

whatever

it

is

,

that

very

thing

is

one

and

simple

,

and

for

ever

.

And

thus

because

it

is

one

it

cannot

be

dissolved

;

since

whatever

is

that

very

thing

which

is

placed

beyond

the

claim

of

dissolution

,

it

is

freed

from

the

laws

of

death

.

Notes

1
Ps. xxxiv. 15. [Anthropopathy, p. 611.]
2
Gen. viii. 21.
3
Ex. xxxi. 18.
4
Ps. cxxxvi. 12.
5
Isa. i. 20.
6
Isa. lxvi. 1. [Capp. v. and vi. are specimens of vigorous thought.]
7
2 Chron. xix. 16.
8
Ps. cxxxix. 8, 9, 10.
9
John iv. 21.
10
John iv. 24.
11
sc. in the Old Testament.
12
That is to say, “of Birth and dissolution.” [He is the Now.]