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A Treatise of Novatian Concerning the Trinity

Novatian of Rome

Chapter 9

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 IX. Argument.—Further, that the Same Rule of Truth Teaches Us to Believe, After the Father, Also in the Son of God, Jesus Christ Our Lord God, Being the Same that Was Promised in the Old Testament, and Manifested in the New.

The same rule of truth teaches us

‹ Chapter 8 Chapter 10 ›

to

believe

,

after

the

Father

,

also

on

the

Son

of

God

,

Christ

Jesus

,

the

Lord

our

God

,

but

the

Son

of

God

—

of

that

God

who

is

both

one

and

alone

,

to

wit

the

Founder

of

all

things

,

as

already

has

been

expressed

above

.

For

this

Jesus

Christ

,

I

will

once

more

say

,

the

Son

of

this

God

,

we

read

of

as

having

been

promised

in

the

Old

Testament

,

and

we

observe

to

be

manifested

in

the

New

,

fulfilling

the

shadows

and

figures

of

all

the

sacraments

,

with

the

presence

of

the

truth

embodied

.

For

as

well

the

ancient

prophecies

as

the

Gospels

testify

Him

to

be

the

son

of

Abraham

and

the

son

of

David

.

Genesis

itself

anticipates

Him

,

when

it

says

:

“

To

thee

will

I

give

it

,

and

to

thy

seed

.

”

He

is

spoken

of

when

it

shows

how

a

man

wrestled

with

Jacob

;

He

too

,

when

it

says

:

“

There

shall

not

fail

a

prince

from

Judah

,

nor

a

leader

from

between

his

thighs

,

until

He

shall

come

to

whom

it

has

been

promised

;

and

He

shall

be

the

expectation

of

the

nations

.

”

He

is

spoken

of

by

Moses

when

he

says

:

“

Provide

another

whom

thou

mayest

send

.

”

He

is

again

spoken

of

by

the

same

,

when

he

testifies

,

saying

:

“

A

Prophet

will

God

raise

up

to

you

from

your

brethren

;

listen

to

Him

as

if

to

me

.

”

It

is

He

,

too

,

that

he

speaks

of

when

he

says

:

“

Ye

shall

see

your

life

hanging

in

doubt

night

and

day

,

and

ye

shall

not

believe

Him

.

”

Him

,

too

,

Isaiah

alludes

to

:

“

There

shall

go

forth

a

rod

from

the

root

of

Jesse

,

and

a

flower

shall

grow

up

from

his

root

.

”

The

same

also

when

he

says

:

“

Behold

,

a

virgin

shall

conceive

,

and

bear

a

son

.

”

Him

he

refers

to

when

he

enumerates

the

healings

that

were

to

proceed

from

Him

,

saying

:

“

Then

shall

the

eyes

of

the

blind

be

opened

,

and

the

ears

of

the

deaf

shall

hear

:

then

shall

the

lame

man

leap

as

an

hart

,

and

the

tongue

of

the

dumb

shall

be

eloquent

.

”

Him

also

,

when

he

sets

forth

the

virtue

of

patience

,

saying

:

“

His

voice

shall

not

be

heard

in

the

streets

;

a

bruised

reed

shall

He

not

destroy

,

and

the

smoking

flax

shall

He

not

quench

.

”

Him

,

too

,

when

he

described

His

Gospel

:

“

And

I

will

ordain

for

you

an

everlasting

covenant

,

even

the

sure

mercies

of

David

.

”

Him

,

too

,

when

he

foretells

that

the

nations

should

believe

on

Him

:

“

Behold

,

I

have

given

Him

for

a

Chief

and

a

Commander

to

the

nations

.

Nations

that

knew

not

Thee

shall

call

upon

Thee

,

and

peoples

that

knew

Thee

not

shall

flee

unto

Thee

.

”

It

is

the

same

that

he

refers

to

when

,

concerning

His

passion

,

he

exclaims

,

saying

:

“

As

a

sheep

He

is

led

to

the

slaughter

;

and

as

a

lamb

before

his

shearer

is

dumb

,

so

He

opened

not

His

mouth

in

His

humility

.

”

Him

,

moreover

,

when

he

described

the

blows

and

stripes

of

His

scourgings

:

“

By

His

bruises

we

were

healed

.

”

Or

His

humiliation

:

“

And

we

saw

Him

,

and

He

had

neither

form

nor

comeliness

,

a

man

in

suffering

,

and

who

knoweth

how

to

bear

infirmity

.

”

Or

that

the

people

would

not

believe

on

Him

:

“

All

day

long

I

have

spread

out

my

hands

unto

a

people

that

believeth

not

.

”

Or

that

He

would

rise

again

from

the

dead

:

“

And

in

that

day

there

shall

be

a

root

of

Jesse

,

and

one

who

shall

rise

to

reign

over

the

nations

;

on

Him

shall

the

nations

hope

,

and

His

rest

shall

be

honour

.

”

Or

when

he

speaks

of

the

time

of

the

resurrection

:

“

We

shall

find

Him

,

as

it

were

,

prepared

in

the

morning

.

”

Or

that

He

should

sit

at

the

right

hand

of

the

Father

:

“

The

Lord

said

unto

my

Lord

,

Sit

Thou

at

my

right

hand

,

until

I

shall

place

Thine

enemies

as

the

stool

of

Thy

feet

.

”

Or

when

He

is

set

forth

as

possessor

of

all

things

:

“

Ask

of

me

,

and

I

will

give

Thee

the

heathen

for

Thine

inheritance

,

and

the

boundaries

of

the

earth

for

Thy

possession

.

”

Or

when

He

is

shown

as

Judge

of

all

:

“

O

God

,

give

the

King

Thy

judgment

,

and

Thy

righteousness

to

the

King’s

Son

.

”

And

I

shall

not

in

this

place

pursue

the

subject

further

:

the

things

which

are

announced

of

Christ

are

known

to

all

heretics

,

but

are

even

better

known

to

those

who

hold

the

truth

.

Notes

1
Gen. xvii. 8.
2
Gen. xlix. 10.
3
Ex. iv. 13.
4
Deut. xviii. 15.
5
Deut. xxviii. 66.
6
Isa. xi. 1.
7
Isa. vii. 13.
8
Isa. xxxv. 3–6.
9
Isa. xiii. 2, 3.
10
Isa. lv. 3.
11
Isa. lv. 4, 5.
12
Isa. liii. 7.
13
Isa. liii. 5.
14
Isa. liii. 2.
15
Isa. lxv. 2.
16
Isa. xi. 10.
17
Hos. vi. 3.
18
Ps. cx. 1, 2.
19
Ps. ii. 8.
20
Ps. lxxii. 1.