DE TRINITATE LIBER.

 ARGUMENTUM.

 CAPUT PRIMUM. DE TRINITATE disputaturus Novatianus ex Regula fidei proponit, ut primo credamus in Deum Patrem et Dominum omnipotentem, rerum omnium pe

 CAPUT II. Deus super omnia, ipse continens omnia, immensus, aeternus, mente hominis major, sermone inexplicabilis, sublimitate omni sublimior.

 CAPUT III. Deum esse omnium conditorem, dominum et parentem, e sacris Scripturis probatur.

 CAPUT IV. Bonum quoque, semper sui similem, immutabilem, unum et solum, infinitum: cujus nec nomen proprium possit edici, et incorruptibilem, et immor

 CAPUT V. Cujus si iracundias et indignationes quasdam, et odia descripta in sacris paginis teneamus non tamen haec intelligi ad humanorum exempla vit

 CAPUT VI. Et licet Scriptura faciem divinam saepe ad humanam formam convertat, non tamen intra haec nostri corporis lineamenta modum divinae majestati

 CAPUT VII. ARGUMENTUM.--- Spiritus quoque cum Deus dicitur, claritas et lux, non satis Deum illis appellationibus explicari.

 CAPUT VIII. ARGUMENTUM.--- Hunc ergo Deum novisse et venerari Ecclesiam eique testimonium reddit tam invisibilium, quam etiam visibilium, et semper,

 CAPUT IX. Porro eamdem regulam veritatis docere nos, credere post Patrem etiam in Filium Dei Jesum Christum Dominum Deum nostrum, eumdem in Veteri Tes

 CAPUT X. Jesum Christum Dei Filium esse, et vere hominem: contra haereticos phantasiastas, qui veram carnem illum suscepisse negabant.

 CAPUT XI. Et vero non hominem tantum Christum, sed et Deum: sicuti hominis filium, ita et Dei filium.

 CAPUT XII. Deum enim Veteris Testamenti Scripturarum auctoritate probari.

 CAPUT XIII. Eamdem veritatem evinci e sacris Novi Foederis Litteris.

 CAPUT XIV. Idem argumentum persequitur auctor.

 CAPUT XV. al. XXIII. Rursum ex Evangelio Christum Deum comprobat.

 CAPUT XVI. al. XXIV. Iterum ex Evangelio Christum Deum comprobat.

 CAPUT XVII. al. XXV. Item ex Moyse in principio sacrarum Litterarum.

 CAPUT XVIII. al. XXVI. Inde etiam, quod Abrahae visus legatur Deus: quod de Patre nequeat intelligi, quem nemo vidit umquam sed de Filio in Angeli im

 CAPUT XIX. al. XXVII. Quod etiam Jacob apparuerit Deus Angelus, nempe Dei Filius.

 CAPUT XX, al. XV. Ex Scripturis probatur, Christum fuisse Angelum appellatum. Attamen et Deum esse, ex aliis sacrae Scripturae locis ostenditur.

 CAPUT XXI, al. XVI. Eamdem divinam majestatem in Christo aliis iterum Scripturis confirmari.

 CAPUT XXII, al. XVII. Eamdem divinam majestatem in Christo aliis iterum Scripturis confirmat.

 CAPUT XXIII, al. XVIII. Quod adeo manifestum est, ut quidam haeretici eum Deum Patrem putarint, alii Deum tantum sine carne fuisse.

 CAPUT XXIV, al. XIX. Illos autem propterea errasse, quod nihil arbitrarentur interesse inter Filium Dei et filium hominis, ob Scripturam male intellec

 CAPUT XXV, al. XX. Neque inde sequi, quia Christus mortuus, etiam Deum mortuum accipi: non enim tantummodo Deum, sed et hominem Christum Scriptura pro

 CAPUT XXVI, al. XXI. Adversus autem Sabellianos Scripturis probat alium esse Filium, alium Patrem.

 CAPUT XXVII. al. XXII. Pulchre respondet ad illud: sumus, quod illi pro se intendebant.

 CAPUT XXVIII. Pro Sabellianis etiam nihil facere illud: Qui videt me, videt et Patrem, probat.

 CAPUT XXIX. Deinceps fidei auctoritatem admonere nos docet, post Patrem et Filium, credere etiam IN SPIRITUM SANCTUM: cujus operationes ex Scripturis

 CAPUT XXX. Denique quantum dicti haeretici erroris sui originem inde rapuerint, quod animadverterent scriptum: unus Deus: etsi Christum Deum et Patrem

 CAPUT XXXI. Sed Dei Filium Deum, ex Deo Patre ab aeterno natum, qui semper in Patre fuerit, secundam personam esse a Patre, qui nihil agat sine Patris

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 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.”49    Gen. xvii. 8. 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.”50    Gen. xlix. 10. He is spoken of by Moses when he says: “Provide another whom thou mayest send.”51    Ex. iv. 13. 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.”52    Deut. xviii. 15. 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.”53    Deut. xxviii. 66. 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.”54    Isa. xi. 1. The same also when he says: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son.”55    Isa. vii. 13. 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.”56    Isa. xxxv. 3–6. 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.”57    Isa. xiii. 2, 3. Him, too, when he described His Gospel: “And I will ordain for you an everlasting covenant, even the sure mercies of David.”58    Isa. lv. 3. 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.”59    Isa. lv. 4, 5. 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.”60    Isa. liii. 7. Him, moreover, when he described the blows and stripes of His scourgings: “By His bruises we were healed.”61    Isa. liii. 5. 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.”62    Isa. liii. 2. Or that the people would not believe on Him: “All day long I have spread out my hands unto a people that believeth not.”63    Isa. lxv. 2. 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.”64    Isa. xi. 10. Or when he speaks of the time of the resurrection: “We shall find Him, as it were, prepared in the morning.”65    Hos. vi. 3. 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.”66    Ps. cx. 1, 2. 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.”67    Ps. ii. 8. Or when He is shown as Judge of all: “O God, give the King Thy judgment, and Thy righteousness to the King’s Son.”68    Ps. lxxii. 1. 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.

CAPUT IX. Porro eamdem regulam veritatis docere nos, credere post Patrem etiam in Filium Dei Jesum Christum Dominum Deum nostrum, eumdem in Veteri Testamento repromissum, et in Novo exhibitum.

Eadem regula veritatis docet nos credere, post 0900C Patrem, etiam in Filium Dei, Christum Jesum Dominum Deum nostrum, sed Dei Filium; hujus Dei qui et unus et solus est, conditor scilicet rerum omnium, ut jam et superius expressum est. Hunc enim Jesum Christum, iterum dicam hujus Dei Filium, et in Veteri Testamento legimus esse repromissum et in Novo Testamento animadvertimus exhibitum, omnium sacramentorum umbras et figuras de praesentia corporatae veritatis implentem. Hunc enim Abrahae filium, hunc David, hunc non minus et vetera praedicta et Evangelia testantur. Hunc ipsa Genesis, cum dicit: Tibi dabo et semini tuo (Gen. XVII, 8). Hunc, quando luctatum ostendit hominem cum Jacob (Gen. XXXII, 24). Hunc, quando dicit (Gen. XLIX, 10): Non deficiet princeps de Juda, neque dux de femoribus ejus, 0900D donec veniat Is cui repromissum est, et ipse erit exspectatio gentium (Gen. XLIX, 19). Hunc Moyses, cum dicit: Provide alium quem mittas (Exod. IV, 13). Hunc idem, 0901A quando testatur, Propheten vobis, dicendo, suscitabit Deus ex fratribus vestris: eum quasi me audite (Deut. XVIII, 15). Hunc, quando dicit: Videbitis vitam vestram pendentem nocte ac die, et non credetis ei (Deut., XXVIII, 66). Hunc Isaias: Prodiet virga de radice Jesse, et flos de radice ejus ascendet (Isa. XI, 1). Hunc eumdem, quando dicit: Ecce Virgo concipiet et pariet filium (Isa. VII, 13). Hunc, quando sanitates ab eo futuras collocat dicens: Tunc aperientur oculi caecorum, et aures surdorum audient, tunc saliet claudus ut cervus, et diserta erit lingua mutorum (Ibid. XXXV, 3, 6). Hunc, quando patientiae virtutes expromit dicens: Non audietur in plateis vox ejus; arundinem quassatam non conteret, et linum fumigans non extinguet (Ibid. XLII, 2-3). Hunc, quando ejus Evangelia descripsit: Et disponam vobis testamentum 0901B aeternum, sancta David fidelia (Isa. LV, 3). Hunc, quando gentes in ipsum credituras prophetat: Ecce posui eum in principem et praecipientem gentibus. Gentes quae te non noverunt invocabunt te, et populi qui te nesciunt ad te confugient (Ibid. 4, 5). Hunc eumdem, quando ad passionem ejus exclamat dicens: Sicut ovis ad occisionem ductus est, et sicut agnus coram tondente se sine voce, sic non aperuit os suum in humilitate (Isa. LIII, 1). Hunc quando flagrorum ejus ictus plagasque descripsit: Livore ejus nos sanati sumus (Ibid. 5); aut humilitatem: Et vidimus eum, et non erat ei species neque honor. Homo in plaga et sciens ferre infirmitatem (Ibid. 2, 3). Aut quod populus non erat crediturus: Tota die expandi manus meas ad populum non credentem (Isai. LXV, 2). Aut quod resurrecturus a mortuis: Et erit in illa die radix 0901C Jesse, et qui surget imperare gentibus, in eum gentes sperabunt; et erit requies ejus honor (Isai. XI, 10). Aut cum tempus resurrectionis: Quasi diluculo paratum inveniemus eum (Ose. VI, 3). Aut quod sessurus ad dextram Patris: Dixit Dominus Domino meo: Sede ad dexteram meam, donec ponam inimicos tuos scabellum pedum tuorum (Ps. CIX, 1-2). Aut cum possessor omnium collocatur: Postula a me, et dabo tibi gentes haereditatem tuam, et possessionem tuam terminos terrae (Ps. II, 8). Aut quod judex omnium ostenditur: Deus, judicium tuum regi da, et justitiam tuam filio regis (Ps. LXXI, 1). Nec hoc in loco plura persequar, quae annuntiata de Christo, omnibus haereticis, sed et ipsis veritatem tenentibus magis nota sunt.