Novatian — On the Trinity 28

He Proves Also that the Words Spoken to Philip Make Nothing for the Sabellians. Hereto also I will add that view wherein the heretic , while he rejoices as if at the loss of some power of seeing special truth and light, acknowledges the total blindness of his error . For again and again, and frequently, he objects that it was said, Have I been so long time with you, and do you not know me, Philip? He who has seen me, has seen the Father also. But let him learn what he does not understand. Philip is reproved, and rightly, and deservedly indeed, because he has said, Lord, show us the Father , and it suffices us. For when had he either heard from Christ, or learned that Christ was the Father? Although, on the other hand, he had frequently heard, and had often learned, rather that He was the Son , not that He was the Father.

For what the Lord said, If you have known me, you have known my Father also: and henceforth you have known Him, and have seen Him, He said not as wishing to be understood Himself to be the Father , but implying that he who thoroughly, and fully, and with all faith and all religiousness, drew near to the Son of God , by all means shall attain, through the Son Himself, in whom he thus believes, to the Father , and shall see Him. For no one, says He, can come to the Father , but by me. And therefore he shall not only come to God the Father , and shall know the Father Himself; but, moreover, he ought thus to hold, and so to presume in mind and heart, that he has henceforth not only known , but seen the Father.

For often the divine Scripture announces things that are not yet done as being done, because thus they shall be; and things which by all means have to happen, it does not predict as if they were future, but narrates as if they were done. And thus, although Christ had not been born as yet in the times of Isaiah the prophet , he said, For unto us a child is born; and although Mary had not yet been approached, he said, ' And I approached unto the prophetess; and she conceived, and bare a son. And when Christ had not yet made known the mind of the Father , it is said, And His name shall be called the Angel of Great Counsel. And when He had not yet suffered, he declared, He is as a sheep led to the slaughter. And although the cross had never yet existed , He said, All day long have I stretched out my hands to an unbelieving people.

And although not yet had He been scornfully given to drink, the Scripture says, In my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. And although He had not yet been stripped, He said, Upon my vesture they did cast lots, and they numbered my bones: they pierced my hands and my feet. For the divine Scripture , foreseeing, speaks of things which it knows shall be as being already done, and speaks of things as perfected which it regards as future, but which shall come to pass without any doubt . And thus the Lord in the present passage said, Henceforth you have known and have seen Him. Now He said that the Father should be seen by whomsoever had followed the Son , not as if the Son Himself should be the Father seen, but that whosoever was willing to follow Him, and be His disciple , should obtain the reward of being able to see the Father.