328 NOVATIAN THE ROMAN PRESBYTER
flesh,unlessbecausewhen both aspectsare considered,both
truthsare rightlybelieved?
CHAPTER XIV.
Abgument. — The authorprosecutesthesame argument
And yet the hereticstillshrinksfrom urging that Christ
is God, whom he perceivesto be proved God by so many
words as wellas facts.If Christisonly man, how, when He
came into thisworld, did He come unto His own, sincea
man could have made no world? If Christwas onlyman,
how isthe world said to have been made by Him, when the
world was not by man, but man was ordainedafterthe world?
If Christwas only man, how was itthat Christwas notonly
of the seedof David ; but He was the Word made fleshand
dweltamong us ? For althoughtheProtoplastwas not bornof
seed,yetneitherwas theProtoplastformed of theconjunction
of the Word and the flesh. For He is not the Word made
flesh,nor dwelt in us. If Christwas only man, how does
He " who cometh from heaven testifywhat He hath seen
and heard,"1 when it is plainthat man cannot come from
heaven,becausehe cannot be born there? If Christbe only
man, how are " visiblethings and invisible,thrones,powers,
and dominions,"saidtobe createdby Him and in Him ; when
the heavenly powers could not have been made by man,
sincethey must needs have been priorto man ? If Christ
is only man, how is He present wherever He is called
upon ; when itisnot the nature of man, but of God, that
it can be presentin every place1 If Christ is only man,
why is a man invoked in prayers as a Mediator,when the
invocationof a man to affordsalvationis condemned as in
effectual? If Christisonly man, why is hope restedupon
Him, when hope in man is declaredto be accursed? If
Christ is only man, why may not Christ be deniedwithout
destructionof the soul,when itissaidthat a sin committed
1Johniii.81.