318 NOVATIAN THE ROMAN PRESBYTER CHAPTER X. Argument. — That Jesus Christisthe Son of God and truly man, as opposed to thefanciesof heretics,who denythat He tookupon Him trueflesh. But of thisI remind [my reader],that Christwas notto be expectedin the gospel in any otherwise than as He was promisedbeforeby the Creator,in the Scripturesof theOld Testament ; especiallyas the things that were predictedof Him were fulfilled,and those thingsthatwere fulfilledhad been predicted. As with reason I might truly and con stantlysay to that fanciful— I know not what — of those hereticswho rejectthe authorityof the Old Testament,as to a Christ feigned and colouredup from old wives'fables, " Who art thou? Whence art thou? By whom artthou sent? Wherefore hast thou now chosen to come? Why such as thou art? Or how hast thou been able to come! Or wherefore hast thou not gone to thineown, exceptthat thou hast proved that thou hast none of thine own, by coming to those of another? What bast thou to do with the Creator'sworld? What hast thou to do with the Creator'sman ? What hastthou to do with the image ofa body from which thou takestaway the hope of resurrection! Why comest thou to another man's servant,and desirest thou to solicitanother man's son? Why dostthou striveto take me away from the Lord ? Why dost thou compelme to blaspheme,and to be impious to my Father? Or what shallI gain from thee in the resurrection,ifI do not receive myself when I losemy body ? If thou wishestto save,thon shouldesthave made a man to whom to give salvation.If thou desirestto snatchfrom sin,thou shouldesthave granted to me previouslythat I shouldnot fallintosin. But what approbationof law dostthou carryabout with thee? What testimonyof the propheticword hast thou? Or what sub stantialgood can I promise myself from thee,when I see thatthou hast come in a phantasm and not in a bodilysub