S70 NOVATIAN THE ROMAN PRESBYTER grow even to the perfectcontemplationof God the Father Almighty. And sincehe who has imbibed thistruth into hismind and soul,and has believedof allthingsthatthusit shallbe,he shalleven now see,asitwere,in some measure the Father whom he willsee [eventually]; and he may soregard it,as ifhe actuallyheld,what he knows forcertainthat he shallone day hold. But if Christ Himself had been the Father,why did He promise as future,a reward which He had alreadygrantedand given? For thatHe says," Blessed are they of a pure heart,for they shallsee God,"1 it is understood to promise the contemplationand visionof the Father ; thereforeHe had not given this; forwhy should He promiseifHe had alreadygiven1 For He had given ifHe was the Father : for He was seen,and He was touched. But since,when ChristHimself isseen and touched,He still promises,and saysthat he who is of a pure heart shallsee God, He proves by thisvery saying thatHe who was then presentwas not the Father, seeingthat He was seen,and yet promisedthatwhoever shouldbe of a pure heart should see the Father. It was thereforenot the Father, but the Son, who promised this,because lie who was the Son pro mised thatwhich had yet to be seen; and His promisewould have been superfluousunlessHe had been the Son. For why did He promise to the pure in heart that they should see the Father, if alreadythey who were then present saw ChristastheFather? But becauseHe was the Son, not the Father,rightlyalsoHe was then seen as the Son, because He was the image of God; and the Father,because He is invisible,ispromised and pointed out as to be seen by the pure in heart. Let it then be enough to have suggested even these pointsagainstthat heretic; a few words about many things. For a fieldwhich is indeed both wide and expansivewould be laidopen if we should desireto discuss thathereticmore fully;seeingthat in thesetwo particulars, bereavedas itwere of hiseyes plucked out,he is altogether overcome in the blindnessof hisdoctrine. 1Matt.v.8.