CONCERNING THE TRINITY. 375 CHAPTER XXX. Argument. — In fine,for all that the said hereticshave gatheredthe originof theirerrorfrom considerationof thefactof itsbeingwrittentiiere IS ONE God, although we callChristGod, and the Father God, stillthatScrip turedoesnotsetforthtwo Gods,any more thantwo Lords or two Teachers. And now, indeed,concerningthe Father,and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,letithe sufficientto have brieflysaidthus much, and to have laiddown thesepointsconcisely,without carryingthem outin a lengthenedargument. For theycould be presentedmore diffuselyand continuedina more expanded disputation,sincethe whole of the Old and New Testaments might be adduced in testimony that thus the true faith stands. But because heretics,ever strugglingagainstthe truth, are accustomed to prolong the controversyof pure traditionand catholicfaith,being offendedagainstChrist— that He is,moreover,assertedto be God by the Scriptures also,and this is believedto be so by us— we must rightly contend (thateveryhereticalcalumny may be removed from our faith)concerning the fact that Christ is God also,in such a way as thatitmay not militateagainstthe truth of Scripture,nor yet againstour faith,how thereisdeclaredto be one God by the Scriptures,and itisheld and believedby us. For as wellthey who say thatJesus Christ Himself is God the Father,as moreover they who would have Him to be only man, have gatheredthence [scil.from Scripture].the sources and reasonsof theirerrorand perversity;because when they perceivedthatitwas writtenthat" God isone," they thought that they could not otherwisehold such an opinion than by supposing that it must be believedeither that Christwas man only,or reallyGod the Father. And they were accustomed in such a way to connect theirsophis triesas to endeavour to justifytheirown error. And thus they who say that Jesus Christ is the Father argue as follows:— If God is one,and Christ is God, Christis the