On the Reason of Faith (complete)
Latin text: Migne, PL 52 (Latin text: Migne, Patrologia Latina 52, digitized by Open Greek and Latin (patrologia_latina-dev, University of Leipzig), CC BY-SA 4.0).English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Chapter 1
1PL 52:847d–849 d
Renatis hominibus per fidem, et sanctificatis secundum Evangelii formam in nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus sancti, et per hanc confessionem regnum coeleste sperantibus, nihil magis utile esse dixit Apostolus, quam ut his bonorum sit operum cura. Sic enim scribit ad Titum : Et de his volo te confirmare, ut curam habeant bonorum qui credunt in Deo. Hæc sunt, inquit, bona et utilia hominibus. Stultas autem quæstiones et genealogias et rixas et pugnas legis devita; sunt enim inutiles et vanae (Tit. III, 8). Hæc scribens beatus Apostolus, jam tunc prævidebat futuros homines qui per curiositatem et quaestiones inutiles curam bonorum operum praetermissuri erant; et pacem, quam Dominus Ecclesiae suae reliquerat, perdituri. Namque homines, qui dum alta sapere conantur, nec humilia intelligere permittuntur, obliti dictum Apostoli, Noli alta sapere, sed time (Rom. XI, 20), sic dum illicita præsumunt, etiam licita perdiderunt. Isti sunt qui cum nec fabricam coeli et terrae sensu colligere et capere valeant, ipsum conditorem et fabricatorem Deum capere et mensurare contendunt; et quem debent per operum magnitudinem et tantarum rerum immensitatem solummodo et simpliciter adorare, in quaestionem mittunt; et de qualitate mysterii ejus ac de quantitate disputant, dicentes: Quantus Pater ? qualis Filius? cujusmodi Spiritus sanctus? O homo, nondum te ipsum cognoscens, audes divina metiri ?
For people reborn through faith, sanctified according to the form of the gospel in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and hoping through this confession for the heavenly kingdom, the Apostle said that nothing is more useful than that they should care for good works. For so he writes to Titus: “And concerning these things I want you to insist, that those who believe in God may take care for good works. These things,” he says, “are good and useful to people. But avoid foolish questions and genealogies and quarrels and disputes about the law; for they are useless and vain.” In writing this the blessed Apostle already then foresaw that there would be people who, through curiosity and useless questions, would neglect the care of good works and destroy the peace which the Lord had left to his church. For people who, while they try to be wise about lofty things, are not allowed to understand even humble ones, forgetting the Apostle’s saying, “Do not be high-minded, but fear,” have lost even what is lawful while they presume on what is unlawful. These are the ones who, though they cannot gather and grasp with their mind even the structure of heaven and earth, strive to grasp and measure God himself, the maker and builder; and him whom they ought simply and only to adore through the greatness of his works and the immensity of so many things, they put in question, and dispute about the quality and the quantity of his mystery, saying: How great is the Father? Of what kind is the Son? Of what sort is the Holy Spirit? O man, not yet knowing yourself, do you dare to measure divine things?
Titus 3:8–9 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 11:20 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 28:19 (allusion, medium confidence) · John 14:27 (allusion, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Nicetas opens by warning, with Paul, against curious questions that try to measure God instead of adoring him.
- Quotations: Titus 3:8–9; Rom 11:20. Allusion: Matt 28:19. Many OCR slips and joined words of the digital text were corrected.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip; OCR slip; joined words; joined words; stray note letter): Renatishominibus per fidem,et → Renatis hominibus per fidem, et; sancti,et per hancconfessionem → sancti, et per hanc confessionem; te confirmare, a ut curam → te confirmare, ut curam; in Deo.Hæc sunt → in Deo. Hæc sunt; genealogias et riaxas → genealogias et rixas; inutiles etvance → inutiles et vanae; curiositatem etquaestiones → curiositatem et quaestiones; praetermissurierant; etpacem → praetermissuri erant; et pacem; reliquerat,perdituri → reliquerat, perdituri; qui dumalta sapere conantur,nec → qui dum alta sapere conantur, nec; obliti uictum Apostoli,Nolialta saperesed time(Rom. XI,20) → obliti dictum Apostoli, Noli alta sapere, sed time (Rom. XI, 20); conditorem etla. bricatorem → conditorem et fabricatorem; mysteriiejus → mysterii ejus; 0 homo → O homo.
Cite (SBL): Nicetas of Remesiana, Rat. fid. 1 (PL 52:847d–849 d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nicetas-ratione-fidei/1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nicetas-ratione-fidei/1
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Latin of Migne's Patrologia Latina (very noisy digital text; OCR slips corrected by logged corrections, some readings from Burn, Niceta of Remesiana, 1905). No public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Latin.
Chapter 2
2PL 52:849a–849 a
Et quidem, taceo de Sabellio Patripassiano, qui stulta præsumptione ausus est dicere ipsum esse Patrem qui est Filius; ipsum etiam esse Spiritum sanctum : et nomine tantum esse Trinitatem, non etiam veritate; nec personis subsistere, sed sola nuncupatione : ac sic totum confundit, cum ipsum Patrem corpus suscepisse et passum esse confingit. Taceo de Photino, qui audiens unigeniti Filii Dei incarnationem, humilitatem, passionem quoque illam salutiferam nobis, hominem tantum eum putavit; Deum autem, quem debuit ex ipsis operibus agnoscere, denegavit : oblitus dictum Apostoli dicentis : Quia cum in forma Dei esset Christus, formam servi accepit; ut nobis, uti servis peccati daret verissimam libertatem (Philip. II, 6). Et ad Corinthios : Scitis, ait, gratiam Domini nostri Jesu Christi, quia propter nos pauper factus est, cum esset dives, ut ejus paupertate divites essetis (II Cor. VIII, 9). Taceo ergo tam de Sabellio quam de Photino, quia ab omnibus fere ecclesiis dignam errori suo sententiam detulerunt.
And indeed I say nothing of Sabellius the Patripassian, who with foolish presumption dared to say that the Father himself is the one who is the Son, and that he is also the Holy Spirit; and that the Trinity is so in name only, not also in truth, and does not subsist in persons but only in naming: and so he confounds everything, since he imagines that the Father himself took a body and suffered. I say nothing of Photinus, who, hearing of the incarnation of the only-begotten Son of God, his humility, and that passion which brings us salvation, thought him only a man; but denied that he is God, which he ought to have recognized from his very works: forgetting the saying of the Apostle, who says, “That though Christ was in the form of God, he took the form of a servant,” to give us, as slaves of sin, the truest freedom. And to the Corinthians: “You know,” he says, “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that for our sake he became poor, though he was rich, so that by his poverty you might become rich.” I say nothing, then, either of Sabellius or of Photinus, because they have received from almost all the churches the sentence their error deserved.
Phil 2:6–7 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Cor 8:9 (quotation, high confidence) · John 8:34–36 (allusion, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Nicetas passes over Sabellius, who confused the Father with the Son and Spirit, and Photinus, who made Christ a mere man, both already condemned.
- Quotations: Phil 2:6–7; 2 Cor 8:9. The printed text has “Photio” at the end, corrected to Photinus as earlier in the section. Many OCR slips were corrected.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip; OCR slip; joined words; OCR slip; stray note letter; OCR slips; joined words; joined words; OCR slip; split word; OCR slip; split word; OCR slips; stray note letter; stray note letter; OCR slip): taceode Sabellio → taceo de Sabellio; qui i stulta præsumptione assus est → qui stulta præsumptione ausus est; et iMmine tantum esseTrinitatem → et nomine tantum esse Trinitatem; subsiatere → subsistere; nuncupa- tione : ae sie totum → nuncupatione : ac sic totum; Taceo de a Photino → Taceo de Photino; hominam tantum → hominem tantum; agno- soere → agnoscere; dictum Aspptoli dicentis : b Quia → dictum Apostoli dicentis : Quia; formam servi aceepU; ut nobis, uti serrvis peecati → formam servi accepit; ut nobis, uti servis peccati; Jesu Chrsti → Jesu Christi; dives,ut ejus → dives, ut ejus; Taceoergo tam de Sabellio quamde Photio → Taceo ergo tam de Sabellio quam de Photino.
Topics: Trinity, Christology, Heresy, Monarchianism and Sabellianism
Cite (SBL): Nicetas of Remesiana, Rat. fid. 2 (PL 52:849a–849 a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nicetas-ratione-fidei/2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nicetas-ratione-fidei/2
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Latin of Migne's Patrologia Latina (very noisy digital text; OCR slips corrected by logged corrections, some readings from Burn, Niceta of Remesiana, 1905). No public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Latin.
Chapter 3
3PL 52:849a–849 a
De hac hæresi, quæ nunc fidei catholicæ calumniatur, pauca dicere postulastis ; de hac utique hæresi, quæ ab Ario auctore exorta est. Hic namque non fuit contentus Evangelicis vocibus, apostolorum prædicationibus, quæ utique Patrem, et Filium et Spiritum sanctum sonant: nec dignatus est ita,ut dignum est, credere, quia Pater habet Filium, et Filius vere habet Patrem : sed cum se extendit infelix, et vult inquirere quomodo et qualiter Deus potuit generare, modum non apprehendens, quia nec comprehendi potest, cecidit in errorem, ut et Patrem denegaret et Filium. Sic autem negat Patrem, quia dicit eum non potuisse de se proprium et verum Filium generare: Filium vero sic negat, dum eum aliunde et de non exstantibus dicit factum esse potius quam genitum; et creaturam esse quamdam, quæ meruit propter charitatem Filius appellari ; non autem vere esse Filium qui de Patre sit genitus et inde est quod alterius eum substantiae commentus est, ne omnino Patris verus Filius esse credatur. Contra hanc ergo ejus perversitatem et novam doctrinam facta est Nicæna synodus, ubi omnibus collatis et decursis scripturis, veritas manifestata est, scripta est. Nam denique Filium, quem Arius dixerat aliunde esse et non de Patre, neque de substantia Patris, id est de eo ipso quod Deus est, sancti patres nostri professi sunt natum de Patre, hoc est de substantia Patris, Deum de Deo, lumen de lumine, Deum verum de Deo vero, natum non factum, unius substantiae cum Patre; ut nulla utique diversitas credatur in Filio. Revera utique si verus est Dei Filius, et vere de Deo Patre est genitus, non utique alterius substantiae est credendus, nisi ejus cujus est filius ut sicut Pater Deus est, ita Deus sit Filius: et sicut lumen Pater est, ita lumen sit Filius.
You have asked me to say a little about this heresy which now slanders the catholic faith; about this heresy, that is, which arose with Arius as its author. For he was not content with the words of the gospel and the preaching of the apostles, which indeed proclaim the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; nor did he deign to believe, as is fitting, that the Father has a Son and the Son truly has a Father: but when the unhappy man stretched himself out and wished to inquire how and in what way God could beget, not grasping the manner, because it cannot be comprehended, he fell into the error of denying both the Father and the Son. He denies the Father in this way: he says that he could not beget from himself a proper and true Son. And he denies the Son in this way: he says that he was made from elsewhere, from things not existing, rather than begotten; and that he is a certain creature who deserved, because of love, to be called Son; but that he is not truly a Son begotten from the Father; and hence it is that he imagined him to be of another substance, so that he might not be believed to be at all a true Son of the Father. Against this perversity of his and new teaching, then, the synod of Nicaea was held, where, all the Scriptures having been brought together and gone through, the truth was made manifest and written down. For the Son, whom Arius had said was from elsewhere and not from the Father, nor from the substance of the Father, that is, from that very thing which God is, our holy fathers confessed to be born from the Father, that is, from the substance of the Father, “God from God, light from light, true God from true God, born not made, of one substance with the Father,” so that no difference at all may be believed in the Son. For truly, if he is the true Son of God and truly begotten from God the Father, he is surely not to be believed of another substance, but of that of him whose Son he is: so that as the Father is God, so the Son is God; and as the Father is light, so the Son is light.
Notes and citation
Summary: Nicetas explains that Arius, prying into how God begets, denied both Father and Son, and that Nicaea confessed the Son born from the Father’s substance, “of one substance with the Father.”
- Quotation: the Creed of Nicaea (325). Arius’s doctrine is stated as Nicetas presents it. Many OCR slips, joined words and stray marks of the digital text were corrected.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip; OCR slips; joined words; joined words; OCR slip; joined words; OCR slips; stray mark; stray mark; joined words; stray marks; stray note letter): quæ nunc Mei catholicæ calumniatur → quæ nunc fidei catholicæ calumniatur; de hac utique c hæresi → de hac utique hæresi; non fuit contenuis Evangelicis vocibus, apostołorum → non fuit contentus Evangelicis vocibus, apostolorum; Patrem, et Filium4et Spiritum saactum → Patrem, et Filium et Spiritum sanctum; modum non apprehendens, d quia → modum non apprehendens, quia; ceciditinerroiem,utet Patrem → cecidit in errorem, ut et Patrem; negat Patrem,quiadioit eum → negat Patrem, quia dicit eum; Filium vero sic negat,dumeum aliunde et de noRis exstantibus dicit factum ease → Filium vero sic negat, dum eum aliunde et de non exstantibus dicit factum esse; commentusest,ne omnino Patria verus Filius esse credatur.Contra → commentus est, ne omnino Patris verus Filius esse credatur. Contra; facta est • Nicæna synodus → facta est Nicæna synodus; scripta est.Nam denique Filium → scripta est. Nam denique Filium; nequede substantia → neque de substantia; Patris, ' Deum de Deo,lumen de lumine → Patris, Deum de Deo, lumen de lumine; natum non factum,unius → natum non factum, unius; Revera utiqųe → Revera utique; ita. Deus sit Filius: et sicut lumen Pater est,ita lumen. sit. Filius. → ita Deus sit Filius: et sicut lumen Pater est, ita lumen sit Filius..
Extrabiblical texts: Conc. Nic. creed (Creed and Canons of the Council of Nicaea (325); quotation)
Topics: Trinity, Christology, Heresy, Arianism, Councils and creeds
Cite (SBL): Nicetas of Remesiana, Rat. fid. 3 (PL 52:849a–849 a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nicetas-ratione-fidei/3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nicetas-ratione-fidei/3
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Latin of Migne's Patrologia Latina (very noisy digital text; OCR slips corrected by logged corrections, some readings from Burn, Niceta of Remesiana, 1905). No public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Latin.
Chapter 4
4PL 52:849a–849 b
Sed offendit aliquantos haec ipsa professio, qua creditur Filium ejusdem esse substantiæ, et per calumnias professio sancta torquetur. Nam sic interpretantur unius substantiæ dictum, quasi nos divisum dicamus Patrem; et pars Patris sit Filius; et Deus Pater sit imminutus in Filio : vel certe per fluxum et derivationem Filius paternæ substantiæ retineat unitatem. Quod absit non solum a sensibus, sed etiam ab auribus Christianis, ut tale aliquid in mentem nostram veniat. Nos autem sic unius substantiae credimus Filium, ut Patrem credamus in sua æternitate perfectum, in sua quoque impassibilitate manentem, ita Filium generasse, ut non passionem aliquam vel diminutionem senserit suæ naturæ suæque majestatis, sed perfectus ipse perfectum de se genuerit ante omnia sæcula verum Filium omnipotentem, per quem scilicet omnia facta sunt sine quo factum est nihil: ut verus Pater unigeniti Filii sui, et verus Filius Patris esse credatur, non confusus, sed distinctus; omnia tamen habens in se Filius quæ sunt Patris, sicut ipse ait in Evangelio: Omnia, quæ habet Pater, mea sunt (Joan. XVI, 15). Quæ, illa omnia? utique virtutem, utique potentiam, bonitatem, incorruptelam, gloriam et æternitatem, sicut habet Pater. Caeterum si hæc non erant in Filio, vereor dicere. Pater in Filio degenerasse videatur. Et si hoc ita est ut degener Filius æstimetur, quomodo idem honor ipso dicente Domino, ut omnes honorificent Filium sicut honorificant Patrem (Joan. v, 24)? Hoc exigit Dominus, hoc exhibent fideles: nec scandalizantur de humilitate Filii Salvatoris, nec de verbis ejus quæ secundum hominem locutus est ; neque de passionibus, quas propter mundi salutem implere dignatus est: sed per haec ipsa plus se gratiæ, plus honoris debere sentiunt Christo : ut et si non esset praeceptum in Evangelio ut omnes honorificent Filium sicut honorificant Patrem, ultro hoc facerent fideliores : quia ille qui se humiliare dignatus est, exaltari debuerat, sicut scriptum est, Qui se humiliat, exaltabitur (Luc. XIV, 11).
But this very profession, by which the Son is believed to be of the same substance, offends some, and the holy profession is twisted by slanders. For they interpret “of one substance” as if we said that the Father is divided, and the Son is a part of the Father, and God the Father is diminished in the Son; or at least that the Son keeps the unity of the Father’s substance by a flowing out and derivation. Far be it not only from Christian minds but even from Christian ears that anything of this kind should come into our mind. But we believe the Son to be of one substance in this way: we believe that the Father, perfect in his eternity and remaining in his impassibility, so begot the Son that he felt no passion or diminution of his nature and his majesty, but he, perfect, begot from himself a perfect one before all ages, a true, almighty Son, through whom indeed all things were made, without whom nothing was made: so that he may be believed to be the true Father of his only-begotten Son, and the Son the true Son of the Father, not confused but distinct; yet the Son has in himself all things that are the Father’s, as he himself says in the gospel: “All things that the Father has are mine.” What are those “all things”? Surely power, surely might, goodness, incorruption, glory and eternity, as the Father has them. Otherwise, if these were not in the Son, I fear to say it, the Father would seem to have degenerated in the Son. And if it is so, that the Son is thought degenerate, how is there the same honour, as the Lord himself says, “that all may honour the Son as they honour the Father”? This the Lord requires, this the faithful render: they are not scandalized at the humility of the Son, the Saviour, nor at his words which he spoke as man, nor at the sufferings he deigned to fulfil for the salvation of the world: but through these very things they feel that they owe Christ more thanks and more honour: so that even if it were not commanded in the gospel that all honour the Son as they honour the Father, the more faithful would do this of their own accord: because he who deigned to humble himself had to be exalted, as it is written: “Whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
John 16:15 (quotation, high confidence) · John 1:3 (allusion, high confidence) · John 5:23 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 14:11 (quotation, high confidence) · Phil 2:8–9 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Nicetas explains that “of one substance” does not mean the Father is divided or diminished but that he begot a perfect Son, distinct from him, who has all that the Father has and is to be honoured equally.
- Quotations: John 16:15 (the reference printed as “Joan. XV,,, 15” is corrected); John 1:3; John 5:23 (Migne prints v, 24); Luke 14:11. Many OCR slips and joined words were corrected.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip; OCR slip; joined words; OCR slip; stray commas; OCR slip; stray note letter; OCR slips; stray mark; joined words; joined words; OCR slip; misprinted reference; split word; stray comma; stray mark): professio,qua creditur Filiumejusdem → professio, qua creditur Filium ejusdem; interpretantur nniussubstantiæ → interpretantur unius substantiæ; et Deus Pater si imminutus → et Deus Pater sit imminutus; a sensibus,sed etiam → a sensibus, sed etiam; credimus Fi- lium → credimus Filium; perfetum, in sua quoque g impassibilitate → perfectum, in sua quoque impassibilitate; suæ que majestatis → suæque majestatis; perfectus ipse pefectumde se genuerit|ante → perfectus ipse perfectum de se genuerit ante; unigeniti Filii, sui, et verus → unigeniti Filii sui, et verus; distinctus;omnia tamen habens inse Filius quæ sunt Patris,sioutipse ait → distinctus; omnia tamen habens in se Filius quæ sunt Patris, sicut ipse ait; (Joan. XV,,, 15) → (Joan. XVI, 15); Caeterum si- hæc → Caeterum si hæc; ut homnes honorificent → ut omnes honorificent; nec scandalizatur de, humilitate Filii, Salvatoris,nec → nec scandalizantur de humilitate Filii Salvatoris, nec; praeceptum inEvangelio ut omneshonorificentFilium → praeceptum in Evangelio ut omnes honorificent Filium; ultro hoc faoerent fideliores → ultro hoc facerent fideliores; humiliare dignatusest, exaltari debuerat, sicut soriptum est → humiliare dignatus est, exaltari debuerat, sicut scriptum est.
Topics: Trinity, Christology
Cite (SBL): Nicetas of Remesiana, Rat. fid. 4 (PL 52:849a–849 b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nicetas-ratione-fidei/4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nicetas-ratione-fidei/4
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-nicetas-ratione-fidei-4) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from the Latin of Migne's Patrologia Latina (very noisy digital text; OCR slips corrected by logged corrections, some readings from Burn, Niceta of Remesiana, 1905). No public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Latin.
Chapter 5
5PL 52:849b–851 b
At cum Pater dicat, Hic est Filius meus, hunc audite (Matth. III, 17). Filius dicat, Ut omnes honorificent Filium sicut honorificant Patrem (Joan.V, 23) ; quae caecitas mentium est, intermissa honorificentia, contumelias concinnare? quæ oblivio spei est, infirmum et minorem et contemptibilem aestimare Christum, qui nobis fortitudinem et magnitudinem et gloriam secundum Patris sui contulit voluntatem ? Crede mihi; Filii honor dignitas Patris est; quantum detuleris unigenito, tanto magis amplificabis gloriam Patris. Bonus Pater non invidet gloriam Filio ; quia omnis gloria Filii recurrit in Patrem. Hic est catholicus sensus, haec devotio fidelium, hoc studium sanctorum. Secundum haec, omnia dicta et facta Salvatoris intelligunt, et intelligentes loquuntur. Nec omnino impediuntur ad hanc devotionem per illa quæ Domini voluntatem videntur ostendere : ut puta, Pater major me est (Joan. XIV, 28) ; et, Non veni facere voluntatem meam (Joan. VI, 38) ; et, Filius a se nihil potest facere (Joan. v, 19); et alia multa hujuscemodi : quæ omnia non infirmant Filium, neque depretiant, sed a Patre distinguunt. Siquidem et haec ideo sunt posita, ut vera ejus divinitas non negetur : Ego de Deo Patre exivi (Joan. XVI, 28); et, Ego in Patre, et Pater in me (Joan. x, 38); Ego et Pater unum sumus (Ibid.,30); et, Qui me videt, vidit et Patrem (Joan.XIV, 9) ; et Sicut Pater suscitat mortuos et vivificat, ita et Filius quos vult vivificat (Joan. v, 21).
But when the Father says, “This is my Son, hear him,” and the Son says, “That all may honour the Son as they honour the Father,” what blindness of minds is it, leaving off honour, to devise insults? What forgetfulness of hope is it to think Christ weak and lesser and contemptible, who has conferred on us strength and greatness and glory according to the will of his Father? Believe me: the honour of the Son is the dignity of the Father; the more you pay to the only-begotten, the more you will magnify the glory of the Father. A good Father does not begrudge glory to his Son; for all the Son’s glory returns to the Father. This is the catholic mind, this the devotion of the faithful, this the zeal of the saints. In accordance with this they understand all the sayings and deeds of the Saviour, and speak with understanding. Nor are they hindered at all from this devotion by those things which seem to show the Lord’s will, for example: “The Father is greater than I”; and, “I did not come to do my own will”; and, “The Son can do nothing of himself”; and many others of this kind: all of which do not weaken or depreciate the Son but distinguish him from the Father. For these too are set down so that his true divinity may not be denied: “I came forth from God the Father”; and, “I am in the Father, and the Father in me”; “I and the Father are one”; and, “Whoever sees me has seen the Father also”; and, “As the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.”
Matt 17:5 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 3:17 (allusion, medium confidence) · John 5:23 (quotation, high confidence) · John 14:28 (quotation, high confidence) · John 6:38 (quotation, high confidence) · John 5:19 (quotation, high confidence) · John 16:28 (quotation, high confidence) · John 10:38 (quotation, high confidence) · John 10:30 (quotation, high confidence) · John 14:9 (quotation, high confidence) · John 5:21 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Nicetas argues that honouring the Son honours the Father, and that sayings like “the Father is greater than I” distinguish the Son from the Father without lessening his divinity.
- Quotations: Matt 17:5 (Migne cites 3:17); John 5:23; John 14:28; John 6:38; John 5:19; John 16:28; John 10:38; 10:30; 14:9; 5:21. Many OCR slips and joined words were corrected; “honordignitatis” is read as “honor dignitas”.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip; joined words; joined words; joined words; OCR slip; joined words; OCR slip; stray note letter; stray note letter): qnaecaecitasmentium est → quae caecitas mentium est; spei est,infirmum → spei est, infirmum; Filii honordignitatis Patris est; quantum detuleris unigenito,tanto → Filii honor dignitas Patris est; quantum detuleris unigenito, tanto; haec devotiofidelium, hoc studium sanctorum.Secundum haec,omniadicta → haec devotio fidelium, hoc studium sanctorum. Secundum haec, omnia dicta; infirmant Filium,neque depretiant, sed ad Patre b distinguunt.Siquidem → infirmant Filium, neque depretiant, sed a Patre distinguunt. Siquidem; Qui me videt,c vidit → Qui me videt, vidit.
Topics: Trinity, Christology
Cite (SBL): Nicetas of Remesiana, Rat. fid. 5 (PL 52:849b–851 b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nicetas-ratione-fidei/5). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nicetas-ratione-fidei/5
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Latin of Migne's Patrologia Latina (very noisy digital text; OCR slips corrected by logged corrections, some readings from Burn, Niceta of Remesiana, 1905). No public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Latin.
Chapter 6
6PL 52:851b–851 a
Sed nec illa fidelem animam scandalizant, quibus Dominus esurisse, dormisse, lacrymasse refertur; tunc, tristis usque ad mortem, crux, passio, sepultura: siquidem ad hoc sunt scripta et facta, ut et tolerantiæ exempla præberentur, et vera ejus incarnatio nosceretur. Nam in eo quod esurisse Dominus dicitur, veri corporis assumptionem intellige. In eo autem cum quinque panibus et piscibus duobus, quinque millia hominum satiat, veram ejus divinitatem cognosce. Certe cum dicit: Ego sum panis vivus qui de cælo descendi (Joan. vi, 41), non cadit in sensum nostrum ut panis esurire credatur. Sic et de somno intelligendum est quoniam sicut per somnum corporis veritas cognoscitur, sic per illud quod statim ventis et fluctibus imperat, vera ejus divinitas approbatur. Nam quod lacrymas super Lazarum fudit, fantasmatis suspicio tollitur; lacrymae enim veri corporis sunt humores. Quod autem dicit, Lazare, veni foras (Joan. xi, 43), et statim ille qui jam fetebat, aperiente se terra, vivus emersit, magnum ejus divinitatis indicium est. Nam et illud quod ait, Tristis est anima mea usque ad mortem (Matth. XXVI, 38), ex hac ipsa Lazari resurrectione intelligi potest, qualiter debeat accipi: nec enim divinitas mortem metuebat, sed humanum affectum per tristitiam animi indicabat. Crux æque, passio et sepultura, uno vel altero dicto Domini, discutiuntur, quominus ei impotentia vel infirmitas ascribatur. Cum dicit ad Judaeos, Solvite templum hoc, utique corpus suum dicebat: et ego in triduo suscitabo illud (Joan. II, 19). Et iterum ait,Potestatem habeo ponere animam meam, et potestatem habeo iterum sumere illam (Joan. x, 18). Si corporis sui suscitat templum, si potestas est ponendæ animæ per passionem et resumendæ per resurrectionem, cessat in Christo infirmitatis opinio, ubi tantae potestatis sublimitas declaratur.
Nor do those things scandalize a faithful soul in which the Lord is reported to have hungered, slept, wept; then, sorrowful even to death, the cross, the passion, the burial: for these were written and done so that examples of endurance might be given and his true incarnation might be known. For in that the Lord is said to have hungered, understand that he took a true body. But in that he satisfies five thousand men with five loaves and two fishes, recognize his true divinity. Certainly when he says, “I am the living bread who came down from heaven,” it does not enter our mind that the bread is believed to hunger. So too must sleep be understood: for as the truth of the body is known through sleep, so through his at once commanding the winds and waves his true divinity is proved. For in that he shed tears over Lazarus, the suspicion of a phantom is removed; for tears are fluids of a true body. But that he says, “Lazarus, come out,” and at once he who already stank, the earth opening, came out alive, is a great sign of his divinity. And that saying, “My soul is sorrowful even to death,” can be understood from this very raising of Lazarus, how it ought to be taken: for the divinity did not fear death, but showed human feeling through sorrow of soul. The cross likewise, the passion and burial are disposed of by one or another saying of the Lord, so that no powerlessness or weakness may be ascribed to him. When he says to the Jews, “Destroy this temple” (he was speaking of his body), “and I will raise it in three days.” And again he says: “I have power to lay down my life, and I have power to take it up again.” If he raises the temple of his body, if he has power to lay down his life through the passion and take it up again through the resurrection, the opinion of weakness in Christ ceases, where the height of so great a power is declared.
Matt 4:2 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 8:24–26 (allusion, high confidence) · John 11:35 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 26:38 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 14:17–21 (allusion, high confidence) · John 6:41 (quotation, high confidence) · John 6:51 (quotation, medium confidence) · John 11:39 (allusion, medium confidence) · John 11:43–44 (quotation, high confidence) · John 2:19 (quotation, high confidence) · John 2:21 (quotation, high confidence) · John 10:18 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Nicetas shows that Christ’s hunger, sleep, tears, sorrow and death prove his true body, while the feeding of the five thousand, the stilling of the storm, the raising of Lazarus and his power over his own life prove his divinity.
- Quotations and allusions: Matt 4:2; Matt 8:24–26; John 11:35; Matt 26:38; Matt 14:17–21; John 6:41 and 6:51 (Migne’s “4i” is corrected to 41); John 11:39, 43–44; John 2:19, 21; John 10:18. “Aperiente se terra” (“the earth opening”) is as printed. Many OCR slips and stray note letters were corrected.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip; joined words; split word; split word; joined words; split words; OCR slips; stray note letter): lacrymasserefertur → lacrymasse refertur; mortem,crux,passio,sepultura → mortem, crux, passio, sepultura; scripta et facta,ut et → scripta et facta, ut et; et veraejus incarnatio → et vera ejus incarnatio; quinque d millia → quinque millia; veram ej us divinitatem cognosce.Certe → veram ejus divinitatem cognosce. Certe; (Joan. vi, 4i) → (Joan. vi, 41); per e somnum → per somnum; statim venUs et fluctibus → statim ventis et fluctibus; veraejus divinitas approbatur.Nam quod lacrymassuper → vera ejus divinitas approbatur. Nam quod lacrymas super; Quod autemdicit → Quod autem dicit; emersit,magnumejus → emersit, magnum ejus; Nam Et illud → Nam et illud; quali- ter debeat → qualiter debeat; sed d humanum → sed humanum; sepultura, g uno vel → sepultura, uno vel; ad Ju- dreos, Solvite templum hoc, utique corpussuum di. cebat: et ego In triduo → ad Judaeos, Solvite templum hoc, utique corpus suum dicebat: et ego in triduo; h Si corporis → Si corporis.
Topics: Christology, Passion and death of Christ
Cite (SBL): Nicetas of Remesiana, Rat. fid. 6 (PL 52:851b–851 a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nicetas-ratione-fidei/6). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nicetas-ratione-fidei/6
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-nicetas-ratione-fidei-6) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from the Latin of Migne's Patrologia Latina (very noisy digital text; OCR slips corrected by logged corrections, some readings from Burn, Niceta of Remesiana, 1905). No public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Latin.
Chapter 7
7PL 52:851a–851 d
Omnia ergo pie intelligenda sunt; omnia honorifice sunt tractanda ; utrumque in Domino confitendum est; et forma in qua semper fuit, et forma servi, quae accepta est propter servos, credenda est ; et passio secundum carnem, et impassibilitas secundum divinitatem; ne aut impii aut ingrati judicemur. Nam qui Filium Dei, secundum id quod est, impassibilem negat, et Deo Patri dicit esse dissimilem; hic impius est. Et qui passiones ejus secundum carnem confiteri dedignatur, ingratus est. Gloriemur ergo in cruce Christi,sicut Paulus gloriari consuevit: Mihi, inquit, absit gloriari nisi in cruce Domini nostri Jesu Christi (Gal. VI, 14). Confiteamur unitatem, ut non separemur : Si enim mortui sumus, ut ait Apostolus, et convivemus: si sustinemus, et conregnabimus. Si negamus, et ille negabit nos (II Tim. II, 12). Si non credimus quod ipse dicit, Ego et Pater unum sumus, ille fidelis permanet, negare se ipsum non potest; quia in gloria Dei Patris est; quia vivit cum Patre ; quia regnat cum Patre uno eodemque imperio. Sicut ait Apostolus, cum de omni impudico et immundo et avaro loqueretur, Non erit, inquit, hæres in regno Christi et Dei (Eph. v, 5); unum regnum tam Christi dixit quam Dei; quia una voluntas Patris et Filii; una cooperatio ; una denique gratia, eademque gubernatio est : sicut idem magister gentium docet scribens : Gratia vobis et pax a Deo Patre et Domino nostro Jesu Christo. Et iterum : Ipse autem Deus et Pater noster et Dominus Jesus dirigat viam nostram ad vos (I Thess. III, 11). Non dixit dirigant, ne Patris et Filii diversitatem aut voluntatis, aut potestatis induceret; sed dixit dirigat, ut unitatem potius demonstraret. Hac igitur fide hisdem verbis et nos oremus ut Patris, Filii et Spiritus sancti una gratia, una pax, una etiam gubernatio semper nos et tueatur et dirigat. Haec pauca ad vicem commentarioli, quia vobis scribi postulastis, negare non potui. Confido quia fidelibus animis, etsi brevia sunt, plenam poterunt præstare laetitiam Dei.
Everything, then, is to be understood piously; everything is to be treated with honour; both are to be confessed in the Lord: both the form in which he always was and the form of a servant, which was taken for the sake of servants, are to be believed; both passion according to the flesh and impassibility according to the divinity; lest we be judged either impious or ungrateful. For he who denies that the Son of God, according to what he is, is impassible, and says he is unlike God the Father, is impious. And he who disdains to confess his sufferings according to the flesh is ungrateful. Let us glory, then, in the cross of Christ, as Paul used to glory: “Far be it from me,” he says, “to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Let us confess the unity, so that we may not be separated: “For if we have died,” as the Apostle says, “we shall also live with him; if we endure, we shall also reign with him. If we deny, he also will deny us.” If we do not believe what he himself says, “I and the Father are one,” he remains faithful, he cannot deny himself; because he is in the glory of God the Father; because he lives with the Father; because he reigns with the Father in one and the same rule. As the Apostle says, when he was speaking of every unchaste, impure and greedy person: “He will not be an heir,” he says, “in the kingdom of Christ and of God”; he spoke of one kingdom both of Christ and of God; because the will of the Father and of the Son is one, one working together, in short one grace and the same government: as the same teacher of the Gentiles teaches, writing: “Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.” And again: “May our God and Father himself and the Lord Jesus direct our way to you.” He did not say “may they direct,” lest he introduce a difference of will or power between the Father and the Son; but he said “may he direct,” to show rather the unity. With this faith, then, and with the same words, let us too pray that the one grace, the one peace, and also the one government of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit may always protect and direct us. These few things, as a little commentary, I could not refuse, since you asked that they be written for you. I trust that for faithful souls, though they are brief, they will be able to give full joy in God.
Phil 2:6–7 (allusion, high confidence) · Gal 6:14 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Tim 2:11–13 (quotation, high confidence) · John 10:30 (quotation, high confidence) · Eph 5:5 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 1:7 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Thess 3:11 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Nicetas concludes that Christ is both impassible as God and passible in the flesh, that the Father and Son share one kingdom, will and grace, and ends his short commentary with a prayer to the Trinity.
- Quotations: Phil 2:6–7; Gal 6:14; 2 Tim 2:11–13 (Migne cites 2:12); John 10:30; Eph 5:5; Rom 1:7 (the common Pauline greeting); 1 Thess 3:11. Many OCR slips and joined words were corrected; “impossibilitas” is corrected to “impassibilitas”.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip; OCR slip; stray note letters; joined words; joined words; joined words; OCR slip; joined words; split word; stray marks; stray note letter): omnia bono. rifice sunt → omnia honorifice sunt; in Domino i confitendum → in Domino confitendum; carnem,et impossibilitas → carnem, et impassibilitas; aut impiij aut → aut impii aut; judicemur.Nam qui Filium Dei,secundumid quod est,im. passibilem negat,et Deo → judicemur. Nam qui Filium Dei, secundum id quod est, impassibilem negat, et Deo; dissimilem; hicimpius → dissimilem; hic impius; passiones ejus secundumcarnem → passiones ejus secundum carnem; unitatem.ut non separemur : It Si enim mortui sumus,ut ait → unitatem, ut non separemur : Si enim mortui sumus, ut ait; Si non credimusquod → Si non credimus quod; omni impudicoet immundoet avaro → omni impudico et immundo et avaro; idem magisler gentium → idem magister gentium; Non dixit dirigant. ne Patris → Non dixit dirigant, ne Patris; voluntatis,aut potestatis → voluntatis, aut potestatis; unitatempotius → unitatem potius; una pax. una etiam → una pax, una etiam; commentarioli,'quia vobis scribi postulastis. negare → commentarioli, quia vobis scribi postulastis, negare; Confido qaia → Confido quia.
Topics: Trinity, Christology, Prayer
Cite (SBL): Nicetas of Remesiana, Rat. fid. 7 (PL 52:851a–851 d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nicetas-ratione-fidei/7). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nicetas-ratione-fidei/7
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-nicetas-ratione-fidei-7) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from the Latin of Migne's Patrologia Latina (very noisy digital text; OCR slips corrected by logged corrections, some readings from Burn, Niceta of Remesiana, 1905). No public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Latin.