Monarchianism and the Trinity in Early Christianity

Tertullian, Against Praxeas Direct teaching

...ho always make up the majority of believers, are startled at the divine arrangement of the Three in One. They do this because their very rule of faith draws them away from the world's many gods to the one only true God. They do not understand that, although He is the one only God, He must still be believed in together with His own divine arrangement. They think the numerical order and distribution of the Trinity is a division of the Unity. But the Unity, which brings the Trinity out of itself, is so far from being destroyed by this that it is actually supported by it. They are always throwing out against us that we are preachers of two gods and three gods. Meanwhile, they claim for themselves, above all, the credit of being worshippers of the One God. It is as if Unity itself, taken with irrational deductions, did not produce heresy, while the Trinity, rationally considered, constitutes the truth. "We hold to the Monarchy," they say, that is, the sole government of God. And in fact, even Latins, and ignorant ones too, pronounce the word in such a way that you would think their understanding of monarchy was as complete as their pronunciation of the term. Well then, Latins take pa

Dionysius of Rome, Against the Sabellians Direct teaching

...ord be united with the God of all, and that the Holy Spirit abide and dwell in God. Thus the Divine Trinity must be brought together and gathered into one, as into a certain head, that is, into the all-powerful God of all. For the teaching of the foolish Marcion, which cuts up and divides the monarchy into three elements, is certainly from the devil, and not from Christ's true disciples or from those to whom the Savior's teaching is pleasing. For they rightly know that the Trinity is declared in the divine Scripture, but the teaching that there are three gods is taught neither in the Old Testament nor in the New Testament.

Dionysius of Rome, Against the Sabellians Direct teaching

...e Holy Spirit. Also, the Word is united with the God of all, because He says, "I and the Father are one," John 10:30, and, "I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me," John 14:10. In this way, the teaching of the divine Trinity and the sacred proclamation of the monarchy will no doubt be kept whole and intact.

Novatian, Treatise Concerning the Trinity Background

Novatian, with the View of Treating of the Trinity, Sets Forth from the Rule of Faith that We Should First of All Believe in God the Father and Lord Omnipotent, the Absolute Founder of All Things.

Victorinus, Commentary on the Apocalypse Supporting witness

So God the Father, the Founder and Creator of all things, who alone knows no beginning, invisible, infinite, immortal, and eternal, is one God. To His greatness, majesty, and power, I would not merely say that nothing can be placed above them, but that nothing can be compared with them. From Him, when He willed it, the Son, the Word, was born. He is not understood as a sound in the air, or as a voice forced out from the lungs, but is acknowledged as the substance of the power brought forth by God. The mysteries of His holy and divine birth have been learned by no apostle, discovered by no prophet, known by no angel, and grasped by no creature. They are known to the Son alone, who has known the secrets of the Father. Then, since He was begotten of the Father, He is always in the Father. I say "always" in this way to show that He is not unborn, but born. But He who is before all time must be said to have always been in the Father, because no time can be assigned to Him who is before all time. And He is always in the Father, unless the Father has not always been Father, except that the Father also goes before Him in a certain sense, since it is necessary in some degree that He should

Ignatius, Epistles of Ignatius Supporting witness

There is then one God and Father, and not two or three;

Ignatius, Epistles of Ignatius Direct teaching

There is then one God and Father, and not two or three; one who is; and there is no other besides Him, the only true God. For "the Lord your God," says [the Scripture], "is one Lord." And again, "Has not one God created us? Do we not all have one Father? And there is also one Son, God the Word. For "the only-begotten Son," says [the Scripture], "who is in the bosom of the Father." And again, "One Lord Jesus Christ." And in another place, "What is His name, or what His Son’s name, that we may know?" And there is also one Paraclete. For "there is also," says [the Scripture], "one Spirit," since "we have been called in one hope of our calling." And again, "We have drunk of one Spirit," with what follows. And it is clear that all these gifts [possessed by believers] "are worked by one and the self-same Spirit." There are not then either three Fathers, or three Sons, or three Paracletes, but one Father, and one Son, and one Paraclete. Therefore also the Lord, when He sent forth the apostles to make disciples of all nations, commanded them to "baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost," not into one [person] having three names, nor into three [persons] who

Gregory Thaumaturgus, On the Trinity Direct teaching

All (the persons) are one nature, one essence, one will, and are called the Holy Trinity;

Early Liturgies, Divine Liturgy of St. James Supporting witness

... to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, the threefold light of the Godhead, which is unity existing in trinity, distinct yet indivisible. For the Trinity is the one Almighty God, whose glory the heavens declare, and the earth His dominion, and the sea His might, and every creature with sense and understanding always proclaims His majesty. For all glory belongs to Him, and honor and might, greatness and magnificence, now and always, and to all eternity. Amen.

Early Liturgies, Divine Liturgy of St. James Background

II Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, the triune light of the Godhead, which is unity subsisting in trinity, divided, yet indivisible: for the Trinity is the one God Almighty, whose glory the heavens declare, and the earth His dominion, and the sea His might, and every sentient and intellectual creature at all times proclaims His majesty: for all glory becomes Him, and honour and might, greatness and magnificence, now and ever, and to all eternity. Amen.

Early Liturgies, Divine Liturgy of St. Mark Supporting witness

One Father holy, one Son holy, one Spirit holy, in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Early Liturgies, Divine Liturgy of St. James Supporting witness

Glory to Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit now and ever, and to all eternity.

Gregory Thaumaturgus, A Sectional Confession of Faith Direct teaching

But some treat the Holy Trinity in an awful manner when they confidently assert that there are not three persons, and introduce the idea of a person devoid of subsistence. Therefore we clear ourselves of Sabellius, who says that the Father and the Son are the same. For he holds that the Father is He who speaks, and that the Son is the Word that abides in the Father, and becomes manifest at the time of creation, and afterward returns to God when all things are fulfilled. He makes the same claim also about the Spirit. We forswear this, because we believe that three persons—namely, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—are declared to possess the one Godhead. For the one divinity, showing itself according to nature in the Trinity, establishes the oneness of the nature. And so there is a divinity that is the property of the Father, according to the word, "There is one God the Father," 1 Corinthians 8:6. And there is a divinity hereditary in the Son, as it is written, "The Word was God," John 1:1. And there is a divinity present according to nature in the Spirit, namely, what subsists as the Spirit of God, according to Paul's statement, "You are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in

Gregory Thaumaturgus, A Sectional Confession of Faith Direct teaching

We forswear this, because we believe that three persons— namely, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit— are declared to possess the one Godhead: for the one divinity showing itself forth according to nature in the Trinity establishes the oneness of the nature;

Gregory Thaumaturgus, On the Trinity Supporting witness

We speak also of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: these, however, are not names which have only supervened at some after period, but they are subsistences.

Gregory Thaumaturgus, A Sectional Confession of Faith Direct teaching

But if they say, "How can there be three persons, and yet only one Divinity?" we will give this reply: There are indeed three persons, since there is one person of God the Father, one of the Lord the Son, and one of the Holy Spirit. And yet there is only one Divinity, since the Son is the Image of God the Father, who is One. That is, He is God of God. In the same way, the Spirit is called the Spirit of God, and that by nature according to the very substance, not by a simple participation in God. And there is one substance in the Trinity. This is not also the case with things that are made. For there is not one substance in God and in the things that are made, because none of these is God in substance. Nor indeed is the Lord one of these in substance. But there is one Lord, the Son, and one Holy Spirit. And we also speak of one Divinity, one Lordship, and one Sanctity in the Trinity, because the Father is the Cause of the Lord, having begotten Him eternally, and the Lord is the Prototype of the Spirit. For in this way the Father is Lord, and the Son also is God. And of God it is said that God is a Spirit. John 4:24

Hippolytus, Against the Heresy of Noetus Direct teaching

...Persons, however, and of a third divine arrangement, that is, the grace of the Holy Spirit. For the Father indeed is One, but there are two Persons, because there is also the Son; and then there is the third, the Holy Spirit. The Father decrees, the Word carries out, and the Son is manifested, through whom the Father is believed on. The harmonious divine arrangement is led back to one God, for God is One. It is the Father who commands, and the Son who obeys, and the Holy Spirit who gives understanding. The Father is above all, and the Son is through all, and the Holy Spirit is in all. And we cannot otherwise think of one God, except by truly believing in Father and Son and Holy Spirit. For the Jews glorified, or gloried in, the Father, but did not give Him thanks, for they did not recognize the Son. The disciples recognized the Son, but not in the Holy Spirit; therefore they also denied Him. The Father's Word, therefore, knowing the divine arrangement and the will of the Father, namely, that the Father seeks to be worshipped in no other way than this, gave this charge to the disciples after He rose from the dead: "Go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Fathe

Athenagoras, A Plea for the Christians Supporting witness

For, as we acknowledge a God, and a Son his Logos, and a Holy Spirit, united in essence — the Father, the Son, the Spirit, because the Son is the Intelligence, Reason, Wisdom of the Father, and the Spirit an effluence, as light from fire;

Gregory Thaumaturgus, On the Trinity Supporting witness

I see in all three essentials: substance, genus, and name. We speak of man, servant, and curator. Man, because of substance. Servant, because of genus or condition. Curator, because of denomination. We also speak of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. However, these are not names that only came later, but they are subsistences. Again, the denomination of man is not in actual fact a denomination, but a substance common to men, and it is the denomination proper to all men. Moreover, names are such as these: Adam, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. These, I say, are names. But the Divine Persons are names indeed, and the names are still the persons. And the persons signify that which is and subsists, which is the essence of God. The name of the nature also signifies subsistence, as if we should speak of the man. All the persons are one nature, one essence, one will, and are called the Holy Trinity. These also are subsistent, one nature in three persons, and one genus. But the person of the Son is composite in its oneness, being one made up of two, that is, of divinity and humanity together. These two constitute one. Yet the divinity does not therefore receive any increment, but the Trinity remains as i

Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies Supporting witness

Therefore this one and highest Deity, by an act of thought, first brought forth the Word (Logos). He did not bring forth a word in the sense of something spoken by a voice, but as the rational thought of the universe, conceived and dwelling in the divine mind. Him alone He brought forth from existing things. For the Father Himself was existence, and the one begotten from Him was the cause of all things that were made. The Word (Logos) was in the Father Himself, carrying the will of Him who begot Him, and fully knowing the mind of the Father. For at the same time that He came forth from Him who begot Him, since He is the firstborn of His Begetter, He has within Himself, like a voice, the ideas conceived in the Father. And so, when the Father commanded the world to come into being, the Word (Logos) completed each part of creation one by one, and in this way pleased God. Some things that multiply by reproduction He made male and female. But whatever beings were made for service and ministry He made either male, or as not needing females, or as neither male nor female. For even their first elements, which were formed out of things that did not exist, namely fire and spirit, water and e

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book II Supporting witness

But God, being all Mind and all Logos, both speaks exactly what He thinks and thinks exactly what He speaks. For His thought is Logos, and Logos is Mind, and Mind comprehending all things is the Father Himself. Therefore, anyone who speaks of the mind of God and ascribes to it a separate origin makes God a compound Being, as if God were one thing and the original Mind another. Similarly, regarding Logos, when someone assigns him the third place of production from the Father, they misunderstand His greatness; thus, Logos has been separated from God. As for the prophet, he declares about Him, "Who shall describe His generation?" But you claim to explain His generation from the Father and transfer the creation of human words, which happens through a tongue, to the Word of God, and thus you are justly exposed by yourselves as knowing neither things human nor divine.

Matthew 28:19 Direct teaching

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Tertullian, On Baptism Direct teaching

For the law of baptizing has been imposed, and the formula prescribed: Go, He says, teach the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Didache, The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles Direct teaching

And concerning baptism, baptize this way: Having first said all these things, baptize into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Matthew 28:19 in living water.

Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Supporting witness

XXII. Now concerning baptism, O bishop, or presbyter, we have already given direction, and we now say, that you shall so baptize as the Lord commanded us, saying: Go, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost (teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you): Matthew 28:19 of the Father who sent, of Christ who came, of the Comforter who testified.

Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Supporting witness

for the Lord did not say, Baptize into my death, but, Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

Cyprian, Epistles Supporting witness

18. Finally, when, after the resurrection, the apostles are sent by the Lord to the heathens, they are bidden to baptize the Gentiles in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

Didache, Connection to Matthew 28:19 Supporting witness

thou shalt so baptize as the Lord commanded us, saying: "Go ye, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost (teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you): "

Anonymous, Treatise on Re-Baptism Supporting witness

baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Supporting witness

Matthew 28:19 and then He adds this, and baptize them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

Cyprian, Epistles Supporting witness

Go, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

Cyprian, Seventh Council of Carthage Supporting witness

Go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

Didache, The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles Supporting witness

But if you have not either, pour out water thrice upon the head into the name of Father and Son and Holy Spirit.

John 1:1 Direct teaching

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:14 Direct teaching

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Novatian, Treatise Concerning the Trinity Direct teaching

...l come to him and make our dwelling with him." Moreover, He also added this: "But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send, He will teach you and bring all things to your remembrance, whatever I have said to you." He also speaks that passage in which He shows Himself to be the Son, and rightly adds, "If you loved me, you would rejoice because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I." But what shall we say when He also continues with these words: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, so that it may bear more fruit"? He still continues and adds, "As the Father has loved me, so I also have loved you. Remain in my love. If you have kept my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept the Father's commandments and remain in His love." Further, He also says, "I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you." Moreover, He adds to all this, "But they will do all these things to you for my name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent me." Since these statements, followi

Novatian, Treatise Concerning the Trinity Direct teaching

Thus God the Father, the Founder and Creator of all things, who alone knows no beginning, invisible, infinite, immortal, eternal, is one God. To His greatness, or majesty, or power, I would not merely say that nothing can be preferred, but that nothing can be compared. From Him, when He willed it, the Son, the Word, was born. He is not received in the sound of struck air, or in the tone of a voice forced from the lungs, but is acknowledged in the substance of the power put forth by God. The mysteries of His sacred and divine nativity no apostle has learned, no prophet has discovered, no angel has known, and no creature has grasped. They are known to the Son alone, who has known the secrets of the Father. Then, since He was begotten of the Father, He is always in the Father. And I say always in this way, so that I may show that He is not unborn, but born. But He who is before all time must be said to have always been in the Father, for no time can be assigned to Him who is before all time. And He is always in the Father, unless the Father has not always been Father. Only, in a certain sense, the Father also goes before Him, since it is necessary, in some degree, that He should be be

Origen, Commentary on John Supporting witness

... has made known to us three orders of truth, and now he gathers the three into one by saying, “This Word was in the beginning with God.” In the first statement we learned where the Word was: He was in the beginning. Then we learned with whom He was: with God. Then we learned who He was: that He was God. Now by this word “He,” John points out the Word who is God, and gathers into a fourth statement the three that came before: “In the beginning was the Word,” “the Word was with God,” and “the Word was God.” Now he says, “He, this Word, was in the beginning with God.” The term “beginning” may be understood as the beginning of the world, so that from what is said we may learn that the Word was older than the things made from the beginning. For if in the beginning God created heaven and earth, but He was in the beginning, then the Word is plainly older than those things that were made at the beginning, older not only than the firmament and the dry land, but also than the heavens and the earth. Now someone might ask, and not without reason, why it is not said, “In the beginning was the Word of God, and the Word of God was with God, and the Word of God was God.” But anyone who asks thi

Origen, Commentary on John Supporting witness

...ose other beings called gods. We made this distinction between Him and them by showing that God the Word is, to all the other gods, the minister of their divinity. To this we must add, to remove objections, that the reason in every rational creature holds the same relation to the Reason who was in the beginning with God, and is God the Word, as God the Word holds to God. As the Father, who is Very God and the True God, is to His image and to the images of His image — for men are said to be according to the image, not to be images of God — so He, the Word, is to the reason in every man. Each fills the place of a fountain. The Father is the fountain of divinity. The Son is the fountain of reason. As then there are many gods, but to us there is but one God the Father, and many Lords, but to us there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, so there are many Logoi. But we, for our part, pray that the one Logos may be with us, He who was in the beginning and was with God, God the Word. For whoever does not receive this Logos who was in the beginning with God, or does not attach himself to Him as He appeared in flesh, or does not share in some of those who had a share in this Logos, or whoever, aft

Origen, Commentary on John Supporting witness

...wever, the passage does not necessarily mean more than that the heavens were founded by the reason, logos, of God, just as we say that a house is built by the plan, logos, of the architect, or a ship by the plan, logos, of the shipbuilder. In the same way, the heavens were founded, that is, made solid, by the Word of God, for they are of a more divine substance, which for this reason is called solid. For the most part it has little fluidity, nor is it easily melted like other parts of the world, especially the lower parts. Because of this difference, the heavens are said in a special way to be constituted by the Word of God.

Origen, Commentary on John Supporting witness

...t strained, since we have taken the Word in one sense to be the Word in the beginning, who was with God, God the Word, and have now taken it in another sense, speaking of it not only in reference to the main works of creation, as in the words, "All things were made through Him," but also as related to all the acts of reasonable beings, this latter being the Word as reason, without whose presence none of our sins are committed. The question then arises whether the Word in us is to be declared the same being as He who was in the beginning and was with God, God the Word. Certainly, the Apostle does not seem to make the Word in us a different being from the Word who was in the beginning with God. "Do not say in your heart," he says in Romans 10:6-8, "Who shall go up into heaven?" that is, to bring Christ down; or, "Who shall go down into the abyss?" that is, to bring Christ up from the dead. But what does the Scripture say? "The Word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart."

Origen, Commentary on John Supporting witness

...e not made by the Word, but by One stronger and greater than He. And who else could this be but the Father? Now if, as we have seen, all things were made through Him, we must ask whether the Holy Spirit also was made through Him. It appears to me that those who hold that the Holy Spirit was created, and who also admit that all things were made through Him, must necessarily conclude that the Holy Spirit was made through the Word. The Word would then be older than He. And anyone who refuses to allow that the Holy Spirit was made through Christ must, if he admits the truth of the statements of this Gospel, conclude that the Spirit is uncreated. There is a third possibility besides these two, besides saying that the Spirit was made by the Word and besides regarding Him as uncreated. It is to say that the Holy Spirit has no essence of His own beyond the Father and the Son. But on further thought, one may perhaps see reason to consider that the Son is second beside the Father, He being the same as the Father, while a distinction is clearly drawn between the Spirit and the Son in the passage, Matthew 12:32: “Whoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; b

Tertullian, Apology Supporting witness

proving that He was the Logos of God, that primordial first-begotten Word, accompanied by power and reason, and based on Spirit, — that He who was now doing all things by His word, and He who had done that of old, were one and the same.

Origen, Commentary on John Supporting witness

As He who is peculiarly the Son of God, being no other than the Logos, yet makes use of Logos (reason) — for He was the Logos in the beginning, and was with God, the Logos of God — so John, the servant of that Logos, being, if we take the Scripture to mean what it says, no other than a voice, yet uses his voice to point to the Logos.

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book III Supporting witness

And the Word of God Himself used to converse with the ante-Mosaic patriarchs, in accordance with His divinity and glory;

Novatian, Treatise Concerning the Trinity Direct teaching

...t heretical error has arisen, as I judge, from this: they think there is no distinction between the Son of God and the Son of man. For if a distinction were made, Jesus Christ would easily be proved to be both man and God. For they insist that the very same one who is man, the Son of man, also appears as the Son of God. So they say that man and flesh, and that same frail substance, may also be called the Son of God Himself. Therefore, since no distinction is seen between the Son of man and the Son of God, but the Son of man himself is claimed to be the Son of God, the same Christ and the Son of God is claimed to be man only. By this they try to exclude, “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,” and, “You shall call His name Emmanuel,” which is interpreted, “God with us.” For they bring forward what is told in the Gospel of Luke. From it they try to maintain, not what is true, but only what they want it to be: “The Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you; therefore also the Holy Thing which is born of you shall be called the Son of God.” If, then, they say, the angel of God says to Mary, “that Holy Thing which is born of you,” then

Novatian, Treatise Concerning the Trinity Supporting witness

But since they often press on us the passage where it is said, “I and the Father are one,” in this also we will overcome them just as easily. For if, as the heretics think, Christ were the Father, He ought to have said, “I and the Father are one.” But when He says “I,” and afterward introduces the Father by saying, “I and the Father,” He separates and distinguishes what is proper to His person, that is, the Son’s person, from the Father's authority. He does this not only in the sound of the name, but also in the order of the distribution of power, since He might have said, “I the Father,” if He had intended that He Himself was the Father. And since He said “one,” let the heretics understand that He did not say “one person.” For “one,” placed in the neuter, points to social concord, not personal unity. He is said to be one in the neuter, not one in the masculine, because the expression is not referred to number, but is declared with reference to the association of another. Finally, He adds and says, “We are,” not “I am,” so as to show, by the fact that He says, “I and the Father are,” that they are two persons. Moreover, that He says “one” refers to agreement, and to identity of jud

Tertullian, Against Praxeas Direct teaching

So, it is either the Father or the Son, and day is not the same as night. In the same way, the Father is not the same as the Son, so that both of them would be one, and one or the other would be both. That is the view held by the most arrogant Monarchians. They say that He made Himself a Son to Himself. But a father makes a son, and a son makes a father. When persons are related to each other in that way, they cannot somehow become related to themselves by themselves. So the Father cannot make Himself a Son to Himself, and the Son cannot make Himself a Father to Himself. And the relations God establishes, He also preserves. A father must have a son in order to be a father. In the same way, a son must have a father in order to be a son. However, having something is one thing, and being something is another. For example, to be a husband, I must have a wife. I can never be my own wife. In the same way, to be a father, I have a son, because I can never be a son to myself. And to be a son, I have a father, because it is impossible for me ever to be my own father. These relations make me what I am when I come to possess them. I will be a father when I have a son, and a son when I have a

Tertullian, Against Praxeas Supporting witness

...an we know the way?" Jesus says to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father but by me. If you had known me, you would have known the Father also. But from now on you know Him and have seen Him." John 14:5-7 And now we come to Philip. He was stirred up with the expectation of seeing the Father, and he did not understand what it meant to see the Father. So he says, "Show us the Father, and it is enough for us." Then the Lord answered him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet have you not known me, Philip?" Now whom does He say they ought to have known? For this is the only point under discussion. Was it as the Father that they ought to have known Him, or as the Son? If it was as the Father, Praxeas must tell us how Christ, who had been with them so long, could possibly ever have been, I will not say understood, but even supposed to have been, the Father. He is clearly defined for us in all Scripture: in the Old Testament as the Christ of God, and in the New Testament as the Son of God. In this role He was predicted long ago. In this role He was also declared, even by Christ Himself; yes, by the Father Himself also, who openly confesses from heaven

Tertullian, Against Praxeas Supporting witness

...hen He was about to raise her brother from the dead, the Lord looked up to heaven and addressed the Father, of course as the Son. He said, "Father, I thank You that You always hear me. It is because of these crowds standing by that I have spoken to You, so that they may believe that You have sent me," in John 11:41-42. But later, in the trouble of His soul, He said, "What shall I say? Father, save me from this hour. But for this cause I have come to this hour. Only, Father, glorify Your name," in John 12:27-28. In this He spoke as the Son. At another time He said, "I have come in my Father's name," in John 5:43. Accordingly, the Son's voice alone was indeed enough when it was addressed to the Father. But look, with abundant witness the Father replies from heaven, in order to testify to the Son: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him," in Matthew 17:5. So again, in that declaration, "I have both glorified, and will glorify again," in John 12:28, how many Persons do you find, obstinate Praxeas? Are there not as many as there are voices? You have the Son on earth. You have the Father in heaven. Now this is not a separation. It is nothing but the divine dispens

Victorinus, Commentary on the Apocalypse Supporting witness

But since they often press on us the passage where it is said, "I and the Father are one," in this also we will overcome them with equal ease. For if, as the heretics think, Christ were the Father, He ought to have said, "I and the Father are one." But when He says, "I," and afterward brings in the Father by saying, "I and the Father," He separates and distinguishes the proper character of His own person, that is, the Son's person, from the Father's authority. He does this not only in the sound of the name, but also in the order of the distribution of power. Since He might have said, "I, the Father," if He had in mind that He Himself was the Father. And since He said one thing, let the heretics understand that He did not say one person. For "one," placed in the neuter, points to social concord, not personal unity. He is said to be one in the neuter, not one in the masculine, because the expression is not referred to number, but is declared with reference to association with another. Finally, He adds and says, "We are," not "I am," so as to show, by His saying, "I and the Father are," that they are two persons. Moreover, when He says "one," this refers to agreement, and to identity

Tertullian, Against Praxeas Supporting witness

but for all that, this monarchy does not, because it is the government of one, preclude him whose government it is, either from having a son, or from having made himself actually a son to himself, or from ministering his own monarchy by whatever agents he will.

Hippolytus, Against the Heresy of Noetus Supporting witness

for God is One. It is the Father who commands, and the Son who obeys, and the Holy Spirit who gives understanding: the Father who is above all, and the Son who is through all, and the Holy Spirit who is in all.