Novatian, On the Trinity 29
Sound reasoning and the authority of faith, taking their cue from the very words and letters of the Lord, urge us to believe also in the Holy Spirit, who was once promised to the Church but given at the times appointed by God. For He was promised through the prophet Joel, but bestowed through Christ. "In the last days, I will pour out my Spirit upon my servants and handmaids," He says (Joel 2:29). And the Lord said: "Receive the Holy Spirit; whose sins you forgive are forgiven, and whose sins you retain are retained" (John 20:22-23). The Lord Christ now calls this Holy Spirit the Paraclete, now declares Him to be the Spirit of truth. He is not new in the Gospel, nor was He given anew. For this same Spirit accused the people in the prophets, and provided advocacy for the nations in the apostles. The people deserved accusation because they had despised the law; and those from the nations who believe deserve to be helped by the Spirit's advocacy because they strive to attain the law of the Gospel. There is indeed a difference in the kinds of offices, since different times bring different reasons for action; yet He who does these things is not different, nor is He another while acting thus, but He is one and the same, distributing His offices through times, occasions, and moments. Finally, the apostle Paul says: "Having the same spirit... as it is written: I believed, therefore I spoke," and we believe, therefore we speak. Therefore the Spirit is one and the same, who is in the prophets and apostles; except that there He was present for a moment, but here He is present always. Moreover, there He was not given so that He would always dwell in them, but here He is given so that He would always remain in them: there He was distributed in measure, but here He is poured out entirely; there He was given sparingly, but here He is provided generously; nor was He exhibited before the Lord's resurrection, but He was bestowed through the resurrection of Christ. For Jesus was saying, "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate, that He may be with you forever, the Spirit of truth" (John 14:16-17). And: "When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father" (John 15:26). And: "If I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you" (John 16:7). And: "When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth" (John 16:13).
Latin
Sed enim ordo rationis et fidei auctoritas digestis uocibus et litteris domini admonet nos post haec credere etiam in spiritum sanctum, olim ecclesiae repromissum, sed statutis temporum opportunitatibus redditum. est enim per Ioelem prophetam repromissus, sed per Christum redditus. in nouissimis, inquit, diebus effundam de spiritu meo super seruos et ancillas meas. dominus autem: accipite spiritum sanctum; quorum remiseritis peccata, erunt remissa; et quorum retinueritis, erunt retenta. hunc autem spiritum sanctum dominus Christus modo paracletum appellat, modo spiritum ueritatis esse pronuntiat. qui non est in euangelio nouus, sed nec noue datus. nam hic ipse et in prophetis populum accusauit, et in apostolis aduocationem gentibus praestitit. nam illi ut accusarentur merebantur, quia contempserant legem: et qui ex gentibus credunt, ut patrocinio spiritus adiuuentur merentur, quia ad euangelicam peruenire gestiunt legem. differentia sane in illo genera officiorum, quoniam in temporibus differens ratio causarum: nec ex hoc tamen ipse diuersus, qui haec sic gerit, nec alter est, dum sic agit, sed unus atque ipse est, diuidens officia sua per tempora et rerum occasiones atque momenta. denique apostolus Paulus: habentes, inquit, eundem spiritum, sicut scriptum est: credidi, propter quod locutus sum, et nos credimus, ideo loquimur. vnus ergo et idem spiritus, qui in prophetis et apostolis; nisi quoniam ibi ad momentum, hic semper. ceterum ibi, non ut semper in illis inesset, hic, ut in illis semper maneret: et ibi mediocriter distributus, hic totus effusus; ibi parce datus, hic large commodatus; nec tamen ante resurrectionem’ domini exhibitus, sed per resurrectionem Christi contributus. rogabo enim aiebat, patrem, et alium aduocatum dabit uobis, ut uobiscum sit in aeternum, spiritum ueritatis. et: cum uenerit aduocatus ile, quem ego missurus sum uobis a patre meo, spiritum ueritatis, qui de patre meo procedit. et: si non abiero ego, aduocatus ille non ueniet ad uos: si autem ego abiero, remittam illum ad uos. et: cum uenerit spiritus ueritatis, ille uos diriget in omnem ueritatem.