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THE emperors diligence induces me to mention another circumstance
expressive of his mind, and serving to show how much he desired peace.
For aiming at ecclesiastical harmony, bishop of the sect of
Novatians. Now, when the declaration of faith had been written out
and subscribed by the Synod, the emperor asked Acesius whether he
would also agree to this creed to the settlement of the day on which
Easter should be observed. He replied, 'The Synod has determined
nothing new, my prince: for thus heretofore, even from the
beginning, from the times of the apostles, I traditionally received
the definition of the faith, and the time of the celebration of
Easter.' When, therefore, the emperor further asked him, ' For
what reason then do you separate yourself from communion with the rest
of the Church?' he related what had taken place during the
persecution under Decius; and referred to the rigidness of that
austere canon which declares, that it is not right persons who after
baptism have committed a sin, which the sacred Scriptures denominate
'a sin unto death' to be considered worthy of participation in the
sacraments: that they should indeed be exhorted to repentance, but
were not to expect remission from the priest, but from God, who is
able and has authority to forgive sins. When Acesius had thus
spoken, the emperor said to him, ' Place a ladder, Acesius, and
climb alone into heaven.' Neither Eusebius Pamphilus nor any other
has ever mentioned these things: but I heard them from a man by no
means prone to falsehood, who was very old, and simply stated what had
taken place in the council in the course of a narrative. From which I
conjecture that those who have passed by this occurrence in silence,
were actuated by motives which have influenced many other historians:
for they frequently suppress important facts, either from prejudice
against some, or partiality towards others.
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