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AFTER this, Novatus, a presbyter of the church at Rome, being
lifted up with arrogance against these persons, as if there was no
longer for them a hope of salvation, not even if they should do all
things pertaining to a genuine and pure conversion, became leader of
the heresy of those who, in the pride of their imagination, call
themselves Cathari. Thereupon a very large synod assembled at Rome,
of bishops in number sixty, and a great many more presbyters and
deacons; while the pastors of the remaining provinces deliberated in
their places privately concerning what ought to be done. A decree was
confirmed by all, that Novatus and those who joined with him, and
those who adopted his brother-hating and inhuman opinion, should be
considered by the church as strangers; but that they should heal such
of the brethren as had fallen into misfortune, and should minister to
them with the medicines of repentance.
There have reached us epistles of Cornelius 3, bishop of Rome, to
Fabius, of the church at Antioch, which show what was done at the
synod at Rome, and what seemed best to all those in Italy and Africa
and the regions thereabout. Also other epistles, written in the
Latin language, of Cyprian and those with him in Africa, which show
that they agreed as to the necessity of succoring those who had been
tempted, and of cutting off from the Catholic Church the leader of
the heresy and all that joined with him. Another epistle of
Cornelius, concerning the resolutions of the synod, is attached to
these; and yet others, on the conduct of Novatus, from which it is
proper for us to make selections, that any one who sees this work may
know about him. Cornelius informs Fabius what sort of a man
Novatus was, in the following words:
"But that you may know that a long time ago this remarkable man
desired the episcopate, but kept this ambitious desire to himself and
concealed it, using as a cloak for his rebellion those confessors who
had adhered to him from the beginning, I desire to speak.
Maximus, one of our presbyters, and Urbanus, who twice gained the
highest honor by confession, with Sidonius, and Celerinus, a man
who by the grace of God most heroically endured all kinds of torture,
and by the strength of his faith overcame the weakness of the flesh,
and mightily conquered the adversary, these men found him out and
detected his craft and duplicity, his perjuries and falsehoods, his
un-sociability and cruel friendship. And they returned to the holy
church and proclaimed in the presence of many, both bishops and
presbyters and a large number of the laity, all his craft and
wickedness, which for a long time he had concealed. And this they did
with lamentations land repentance, because through the persuasions of
the crafty and malicious beast they had left the church for the time."
A little farther on he says:
"How remarkable, beloved brother, the change and transformation
which we have seen take place in him in a short time. For this most
illustrious man, who bound himself with terrible oaths in nowise to
seek the bishopric, suddenly appears a bishop as if thrown among us by
some machine. For this dogmatist, this defender of the doctrine of
the Church, attempting to grasp and seize the episcopate, which had
not been given him from above, chose two of his companions who had
given up their own salvation. And he sent them to a small and
insignificant corner of Italy, that there by some counterfeit argument
he might deceive three bishops, who were rustic and very simple men.
And they asserted positively and strongly that it was necessary that
they should come quickly to Rome, in order that all the dissension
which had arisen there might be appeased through their mediation,
jointly with other bishops. When they had come, being, as we have
stated, very simple in the craft and artifice of the wicked, they were
shut up with certain selected men like himself. And by the tenth
hour, when they had become drunk and sick, he compelled them by force
to confer on him the episcopate through a counterfeit and vain
imposition of hands. Because it had not come to him, he avenged
himself by craft and treachery. One of these bishops shortly after
came back to the church, lamenting and confessing his transgression.
And we communed with him as with a layman, all the people present
interceding for him. And we ordained successors of the other bishops,
and sent them to the places where they were. This avenger of the
Gospel then did not know that there should be one bishop in a catholic
church; yet he was not ignorant that in it there were forty-six
presbyters, seven deacons, seven sub-deacons, forty-two acolyths,
fifty-two exorcists, readers, and janitors, and over fifteen hundred
widows and persons in distress, all of whom the grace and kindness of
the Master nourish. But not even this great multitude, so necessary
in the church, nor those who, through God's providence, were rich
and full, together with the very many, even innumerable people, could
turn him from such desperation and presumption and recall him to the
Church." Again, farther on, he adds these words:
"Permit us to say further: On account of what works or conduct had
he the assurance to contend for the episcopate? Was it that he had
been brought up in the Church from the beginning, and had endured many
conflicts in her behalf, and had passed through many and great dangers
for religion? Truly this is not the fact. But Satan, who entered
and dwelt in him for a long time, became the occasion of his
believing. Being delivered by the exorcists, he fell into a severe
sickness; and as he seemed about to die, he received baptism by
affusion, on the bed where he lay; if indeed we can say that such a
one did receive it. And when he was healed of his sickness he did not
receive the other things which it is necessary to have according to the
canon of the Church, even the being sealed by the bishop. And as he
did not receive this, how could he receive the Holy Spirit?"
Shortly after he says again:
"In the time of persecution, through cowardice and love of life, he
denied that he was a presbyter. For when he was requested and
en-treated by the deacons to come out of the chamber in which he had
imprisoned himself and give aid to the brethren as far as was lawful and
possible for a presbyter to assist those of the brethren who were in
danger and needed help, he paid so little respect to the entreaties of
the deacons that he went away and departed in anger. For he said that
he no longer desired to be a presbyter, as he was an admirer of another
philosophy." Passing by a few things, he adds the following:
"For this illustrious man forsook the Church of God, in which,
when he believed, he was judged worthy of the presbyterate through the
favor of the bishop who ordained him to the presbyterial office. This
had been resisted by all the clergy and many of the laity; because it
was unlawful that one who had been affused on his bed on account of
sickness as he had been should enter into any clerical office; but the
bishop requested that he might be permitted to ordain this one only."
He adds to these yet another, the worst of all the man's offenses,
as follows:
"For when he has made the offerings, and distributed a part to each
man, as he gives it he compels the wretched man to swear in place of
the blessing. Holding his hands in both of his own, he will not
release him until he has sworn in this manner :
Swear to me by the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ that you
will never forsake me and turn to Cornelius.' And the unhappy man
does not taste until he has called down imprecations on himself; and
instead of saying Amen, as he takes the bread, he says, I will
never return to Cornelius." Farther on he says again:
"But know that he has now been made bare and desolate; as the
brethren leave him every day and return to the church. Moses also,
the blessed martyr, who lately suffered among us a glorious and
admirable martyrdom, while he was yet alive, beholding his boldness
and folly, refused to commune with him and with the five presbyters who
with him had separated themselves from the church."
At the close of his letter he gives a list of the bishops who had come
to Rome and condemned the silliness of Novatus, with their names and
the parish over which each of them presided. He mentions also those
who did not come to Rome, but who expressed by letters their agreement
with the vote of these bishops, giving their names and the cities from
which they severally sent them. Cornelius wrote these things to
Fabius, bishop of Antioch.
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