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ABOUT this time the Novatians inhabiting Phrygia changed the day
for celebrating the Feast of Easter. How this happened I shall
state, after first explaining the reason of the strict discipline which
is maintained in their church, even to the present day, in the
provinces of Phrygia and Paphlagonia. Novatus, a presbyter of the
Roman Church, separated from it, because Cornelius the bishop
received into communion believers who had sacrificed during the
persecution which the Emperor Decius had raised against the Church.
Having seceded on this account, on being afterwards elevated to the
episcopacy by such bishops as entertained similar sentiments, he wrote
to all the churches that 'they should not admit to the sacred mysteries
those who had sacrificed; but exhorting them to repentance, leave the
pardoning of their offense to God, who has the power to forgive all
sin.' Receiving such letters, the parties in the various provinces,
to whom they were addressed, acted according to their several
dispositions and judgments. As he asked that they should not receive
to the sacraments those who after baptism had committed any deadly sin
this appeared to some a cruel and merciless course: but others received
the rule as just and conducive to the maintenance of discipline, and
the promotion of greater devotedness of life. In the midst of the
agitation of this question, letters arrived from Cornelius the
bishop, promising indulgence to delinquents after baptism. Thus as
these two persons wrote contrary to one another, and each confirmed his
own procedure by the testimony of the Divine word, as it usually
happens, every one identified himself with that view which favored his
previous habits and inclinations. Those who had pleasure in sin,
encouraged by the license then granted them, took occasion from it to
revel in every species of criminality. Now the Phrygians appear to be
more temperate than other nations, and are seldom guilty of swearing.
The Scythians, on the other hand, and the Thracians, are naturally
of a very irritable disposition: while the inhabitants of the East are
addicted to sensual pleasures. But the Paphlagonians and Phrygians
are prone to neither of these vices; nor are the sports of the circus
and theatrical exhibitions in much estimation among them even to the
present day. And for this reason, it seems to me, these people, as
well as others of the same character, so readily assented to the
letters then written by Novatus. Fornication and adultery are
regarded among them as the grossest enormities: and it is well known
that there is no race of men on the face of the earth who more rigidly
govern their passions in this respect than the Phrygians and
Paphlagonians. The same reason I think had force with those who
dwelt in the West and followed Novatus. Yet although for the sake of
stricter discipline Novatus became a separatist, he made no change in
the time of keeping Easter, but invariably observed the practice that
obtained in the Western churches. For they celebrate this feast after
the equinox, according to the usage which had of old been delivered to
them when first they embraced Christianity. He himself indeed
afterwards suffered martyrdom in the reign of Valerian, during the
persecution which was then raised against the Christians. But those
in Phrygia who are named after him Novatians, about this period
changed the day of celebrating Easter, being averse to communion with
other Christians even on this occasion. This was effected by means of
a few obscure bishops of that sect convening a Synod at the village of
Pazum, which is situated near the sources of the river Sangarius;
for there they framed a canon appointing its observance on the same day
as that on which the Jews annually keep the feast of Unleavened
Bread. An aged man, who was the son of a presbyter, and had been
present with his father at this Synod, gave us our information on this
matter. But both Agelius, bishop of the Novatians at
Constantinople, and Maximus of Nicaea, as also the bishops of
Nicomedia and Cotyaeum, were absent, although the ecclesiastical
affairs of the Novatians were for the most part under the control of
these bishops. How the church of the Novatians soon after was divided
into two parties in consequence of this Synod, shall be related in its
proper course: but we must now notice what took place about the same
time in the Western parts.
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