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ABOUT this time Chrysanthus bishop of the Novatians, after
presiding over the churches of his own sect seven years, died on the
26th of August, under the consulate of Monaxius and Plintha. He
was succeeded in the bishopric by Paul, who had formerly been a
teacher of the Latin language: but afterwards, setting aside the
Latin language, had devoted himself to an ascetic course of life; and
having founded a monastery of religious men, he adopted a mode of
living not very different from that pursued by the monks in the desert.
In fact I myself found him just such a person as Evagrius says the
monks dwelling in the deserts ought to be; imitating them in continued
fastings, silence, abstinence from animal food, and for the most part
abstaining also from the use of oil and wine. He was, moreover,
solicitous about the wants of the poor to as great an extent as any
other man; he untiringly visited those who were in prison, and in
behalf of many criminals interceded with the judges, who readily
attended to him on account of his eminent piety. But why should I
lengthen my account of him? For I am about to mention a deed done by
him which is well worthy of being recorded in writing. A certain
Jewish impostor, pretending to be a convert to Christianity, was in
the habit of being baptized often and by that artifice he amassed a good
deal of money. After having deceived many of the Christian sects by
this fraud -- for he received baptism from the Arians and
Macedonians -- as there remained no others to practise his hypocrisy
upon, he at length came to Paul bishop of the Novatians, and
declaring that he earnestly desired baptism, requested that he might
obtain it at his hand. Paul commended the determination of the Jew,
but told him he could not perform that rite for him, until he had been
instructed in the fundamental principles of the faith, and given
himself to fasting and prayer for many days. The Jew compelled to
fast against his will became the more importunate in his request for
baptism; now as Paul did not wish to discourage him by longer delays,
since he was so urgent, consented to grant his request, and made all
the necessary preparations for the baptism. Having purchased a white
vestment for him, he ordered the font to be filled with water, and
then led the Jew to it in order to baptize him. But a certain
invisible power of God caused the water suddenly to disappear. The
bishop, of course, and those present, had not the least suspicion of
the real cause, but imagined that the water had escaped by the channels
underneath, by means of which they are accustomed to empty the font;
these passages were therefore very carefully closed, and the font
filled again. Again, however, as the Jew was taken there a second
time, the water vanished as before. Then Paul addressing the Jew,
said, ' Either you are an evil-doer, wretched man, or an ignorant
person who has already been baptized.' The people having crowded
together to witness this miracle, one among them recognized the Jew,
and identified him as having been baptized by Atticus, the bishop, a
little while before. Such was the portent wrought by the hands of
Paul bishop of the Novatians.
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