Greetings, this is Jeff Riddle, pastor of Christ Reformed Baptist Church in Louisa, Virginia, and this is another in this occasional series of readings from, and brief notes and commentary upon, Eusebius of Caesarea's The Ecclesiastical History. Here is Book 6, chapters 42 through 44. Chapter 42. And many others throughout the cities and villages were torn in pieces by the heathen, of whom I shall mention one as an example. Ischarion was acting as the hired steward of one of the rulers. His employer bade him sacrifice. When he refused, he insulted him. When he abode by his refusal, he abused him foully. And, as he still remained firm, he took a very large stick, thrust it through his bowels and vital organs, and so killed him. What need is there to speak of the multitude of those who wandered in deserts and mountains, and perished by hunger and thirst and frost and diseases and robbers and wild beasts? Such of them as survived bear testimony to their election and victory. But one fact in connection with these men also I shall adduce as evidence. Cairaemon was bishop of the city called Nilapis and of extreme age. He fled to the Arabian mountain with his wife and never returned, nor could the brethren ever lay eyes again either on them or their bodies. although they made a long and thorough search. But many in that same Arabian mountain were reduced to utter slavery by barbarian Saracens. Of these, some were with difficulty ransomed by large amounts. Others have not yet been up to this day. And I have not given this account, brother, to no purpose, but that you may know all the terrible things that happened with us. Those who have had a larger experience of them would know more examples. Then, after a little, he adds as follows. Therefore, the divine martyrs themselves among us, who now are assessors of Christ and share that fellowship of his kingdom and take no part in his decisions and judge along with him, have espoused the cause of certain of the fallen brethren who became answerable for the charge of sacrificing. And seeing their conversion and repentance, they judged it had power to prove acceptable to him who hath no pleasure at all in the death of the sinner, but rather his repentance. And so they received and admitted them to the worship of the church as consistentes, and gave them fellowship in their prayers and feasts. What then do you counsel us, brethren, on these matters? What are we to do? Are we to be of like opinion and mind with them, uphold their decision and concession, and deal kindly with those they pitied? Or shall we esteem their decision unjust and set ourselves up as critics of their opinion, cause grief to kindness, and do away with their arrangement? Now these words Dionysius added suitably, raising the question about those who had proved weak in the time of the persecution. Chapter 43. Since Novatus, a presbyter of the Church of the Romans, being lifted up by arrogance against these, as if there was no longer any hope of salvation for them, not even if they were to perform everything that a genuine conversion and a pure confession demanded, became the leader of a separate sect of those who in their pride of mind styled themselves Puritans, whereupon a very large synod was assembled at Rome, of sixty bishops, and a still greater number of presbyters and deacons, while in the rest of the provinces the pastors in their several regions individually considered the question as to what was to be done. It was unanimously decreed that Novatus, together with the partners of his arrogance and those who decided to agree with the man's brother-hating and most inhuman opinion, should be considered as strangers to the church, but that such of the brethren as had fallen into the misfortune should be treated and restored with the medicines of repentance. Now there have reached us a letter of Cornelius, Bishop of the Romans, to Fabius, Bishop of the Church of the Antiochenes, telling the facts concerning the Roman Synod, and what was decreed by them of Italy and Africa and the regions thereabout, and again another of Cyprian, and of those with him in Africa, composed in the Latin language, in which it was made clear that they also agreed that those who had suffered trial should meet with succor, and that, in the reason of things, it was fitting that the leader of the heresy should be excommunicated from the Catholic Church, and likewise all those who were led away with him. To these was subjoined a certain other letter of Cornelius on the resolutions of the synod, and again another of the doings of Novatus. There is nothing to prevent me from quoting parts of this last, so that those who read this book may know about him. In explaining then to Fabius what kind of manner of man Novatus was, Cornelius writes these very words. but that you may know that for a long time back this marvelous fellow had been seeking the office of a bishop, and has succeeded in concealing in his heart this violent desire, using as a veil for his insane folly the fact that he had the confessors with him from the beginning. I wish to speak. Maximus, one of our presbyters, and Urban, both of whom twice reaped the highest mead of renown by confession, and Sidonius, and Calorinus, a man who by the mercy of God bore with the utmost endurance all kinds of tortures, and by the strength of his faith strengthened the weakness of his body, and so has mightily overcome the adversary. These men marked him, and detecting the craftiness and duplicity that was in him, his perjuries and falsehoods, his unsociability and wolf-like friendship returned to the Holy Church. and all the knavish tricks and devices that he had long dissembled in his heart, they made known in the presence both of a number of bishops, and also of very many presbyters and laymen, bewailing and repenting of the fact that for a brief space they had left the church, under the persuasion of this treacherous and malicious wild beast. Then, shortly afterward, he says, how extraordinary a change and transformation, brother beloved, we have beheld to have taken place in him in a little while. For in sooth this highly distinguished person, who was in the habit of pledging himself by some terrible oaths, in no wise to seek the office of a bishop, of a sudden appears as a bishop, as if he were cast into our midst by some contrivance. For Ensuth, this master of doctrine, this champion of the church's discipline, when he was attempting to wrest and filch away the episcopate that was not given him from above, chose to himself two companions who had renounced their own salvation that he might send them to a small and very insignificant part of Italy and entice them by some made-up device three bishops, rough and very simple men, He confidently maintained and affirmed the necessity of their coming quickly to Rome on the pretext that any dissension whatsoever that had arisen might be ended by their activity as mediators conjointly with other bishops. when they arrived, and as much as they were too simple, as we said before, for the unscrupulous devices of the wicked, they were shut up by certain disorderly men like himself, and at the tenth hour, when they were drunk and sick with after-effects, he forcibly compelled them to give him a bishop's office by a counterfeit, and vain laying on of hands, an office that he assumed by crafty treachery, since it did not fall to his lot. One of the bishops not long afterwards returned to the church, bewailing and confessing his fault, with whom we had communion as laymen, all the laity present interceding for him. And, as for the remaining bishops, to these we appointed successors, whom we sent into the places where they were. This vindicator, then, of the gospel did not know that there should be one bishop in a Catholic church, in which he was not ignorant, for how could he be, that there were 46 presbyters, 7 deacons, 7 subdeacons, 42 acolytes, 52 exorcists, readers, and doorkeepers, above 1,500 widows and persons in distress, all of whom are supported by the grace and loving kindness of the Master. but not even to this great multitude so necessary in the church, that number who by God's providence were rich and multiplying, nor an immense and countless laity turn him from such a desperate failure and recall him to the church. And again, further on, he adds to these remarks as follows. But come, let us next say in what deeds or in what kind of conduct he placed his confidence so as to aspire to the Episcopate. Was it because from the beginning he had been brought up in the church and fought many conflicts on her behalf and had been through the midst of dangers, many and great for the sake of religion? Not so. The occasion of his acceptance of the faith was Satan, who resorted to him and dwelt in him for a long time. While he was being healed by the exorcist, he fell into a grievous sickness, and, as he was considered to be all but dead, received baptism by effusion on the very bed in which he lay, if indeed one may say that such a man had received it. Nor yet, indeed, did he obtain the other things when he recovered from his sickness, of which one should partake according to the rule of the church or the sealing of the bishop. And as he did not obtain these, how could he obtain the Holy Spirit? And shortly afterward, he says again, he, through cowardice and love of life at the time of persecution, denied that he was a presbyter. For when he was requested and exhorted by the deacons to leave the cell in which he had shut himself up and bring all the help to the brethren that it is right and possible for a presbyter to bring two brethren who were in danger and in need of succor, so far was he from obeying the deacon's exhortations that he even went away and departed in anger, for he said that he no longer wished to be a presbyter, since he was enamored of a different philosophy. Passing over a few things, he again adds as follows. For when this illustrious person deserted the church of God, in which when he came to believe he was deemed worthy of the presbyterate, though through the favour of the bishops, who laid hands on him to confer that order, meeting the opposition of all the clergy and many lay persons as well, since one who has received baptism by effusion on his bed owing to sickness, as Novatus had, might not be ordained to an order, with the request that he should be allowed to ordain this man alone. Then he adds something else, the worst of all the man's offenses, saying thus, For when he has made the offerings, and is distributing to each his portion, as he gives it into their hands, he compels the wretched persons to utter an oath instead of the blessing, taking it in both hands, those of him who had received, and not letting go until they swear, saying thus, for I shall use his very words. Swear to me by the blood and body of our Lord Jesus Christ never to forsake me and turn to Cornelius. And the miserable person does not taste until he first calls down a curse upon himself, and instead of saying the Amen, he receives that bread and he says, I will not return to Cornelius. And, after other remarks, he again says as follows, But know now, he has become bare and desolate, for every day the brethren desert him and go back to the church. And Moses, that blessed martyr who just now bore a godly and marvelous testimony amongst us while he was still in the world, perceiving his insane arrogance, broke off communion with him and with the five presbyters who along with him had separated themselves from the church. And, at the close of the letter, he has made a catalogue of the bishops present at Rome who condemned the stupidity of Novatus, indicating at once both their names and the name of the community over which each one presided, and of those who were not present indeed at Rome, but who signified it in writing their assent to the judgment of the aforesaid. He mentions the names, and as well the city where each lived, and from which each wrote. This is what Cornelius wrote for the information of Fabius, bishop of Antioch. But to this same Fabius, when he was inclining somewhat toward the schism, Dionysius also, he of Alexandria, wrote, making many other remarks with reference to repentance in his letter to him, and describing the conflicts of those lately martyred at Alexandria. In the course of his narrative, he tells a certain astounding, astonishing tale, rather, which must needs be handed down in this work. It is as follows. But this one example that happened amongst us, I shall set forth for thee. There was a certain Serapion amongst us, an old man and a believer who lived blamelessly for a long time, but in the trial fell. This man oftentimes besought absolution, and no one paid him heed, for indeed he had sacrificed, and falling sick, he continued for three successive days, speechless and unconscious. But on the fourth, he rallied a little, And calling his grandson to him, he said, How long, my child, do ye hold me back? Haste ye, I pray, and grant me a speedy release. Do thou summon me one of the presbyters? And having said this, he again became speechless. The boy ran for the presbyter. But it was night, and he was unwell and could not come. Yet, since I had given an order that those who were departing this life, if they besought it, and especially if they had made supplication before, should be absolved, that they might depart in hope, he gave the little boy a small portion of the Eucharist, bidding him soak it and let it fall in drops down into the old man's mouth. Back came the boy with it, and when he was near, before he entered, Serapion revived again and said, Hast thou come, child? The presbyter could not come, but do thou quickly what he bade thee, and let me depart." The boy soaked it, and at the same time poured it into his mouth, and when he had swallowed a little, he straightway gave up the ghost. Was it not plain that he was preserved and remained until he obtained release? that with his sin blotted out, he might be acknowledged for all the good deeds he had done. Here ends book six and chapters 42 through 44, and let's move on to some notes and commentary. These chapters address the so-called Novation Controversy or the Novation Schism, which developed as a result and as part of the aftermath of the Decian persecution. Chapter 42 continues Dionysius of Alexandria's account of the Decian persecution, and this includes a gruesome account of the martyrdom of Isciraion by impaling. It also describes those who fled to the Arabian mountains, including an aged bishop, Karaman of Nilapis and his wife, who were searched for but never found again, perhaps having been sold into slavery as some who had escaped to that same place apparently had suffered. It also introduces the problem that arose when the persecutions had ended as to how to treat those who had compromised and offered pagan sacrifices to escape persecution, but who are now repenting and wanted to be restored to the church. Some suggested leniency, admitting these as consistentes or bystanders, which was apparently the highest order of penitence, admitting them to the prayers and feasts of the church, but barring them from communion. Chapter 43, however, describes the harsher response of a certain one known as Novatus, also known in Latin as Novatianus, a presbyter of Rome who argued that these should not be accepted within the church and that there was no salvation for those who had fallen away during the persecution. The group that formed around Novatus became known as, as it is termed here, Puritans. The Greek word is the katharoi, the pure ones. A synod was held at Rome to consider the matter which resulted in the expulsion of Novatus and his followers. Eusebius next cites a letter of Cornelius, bishop of Rome, to Fabius of Antioch concerning the Roman synod related to Novatus and his sect, and he describes Novatus in very negative terms as an opportunist who exercised a wolf-like friendship in his desire to serve as a bishop. He manipulated two rural bishops to irregularly and falsely ordain him as a rival to Cornelius and he even questions his salvation saying it was brought about through Satan and that also Novatus had been irregularly baptized on a sickbed. And he suggests that when Novatus administered communion, he required an oath of those who received it that they would say, I will not return to Cornelius. He closes by noting that Novatus had become bare and desolate as brethren deserted him to return to the true church. But he notes that there were some five bishops, so-called bishops, who were allied with Novatus and his sect. Chapter 44 adds one more tale from the letter of Dionysius to Fabius of Antioch. He also notes that Fabius of Antioch was apparently somewhat sympathetic to Novatus, but he tells this account regarding an old believer named Serapion, who was one of those who had lapsed But when he became near death, Serapion sent his grandson to the presbyter. And the presbyter, who was sick himself, and given that it was night, was not able to come. But he sent the grandson with a small portion of the Eucharist, and with instructions to give it to Serapion, the boy arrived. and gave the portion to Serapion, who then died. And Dionysius reports this as an example of the divine preservation of the lapsed man till he could receive communion and absolution before his death. In conclusion, these chapters are an important witness to the Novatian controversy and it describes how the early Christians decided to deal with those who had lapsed during that persecution, the Decian persecution. It also offers an account of this Novatian schism within the church at Rome and how this was addressed in a synod and how the Bishop Cornelius reported this to others including Fabius of Antioch. Eusebius seems to suggest that the church was able to maintain its unity despite these challenges and they were able to condemn the Novation sect and offer a more charitable way to deal with those who had lapsed from the faith during the time of persecution. Well, this brings this episode to a conclusion. I hope that this has been helpful and we will look forward to speaking to you in the next episode. Till then, take care and God bless.