XXX. DIONYSIUS OF ALEXANDRIA.

DUPIN, in his account of this Dionysius, gives only the following as relating to Baptism.

Under the pontificate of Pope Stephen, that succeeded Cornelius, in the beginning of the year 255, Dionysius wrote a letter to him, in which he acquaints him, that all the Eastern churches were at last agreed to condemm the rigorous novelty of Novatus, and speaks to him of the Question concerning the validity of the baptism of heretics, that was in agitation between him and St Cyprian. After the death of Stephen, which happened in the year 257, he wrote another upon the same subject to Sixtus his successor, and begs of him to consider the consequence of that business; and not to pursue it with the heat of his predecessor, who had written letters to Helenus, to Firmilian, and to all the bishops of Cappadocia and Cilicia, wherein he sent them word that he would not communicate with any more of them, because they rebaptized heretics; which, he says, was determined in the council of the bishops. In the same

letter, he speaks against the error of the Sabellians, that arose in Ptolemais, a city of Pentapolis, against which, as he tells him there, he had written a long letter, or rather a discourse, which he sent him. He wrote likewise to Dionysius, and Philemon, presbyters of the Church of Rome, about the baptism of heretics. In his epistle to Philemon, he tells him, that his predecessor Heraclas caused the heretics to abjure their errors without baptizing them anew; that this was the custom of his Church; but nevertheless that he had been informed, that the Africans had for a long time observed the contrary, and that it was established in the East in a very numerous assembly of bishops held at Iconium and Synnada, and in many other places; that matters standing thus, his advice was, that their customs and decrees. ought not to be reversed, since it is written, that we must not remove the land-mark, which our Fathers have given us. This is the true opinion of Dionysius concerning this matter; and St Jerome wrongfully accuses him to have been of St Cyprian's party, since he tells us in express terms, that we ought to follow the judgment of the Church in this point. He says the same thing in his letter to Dionysius, who was afterwards bishop of Rome, and delivers his sentiments there very boldly against Novatian. Lastly, he wrote a letter, which is his fifth to Sixtus, concerning the baptism of heretics; in which he maintains, that, if a man has been baptized amongst heretics, with ceremonies wholly different from those of the Church, and comes at last to discover it, after he has continued in the Church a long time, participating of the prayers and communicating as others, without having been

baptized, he needs not to be baptized anew, since he has received the body of Jesus Christ several times, and answered AMEN with the rest of the faithful. Eusebius seems to mention a sixth letter, written upon the same occasion to the same pope; where, as he tells us, he has examined this question more copiously, though perhaps it is not different from this last.

ADAM CLARKE names only of Dionysius Alexandrinus "Epistola ad Basilidem, Gr. et Lat., cum scholiis Il. Balsamonis ut Jo. Jonaiæ in Guil. Beonegii Pandect. Canon., Oxford, 1672, folio, tom. II, pt i, page 17.

Walchius, in his Bibliotheca Theologica, chap. V, being "De scriptis Theologiæ Polemicæ, § 5, mentions Dionysii Alexandrini Epistola ad Novatianum de Schismatico, and in a note "Integra extat apud Eusebium, lib. vi Historiæ Ecclesiasticæ cap. 45."

MOSHEIM, in his History of the third century, writes :

The few remaining fragments of Dionysius discover the most consummate wisdom and prudence.

In a note is stated:

The history of Dionysius is particularly illustrated by J. Basnage in his "Histoire de l'église," tom. I, liv. ii, chap. 5, p. 68.

In his "Doctrine of the third century," Mosheim writes:

The disputes concerning the baptism of heretics were not carried on with that amiable spirit of candour, moderation, and impartiality, with which Dionysius opposed the Millennian doctrine.

The best edition of the works of Dionysius Alexandrinus is that published at Rome, folio, 1696. At pp. 150-165 are contained his five extant letters entitled DE BAPTISMO.

The second of these letters, at pp. 153-4, is as follows:

Ἐπεστάλκει μὲν οὖν πρότερον (Στέφανος) περὶ Ἑλένου καὶ περὶ Φιρμιλιανοῦ, καὶ πάντων τῶν τε ἀπὸ τῆς Κιλικίας, καὶ Καππαδοκίας, καὶ Γαλατίας, καὶ πάντων τῶν ἑξῆς ὁμορούντων ἐθνῶν, ὡς οὐδὲ ἐκείνοις κοινωνήσων διὰ τὴν αὐτὴν ταύτην αἰτίαν, ἐπειδὴ τοὺς αἱρετικοὺς, φησὶν, ἀναβαπτίζουσι. Καὶ σκόπει τὸ μέγεθος τοῦ πράγματος· ὄντως γὰρ δόγματα περὶ τούτου γέγονεν, ἐν ταῖς μεγίσταις τῶν ἐπισκόπων συνόδοις, ὡς πυνθάνομαι· ὥστε τοὺς προσιόντας ἀπὸ αἱρέσεως, καὶ προκατηχηθέντας, εἶτα ἀπολούσασθαι, καὶ ἀνακαθαίρεσθαι τὸν τῆς παλαιᾶς καὶ ἀκαθάρτου ζύμης ῥύπον· καὶ περὶ τούτων αὐτοῦ πάντων δεόμενος, ἐπέστειλα.

In Latin:

Antea quidem literas scripserat (Stephanus) de Heleno et de Firmiliano, ac de omnibus per Ciliciam et Cappadociam cunctasque finitimas provincias constitutis, testans sese ob eandem illam causam ab illorum communione discessurum, quod hæreticos rebaptizarent. Ac vide negotii gravitatem. Re enim vera in maximis, ut audio, episcoporum conciliis decretum est, ut qui ab hæresi veniunt, primum doctrina instituti (catholica), ac deinde veteris et impuri fermenti sordibus per baptismum purgarentur. De his omnibus illum rogans et obtestans literas misi.

In English :

He (Stephen) had before written letters concerning Helen and Firmilian and all dwelling throughout Cilicia and Cappadocia and all the neighbouring provinces, declaring that he should secede from all communion with them for this very reason, viz, that they rebaptized heretics. And see the seriousness of the matter. For indeed, as I hear, it has been determined in the highest councils of the bishops,

that those who come over from heresy should be first instituted in the Catholic faith, and afterwards be purified by baptism from the filth of the old and impure leaven. I have sent letters asking him concerning all these things.

At page 190 is the 4th letter De Baptimo:

Νοουατιανῷ μὲν γὰρ εὐλόγως ἀπεχθανόμεθα, διακόψαντι τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, καί τινας τῶν ἀδελφῶν εἰς ἀσεβείας καὶ βλασφημίας ἑλκύσαντι, καὶ περὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ διδασκαλίαν ἀνοσιωτάτην ἐπεισκυκλήσαντι, καὶ τὸν χρηστότατον Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ὡς ἀνηλεῆ συκοφαντοῦντι· ἐπὶ πᾶσι δὲ τούτοις τὸ λουτρὸν ἀθετοῦντι τὸ ἅγιον· καὶ τὴν τε πρὸ αὐτοῦ πίστιν καὶ ὁμολογίαν ἀνατρέποντι· τό τε πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἐξ αὐτῶν, εἰ καὶ τις ἦν ἐλπὶς τοῦ παραμεῖναι ἢ ἐπανελθεῖν πρὸς αὐτοὺς, παντελῶς φυγαδεύοντι.

In Latin:

Nam Novatianum merito aversamur, qui Ecclesiam discidit et ex fratribus quosdam ad impietatem," et blasphemias pertraxit, qui impiissimam de Deo doctrinam in orbem invexit, clementissimum Dominum nostrum Jesus Christum quasi immisericordem calumniatur, ac præter hæc omnia sacrum lavacrum irritum habet ac rejicit, fidemque et confessionem, et Spiritum Sanctum ab iis penitus fugat, etiamsi spes aliqua subsit, vel quod in illis permanserit, vel quod ad eos reversus sit.

In English thus:

For we justly abominate Novatian, who has divided the Church and has enticed some of the brethren to impiety and blasphemies; who has introduced into the world the most impious doctrines concerning