XXXIII.

THE EIGHTY

AT THE COUNCIL OF

A. D. 258.

SEVEN BISHOPS

CARTHAGE.

In "Concilium Synnadense, "and in "Concilium Carthaginense I, II, 1II,—all held anno 258 :-in a synod held at Rome— in some letters of Cyprian, &c. &c. the subject is discussed of the necessity of rebaptizing heretics, "De hæreticis baptizandis."

In "Concilium Iconiense held anno 258, "Ordinationes, Baptismus, manuum impositiones, aliudve sacrum quodvis, ab hæreticis facta, ab Ecclesia Catholica accipiendum esse.

In "Concilium Carthaginense III" sub Cypriano episcopo improbatum ab Ecclesia, in causa baptismi: celebratum anno 258 sub Stephano Papa, are "Sententiæ episcoporum de hæreticis baptizandis."

It may be curious to observe the expressions of these bishops87 in number-all agreeing in the necessity of baptizing, i. e. rebaptizing heretics and schismatics, on their coming to the Church of Rome.

Ut hæreticos et schismaticos, ad Ecclesiam venientes qui pseudobaptizati videntur, vero baptismo baptiz

emus.

In English:

That we baptise, with a true baptism, heretics and schismatics, coming to the church, and seeming to be falsely baptised.

After these sentences of the 87 bishops, and some notes of Severinus Binnius, is the following:

OBSERVATIO

SACERDOTIS.

PHILIPPI LABBE SOCIETATIS JESU

Idem concilium Carthaginense ab Ecclesia Catholica reprobatum, una cum epistola S. Cypriani ad Jubaianum Græce ac Latine hic subjungimus ex collectione canonica Joannis Zonaræ monachi qui fuerat magnus Drungarius Biglæ et primus a secretis imperatoris. Theodorus Balsamon epistolam Cypriani retulit quidem in suam quoque collectionem, sed episcoporum sententias prætermisit et concilii acta.

There are some various readings between the sentences as here to be given and those alluded to in this note of Labbe, of the collection of Joannes Zonaras. Such as appear to be of weight, as to the doctrine contained in this Synopsis, are hereafter noticed. The Sentences in Gallandius are in Latin only those of Johannes Zonaras have the Greek as well as the Latin.

Although some of these Sentences may not be decidedly on the subject of this synopsis, yet they are here given, as they shew the general opinions and feelings of 87 bishops who lived in the third century, and how far these bishops entered into the question, which is more particularly the object of this synopsis.

These Sententiæ are given in Routh's Reliquiæ Sacræ, vol. iii, p. 115, as having been delivered at the seventh council of Carthage, under the following title: Carthaginiense concilium sub Cypriano septimum, ex tribus Africæ provinciis, quod de Baptismo tertium est, annoque post Christum natum 256 habitum. Sententiæ episcoporum 87 de hæreticis baptizandis.

For the convenience of the reader, the translation of each bishop's opinion is inserted immediately after the Latin.

Quum in unum Carthagini convenissent, Kalendis Septembris, episcopi plurimi ex provincia Africa, Numidia, Mauritania, cum presbyteris et diaconibus, præsente etiam plebis maxima parte, et lectæ essent

literæ Jubaiani ad Cyprianum factæ, item Cypriani ad Jubaianum rescriptæ, de hæreticis baptizandis, quidque postmodum Cypriano Jubaianus idem rescripserit ; Cyprianus dixit; Audistis, collegæ dilectissimi, quid mihi Jubaianus coepiscopus noster scripserit, consulens mediocritatem nostram de illicito et profano hæreticorum baptismo, et quid ego ei rescripserim; censens scilicet, quod semel atque iterum et sæpe censuimus, hæreticos ad ecclesiam venientes, ecclesiæ baptismo baptizari et sanctificari oportere. Item lectæ sunt vobis et aliæ Jubaiani literæ, quibus pro sua sincera et religiosa devotione ad epistolam nostram rescribens, non tantum consensit, sed etiam instructum se esse gratias agit. Superest ut de hac ipsa re, quid singuli sentiamus, proferamus; neminem judicantes, aut a jure communionis aliquem, si diversum senserit, amoventes. Neque enim quisquam nostrum episcopum se episcoporum constituit, aut tyrannico terrore ad obsequendi necessitatem collegas suos adigit, quando habeat omnis episcopus pro licentia libertatis et potestatis suæ arbitrium proprium, tamque judicari ab alio non possit, quam nec ipse possit alterum judicare; sed expectemus universi judicium Domini nostri Jesu Christi, qui unus et solus habet potestatem et præponendi nos in ecclesiæ suæ gubernatione et de actu nostro judicandi.

There having assembled together at Carthage on the first of September, several bishops from the provinces of Africa, Numidia, and Mauritania together with the priests and deacons, and there being present a great part of the people, letters of Jubæan to Cyprian were read, as also the replies of Cyprian to Jubæan, concerning the baptism of heretics, and the

further replies of Jubæan to Cyprian: after which Cyprian said: "You have heard, well beloved colleagues, what our brother bishop Jubæan has written to me recommending moderation to us in the matter of the unlawful and profane baptism of heretics, and what I wrote to him in reply; namely that it was my opinion, as I have often before expressed, that heretics coming over to the church ought to be baptized and sanctified by the baptism of the church. There have also been read to you other letters of Jubæan, in which, in answer to our letter, in accordance with his sincere and religious devotion, he not only agreed with us but also returned thanks for having been instructed. It remains for us to declare what we each think concerning this same matter; judging no man, nor removing any one, if he differs in opinion from us, from our communion. For neither does one of us constitute himself bishop of bishops, nor does he by tyrannical terror compel his colleagues to the necessity of obeying him; since each bishop has, according to the liberty and power, his own judgment, and cannot be judged by another, in the same way as he cannot judge another; but we all await the judgment of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the one and the only one who has the power to appoint us to the government of his church, and to judge of our actions in it."

1. Cæcilius a Bilta dixit; Ego unum Baptisma in ecclesia solum scio, et extra ecclesiam, nullum. Hic erit unum, ubi spes vera est, et fides certa. Sic enim scriptum est: Una fides, una spes, unum baptisma. Non apud hæreticos, ubi spes nulla est, et fides falsa,

ubi omnia per mendacium aguntur, ubi exorcizat dæmoniacus, sacramentum interrogat, cujus os et verba cancer emittunt, fidem dat infidelis, veniam delictorum tribuit sceleratus, et in nomine Christi tingit Antichristus, benedicit a Deo maledictus, vitam pollicetur mortuus, pacem dat impacificus, Deum invocat blasphemus, sacerdotium administrat profanus, ponit altare sacrilegus. Ad hæc omnia accedit et illud malum ut antistites diaboli audeant eucharistiam facere, aut qui illis assistunt, dicant hæc omnia falsa esse de hæreticis. Ecce ad qualia ecclesia consentire cogitur, et sine BAPTISMO AC VENIA DELICTORUM Communicare compellitur. Quam rem, fratres, fugere ac vitare debemus, et a tanto scelere nos separare, et unum baptisma tenere, quod soli ecclesiæ a Deo concessum

est.

1. Cæcilius of Bilta said: "I acknowledge only one baptism in the church, and out of the church none. This one will be where the hope is true and faith certain. For it is thus written, 'One faith, one hope, one baptism.' Not amongst heretics, where there is no hope, and the faith is false, where all things are done by means of falsehood, where the demoniac exorcises, he questions the sacrament, whose mouth and words emit cancer, where the infidel gives faith, the wicked man grants pardon for sins, and Antichrist anoints in the name of Christ, the man cursed of God bestows blessings, the dead man promises life, the unquiet man gives peace, the blasphemer calls on God, the profane administers the Sacerdotal office, and the sacrilegious man places an altar. In addition to all these things, is this evil also, that the high priests of the