Novatian
Presbyter of the Roman church who rejected the readmission of Christians who had sacrificed under Decius and had himself made bishop against Cornelius in 251. His followers called themselves the pure.
The account of Novatian’s career given here comes from his opponents. Eusebius, who calls him Novatus, says that he held there was no hope of salvation for those who had fallen in the persecution, whatever penance they did, and that his party called themselves the Cathari, “the pure”. A synod of sixty bishops at Rome excluded him. Eusebius then quotes a letter of his rival Cornelius, which says that Novatian had been baptised on a sickbed, had been ordained presbyter over the objections of the clergy, and had three country bishops lay hands on him to make him bishop (Eusebius, Church History 6.43).
His envoys came to Carthage to announce his consecration and were refused communion (Cyprian, Letters 40.1–2 [44.1–2]). Cyprian would not discuss what he taught: whoever is outside the church, he wrote, is no Christian, however learned or eloquent (Cyprian, Letters 51.24 [55.24]).
In the timeline
- AD 251 to AD 258, firm dateCyprian on the Unity of the Church
Faced with rival bishops at Rome and Carthage after the Decian persecution, Cyprian argues that there is one church, held together by one episcopate, outside which there is no salvation. He then defends his view of baptism against the bishop of Rome and dies a martyr in 258.
Primary sources
Letters
- Cyprian, Letters 40.1–2 [44.1–2]newadvent.org
- Cyprian, Letters 51.24 [55.24]newadvent.org