History of the Christian Church, Volume II: Ante-Nicene Christianity. A. D. 100-325

restoring the careless, who asked the communion merely from fear of death. Cyprian afterwards,

when the persecution was renewed, under Gallus, abolished even this limitation. He was thus, of

course, not entirely consistent, but gradually accommodated his principles to circumstances and to

the practice of the Roman church.

286

86

 His antagonists elected their bishop, indeed, but were shortly

compelled to yield to the united force of the African and Roman churches, especially as they had

no moral earnestness at the bottom of their cause.

His conflict with this schismatical movement strengthened Cyprian’s episcopal authority,

and led him in his doctrine of the unity of the church to the principle of absolute exclusiveness.

III. The Novatian schism in Rome was prepared by the controversy already alluded to

between Hippolytus and Callistus. It broke out soon after the African schism, and, like it, in

consequence of an election of bishop. But in this case the opposition advocated the strict discipline

against the lenient practice of the dominant church. The Novatianists

287

87 considered themselves

the only pure communion,

288

88

 and unchurched all churches which defiled themselves by re-admitting

the lapsed, or any other gross offenders. They went much farther than Cyprian, even as far as the

later Donatists. They admitted the possibility of mercy for a mortal sinner, but denied the power

and the right of the church to decide upon it, and to prevent, by absolution, the judgment of God

upon such offenders. They also, like Cyprian, rejected heretical baptism, and baptized all who came

over to them from other communions not just so rigid as themselves.

At the head of this party stood the Roman presbyter Novatian,

289

89

 an earnest, learned, but

gloomy man, who had come to faith through severe demoniacal disease and inward struggles. He

fell out with Cornelius, who, after the Decian persecution in 251, was nominated bishop of Rome,

and at once, to the grief of many, showed great indulgence towards the lapsed. Among his adherents

the above-named Novatus of Carthage was particularly busy, either from a mere spirit of opposition

to existing authority, or from having changed his former lax principles on his removal to Rome.

Novatian, against his will, was chosen bishop by the opposition. Cornelius excommunicated him.

Both parties courted the recognition of the churches abroad. Fabian, bishop of Antioch, sympathized

with the rigorists. Dionysius of Alexandria, on the contrary, accused them of blaspheming the most

gracious Lord Jesus Christ, by calling him unmerciful. And especially Cyprian, from his zeal for

ecclesiastical unity and his aversion to Novatus, took sides with Cornelius, whom he regarded the

legitimate bishop of Rome.

In spite of this strong opposition the Novatian sect, by virtue of its moral earnestness,

propagated itself in various provinces of the West and the East down to the sixth century. In Phrygia

it combined with the remnants of the Montanists. The council of Nicaea recognized its ordination,

and endeavored, without success, to reconcile it with the Catholic church. Constantine, at first dealt

mildly with the Novatians, but afterwards prohibited them to worship in public and ordered their

books to be burnt.

286

In Ep. 52, Ad Antonianum, he tried to justify himself in regard to this change in his views.

287

Novatiani, Novatianenses.

288

Καθαροί.

289

Eusebius and the Greeks call him 

Νοουάτος, and confound him with Novatus of Carthage. Dionysius of Alex., however,

calls him 

Νοουατιανός.

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Philip Schaff

History of the Christian Church, Volume II: Ante-Nicene

Christianity. A.D. 100-325.

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IV. The Meletian schism in Egypt arose in the Diocletian persecution, about 305, and lasted

more than a century, but, owing to the contradictory character of our accounts, it is not so well

understood. It was occasioned by Meletius, bishop of Lycopolis in Thebais, who, according to one

statement, from zeal for strict discipline, according to another, from sheer arrogance, rebelled

against his metropolitan, Peter of Alexandria (martyred in 311), and during his absence encroached

upon his diocese with ordinations, excommunications, and the like. Peter warned his people against

him, and, on returning from his flight, deposed him as a disturber of the peace of the church. But

the controversy continued, and spread over all Egypt. The council of Nicaea endeavored, by

recognizing the ordination of the twenty-nine Meletian bishops, and by other compromise measures,

to heal the division; but to no purpose. The Meletians afterwards made common cause with the

Arians.

The Donatist schism, which was more formidable than any of those mentioned, likewise

grew out of the Diocletian persecution, but belongs more to the next period.

CHAPTER V:

CHRISTIAN WORSHIP.

I. The richest sources here are the works of Justin M., Tertullian, Cyprian, Eusebius, and the so-called

Constitutiones Apostolicae; also Clement of Rome (Ad Cor. 59–61), and the Homily falsely

ascribed to him (fully publ. 1875).

II. See the books quoted in vol. I. 455, and the relevant sections in the archaeological works of

Bingham (Antiquities of the Christian Church, Lond. 1708–22. 10 vols.; new ed. Lond. 1852,

in 2 vols.), Augusti (whose larger work fills 12 vols., Leipz. 1817–31, and his 

Handbuch der Christl.

Archaeol.

 3 vols. Leipz. 1836), Binterim (R.C.), Siegel, Smith & Cheetham (Dict. of Chr. Ant.,

Lond. 1875, 2 vols.), and Garrucci (

Storia della arte crist

., 1872–80, 6 vols.)

§ 59. Places of Common Worship.

R. Hospinianus: De Templis, etc. Tig. 1603. And in his Opera, Genev. 1681.

Fabricius: De Templis vett. Christ. Helmst. 1704.

Muratori (R.C.): De primis Christianorum Ecclesiis. Arezzo, 1770.

Hübsch

: Altchristliche Kirchen.

 Karlsruh, 1860.

Jos. Mullooly: St. Clement and his Basilica in Rome. Rome, 2nd ed. 1873.

De Vogüé: Architecture civile et relig. du Ie au Vll

e

siècle. Paris,

 1877, 2 vols.

The numerous works on church architecture (by Fergusson, Brown, Bunsen, Kugler, Kinkel,

Kreuser, Schnaase, Lübke, Voillet-le-Duc, De Vogüé etc.) usually begin with the basilicas of

the Constantinian age, which are described in vol. III. 541 sqq.

The Christian worship, as might be expected from the humble condition of the church in this

period of persecution, was very simple, strongly contrasting with the pomp of the Greek and Roman

communion; yet by no means puritanic. We perceive here, as well as in organization and doctrine,

the gradual and sure approach of the Nicene age, especially in the ritualistic solemnity of the

baptismal service, and the mystical character of the eucharistic sacrifice.

Let us glance first at the places of public worship. Until about the close of the second century

the Christians held their worship mostly in private houses, or in desert places, at the graves of

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Philip Schaff

History of the Christian Church, Volume II: Ante-Nicene

Christianity. A.D. 100-325.

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