7.2.1
II. Ταῦτα μὲν οὗν περὶ τοῦδε· κατὰ δὲ τὴν Ῥωμαίων πόλιν Κορνηλίου ἔτεσιν ἀμφὶ τὰ τρία τὴν ἐπιακοπὴν διανύσαντος, Λούκιος διάδοχος, μηαὶν δ’ οὐδ’ ὅλοις οὗτος ὀκτὼ τῇ λειτουργίᾳ διακονησάμενος, Στεφάνῳ τελευτῶν μεταδίδωσι τὸν κλῆρον. τούτῳ τὴν πρώτην ὁ Διονύσιος τῶν περὶ βαπτίσματος ἐπιστολῶν ζητήματος οὐ αμικροῦ τηνικάδε ἀνακινηθέντος, εἰ δέοι τοὺς ἐξ οἵας δ’ οὖν ἐπιστρέφοντας διὰ λουτροῦ καθαίρειν. παλαιοῦ γέ τοι κεκρατηκότος ἔθους ἐπὶ τῶν τοιούτων μόνῃ χρῆσθαι τῆ διὰ χειρῶν ἐπιθέσεως εὐχῇ,
II. so much, then, concerning him. But in the city of the Romans, when Cornelius brought his episcopate to an end after about three years, Lucius was appointed his successor; but he exercised his ministry for less than eight entire months, and dying transmitted his office to Stephen. To him Dionysius invited the first of his letters On Baptism, no small question having then arisen as to whether it were necessary to cleanse by means of baptism those who were turning from any heresy whatsoever. A custom, which was at any rate old, having prevailed in such cases to use only prayer with the laying on of hands,