Passages /
Book 7 /
Section 7
7.7.1
VII. καὶ ἐν τῇ τρίτη δὲ τῶν περὶ βαπτίσματος, ἢν Φιλήμονι τῷ κατὰ Ῥώμην πρεσβυτέρῳ ὁ αὐτὸς γράφει Διονύαιος, ταῦτα παρατίθεται· “ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ τοῖς συντάγμασιν καὶ ταῖς παραδόσεσιν αἱρετικῶν ἐνέτυχον, χραίνων μέν μου πρὸς ὀλίγον τὴν ψυχὴν ταῖς παμμιάροις ὄνησιν δ’ οὗν ἀπ’ αὐτῶν ταύτην λαμβάνων, ἐξελέγχειν αὐτοὺς παρ’ ἐμαυτῷ καὶ πολὺ πλέον βδεΛύττεσθαι. καὶ δή τινος ἀδελφοῦ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων με ἀπείργοντος καὶ δεδιττομένου συμφύρεσθαι τῷ τῆς πονηρίας αὐτῶν βορβόρῳ, λυμανεῖσθαι γὰρ τὴν ψυχὴν τὴν ἐμαυτοῦ, καὶ ἀληθῆ γε ὡς ἠσθόμην· ὅραμα θεόπεμπτον προσελθὸν ἐπέρρωσέν με, καὶ λόγος πρός με γενόμενος προσέταξεν, διαρρήδην λέγων· ἴ’ πᾶσιν οἷς ἂν εἰς χεῖρας λάβοις· διευθύνειν γὰρ ἕκαστα καί σοι γέγονεν ἐξ ἀρχῆς καὶ τῆς πίστεως αἴτιον.’ τὸ ὅραμα, ὡς ἀποστολικῇ φωνῇ συντρέχον τῆ λεγούσῃ πρὸς τοὺς δυνατωτέρους ‘ γίνεσθε δόκιμοι τραπεξῖται.’
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VII. And in the third of those on Baptism, which the same Dionysius wrote to Philemon the Roman presbyter, he relates the following: “But as for me, I read both the compositions and the traditions of the heretics, polluting my soul for a little with their abominable thoughts, yet all the while deriving this advantage from them, that I could refute them for myself and loathed them far more. And indeed a certain brother, one of the presbyters, attempted to dissuade and frighten me from becoming involved in the mire of their wickedness, for he said that I should injure my own soul; and said truly, as I perceived. But a vision sent by God came and strengthened me, and a word of command was given me, saying expressly: ‘Go to all things that may come to thy hand. For to sift and prove each thing has from the beginning been the cause of thy faith.’ I accepted the vision, as agreeing with the apostolic saying addressed to the stronger: ‘Show yourselves approved money-changers.’”
7.7.2
εἶτά τινα περὶ πασῶν εἰπὼν τῶν αἱρέσεων, ἐπιφέρει λέγων· “τοῦτον ἐγὼ τὸν κανόνα καὶ τὸν τύπον παρὰ τοῦ μακαρίου πάπα ἡμῶν Ἡρακλᾶ παρέλαβον. τοὺς γὰρ προσιόντας ἀπὸ αἱρέσεων, καίτοι τῆς ἐκκλησίας μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ ἀποστάντας, ἀλλὰ συνάγεσθαι μὲν δοκοῦντας, καταμηνυθέντας δὲ ὡς προσφοιτῶντάς τινι τῶν ἑτεροδιδασκαλούντων, ἀπελάσας τῆς ἐκκλησίας, δεομένους οὐ ἕως δημοσίᾳ πάντα ὅσα ἀκηκόασιν παρὰ ἀντιδιατιθεμένοις ἐξέφρασαν, καὶ τότε συνήγαγεν αὐτούς, οὐ δεηθεὶς ἐπ’ αὐτῶν ἑτέρου βαπτίσματος· τοῦ γὰρ ἁγίου πρότερον παρ’ αὐτοῦ βαπτίσματος·
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Then, making certain remarks about all the heresies, he goes on to say: “This rule and pattern I received from our blessed pope Heraclas. For those who came over from the heresies, although they had departed from the Church, or rather, had not even done that, but, while still reputed members of the congregation, were charged with frequenting some false teacher, he drove from the Church, and refused to listen to their entreaties until they publicly declared all that they had heard from those who oppose themselves; and then he admitted them to the congregation, without requiring of them a second baptism. For they had formerly received the holy baptism from him.”
7.7.3
Πάλιν δὲ ἐπὶ πολὺ γυμνάσας τὸ πρόβλημα, ταῦτ’ ἐπιλέγει· “μεμάθηκα καὶ τοῦτο ὅτι μὴ νῦν οἱ ἐν Αφρικῇ μόνον τοῦτο παρεισήγαγον, ἀλλὰ πολλοῦ κατὰ τοὺς πρὸ ἡμῶν ἐπισκόπους ἐν πολυανθρωποτάταις ἐκκλησίαις καὶ ταῖς συνόδοις τῶν ἀδελφῶν, ἐν Ἰκονίῳ καὶ Συνάδοις καὶ παρὰ πολλοῖς, τοῦτο ἔδοξεν· ὧν τὰς βουλὰς ἀνατρέπων εἰς ἔριν αὐτοὺς καὶ φιλονεικίαν ἐμβαλεῖν οὐχ ὑπομένω. ‘οὐ γὰρ μετακινήσεις, ’ φησίν, ὅρια τοῦ πλησίον σου, ἃ ἔθεντο οἱπατέρες σου"”
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And again, after a protracted discussion of the question, he adds as follows: “I have learnt this also, that the Africans did not introduce this practice now for the first time, but that long before, in the days of the bishops that were before us, in the most populous churches and the synods of the brethren, in Iconium and Synnada and in many places, this course was adopted. And I do not dare to overturn their decisions and involve them in strife and contention. ‘For thou shalt not remove,’ he says, ‘thy neighbour’s landmarks, which thy fathers placed.’”
7.7.4
Ἡ τετάρτη αὐτοῦ τῶν περὶ βαπτίσματος ἐπιστολῶν στολῶν πρὸς τὸν κατὰ ‘Ρώμην τότε μὲν πρεσβείου ἠξιωμένον, οὐκ εἰς δὲ καὶ τὴν ἐπισκοπὴν τῶν ἐκεῖσε ἐξ ἧς γνῶναι πάρεστιν ὅπως καὶ αὐτὸς λόγιός τε καὶ θαυμάσιος πρὸς τοῦ κατ’ Διονυσίου μεμαρτύρηται. γράφει δὲ αὐτῷ μεθ’ ἕτερα τῶν κατὰ Νοουάτον μνημονεύων ἐν τούτοις·
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The fourth of his letters on baptism was written to Dionysius of Rome, who at that time had been deemed worthy of the presbyterate, but not long afterwards received also the episcopate there. From it one may learn how that he too had witness borne to him by Dionysius of Alexandria for his learning and admirable qualities. In the course of his letter to him he mentions the affair of Novatus in the following terms: