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NovATus. A. D. 251. 121
tians, assures us, that each'' side endeavoured to support
itself by the authority of the divine scriptures.
3. This account is confirmed by the arg-uments of those
writers who desig-nedly confute the Novatians ; for, in their
arguments, they quote to them as books of authority all the
books commonly received by christians; particularly'^ the
Acts of the Apostles.
4. It is probable, likewise, that they kept pace with the
catholics in admitting- the epistle to the Hebrews. That
some of them in some places received this epistle, may be
inferred from the passages of Epiphanius and Jerom before
quoted: and St. Ambrose, in his books upon this controversy,
considers "^ the objection taken from Hebr. vi. 4—8,
as does*^ Eulogius of Alexandria ; who likewise says thats
they argued from Hebr. x. 26, 27 ; but I do not observe
that Pacian, or the anonymous author of the Questions out
of the Old and Nev/ Testament, in v/riting- against this sect,
take any notice of the objection founded upon the passage
in the sixth chapter of the epistle to the Hebrews. It is
therefore my opinion, that, whilst the catholics were not
agreed in receiving this episistle, so long- there were also different
sentiments about it among* the Novatians.
5. 1 can say little concerning' the opinion which these
people had about the disputed catholic epistles.
6. As for the book of the Revelation, it was certainly
received by them : it is quoted by most, if not all, the authors
who write against them.
"^ Ovrio ?£ an