The works of Nathaniel Lardner - The Christian Researcher - Home

A NOTE UPON CHAP. XLVII.
IT is commonly said, by learned moderns, that the Greek
writers of the church have mistaken the name of Cornelius's
rival, calling- him Novatus,'' and confounding this presbyter
of Rome with the presbyter of Carthage: whereas his
name, they say, was Novatianus, or Novatian. So Cave and
Ruinart, and Petavius, not to mention any more. Hosce duos
nominum similitudine decepti perpetuo fere confundunt
scriptores Grseci. Cav. H. L. in Novatian. Quin ct ad
ipsum Novatianum, quem Eusebius Novatum vocat, Graecorum
more, qui Novati et Novatian i tiomina scepius confundunt.
Ruin. Act. M. Sine, et Sel. de S. Dionys. Alex,
n. vii. p. 180. GriBci enim Novatum et Novatianum inter se
confuderunt, similitudine nominum decepti. Quo in errore
fuit Eusebius noster. Vales. Annot. in Euseb. 1. vi. c. 45.
1. My first argument therefore in support of the present
assertion is, that this presbyter of Rome is generally called
Novatus by the Greek writers; by Eusebius, and Socrates,
and Sozomen, and divers others : and I know of no reason
why they should be deceived herein. Eusebius had before
him the letter of Cornelius to Fabius, bishop of Antioch,and
the letter of Dionysius of Alexandria to this presbyter, and
divers other letters of the same Dionysius, upon the controversy
about receiving the lapsed : and the two last mentioned
ecclesiastical historians were well acquainted with the Novatians
at Constantinople, who may be supposed to have
known the name of the founder of their sect. Let me add
here, to all the Greek writers already mentioned, Athanasius
who expressly says, that the Novatians were so called from
Novatus; airo ^oHUTsNosaTiavoi. Orat. i. contr. Ar. p. 407. B.
2. There are still remainino- in Latin authors traces of
their agreement with the Greek writers upon this head. For
this I allege the words of J. A. Fabricius : Eusebii et Rufini
editiones, "koumtv Novato vi. 45. Sed Novatiano utique fuit
itii nomen, non Novato, qui episropum Romanum se contra
Cornel ium ordinari passus est anno 251, quo has ad cum
litenis Dionysius Alexandrinus exaravit. Fabric, not. (f)
ad Ilieron. de V. I. cap. 69. Rufinus therefore, in his trans-
lation of Eusebius, at the place referred to, has Novatus, as
Fabricius owns. I shall next allege a passage taken from
tlie notes of the Benedictine editors of St. Ambrose's Avorks :
Romana editio ubique Novatum fecit e Novatiano : qua
» See note % p. 78.
;