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NovATus. A. D. 251, 93
Pacian seems to say. And* Tillomont argues, that Novatiis
did not make any schism in the church till after the
election of Cornelius. But Pearson" and^ some others have
tliought the schism commenced at the very beginning- of
251 : M liich is argued from some words of Cornelius in the
letter formerly abridged by us; M'here he says that" Moses
the martyr, who" is supposed to have died early in the year
251, had withdrawn himself from Novatus, and five other
presbyters. The learned Benedictine, who writes the life of
St. Cyprian, takesy a middle Avay, as he says, between these
two sentiments; bethinks the schism did not break out till
after the election of Cornelius, but that, for some good while
before, the foundation of it was laid, and divers steps taken;
which I apprehend must be granted : what Cornelius says
of Moses seems a good proof of it. Another argument of this
may be, that the ordination of Novatus very speedilyfollowed
that of Cornelius, so that the deputies from Novatus arrived
in Africa about the same time with those from Cornelius,
as appears from^ St. Cyprian, and is allowed by Tillemont.*
Whenever Novatus first approved the rigid maxims upon
which his sect Avas formed, it is now the'' common opinion
of learned moderns that Novatus, presbyter of Carthage,
under Cyprian, was the first author of these measures
agreeably to the passages of Jerom, Cyprian, and Pacian,
which we took notice of some while ago.*^
In January, 251, say*^ Pearson and*^ Pagij Novatus came
miilto post, Novatianum istum episcopatu Cornelii anxium, (nam sibi speraveratj)
cum aliquantis, ut in tali re solet, ex sua parte fautonbus nutantem impellit,
dubitantem fovet, ut magnum aliquid speret, hortatur. Invenit aliquos ex
eonim numero qui tempestatem persecutionis illius evaserant ; apud quos banc
ipsam de lapsis receptis Cornelio conflaret invidiam. Pacian. Ep. 3. p. 310.
E. F. « See TiUem. Mem. Ecc. T. iii. St. Corneille, art. 3. et note iii.
" Vid. Pearson. Ann. Cyprian. 251. num. i. " Vales. Annot. in
Eus. 1. vi. c. 43. p. 137. a. " Euseb. 1. vi. c. 43. p. 245. C. D.
" Vid. Pearson, ib. et Pagi Crit. 251. n. xiv.
y Sic mediam inter utrosque viam inibo, ut ex utraque sententia aliquid
assumam, aliquid etiam refellam. Etsi enim schisma ante Cornelii ordinationem
erupisse non credam, videtur tamen multo ante occultis molitionibus
infonnatam et praeparatam. Vit. St. Cypr. ap. Cypr. Bened. p. 84. vid. etiam
p. 85, 86. ^ Vid. Cypr. Ep. 44. [al. 41.] Ep. 45. [al. 4-2.]
^ II paroit assez, que ces deiLX lettres furent apporteos en mSme temps. Et
c'est ce qui nous oblige de dire, que la faction de Novatien avoit commence
a se former des devant I'election de S. Corneille, et qu' elle eclata aussitost
que Ton parla de Velire. Tillem. St. Corneille art. 7. p. 26.
'' Et I'election de Corneille—i'ut neanmoins troublee aussitost par im schisme
ti'es dangereux, dont Novat fut I'auteur, et Novatien I'executeur et le ministre.
Tillemont. Saint Corneille, art. 3. p. 10.