A Source Book for Ancient Church History - Mirrors

176 A Source Book for Ancient Church History[157]various places not mentioned in earlier documents (c). That theChurch, at least in Egypt and parts adjacent, had ceased to beconfined chiefly to the cities and that it was composed of personsof all social ranks is attested by Origen (d).(a) Cornelius, Ep. ad Fabium, in Eusebius, Hist. Ec., VI, 43.(MSG, 20:622.) Cf. Kirch, n. 222 ff.Cornelius was bishop of Rome 251-253.This avenger of the Gospel [Novatus] did not then know thatthere should be one bishop in a Catholic church; yet he wasnot ignorant (for how could he be) that in it [i.e., the Romanchurch] there were forty-six presbyters, seven deacons, sevensubdeacons, forty-two acolytes, fifty-two exorcists, readers, andjanitors, and over fifteen hundred widows and persons in distress,all of whom the grace and kindness of the Master nourished. Butnot even this great multitude, so necessary in the Church, northose who through God's providence were rich and full, togetherwith very many, even innumerable, people, could turn him fromsuch desperation and recall him to the Church.(b) Cyprian, Epistulæ 71 [=70] (MSL, 4:424) and 59:10 [=54](MSL, 3:877)The church in North Africa had grown very rapidly beforeCyprian was elevated to the see of Carthage. An evidenceof this is the number of councils held in North Africa. Thatheld under Agrippinus, between 218 and 222, was the firstknown in that part of the Church. Under Cyprian a councilwas held at Carthage in 258 at which no less than seventybishops, whose names and opinions have been preserved, aregiven. See ANF, V, 565 ff.