A Source Book for Ancient Church History - Mirrors

410 A Source Book for Ancient Church History[375]meetings secretly in private houses. Until this time the Novatianshad flourished exceedingly in Rome, having many churches thereand gathering large congregations. But envy attacked them there,also, as soon as the Roman episcopate, like that of Alexandria,extended itself beyond the limits of ecclesiastical jurisdiction,and degenerated into its present state of secular domination.And for this cause the bishops would not suffer even those whoagreed with them in matters of faith to enjoy the privileges ofassembling in peace, but stripping them of all they possessed,praised them merely for these agreements in faith. The bishops ofConstantinople kept themselves free from this sort of conduct; inso much as in addition to tolerating them and permitting them tohold their assemblies within the city, as I have already stated, 134they treated them with every mark of Christian regard.(e) Codex Theodosianus, XVI, 5, 40; A. D. 407.Edict of Arcadius and Honorius against the Manichæans andother heretics. (Retained in Cod. Just., I, 5, 4.) Cf. Mirbt, n.155.What we have thought concerning the Donatists we have recentlyset forth. Especially do we pursue, with well-merited severity,the Manichæans, the Phrygians, and the Priscillianists, 135 sincemen of this sort have nothing in common with others, neitherin custom nor laws. And first we declare that their crime isagainst the State, because what is committed against the divinereligion is held an injury of all. And we will take vengeance uponthem by the confiscation of their goods, which, however, wecommand shall fall to whomsoever is nearest of their kindred, inascending or descending lines or cognates of collateral branches134 See Socrates, Hist. Ec., V, 10.135 In the code of Justinian this reads “Manichæans and Donatists.”