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he tastes, unless he first curses himself, and instead of saying Amen when taking that bread, he says, "I will not return to Cornelius." 6.43.20 And again after other things he says this: "Know now that he has been stripped bare and has become desolate, as the brethren leave him each day and return to the church; 6.43.21 and at the end of the epistle he has made a list of the bishops who had come to Rome and had condemned the foolishness of Novatus, together with their names and the parish over which each of them presided, noting, 6.43.22 and he mentions the names together with the cities of those who were not present in Rome, but who assented by letter to the vote of the aforesaid, from which each one came and wrote. These things Cornelius wrote, declaring them to Fabius, bishop of Antioch; 6.44.1 To this same Fabius, who was somewhat inclined toward the schism, Dionysius of Alexandria also wrote, and after discussing many other things about repentance in his letters to him and relating the struggles of those who had then recently been martyred in Alexandria, along with the other history he narrates a certain matter full of wonder, which it is necessary to record in this writing, being as follows: 6.44.2 "I will relate to you this one example which happened among us. There was a certain Serapion among us, a faithful old man, who had lived for a long time blamelessly, but who had fallen in the time of trial. This man often prayed, and no one paid attention to him; for he had sacrificed. But having fallen ill, he remained for three successive days speechless and senseless, 6.44.3 but having recovered a little on the fourth, he called his grandson, and said: "How long, my child, do you hold me? I beg you, make haste, and release me quickly; call one of the presbyters for me." And having said these things, he was again speechless. 6.44.4 The boy ran to the presbyter; but it was night, and he was sick. He was therefore not able to come, but since a command had been given by me that those departing from life, if they asked, and especially if they had previously supplicated, should be absolved, so that they might depart in good hope, he gave the boy a small portion of the Eucharist, ordering him to moisten it and to drop it into the old man's mouth. 6.44.5 The boy returned bearing it, and when he was near, before he entered, Serapion revived again: "You have come, child?" he said. "And the presbyter could not come, but you do quickly what was commanded and release me." The boy moistened it and at the same time poured it into his mouth and after he had swallowed a little, he immediately gave up the spirit. 6.44.6 Was he not clearly preserved and kept, until he was absolved and his sin having been wiped away on account of the many good things he had done he could be acknowledged?" Thus Dionysius. 6.45.1 Let us see what the same man wrote to Novatus, who was then disturbing the brotherhood of the Romans; since, therefore, he was making a pretext of the apostasy and schism of some of the brethren, as if he had been forced to this by them, see in what manner he writes to him: "Dionysius to Novatianus, brother, greeting. If you were led unwillingly, as you say, you will show it by retiring willingly. For one ought to suffer anything whatever rather than divide the Church of God, and martyrdom for the sake of not causing schism was no less glorious than that for not committing idolatry, but in my opinion even greater. For in the one case one bears witness for the sake of his own single soul, but in the other for the whole Church. And now if you should persuade or compel the brethren to come to concord, your good deed will be greater than your fault, and the one will not be reckoned, but the other will be praised. But if you are unable, as they are disobedient, by saving, save your own soul. Fare you well, holding

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γεύεται, εἰ μὴ πρότερον αὑτῷ καταράσαιτο, καὶ ἀντὶ τοῦ εἰπεῖν λαμβάνοντα τὸν ἄρτον ἐκεῖνον τὸ ἀμήν, «οὐκ ἐπανήξω πρὸς Κορνήλιον» λέγει». 6.43.20 καὶ μεθ' ἕτερα πάλιν ταῦτά φησιν· «ἤδη δὲ ἴσθι γεγυμνῶσθαι καὶ ἔρημον γεγονέναι, καταλιμπανόντων αὐτὸν καθ' ἡμέραν ἑκάστην τῶν ἀδελφῶν καὶ εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ἐπανερχομένων· ὃν καὶ Μωσῆς, ὁ μακάριος μάρτυς, ὁ παρ' ἡμῖν ἔναγχος μαρτυρήσας καλήν τινα καὶ θαυμαστὴν μαρτυρίαν, ἔτι ὢν ἐν κόσμῳ, κατιδὼν αὐτοῦ τὴν θρασύτητα καὶ τὴν ἀπόνοιαν, ἀκοινώνητον ἐποίησεν σὺν τοῖς πέντε πρεσβυτέροις τοῖς ἅμα αὐτῷ ἀποσχίσασιν ἑαυτοὺς τῆς ἐκκλησίας». 6.43.21 καὶ ἐπὶ τέλει δὲ τῆς ἐπιστολῆς τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς Ῥώμης παραγενομένων ἐπισκόπων τῆς τε τοῦ Νοουάτου κατεγνωκότων ἀβελτηρίας κατάλογον πεποίηται, ὁμοῦ τά τε ὀνόματα καὶ ἧς ὁ καθεῖς αὐτῶν προηγεῖτο παροικίας, ἐπισημαινόμενος, 6.43.22 τῶν τε μὴ παραγενομένων μὲν ἐπὶ τῆς Ῥώμης, συνευδοκησάντων δὲ διὰ γραμμάτων τῇ τῶν προειρημένων ψήφῳ τὰς προσηγορίας ὁμοῦ καὶ τὰς πόλεις, ὅθεν ἕκαστος ὁρμώμενος ἐπέστελλεν, μνημονεύει. ταῦτα μὲν ὁ Κορνήλιος Φαβίῳ Ἀντιοχείας ἐπισκόπῳ δηλῶν ἔγραφεν· 6.44.1 τῷ δ' αὐτῷ τούτῳ Φαβίῳ, ὑποκατακλινομένῳ πως τῷ σχίσματι, καὶ ∆ιονύσιος ὁ κατ' Ἀλεξάνδρειαν ἐπιστείλας πολλά τε καὶ ἄλλα περὶ μετανοίας ἐν τοῖς πρὸς αὐτὸν γράμμασιν διελθὼν τῶν τε κατ' Ἀλεξάνδρειαν ἔναγχος τότε μαρτυρησάντων τοὺς ἀγῶνας διιών, μετὰ τῆς ἄλλης ἱστορίας πρᾶγμά τι μεστὸν θαύματος διηγεῖται, ὃ καὶ αὐτὸ ἀναγκαῖον τῇδε παραδοῦναι τῇ γραφῇ, οὕτως ἔχον· 6.44.2 «ἓν δέ σοι τοῦτο παράδειγμα παρ' ἡμῖν συμβεβηκὸς ἐκθήσομαι. Σεραπίων τις ἦν παρ' ἡμῖν, πιστὸς γέρων, ἀμέμπτως μὲν τὸν πολὺν διαβιώσας χρόνον, ἐν δὲ τῷ πειρασμῷ πεσών. οὗτος πολλάκις ἐδεῖτο, καὶ οὐδεὶς προσεῖχεν αὐτῷ· καὶ γὰρ ἐτεθύκει. ἐν νόσῳ δὲ γενόμενος, τριῶν ἑξῆς ἡμερῶν ἄφωνος καὶ ἀναίσθητος διετέλεσεν, 6.44.3 βραχὺ δὲ ἀνασφήλας τῇ τετάρτῃ προσεκαλέσατο τὸν θυγατριδοῦν, καὶ· «μέχρι με τίνος, φησίν, ὦ τέκνον, κατέχετε; δέομαι, σπεύσατε, καί με θᾶττον ἀπολύσατε, τῶν πρεσβυτέρων μοί τινα κάλεσον». καὶ ταῦτα εἰπών, πάλιν ἦν ἄφωνος. 6.44.4 ἔδραμεν ὁ παῖς ἐπὶ τὸν πρεσβύτερον· νὺξ δὲ ἦν, κἀκεῖνος ἠσθένει. ἀφικέσθαι μὲν οὐκ ἐδυνήθη, ἐντολῆς δὲ ὑπ' ἐμοῦ δεδομένης τοὺς ἀπαλλαττομένους τοῦ βίου, εἰ δέοιντο, καὶ μάλιστα εἰ καὶ πρότερον ἱκετεύσαντες τύχοιεν, ἀφίεσθαι, ἵν' εὐέλπιδες ἀπαλλάττωνται, βραχὺ τῆς εὐχαριστίας ἔδωκεν τῷ παιδαρίῳ, ἀποβρέξαι κελεύσας καὶ τῷ πρεσβύτῃ κατὰ τοῦ στόματος ἐπιστάξαι. 6.44.5 ἐπανῆκεν ὁ παῖς φέρων, ἐγγύς τε γενομένου, πρὶν εἰσελθεῖν, ἀνενέγκας πάλιν ὁ Σεραπίων· «ἧκες, ἔφη, τέκνον; καὶ ὁ μὲν πρεσβύτερος ἐλθεῖν οὐκ ἠδυνήθη, σὺ δὲ ποίησον ταχέως τὸ προσταχθὲν καὶ ἀπάλλαττέ με». ἀπέβρεξεν ὁ παῖς καὶ ἅμα τε ἐνέχεεν τῷ στόματι καὶ μικρὸν ἐκεῖνος καταβροχθίσας εὐθέως ἀπέδωκεν τὸ πνεῦμα. 6.44.6 ἆρ' οὐκ ἐναργῶς διετηρήθη καὶ παρέμεινεν, ἕως λυθῇ καὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἐξαλειφθείσης ἐπὶ πολλοῖς οἷς ἔπραξεν καλοῖς ὁμολογηθῆναι δυνηθῇ;» ταῦτα ὁ ∆ιονύσιος. 6.45.1 Ἴδωμεν δ' ὁ αὐτὸς ὁποῖα καὶ τῷ Νοουάτῳ διεχάραξεν, ταράττοντι τηνικάδε τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἀδελφότητα· ἐπειδὴ οὖν τῆς ἀποστασίας καὶ τοῦ σχίσματος πρόφασιν ἐποιεῖτο τῶν ἀδελφῶν τινας, ὡς δὴ πρὸς αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τοῦτ' ἐλθεῖν ἐκβεβιασμένος, ὅρα τίνα τρόπον αὐτῷ γράφει· «∆ιονύσιος Νοουατιανῷ ἀδελφῷ χαίρειν. εἰ ἄκων, ὡς φῄς, ἤχθης, δείξεις ἀναχωρήσας ἑκών. ἔδει μὲν γὰρ καὶ πᾶν ὅτι οὖν παθεῖν ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ διακόψαι τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ ἦν οὐκ ἀδοξοτέρα τῆς ἕνεκεν τοῦ μὴ εἰδωλολατρῆσαι γινομένης ἡ ἕνεκεν τοῦ μὴ σχίσαι μαρτυρία, κατ' ἐμὲ δὲ καὶ μείζων. ἐκεῖ μὲν γὰρ ὑπὲρ μιᾶς τις τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ψυχῆς, ἐνταῦθα δὲ ὑπὲρ ὅλης τῆς ἐκκλησίας μαρτυρεῖ. καὶ νῦν δὲ εἰ πείσαις ἢ βιάσαιο τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς εἰς ὁμόνοιαν ἐλθεῖν, μεῖζον ἔσται σοι τοῦ σφάλματος τὸ κατόρθωμα, καὶ τὸ μὲν οὐ λογισθήσεται, τὸ δὲ ἐπαινεθήσεται. εἰ δὲ ἀπειθούντων ἀδυνατοίης, σῴζων σῷζε τὴν σεαυτοῦ ψυχήν. ἐρρῶσθαί σε, ἐχόμενον