PG 10 · cols. 183–187
S. Fabianus papa, Epistolae
Editors' preface
Migne Reading Room
PG 10 · cols. 183–187
Editors' preface
(¹) ‹anchor: et apostolicis monemur› · call in col 183 S. Leo ep. 4.
St Leo, Letter 4.
(printed under page 98)
(12) ‹anchor: EPISTOLA PRIMA› · call in col 183
Tres illae ep. suppositae ac spuriae viris doctis habentur, et merito.
These three letters are held by learned men to be supposititious and spurious, and rightly so.
(printed under page 98)
(13) ‹anchor: non debeant admitti› · call in col 183
De errore Novati et Novatiani.
On the error of Novatus and Novatian.
(printed under page 98)
(14) ‹anchor: Divinis praeceptis› · call in col 183
Divinis praeceptis, etc. Haec epistola aliis spuria, nisi a quibusdam mendis et erroribus expurgetur; aliis non a Fabiano, sed potius a Cornelio scripta esse videtur: eo quod infra de Novato et Novatiano haec referat: Insuper et illud vos scire desideramus, quia nostris temporibus, praepedientibus quidem nostris peccatis, suadente antiquo hoste, qui semper ut leo rugiens circuit quaerens quem devoret (I Petr. V, 8), supervenit Novatus ex Africa, et separavit de Ecclesia Christi Novatianum, et quosdam alios Christi confessores, et convertit in pravam doctrinam. Quae sane non ante Cornelii pontificis creationem contigisse, testimonio Libri pontificalis et Cypriani satis est manifestum. Adde quod Pacianus, epist. 3 ad Sympronianum, cum Novatiani meminit, de iis quae ante sedem Cornelii gesserat, commendat ejus catholicam fidem; sic enim scribit: Cur igitur Novatianus tuus, ne falso quidem adhuc episcopatu sacerdos, longe antequam Cornelius Romae episcopus fieret, antequam sacerdotio illius invideret, haec suasit? Habes Cypriani testimonium, etc. Et post reliqua: At hanc ipsam haeresim Novatiani quando coeperunt? Audite, quaeso, et totum ordinem erroris vestri advertite. Cornelius jam Romae episcopus a sexdecim episcopis factus, locum cathedrae vacantis acceperat, et illa qua fuit praeditus castimonia virginali crebras persecutiones nati principis sustinebat. Tum forte quidam presbyter Novatus ex Africa, etc., Romam venit, etc. Itaque ob hanc causam liceret firma conjectura statuere, auctorem hujus epistolae Cornelium potius quam Fabianum fuisse, nisi infra mentio fieret septem subdiaconorum, quos, ut ex Vita ejusdem apud Librum pontificalem constat, notariis Acta martyrum colligentibus et conscribentibus, Fabianus, non Cornelius, omnium sententia praefecit. Tutius igitur ac verius esse videtur, praedicta de Novato et Novatiano ab aliquo sciolo superaddita fuisse, ideo, quod putarit haec verba Libri pontificalis, eodem tempore supervenit Novatus, ad Fabiani sedis pontificiae tempus referenda esse, cum revera ad ea quae auctor proxime dixerat, post passionem vero ejus, referri debeant. Baron. anno 238, num. 9 et seqq. Sev. Bin.
"By divine precepts," etc. To some this letter seems spurious unless it is purged of certain blunders and errors; to others it seems written not by Fabian but rather by Cornelius, because below it relates this about Novatus and Novatian: "Moreover we wish you to know this too, that in our times, our sins indeed standing in the way, at the prompting of the ancient enemy, who ever goes about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Pet. 5:8), Novatus came over from Africa, and separated Novatian and certain other confessors of Christ from the Church of Christ, and turned them to perverse doctrine." That this did not happen before the creation of Cornelius as pontiff is plain enough from the testimony of the Liber pontificalis and of Cyprian. Add that Pacian, in his third letter to Sympronianus, when he mentions Novatian, commends his catholic faith as regards what he had done before the see of Cornelius; for he writes thus: "Why then did your Novatian, not yet a priest even by a false episcopate, long before Cornelius became bishop of Rome, before he envied him his priesthood, urge these things? You have Cyprian's testimony," etc. And after the rest: "But when did they begin this very heresy of Novatian? Hear, I pray, and mark the whole order of your error. Cornelius, already made bishop at Rome by sixteen bishops, had received the place of the vacant chair, and with the virginal chastity with which he was endowed was enduring frequent persecutions from the prince who had been born. Then by chance a certain presbyter Novatus from Africa," etc., "came to Rome," etc. Hence for this reason one might establish by firm conjecture that the author of this letter was Cornelius rather than Fabian, were there not mention below of the seven subdeacons whom, as is established from his Life in the Liber pontificalis, Fabian, not Cornelius, by the judgement of all, set over the notaries who were collecting and writing up the Acts of the martyrs. It seems safer and truer, then, that what is said of Novatus and Novatian was added by some smatterer, because he supposed that these words of the Liber pontificalis, "at the same time Novatus came over," were to be referred to the time of Fabian's pontifical see, when in truth they ought to be referred to what the author had said just before, "but after his passion." Baronius, year 238, nos. 9 ff. Severinus Binius.
(printed under page 98)
(²) ‹anchor: ac sequacium› · call in col 184 sequentium.
[variant:] "sequentium" (of the following [orders]).
(printed under page 98)
(15) ‹anchor: Septem ergo diaconos› · call in col 184
Septem ergo diaconos. Vide quae diximus supra in notis in Vitam Clementis, Evaristi, Anteri et Fabiani. Id.
"Seven deacons, therefore." See what we said above in the notes on the Life of Clement, Evaristus, Anterus and Fabian. The same [Binius].
(printed under page 98)
(16) ‹anchor: septem similiter subdiacones› · call in col 184
Denique septem similiter subdiaconos. Hic colligitur hujus epistolae auctorem esse Fabianum pontificem, et quod illi fidem derogat, surreptitium esse, adeoque expungendum, vel saltem adnotandum. Id.
"Finally, seven subdeacons likewise." Here it is gathered that the author of this letter is Pope Fabian, and that what detracts from its credibility is surreptitious, and so to be struck out, or at least annotated. The same [Binius].
(printed under page 98)
(³) ‹anchor: not visible in the foot image› · call in col 185 Vide Pontificalem librum in Clemente et Antero.
See the Liber pontificalis under Clement and Anterus.
(printed under page 99) (⁴) ‹anchor: not visible in the foot image› · call in col 185 Rom. XV, 4.
Rom. 15:4.
(printed under page 99) (⁵) ‹anchor: not visible in the foot image› · call in col 185 S. Greg. ep. 21, lib. vii.
St Gregory, Letter 21, Book 7.
(printed under page 99) (⁶) ‹anchor: not visible in the foot image› · call in col 185 S. Greg. ep. 95, lib. vii.
St Gregory, Letter 95, Book 7.
(printed under page 99) (⁷) ‹anchor: not visible in the foot image› · call in col 185 agere contendatis.
[variant:] "agere contendatis" (strive to act).
(printed under page 99) (⁸) ‹anchor: inanis in Domino› · call in col 185 I Cor. XV, 58.
1 Cor. 15:58.
(printed under page 99) (⁹) ‹anchor: in charitate fiant› · call in col 185 I Cor. XVI, 13, 14; Matth. XXVI, 41.
1 Cor. 16:13–14; Matt. 26:41.
(printed under page 99) (¹⁰) ‹anchor: quia nostris temporibus› · call in col 185 Greg. lib. xii, ep. 32.
Gregory, Book 12, Letter 32.
(printed under page 99) (¹¹) ‹anchor: ut leo rugiens circuit› · call in col 185 I Petr. V, 8.
1 Pet. 5:8.
(¹¹*) ‹anchor: de Ecclesia Christi› · call in col 185 Hoc sub Cornelio contigit defuncto jam Fabiano, ut pluribus Baronius ad an. 238, n. 9.
This happened under Cornelius, Fabian being already dead, as Baronius [shows] at length at the year 238, no. 9.
(¹¹**) ‹anchor: et compedibus ejus detineamini› · call in col 185 S. Bonifacii A. Mog. ep. 6, quam consule.
St Boniface, Archbishop of Mainz, Letter 6, which consult.
(¹¹***) ‹anchor: not visible in the foot image› · call in col 186 I Tim. II, 4.
1 Tim. 2:4.
(printed under page 99)
(17) ‹anchor: scire desideramus› · call in col 185
Insuper et illud vos scire desideramus. Haec integra periodus surreptitia est, et ab aliquo sciolo superaddita, qui existimavit ea quae in Vita Fabiani de Novato et Novatiano scribuntur, temporibus Fabiani accidisse, ideoque in hanc epistolam inferenda esse. Vide quae diximus verbo, Divinis praeceptis.
"Moreover we wish you to know this too." This whole period is surreptitious, and was added by some smatterer who thought that what is written in the Life of Fabian about Novatus and Novatian happened in Fabian's time, and so was to be brought into this letter. See what we said at the words "Divinis praeceptis."
(printed under page 99)
(¹³) ‹anchor: not visible in the foot image› · call in col 186 II Petr. III.
2 Pet. 3. [The numeral is unclear in the image; read as 13 by its place in the sequence.]
(printed under page 99) (¹²) ‹anchor: not visible in the foot image› · call in col 186 II Tim. II, 26.
2 Tim. 2:26.
(printed under page 99) (¹⁴) ‹anchor: not visible in the foot image› · call in col 186 omnino.
[variant:] "omnino" (altogether).
(printed under page 99) (¹⁵) ‹anchor: removendae› · call in col 186 Suspecti omnes semper sunt amovendi et non recipiendi: ita in Luc.
All who are suspect are always to be removed and not received: so in Luc.
(printed under page 99) (¹⁶) ‹anchor: in recta fide suspecti sunt› · call in col 186 Adrian. coll. c. 4.
Hadrian's collection, ch. 4.
(printed under page 99) (¹⁷) ‹anchor: Similiter omnes› · call in col 186 q. 4. Omnes quos sanctorum.
q. 4: "Omnes quos sanctorum" (All whom of the holy …).
(printed under page 99) (¹⁸) ‹anchor: Cavete talium jacula› · call in col 186 S. Bonif. ep. 19, pluribus modis interpolata.
St Boniface, Letter 19, interpolated in several ways.
(printed under page 99) (¹⁹) ‹anchor: et simplices ut columbae› · call in col 186 Matth. X, 16; Phil. II.
Matt. 10:16; Phil. 2.
(printed under page 99) (²⁰) ‹anchor: nec cibum sumere› · call in col 186 I Cor. V, 11.
1 Cor. 5:11.
(printed under page 99) (²¹) ‹anchor: sunt repellendi› · call in col 186 6. q. 1: Omnes illi sunt ab.
[Causa] 6, q. 1: "Omnes illi sunt ab" (All those are [to be] …).
(printed under page 99)
(²²) ‹anchor: a reliquis fratribus› · call in col 187 Fidelibus.
[variant:] "Fidelibus" (to the faithful).
(printed under page 100) (²³) ‹anchor: apostoli statuerunt› · call in col 187 11. q. 3: Sicut apostoli statuerunt.
[Causa] 11, q. 3: "Sicut apostoli statuerunt" (As the apostles laid down).
(printed under page 100) (²⁴) ‹anchor: non est communicandum› · call in col 187 can. 11.
Canon 11.
(printed under page 100) (²⁵) ‹anchor: communione privetur› · call in col 187 can. 11 apost. interp. Dionysio.
Apostolic Canon 11, Dionysius [Exiguus] translating.
(printed under page 100) (²⁶) ‹anchor: consentiunt facientibus› · call in col 187 Rom. I, 32.
Rom. 1:32.
(printed under page 100) (²⁷) ‹anchor: inter caetera ait› · call in col 187 dist. 63: Si inimicus.
Distinction 63: "Si inimicus" (If an enemy).
(printed under page 100) (²⁸) ‹anchor: pro actibus suis› · call in col 187 epist. i Clementi tributa ex versione Rufini Patr. t. I.
Letter 1 attributed to Clement, from Rufinus's translation, Patr[ologia], vol. 1.
(printed under page 100) (²⁹) ‹anchor: ut effecta› · call in col 187 S. Leo ep. 2.
St Leo, Letter 2.
(printed under page 100) (³⁰) ‹anchor: hospitis unius diei praetereuntis› · call in col 187 Sap. V, 15.
Wis. 5:15.
(printed under page 100) (³¹) ‹anchor: saeculi leges se› · call in col 187 abest, se, a ms.
"se" is absent from a manuscript.
(printed under page 100) (³²) ‹anchor: devorat iniquitatem› · call in col 187 Prov. XIX, 28.
Prov. 19:28.
(printed under page 100)