St. Cornelius I, 251-253

ther did not die, but the Son: in such a way as this he kept up the perpetual dispute among the people.

When we had learned his [CALLISTUS'S] purposes, we did not yield, refuting and resisting for the sake of truth: driven to madness, especially because all agreed to his pretext—not we, however—he invoked two gods, voluntarily discharging the virus which lay hidden in his internal organs."

The Absolving of Sins¹

[Fragment from Tertullian's "De pudicitia" c. 1]

43. "I also hear that an edict is published and is indeed final. Evidently the Supreme Pontiff, because he is the bishop of bishops, declares: I forgive the sins of adultery and fornication to those who have performed the penance."²

St. Urbanus 222–230

St. Pontianus 230–235

St. Anterus 235–236

St. Fabianus 235–250

ST. CORNELIUS I 251–253

The Monarchical Constitution of the Church³

[From epistle (6) "Quantam solicitudinem" to Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, 252]

44. "We know that CORNELIUS, bishop of the most holy Catholic Church, was chosen by God almighty and by Christ our Lord; we confess our error; we have suffered imposture; we have been deceived by treachery and captious loquacity; for although we seemed to have held, as it were, a certain communication with a schismatical and heretical man, nevertheless our heart has always been in the Church; for we are not ignorant that there is one God and that there is one Lord Christ, whom we have confessed, that there is one Holy Spirit and that there ought to be one bishop in the Catholic Church."

Concerning the written proof for teaching the Holy Spirit, see Kirch n. 256 R n. 547; concerning the Trinity, see R n. 546.