Folio 74

St. Innocent I, 401-417

printed p. 42 · pdf p. 74

The Canon of the Holy Scripture and the Apocryphal Books1

[From the same epistle to Exuperius]

96. (7) A brief addition shows what books really are received in the canon. These are the desiderata of which you wished to be informed verbally: of Moses five books, that is, of Genesis, of Exodus, of Leviticus, of Numbers, of Deuteronomy, and Josue, of Judges one book, of Kings four books, and also Ruth, of the Prophets sixteen books, of Solomon five books, the Psalms. Likewise of the histories, Job one book, of Tobias one book, Esther one, Judith one, of the Machabees two, of Esdras two, Paralipomenon two books. Likewise of the New Testament: of the Gospels four books, of Paul the Apostle fourteen epistles, of John three [cf. n. 84, 92] epistles of Peter two, an epistle of Jude, an epistle of James, the Acts of the Apostles, the Apocalypse of John.

Others, however, which were written by a certain Leucius under the name of Matthias or of James the Less, or under the name of Peter and John (or which were written by Nexocharis and Leonidas the philosophers under the name of Andrew), or under the name of Thomas, and if there are any others, you know that they ought not only to be repudiated, but also condemned.

The Baptism of the Paulianists2

[From the epistle (17) "Magna me gratulatio" to Rufus and other bishops of Macedonia, Dec. 13, 414]

97. From the canon of Nicea [n. 56] indeed the Paulianists coming to the Church ought to be baptized, but not the Novatians [see n. 55]: (5) . . . What therefore is distinct in the two heresies themselves, clear reason declares, because the Paulianists do not at all baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and the Novatians do baptize in the same tremendous and venerable names, and among them the question has not ever been raised concerning the unity of the divine power, that is of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

The Minister of Confirmation3

[From the epistle (25) "Si instituta ecclesiastica" to Decentius the Bishop of Gubbio, March 19, 416]

98. (3) But in regard to the signing of little children, it is evident that it may not be done by any other than a bishop. For the presbyters, although

  1. Cst 795 B f.; ML 20, 501 A f.; Msi III 1040 E f.; EB n. 16. ↩

  2. Cst 836 BC; Jf 303; ML 20, 533 B; Msi III 1061 E. ↩

  3. Cst 858 A f.; Jf 311 c. Add.; ML 20, 554 B f.; Msi III 1029 B. ↩