Baptist History, Heritage and Distinctives – Novatian (200 – 258 AD) – Father of the Cathari – Part One of Three

Thomas E Kresal Admin · 4d August 20, 2020

Baptist History, Heritage and Distinctives – Novatian (200 – 258 AD) – Father of the Cathari – Part One of Three

The time and place of the birth of Novatian is not known with certainty. He was, in his younger days, a Stoic Philosopher, but after his arrival in Rome, he obtained a hope and embraced Christianity. He seems to have been received into the church at Rome under peculiar circumstances, and there appears to have been great objections made to the manner of his baptism at that time. Being seized with sudden illness which was supposed to be fatal, he received what was called clinical baptism, that is, baptism on the sick bed, water being poured upon him and his bed. This was not scriptural baptism, which was clearly indicated by the opposition made at that early day to its validity.

Whether or not Novatian was afterwards properly baptized is not known, but the reasonable supposition is that he was. He became a presbyter or elder at Rome, and when a controversy arose in the church at that place regarding the reinstatement, upon their confession, of those who had left the church and denied the faith under persecutions, Novatian took a strong stand against the readmission of such as had thus violated their baptismal vows. He earnestly contended for church purity, maintaining that one of the essential marks of a true church is holiness of character on the part of its membership, which gained for his followers the name of Cathari (Puritans). He argued that any church which neglected the right exercise of church discipline, and tolerated in its bosom those guilty of gross sins, ceased, by that very act, to be a true church of Christ.

Presented by Thomas E. Kresal from: Elder John R. Daily, Primitive Monitor, 1897, pp. 229-231.