commemorate you at the Altar of our Lord. About a month and twenty eight days days after he was departed from the Virgin Pra∣xedes, he fell sick Now our Bishop Pius together with the Virgin Praxedes having a solicitude for all Christians, they enquired where the Man of God Novatus was, since he appeared not in the Congregation: And they were informed that he was detained thence by sicknes: then were all very sorrowfull. Hereupon the Blessed Virgin Pra∣xedes sayd to our Bishop Pius, If it be your Ho∣lines pleasure let us goe to him: for by your visitation and prayers I doe assure my selfe our Lord will save him. Vpon this her proposall it was resolved accordingly: and at night wee together with our Bishop Pius, and the Virgin of our lord Praxedes, went to the Man of our Lord Novatus. And when this Holy man heard that this assem∣bly was come to see him, he gave thanks to our Lord for the comfort he received by the Visitation of the Holy Bishop Pius, together with the Virgin of our Lord, and all the rest of us. Thus wee remained in his house eight days and nights. And during the time we were with him, he expressed his Will and pleasure to be, to bequeath to your selfe and the Blessed-Virgin Praxedes all his estate: and on the thirteenth day following he departed to our Lord. Of these things we together with holy Pius Bishop of the Apostolick See and the Virgin Praxedes, thought meet to give you an account by these our letters, to the end you might acquaint us with your pleasure, how you would have the estate of your Brother Novatus disposed, that your appoint∣ment may in all things be observed. Sent by Euse∣bius a Subdeacon of the holy Roman Church.
3. To this Letter S. Timotheus his Answer follows, though short, yet full of piety and perfum'd with the simplicity and Christian Charity of that age. Timotheus to his Brother and fellow preist Pastor, and to his most holy Sister Praxedes, health. We being desirous in all things without delay to expresse our service, beseech your holines to recommend us to the Memory, and intercession of the Holy Apostles, the holy Bi∣shop Pius, Prelat of the holy Apostolick See, and all the saints. I your humble servant perusing the letter you were pleased to direct to mee, am more abundantly filled with ioy: For my soule always was, and still continues resigned to yours. Wherfore your Holines may take notice, that the same is pleasing to us your servant, which was agreable to our Brother Novatus, namely that what he bequeathed to mee, should be at the disposition of the holy Virgin Praxedes: and there∣fore hereby you have full power to employ the said legacy which way soever shall be thought good by you and the said holy Virgin.
4. Now what was the successe of this holy negotiation appears in the ancient Acts of the same Pastor in these words, Having ther∣fore received this Epistle, we were filled with ioy, and presented it to the Holy Bishop Pius, to be read by him. Then the blessed Bishop Pius gave thanks to God the Father Almighty. At the same time the holy Virgin of our Lord Praxedes, ha∣ving received such power (from her Brother Timotheus) humbly besought the Blessed Bi∣shop Pius that he would dedicate a Church in the Baths of Novatus, at that time not frequented: because in them there was a large and spacious Edifice. To this request Bishop Pius willingly yeilded, and dedicated a Church in the Baths of Novatus at Rome in the street calld The Brick∣layers street, where likewise he constituted a Ro∣man Title, and consecrated a Font for Baptism on the fourth of the Ides of May.
5. These Bathes here named from Nova∣tus, have elsewhere their title from S. Ti∣motheus, being situated on the Mountain at Rome call'd Viminal. To this place it was, before a Church was solemnly consecrated, that Christians usually repaired, but pri∣vately, for the celebration of holy Christian Mysteries: as we find in the Acts of S. Iustin the Philosopher and Martyr: For being exa∣mined by the Prefect of Rome concerning the place in which the Christians made their Assemblies, his answer was, I have hi∣therto had my abode near the house of one Mar∣tius, at the Bath named The Timothin-bath. For which Assemblies, having been forbid by the Emperour, the same Iustin four years after suffred Martyrdom.
6. Now Wheras in this relation made by the holy Preist Pastor, there is mention of a Roman Title constituted by Pope Pius; we may observe that in the first infancy of the Church, those who were ordained Preists to celebrate Divine Mysteries, were not confined to any fixed residence, but exercised their function in severall places, as occasion presented it selfe: But about the year of our Lord one hundred and twelve S. Evaristus Pope assign'd to each Preist a peculiar Cure and Parish in Rome, which were called Tituli, or Titles, so named from the Ensigns or Marks set on the places where they assembled: which in the ancient Churches were Crosses, erected to signify that such buildings were appropriated to Christian Worship.