CHAP. VII. Concerning the most execrable Errour of the Here∣ticks, and concerning the vision sent from God which appeared to Dionysius, and the Ecclesiastick Canon he received.
THE same Dionysius in his third Epistle, con∣cerning Baptism, written to Philemon Pres∣byter of the Church of Rome, annexeth these words:
I have read over the books and tra∣ditions of the Hereticks, defiling my mind for a little while with their most accursed inven∣tions: Indeed, I received this advantage from them, that I can the better confute them in my own thoughts, and do grow to a greater de∣testation of them. And when one of my bro∣ther Presbyters prohibited me, fearing least I should be mixed and disordered with the filth of their wickedness; (for he said my mind would be defiled, and truly I was sensible he said true:) a vision sent from God corroborated me. And a voice came to me, which gave me this express command, saying; Read all things that thou shalt take into thy hands, for thou art able to search into, and to examine every thing, and this was the principal cause of thy becoming a Christian: I gladly received the vision, as being consonant with the a 1.1 Words of the A∣postle, who speaketh thus to those who are able, Be ye skilful * 1.2 Examiners.Afterwards, having spoken something concerning all the Heresies, he continues saying;
I received this Rule and Canon from Heraclas our blessed Pope. For those who were Converts from Heresies, (al∣though they were b 1.3 Apostates from the Church; or rather not Apostates, but seemingly assembled themselves, and were privately discovered to frequent any of the Heterodox teachers) he excommunicated, and would not again admit them into the Church although they intreated him, before they had made a publick confession of what they had heard from the ••dverse party. And then he again admitted them to commu∣nion, but thought no second Baptism was re∣quisite for them, because they had before re∣ceived holy * 1.4 [Baptism] from him.Again, after a copious discourse upon this question, he ••hus concludes.
This furthermore I understand, that the Africans of this Age were not the onely introducers of this custom, but this was establisht long before by Bishops, who were before our Age, in their most populous Assem∣blies, and in the c 1.5 Synods of the Brethren at Iconium, and at Synnada, and amongst many other persons; whose sentiments and determi∣nations I will by no means overthrow, nor ex∣cite them to contention and strife. For it is