deacons and sub-deacons, should not cohabit with the wife espoused before they had entered the priesthood. But Paphnutius, the confessor [that is, one who had confessed, even under torture, that he was a believer in the Christian faith], stood up and testified against this proposition. He said, that marriage was honorable and chaste, and advised the Synod not to frame a law which would be difficult to observe, and which might serve as an occasion of incontinence to them and their wives; and he reminded them, that, according to the ancient tradition of the church, those, who were unmarried when they entered the communion of sacred orders, were required to remain so, but, that those who were married, were not to put away their wives. Such was the advice of Paphnutius, although he was, himself, unmarried; and, in accordance with it, the Synod refrained from enacting the proposed law, but left the matter to the decision of individual judgment."
THE MELETIANS DEGRADED, ETC.
It was decreed, that Meletius[1] might remain in
- ↑ Concerning Meletius and his schism we have the following accounts:
He was ordained a bishop, and dwelt in the city of Lycus, called also Lycopolis, in the Thebaid (now included in Egypt). In rank, he stood next to the bishop of Alexandria, and was in high repute until a little while before A. D. 306, when he began to disseminate the doctrine that all, who had violated, in any way, their fidelity to the Christian faith under persecutions,—that is, who had denied the faith to escape punishment,—ought to be excluded from the fellowship of the Church until the perfect restoration of peace (this being a time of persecution), and then, upon sincere contrition, to be shown by proper penances, they might first obtain forgiveness from the Church. But Peter maintained that it was not advisable to wait for the end of the persecution, and that the repentant should at once be admitted to suitable penances, and so be restored.
