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Chapter 12.—22.  Pomponius of Dionysiana 1791 said:  "It is manifest that heretics cannot baptize and give remission of sins, seeing that no power is given to them that they should be able either to loose or bind anything on earth." 1792

23.  The answer is:  This power is not given to murderers either, that is, to those who hate their brothers.  For it was not said to such as these, "whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained." 1793   And yet they baptize, and both Paul tolerates them in the same communion of baptism, and Cyprian acknowledges them.


Footnotes

503:1791

Dionysiana was in ecclesiastical province of Byzacium.  The name of Pomponius occurs in Cypr. Epp. iv., lvii., lxvii., lxx.

503:1792

Conc. Carth. sec. 48.

503:1793

John xx. 23.


Next: Chapter 13