Chapter 19.—32. Felix of Bagai1653
| 1653 Bagai, in church province of Numidia. See on I. 5. 7. Among the many of the name of Felix in the letters of Cyprian, lvi., lvii., lxvii; title 1, 6, lxx., lxxvi. bis, lxxvii., lxxix., title and text, it would be unsafe to decide a sure reference to distinguish between this and the other bishops of the same cognomen in this council.
|
said: "As when the
blind leads the
blind, both fall into the
ditch,
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so when a heretic baptizes a heretic, both fall together into
death."
33. This is true, but it does not follow that what he adds is true. "And therefore," he says, "the heretic must be baptized and brought to life, lest we who are alive should hold communion with the dead."1655
| 1655 Conc. Carth. sec. 12.
|
Were they not dead who said, "Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we
die?"
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for they did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. Those then who were
corrupted by their
evil communications, and followed them, were not they likewise falling with them into the
pit? And yet among them there were men to whom the
apostle was writing as being already
baptized; nor would they, therefore, if they were corrected, be
baptized afresh. Does not the same
apostle say, "To be
carnally-
minded is
death?"
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and certainly the covetous, the
deceivers, the robbers, in the midst of whom Cyprian himself was groaning, were
carnally-
minded. What then? Did the dead hurt him who was living in unity? Or who would say, that because such men had or gave the baptism of Christ, that it was therefore violated by their iniquities?
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