CANON VII.

THOSE who from heresy turn to orthodoxy, and to the portion of those who 

are being saved, we receive according to the following method and 

custom: Arians, and Macedonians, and Sabbatians, and Novatians, who call 

themselves Cathari or Aristori, and Quarto-decimans or Tetradites, and 

Apollinarians, we receive, upon their giving a written renunciation [of 

their errors] and anathematize every heresy which is not in accordance 

with the Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church of God. Thereupon, they 

are first sealed or anointed with the holy oil upon the forehead, eyes, 

nostrils, mouth, and ears; and when we seal them, we say, "The Seal of 

the gift of the Holy Ghost." But Eunomians, who are baptized with only 

one immersion, and Montanists, who are here called Phrygians, and 

Sabellians, who teach the identity of Father and Son, and do sundry 

other mischievous things, and [the partisans of] all other heresies--for 

there are many such here, particularly among those who come from the 

country of the Galatians:--all these, when they desire to turn to 

orthodoxy, we receive as heathen. On the first day we make them 

Christians; on the second, catechumens; on the third, we exorcise them 

by breathing thrice in their face and ears; and thus we instruct them 

and oblige them to spend some time in the Church, and to hear the 

Scriptures; and then we baptize them.

NOTES.

ANCIENT EPITOME OF CANON VII.(note 1 - this can brokedn into two by 

Ancient Epitome)

Quarto-decimans or Tetradites, Arians, Macedonians, Sabbatians, and 

Apollinarians ought to be received with their books and anointed in all 

their organs of sense.

ANCIENT EPITOME OF CANON VIII.

Eunomians baptized with one immersion, Sabellians, and Phrygians are to 

be received as heathen.

ARISTEMUS (in Can. vij.).

Those giving  up their books and execrating every heresy are received 

with only anointing with chrism of the eyes, the nostrils, the   ears, 

the mouth, and the brow; and signing them with the words, "The Seal of 

the gift of the Holy Ghost."

For the "Cathari," see Notes on Canon viii. of I. Nice.

HAMMOND.

Sabbatians. Sabbatius was a presbyter who adopted the sentiments of 

Novatius, but as it is clear from the histories of Socrates and Sozomen, 

that he did not do so till at least eight years after the celebration of 

this council, it is of course equally clear that this canon could not 

have been framed by this council.

Aristeri. This is probably a false reading for Aristi, i.e. the best. In 

the letter above mentioned the expression is Cathari and Catheroteri, 

i.e. the pure, and the more pure.

The Quarto-decimans, or Tetradites, were those persons who persisted in 

observing the Easter festival with the Jews, on the fourteenth day of 

the first month, whatever day of the week it happened to be.

Montanists. One of the older sects, so called from Montanus, who 

embraced Christianity in the second century. He professed to be inspired 

in a peculiar way by the Holy Ghost, and to prophesy. He was supported   

in his errors by two women, Priscilla and Maximilla, who also pretended 

to prophesy. His heresy infected many persons, amongst others 

Tertullian, but being condemned by the Church. his followers formed a 

sect remarkable for extreme austerity. But although they asserted that 

the Holy Ghost had inspired Montanus to introduce a system of greater 

perfection than the Church had before known, and condemned those who 

would not join them as carnal, they did not at first innovate in any of 

the articles of the Creed. This sect lasted a long time, and spread much 

in Phrygia and the neighbouring districts, whence they were called 

Phryges and Cata-phryges, and latterly adopted the errors of Sabellius 

respecting the Trinity.

The other heresies mentioned in this canon   have been treated of in the 

excursus to Canon j.