Jarrel - Baptist Church Perpetuity - Landmark Baptist

Says W.W. Everts, Jr.:
CHAPTER 9. — THE NOVATIANS.
“A century later than Montanus, 250 A.D., there was converted at Rome, on
what seemed his dying bed, and amid severe conflicts, a distinguished Pagan
philosopher, named Novatian. The genuineness of this conversion was
attested, not only by his learned treatises — which, in Neander’s estimation,
rank him as the most distinguished of the early theologians of Rome — but,
by his life of stern self-denial and his death by martyrdom. He renewed the
moral protest of Montanus.” f129
The Novatians extended throughout:
“the Roman Empire, from Armenia to Numedia, in Spain. They were
especially strong in Phrygeia, where the Montanists fused with them, and in
the great cities, Constantinople, Alexandria, Carthage and Rome.” f130
“The occasion of the schism was the election of Cornelius bishop of Rome.
Novatian was elected by a minority who objected to the lax discipline favored
by Cornelius.” f130
Scriptural church discipline, consecrated church membership and church
purity, being the issues between Cornelius and Novatian, in their candidacy for
the pastorate of the church of Rome, the election of Cornelius was equivalent
to a repudiation, by the majority of that church, of these marks of a scriptural
Church. There being no other course left, the scriptural minority of that church,
led by Novatian, withdrew fellowship from the unscriptural majority. In
Baptist church life this has often since been done. Baptist councils and civil
courts, whenever they have been called upon to decide which is the original
church, have invariably decided it is that party which stands upon the original
platform. f131
The charge that the division was caused by Novatian’s ambition and jealousy
is the attempt of Cornelius to shield himself and his apostate party.
(1.) From the great issue which historians agree to have divided them, the
charge is evidently false.
(2.) Historians exonerate Novatian and his people from this charge. Instead of
jealousy being the ground on which Novatian and his people withdrew
fellowship from Cornelius and his party the biographer of Socrates, the church
historian of the fourth century, who did not belong to the Novatians, says:
“Socrates takes no notice whatever of the declaration of Cornelius, that
Novatian separated from ecclesiastical communion through jealousy, because