For with Novatian we are reasonably indignant, seeing that he has cut the Church in two and dragged certain of the brethren into impieties and blasphemies and introduced the most unholy teaching about God and accuses the most gracious Jesus Christ our Lord of being without pity,9898See above, p. 53. and besides all this sets at 59 nought the holy laws and overthrows the confession of faith before baptism,9999A confession of faith has always been required before baptism: this Novatian virtually ignored by his action. and altogether banishes the Holy Spirit from them, even though there were some hope of His remaining or even of His returning to them.100100Here as elsewhere Dionysius shows his breadth of view about God in recognizing that the Holy Spirit might in some measure remain even with the lapsed.