Novatian, a priest of the Roman Church in the 3d century, and the leader of a sect called after his name. The place and time of his birth are not known with certainty. Novatian is said to have been a stoic philosopher, but after his arrival in Rome was converted to Christianity, and, being seized with sudden illness while still a catechumen, received what was called clinical baptism—i.e. baptism administered on a sick-bed and without the solemn ceremonial. Such baptism was in ordinary circumstances an impediment to holy orders. Notwithstanding this irregular baptism, Novatian was promoted to orders by Fabian the Roman bishop, and soon acquired great reputation by his learning and eloquence. Soon after the Decian persecution a great controversy arose about the manner of dealing with the lapsed—i.e. those who fell away during persecution. Novatian at first inclined to the milder side, but on the election of Cornelius to the Roman bishopric (March 251), and on Cornelius taking the indulgent course towards the lapsed, Novatian, together with Novatus and some other discontented priests of Carthage, opposed his authority, and eventually Novatian was chosen by a small party and actually ordained bishop in opposition to Cornelius. The party who espoused his cause was called by his name. They were confined mainly, in the first instance, to Rome and to Carthage, where a similar conflict had arisen. They held that in the grievous sin of idolatry through fear of persecution the church had no power to absolve the penitent; and therefore, although it does not appear that they excluded such sinners from all hope of heaven, yet they denied the lawfulness of readmitting them to the communion of the church. This doctrine they extended at a later period to all grievous sins of whatever character. In this view the church was merely a community of saints whose very existence is endangered by the presence of one sinner. Cyprian (q.v.), at first rigorous against the lapsed, gradually abated his severity.
Novatian may thus be regarded as the first anti-pope. The churches throughout Italy, Africa, and the East adhered to Cornelius; but the Novatian party set up bishops and established churches not only at Carthage, but at Constantinople, Alexandria, Nicomedia, in Phrygia, Gaul, Spain, and elsewhere. They claimed for themselves a character of especial purity, and assumed the appellation of Cathari (Puritans). The time and manner of the death of Novatian is uncertain. According to Socrates he died a martyr in the persecution of Valerian, but this is improbable. His sect survived long after his death. An unsuccessful effort was made in the Council of Nice to reunite them to the church; and traces of them are still discoverable in the East down to the end of the 6th century. See the Letters of Cyprian, Eusebius; also Walch's Ketzerhistorie (vol. ii.).