The _African_ Bishops no sooner acknowleged _Cornelius_ than they acquainted him with the Resolutions, which they had taken in their late Council, with respect to the Lapsed. [Sidenote: _Resolutions of the Council of_ Africa _concerning the Lapsed_.] The Substance of these was, That such as had yielded to the Fury of the Persecution ought not to be abandoned, lest, giving themselves up to Despair, they should fall into a total Apostasy; but should be re-admitted to the Union of the Church upon a sincere Repentance, and after a long Penance; that the Time of their Penance should be shortened, or prolonged, according to the Nature of their Crimes; that is, the _Libellatici_ should have a shorter Time assigned them; and the _Sacrificati_, called also _Thurificati_, who had actually offered Sacrifice, or Frankincense, to Idols, should not be admitted till they had expiated their Offence by a very long Penance; but that both the _Libellatici_ and _Sacrificati_ should be taken in, before the Time of their Penance was expired, if at the Point of Death, or even thought to be in Danger[360]. As to fallen Bishops, they were to be dealt with in the same Manner; and, after due Penance, or, as it is sometimes called, Satisfaction, be admitted only in a Lay Capacity[361]. _Cornelius_ did not, upon the Receipt of these Determinations or Decrees, step into his oracular Chair, and thence, as an infallible Judge, condemn or approve them. Such arbitrary Proceedings would not have been well relished by the Bishops of _Africa_, nor even by his own Clergy, who not long before had declared, That _a Decree could not be binding without the Consent and Approbation of many_. [Sidenote: _Which are approved by the Council of_ Rome.] He therefore acted on this Occasion as St. _Cyprian_ had done, as other Bishops did afterwards; that is, he assembled a Council, which _Eusebius_ calls _a great Council_[362]; for it consisted of Sixty Bishops, and a great Number of Priests, Deacons, and Laymen, who, in those Times, were admitted to all Councils[363]. By this Venerable Assembly were the Decrees of the Council of _Africa_ examined and approved, and then sent to be in like manner examined and approved by other Bishops, till the whole Church had agreed to them[364]. [Sidenote: Novatian _excommunicated_.]