Favour more plain and expressive: _St._ Cyprian, says he, _presided not only over the Church of_ Carthage, _or that of_ Africa, _on which he reflected an extraordinary Lustre, but over all the West, nay, and over all the Nations of the East, of the North, and the South_[423]. Had _Gregory_ said as much of the Bishop of _Rome_, the Passage had been employed as a Corner-stone to support the Pope’s universal Jurisdiction. [Sidenote: _The famous Dispute about the Baptism of Heretics._] Not long after the Affair of the _Spanish_ Bishops, that is, about the Year 256. according to the most probable Opinion, happened the famous Contest about the Baptism of Heretics, which rent the whole Church into Two Parties, the one headed by St. _Cyprian_, and the other by _Stephen_. St. _Cyprian_ maintained, that Baptism administred by Heretics, was null and invalid; and, consequently, that such as came over from them, from what Sect soever they came, ought to be baptized by a Catholic Minister: he owned there was but one Baptism, and therefore avoided the Word _Rebaptization_; but thought that Heretics had not the Power of conferring it. [Sidenote: _Both Opinions erroneous._] On the other hand, _Stephen_, and those who adhered to him, pretended, that Baptism conferred by Heretics, of whatever Sect or Persuasion, was valid; so that by avoiding one Error, they fell into another; for some Heretics of those Times, namely, the _Montanists_ and _Marcionites_, did not baptize, as is commanded by the Gospel, in the Name of the Three Persons; whence their Baptism was declared null by Two Oecumenical Councils, as I shall relate hereafter. I know great Pains have been taken to excuse _Stephen_; but his own Words, quoted by St. _Cyprian_, from his own Letter to him, can, in my Opinion, admit of no Dispute; for he there forbids, in express Terms, the Baptizing of Heretics, _from what Heresy soever they should come_[424]. And here we may observe, by the way, that the whole Church erred, either at this Time, or afterwards; for afterwards both Opinions were condemned, and both were held at this Time, by the one or the other of the Two Parties, into which the whole Church was divided. The Point in Dispute had been canvassed long before, and differently settled in different Provinces. The Churches of _Africa_ and _Numidia_ had formerly admitted Heretics, without baptizing or rebaptizing them; but the contrary Practice was established in a Council of the Bishops of these Two Provinces, summoned about the Close of the Second Century, by _Agrippinus_ Bishop of _Carthage_[425]. [Sidenote: _The Custom of baptizing Heretics practised by several Churches, and established by Councils_.] The same Practice of baptizing Heretics was followed by the Churches of _Cappadocia_, and the other Provinces of _Asia_, as a Tradition handed down to them from the Apostles Times; whence it was confirmed in a Council, which was held at _Iconium_ in _Phrygia_, about the Year 230. and consisted of all the