IV. count of his conduct. The flame, thus kindled, CENT. ned. III. The Numidians alleged two important rea- The reasons sons to justify their sentence against Cæcilianus; alleged for as first, that Felix of Aptungus, the chief of the demnation. bishops, who assisted at his consecration, was a traditor (i. e. one of those who, during the persecution under Diocletian, had delivered the sacred writings and the pious books of the Christians to the magistrates in order to be burnt;) and that having thus apostatized from the service of Christ, it was not possible that he could impart the Holy Ghost to the new bishop. A second reason for their sentence against Cæcilianus was drawn from the harshness and even cruelty that he had discovered in his conduct, while he was a deacon, towards the Christian confessors and martyrs during the persecution above-mentioned, whom Dd 2 he 1 IV. PART II. CENT. he abandoned, in the most merciless manner, to all the extremities of hunger and want, leaving them without food in their prisons, and hindering those who were willing to succour them, from bringing them relief. To these accusations they added the insolent contumacy of the new prelate, who refused to obey their summons, and to appear before them in council to justify his conduct. History of the Donatists. There was none of the Numidians who opposed Cæcilianus with such bitterness and vehemence, as Donatus bishop of Casæ nigræ, and hence the whole faction was called after him, as most writers think; though some are of opinion, that they derived this name from another Donatus, whom the Donatists surnamed the Great [e]. This controversy, in a short time, spread far and wide, not only throughout Numidia, but even through all the provinces of Africa, which entered so zealously into this ecclesiastical war, that in most cities there were two bishops, one at the head of Cæcilianus' party, and the other acknowledged by the followers of Majorinus. IV. The Donatists having brought this controversy before Constantine the Great, that emperor, in the year 313, appointed Melchiades, bishop of Rome, to examine the matter, and named three bishops of Gaul to assist him in this inquiry. The result of this examination was favourable to Cæcilianus, who was entirely acquitted of the crimes [e] In the faction of the Donatists, there were two eminent persons of the name of Donatus; the one was a Numidian, and bishop of Casa nigræ; the other succeeded Majorinus, bishop of Carthage, as leader of the Donatists, and received from his sect, on account of his learning and virtue, the title of Donatus the Great. Hence it has been a question among the learned, from which of these the sect derived its name? The arguments that support the different sides of this trivial question are nearly of equal force; and why may we not decide it by supposing that the Donatists were so called from them both? crimes laid to his charge; but the accusations that had been brought against Felix of Aptungus, by whom he was consecrated, were left out of the question. Hence it was, that the emperor, in the year 314, ordered the cause of Felix to be examined separately by Elian, proconsul of Africa, by whose decision he was absolved. The Donatists, whose cause suffered necessarily by these proceedings, complained much of the judgment pronounced by Melchiades and Ælian. The small number of bishops, that had been appointed to I examine their cause jointly with Melchiades, excited, in a particular manner, their reproaches, and even their contempt. They looked upon the decision of seventy venerable Numidian prelates, as infinitely more respectable than that pronounced by nineteen bishops (for such was the number assembled at [f] Rome,) who, besides the inferiority of their number, were not sufficiently acquainted with the African affairs to be competent judges in the present question. The indulgent emperor, willing to remove these specious complaints, ordered a second and a much more numerous assembly to meet at Arles in the year 314, composed of bishops from various provinces, from Italy, Gaul, Germany, and Spain. Here again the Donatists lost their cause, but renewed their efforts by appealing to the immediate judgment of the emperor, who condescended so far, as to admit their appeal; and, in consequence thereof, examined the whole affair himself in the year 316 at Milan, in presence of the contending parties. Dd3 The [f] The emperor, in his letter to Melchiades, named no more than three prelates, viz. Maternus, Rheticius, and Marinus, bishops of Cologn, Autun, and Arles, to sit with him as judges of this controversy; but afterwards he ordered seven more to be added to the number, and as many as could soon and conveniently assemble; so that they were at last nineteen in all. IV. PART IL CENT. The issue of this third trial was not more favourable to the Donatists than that of the two preceding councils, whose decisions the emperor confirmed by the sentence he pronounced [g]. Hence this perverse sect loaded Constantine with the bitterest reproaches, and maliciously complained that Osius, bishop of Cordua, who was honoured with his friendship, and was intimately connected with Cæcilianus, had, by corrupt insinuations, engaged him to pronounce an unrighteous sentence. The emperor, animated with a just indignation at such odious proceedings, deprived the Donatists of their churches in Africa, and sent into banishment their seditious bishops. Nay, he carried his resentment so far as to put some of them to death, probably on account of the intolerable petulence and malignity they discovered, both in their writings and in their discourse. Hence arose violent commotions and tumults in Africa, as the sect of the Donatists was extremely powerful and numerous there. The emperor endeavoured by embassies and negociations, to allay these disturbances, but his efforts were without effect. The origin cumcelli ones. V. These unhappy commotions gave rise, no of the Cir- doubt, to a horrible confederacy of desperate ruffians, who passed under the name of Circumcelliones. This furious, fearless, and bloody set of men, composed of the rough and savage populace, who embraced the party of the Donatists, maintained their cause by the force of arms, and, over [g] The proofs of the supreme power of the emperors, in religious matters, appear so incontestable in this controversy, that it is amazing it should ever have been called in question. Certain it is, that, at this time, the notion of a supreme judge set over the church universal, by the appointment of Christ, never had entered into any one's head. The assemblies of the clergy at Rome and Arles are commonly called councils: but improperly, since, in reality, they were nothing more than meetings of judges, or commissaries appointed by the emperor. over-running all Africa, filled that province with CENT. slaughter and rapine, and committed the most IV. enormous acts of perfidy and cruelty against the PART II followers of Cæcilianus. This outrageous multitude, whom no prospect of sufferings could terrify, and who, upon urgent occasions, faced death itself with the most audacious temerity, contributed to render the sect of the Donatists an object of the utmost abhorrence; though it cannot be made appear, from any records of undoubted authority, that the bishops of that faction, those, at least, who had any reputation for piety and virtue, either approved the proceedings, or stirred up the violence of this odious rabble. In the mean time, the flame of discord gathered strength daily, and seemed to portend the approaching horrors of a civil war; to prevent which, Constantine having tried, in vain, every other method of accommodation, abolished at last, by the advice of the governors of Africa, the laws that had been enacted against the Donatists, and allowed the people a full liberty of adhering to the party they liked the best. defeated. VI. After the death of Constantine the They are Great, his son Constans, to whom Africa was allotted in the division of the empire, sent Macarius and Paulus into that province, with a view to heal this deplorable schism, and to engage the Donatists to conclude a peace. Donatus, surnamed the Great, the principal bishop of that sect, opposed all methods of reconciliation with the utmost vehemence, and his example was followed by the other prelates of the party. The Circumcelliones also continued to support the cause of the Donatists by assassinations and massacres, executed with the most unrelenting fury. They were, however, stopt in their career, and were defeated by Macarius at the battle of Bagnia. Upon this, the affairs of the Donatists declined apace; and |