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much time to enter on the history of these most difficult questions, and the various arguments which have been used in support of each. They are questions which involve vital consequences, and therefore have deservedly employed the learning and research of innumerable doctors of the Church.

The hatred of the Donatists to the Catholics was also very remarkable. Whenever they gained possession of a church which had belonged to the orthodox, they used various ceremonies to purify it from the defilement which, as they supposed, it had contracted. The vessels and cloths used in the service of the altar were washed; the pavement and walls were scraped; and the altar itself was frequently destroyed. They had not yet attained sufficient power to show their hatred in a more dangerous way. In re-baptizing the Catholics they showed still more fearfully how far astray their opposition to the Church had carried them. In the use of the form of exorcism, which in ancient times accom-panied baptism, they thus addressed the spirit which dwelt in the catechumen, "Depart from him, thou cursed one!" One trembles to write, that in all Catholics whom they thus exorcised that spirit was the good Spirit of God! The sect was confined chiefly to Africa. A few members of it were found in Rome, but its chief seat was in Mauritania and Numidia. It was alleged, in proof of its uncatholic condition, that only two languages were spoken in its communion, the Punic and the Latin. Whereas the Catholic Church embraces every nation and language.

In 316, the year after Constantine had finally con

demned the sect, Majorinus the schismatical bishop of Carthage died; and Donatus, a man of austere life, succeeded him. He was famed for his learning and eloquence; and some imagine that from him the name of Donatists was derived, and not from Donatus, bishop of Casa-nigra. He is described as a man of great ambition, and of a vain and passionate temper. From this time the number of his party rapidly increased; till in 330 we read of a Donatist council at Carthage, which consisted of two hundred and seventy bishops.

As the party increased in numbers it was not at first divided into sects of any great importance ; till, after having existed for nearly a century, two great divisions arose in the parties of the Primianists and Maximianists. Besides these, there were small bodies who separated from the great sect, but never seriously diminished its numbers. Such, sooner or later, is the inevitable fate of all schismatical bodies ; for those whom the authority of the Catholic Church could not keep in obedience and unity of faith, can never be very long held together by the weak ties of a party. Each sect was named from its founder; and each claimed to be the only true Church, and rebaptized all who came to it. Nearly five hundred bishops were included under the general name of Donatists at that period, separated among these various sects. A most mischievous party of fanatics, the Circumcellians, appeared in 347. They seem to have belonged to the great Donatist body, and devoted themselves, as they said, to martyrdom; and after living a life of great indulgence and licence for several months, threw themselves from steep rocks and into rivers, hoping thus to obtain the crown of martyrdom. They often tried to compel travellers to murder them, by threatening them with death if they refused. As they increased in numbers, the disorders and confusion in the country which they infested became intolerable. Immorality of every kind began to prevail, and the arm of the law was often required to put down the disturbances which they created. Severe measures were resorted to against them by Constantine, Valentinian, Gratian, and Theodosius the Great.

In 347 the Arians endeavoured to take advantage of the Donatist schism to increase their own party, but without success. In 348 the Emperor Constantius sent two persons, Paul and Macarius, into Africa, to distribute his bounties, and if possible to restore harmony. Macarius suppressed the rebellious Circumcellians, who had risen in open revolt. He banished the obstinate bishops, and by great exertions reduced the party to the last extremity. This depression lasted from 348 till 362. It may be considered the second stage in this miserable schism, when, scattered by the arm of human power, and its chief abettors in exile, it seemed wholly extinguished. But, as if to show the weakness of such aid even in the defence of truth, it was permitted once more to gather strength, only to make the triumph of the Faith more complete.

In 362 the banished bishops petitioned Julian the Apostate to restore them to their country, and to their former privileges in it. This request he readily granted, as it tended to weaken the Christian party by internal discord. Dreadful were the outrages which the triumphant Donatists committed on their return to Africa. They attacked the Catholics with savage violence, and having driven them out of their churches, they profaned and demolished the sacred buildings; melting down the holy vessels, and exposing the metal to public sale; and even throwing the blessed Eucharist to the dogs. Whatever had been used by the Catholics was doomed to destruction. It was at this crisis that the first great champion of the cause of truth appeared, with no other weapon than the persuasive eloquence of his writings. Parmenian, the schismatical successor of Donatus in Carthage had written an elaborate defence of his party. This roused the energy of S. Optatus, Catholic bishop of Milevetum, who, in a masterly reply, refuted all the arguments of his adversary, and turned them against himself. From his own principle, that there is but one Church and one Baptism, he established the claim of the Catholic Church to the privileges of both. This work appeared about the year 370. Ten years afterwards, the Emperor Gratian ordered the Donatists to restore their churches to the Catholics. But they soon recovered their former power, and renewed their persecutions with more than their former cruelty. When S. Augustin first came to Hippo, about 390, the schismatical bishop Faustinus had laid an interdict upon any bread being baked in the city for the Catholics. The fury of the schismatics was then at its height; but S. Augustin immediately devoted himself to oppose them in every way; by writing against them, by private conferences, and by preaching throughout his diocese the doctrines of the Catholic faith. He

soon began to make a visible impression on the minds of the people, which increased the fury of the Donatists so much, that they publicly declared that it would be an acceptable service to God to kill him. Troops of Circumcellians laid wait for him; and once he escaped only by his guide missing the way. Yet he often interceded for them when they were condemned by the civil authority to fine and imprisonment; and he exhorted the Catholics to labour for their conversion by prayer and fasting. He was assisted by the Emperor Honorius in his exertions to gather a conference of bishops at Carthage, which at length opened in June 411. The whole number of Catholic bishops in Africa at that time has been computed at four hundred and seventy. The Donatist bishops, of whom nearly all were present at Carthage during the conference, belonged only to the great body; for among the sects there were nearly as many more. Two hundred and eighty-six Catholic bishops on one side were arrayed against the two hundred and seventy-nine of the schismatical party on the other. Seven bishops were chosen from each side to conduct the debates; four more were appointed to superintend and observe the notaries who wrote down all that passed; and an additional council of seven bishops on each side was named for reference in difficulties. The tribune Marcellinus presided. The remaining Catholic bishops devoted themselves to retirement, prayer, fasting, and almsdeeds. When the debates began, the Donatists refused to be seated in the company of their adversaries. After the arguments on either side were concluded, Marcellinus pronounced sentence on the

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