things is, that I have not accepted what you urged in your defence. Nay, rather my reason is, that if I were to say nothing regarding these things, I would be guilty of that for which I TO HIS BROTHER EMERITUS, BELOVED AND LONGED

could urge nothing in my defence before God. I know your abilities; but even a man of dull 1. I know that it is not on the possession of mind is kept from disquietude if he sets his good talents and a liberal education that the affections on heavenly things, whereas a man of salvation of the soul depends; but when I hear acute mind has this gift in vain if he set his affections on earthly things. The office of a bishop is not designed to enable one to spend a life of vanity. The Lord God, who has closed against you all the ways by which you were disposed to make Him minister to your gain, in order that He may guide you, if you but understand Him, into that way, with a view to the pursuit of which that holy responsibility was laid upon you, will Himself teach you what I now say.

TO MY NOBLE LORD CECILIANUS, MY SON TRULY I do not know. For it is not disputed that the

only that he do not encourage him in his wickedness, but by a good conscience disallowing his conduct keep himself apart from him. It is therefore obvious that, to be art and part with or receive with approbation what he has stolen. This I say in order to remove out of the way endless and unnecessary questions concerning the conduct of men, which are wholly irrelevant when advanced against our position.

2. For it is quite another question whether or not there be truth in the assertions made by you. These assertions we disprove by documents much more worthy of credit than those which you bring forward, and we further find in your a thief, one must either help him in the theft, own documents more abundant proof of those positions which you assail. But this is, as I have said, another question altogether, to be taken up and discussed when necessary. Meanwhile, let your mind give special attention to this: that no one can be involved in the guilt of unknown crimes committed by persons unknown to him. Whence it is manifest that you have been guilty of impious schism in separating yourselves from the communion of the whole world, to which the things charged, whether truly or falsely, by you against some men in Africa, have been and still are wholly unknown; although this also should not be forgotten, that even when known and discovered, bad men do not harm the good who are in a Church, if either the power of restraining them from communion be wanting, or the interests of the Church's peace forbid this to be done. For who were those who, according to the prophet Ezekiel,' obtained the reward of being marked before the destruction of the wicked, and of escaping unhurt when they were destroyed, but those who sighed and cried for the sins and iniquities of the people of God which were done in the midst of them? Now who sighs and cries for that which is unknown to him? On the same principle, the Apostle Paul bears with false brethren. For it is not of persons unknown to him that he says, "All seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's;" yet these persons he shows plainly to have been beside him. And to what class do the men belong who have chosen rather to burn incense to idols or surrender the divine books than to suffer death, if not to those who "seek their own, not the things of Jesus Christ "?

3. I omit many proofs which I might give from Scripture, that I may not make this letter longer than is needful; and I leave many more things to be considered by yourself in the light of your own learning. But I beseech you mark this, which is quite enough to decide the whole question: If so many transgressors in the one nation, which was then the Church of God, did not make those who were associated with them to be guilty like themselves; if that multitude of false brethren did not make the Apostle Paul, who was a member of the same Church with them, a seeker not of the things of Jesus Christ, but of his own, it is manifest that a man is not made wicked by the wickedness of any one with whom he goes to the altar of Christ, even though he be not unknown to him, provided

1 Ch. ix. 4-6.

4. If, however, you do not agree with what I have said, you involve the whole of your party in the reproach of being such men as Optatus was, while, notwithstanding your knowledge of his crimes, he was tolerated in communion with you; and far be it from me to say this of such a man as Emeritus, and of others of like integrity among you, who are, I am sure, wholly averse to such deeds as disgraced him. For we do not lay any charge against you but the one of schism, which by your obstinate persistence in it you have now made heresy. How great this crime is in the judgment of God Himself, you may see by reading what without doubt you have read ere now. You will find that Dathan and Abiram were swallowed up by an opening of the earth beneath them, and that all the others who had conspired with them were devoured by fire breaking forth in the midst of them. As a warning to men to shun this crime, the Lord God signalized its commission with this immediate punishment, that He might show what He reserves for the final recompense of persons guilty of a similar transgression, whom His great forbearance spares for a time. We do not, indeed, find fault with the reasons by which you excuse your tolerating Optatus among you. We do not blame you, because at the time when he was denounced for his furious conduct in the mad abuse of power, when he was impeached by the groans of all Africa, — groans in which you also shared, if you are what good report declares you to be, a report which, God knows, I most willingly believe, you forbore from excommunicating him, lest he should under such sentence draw away many with him, and rend your communion asunder with the frenzy of schism. But this is the thing which is itself an indictment against you at the bar of God, O brother Emeritus, that although you saw that the division of the party of Donatus was so great an evil, that it was thought better that Optatus should be tolerated in your communion than that division should be introduced among you, you nevertheless perpetuate the evil which was wrought in the division of the Church of Christ by your forefathers.

5. Here perhaps you will be disposed, under

2 Num. xvi. 31-35.

the exigencies of debate, to attempt to defend of themselves a council, and placed the whole Optatus. Do not so, I beseech you; do not so, Christian world except themselves under senmy brother: it would not become you; and if tence of excommunication. Have you come so it would perchance be seemly for any one to do to judge of things, as to affirm that the council it (though, in fact, nothing is seemly which is of the followers of Maximianus who were cut wrong), it assuredly would be unseemly for off from you, as you were cut off from the Emeritus to defend Optatus. Perhaps you reply Church, was of no authority against you, because that it would as little become you to accuse him. their number was small compared with yours; Granted, by all means. Take, then, the course and yet claim for your council an authority which lies between defending and accusing him. against the nations, which are the inheritance Say, "Every man shall bear his own burden;" "of Christ, and the ends of the earth, which are "Who art thou that judgest another man's ser- His possession? I wonder if the man who vant?" If, then, notwithstanding the testi- does not blush at such pretensions has any blood mony of all Africa, -nay more, of all regions in his body. Write me, I beseech you, in reply to which the name of Gildo was carried, for to this letter; for I have heard from some, on Optatus was not less notorious than he,-you whom I could not but rely, that you would have not dared to pronounce judgment concern- write me an answer if I were to address a letter ing Optatus, lest you should rashly decide in to you. Some time ago, moreover, I sent you regard to one unknown to you, is it, I ask, either a letter; but I do not know whether you received possible or right for us, proceeding solely on it or answered it, and perhaps your reply did not your testimony, to pronounce sentence rashly reach me. Now, however, I beg you not to reupon persons whom we do not know? Is it not fuse to answer this letter, and state what you enough that you should charge them with things think. But do not occupy yourself with other of which you have no certain knowledge, with- questions than the one which I have stated, for out our pronouncing them guilty of things of this is the leading point of a well-ordered diswhich we know as little as yourselves? For cussion of the origin of the schism. even though Optatus were in peril through the 7. The civil powers defend their conduct in falsehood of detractors, you defend not him, persecuting schismatics by the rule which the but yourself, when you say, "I do not know apostle laid down: "Whoso resisteth the power, what his character was." How much more ob- resisteth the ordinance of God; and they that vious, then, is it that the Eastern world knows resist shall receive to themselves judgment. For nothing of the character of those Africans with rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the whom, though much less known to you than evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? Optatus, you find fault! Yet you are disjoined Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise by scandalous schism from Churches in the East, of the same: for he is the minister of God to the names of which you have and you read in thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, the sacred books. If your most famous and be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain : most scandalously notorious Bishop of Thamu- for he is the minister of God, a revenger to exegada 3 was at that very time not known to his cute wrath upon him that doeth evil."5 The colleague, I shall not say in Cæsarea, but in whole question therefore is, whether schism be Sitifa, so close at hand, how was it possible for not an evil work, or whether you have not caused the Churches of Corinth, Ephesus, Colosse, Phi- schism, so that your resistance of the powers lippi, Thessalonica, Antioch, Pontus, Galatia, that be is in a good cause and not in an evil Cappadocia, and others which were founded in work, whereby you would bring judgment on Christ by the apostles, to know the case of these yourselves. Wherefore with infinite wisdom the African traditors, whoever they were; or how Lord not merely said, "Blessed are they who was it consistent with justice that they should are persecuted," but added, "for righteousness' be condemned by you for not knowing it? Yet sake."" I desire therefore to know from you, with these Churches you hold no communion. in the light of what I have said above, whether You say they are not Christian, and you labour it be a work of righteousness to originate and to rebaptize their members. What need I say? perpetuate your state of separation from the What complaint, what protest is necessary here? Church. I desire also to know whether it be If I am addressing a right-hearted man, I know not rather a work of unrighteousness to condemn that with you I share the keenness of the indignation which I feel. For you doubtless see at once what I might say if I would.

6. Perhaps, however, your forefathers formed

1 Gal. vi. 5.

2 Rom. xiv. 4.

3 Optatus.

unheard the whole Christian world, either because it has not heard what you have heard, or because no proof has been furnished to it of charges which were rashly believed, or without

4 Ps. ii. 8.

5 Rom. xiii. 2-4.
6 Matt. v. 10.

sufficient evidence advanced by you, and to propose on this ground to baptize a second time the members of so many churches founded by the preaching and labours either of the Lord Himself while He was on earth, or of His apostles; and all this on the assumption that it is excusable for you either not to know the wickedness of your African colleagues who are living beside you, and are using the same sacraments with you, or even to tolerate their misdeeds when known, lest the party of Donatus should be divided, but that it is inexcusable for them, though they reside in most remote regions, to be ignorant of what you either know, or believe, or have heard, or imagine, concerning men in Africa. How great is the perversity of those who cling to their own unrighteousness, and yet find fault with the severity of the civil powers!

on their account forsake the Catholic Church because we are unable to separate the wheat from the chaff before the final winnowing, especially since you yourselves have not forsaken the Donatist party on account of Optatus, when you had not courage to excommunicate him for his crimes.

9. You say, however, "Why seek to have us joined to you, if we be thus stained with guilt?" I reply: Because you still live, and may, if you are willing, be restored. For when you join yourselves to us, i.e. to the Church of God, the heritage of Christ, who has the ends of the earth as his possession, you are restored so that you live in vital union with the Root. For the apostle says of the branches which were broken off: "God is able to graff them in again." We exhort you to change, in so far as concerns your 8. You answer, perhaps, that Christians ought dissent from the Church; although, as to the not to persecute even the wicked. Be it so; let sacraments which you had, we admit that they us admit that they ought not: but is it lawful to are holy, since they are the same in all. Wherelay this objection in the way of the powers which fore we desire to see you changed from your obare ordained for this very purpose? Shall we stinacy, that is, in order that you who have been erase the apostle's words? Or do your Mss. not cut off may be vitally united to the Root again. contain the words which I mentioned a little For the sacraments which you have not changed while ago? But you will say that we ought not are approved by us as you have them; else, in to communicate with such persons. What then? our attempting to correct your sin, we should do Did you withdraw, some time ago, from com- impious wrong to those mysteries of Christ which munion with the deputy Flavianus, on the ground have not been deprived of their worth by your of his putting to death, in his administration of unworthiness. For even Saul did not, with all the laws, those whom he found guilty? Again, his sins, destroy the efficacy of the anointing you will say that the Roman emperors are incited which he received; to which anointing David, against you by us. Nay, rather blame yourselves that pious servant of God, showed so great refor this, seeing that, as was long ago foretold in spect. We therefore do not insist upon rebapthe promise concerning Christ, "Yea, all kings tizing you, because we only wish to restore to shall fall down before him," they are now mem- you connection with the Root: the form of the bers of the Church; and you have dared to branch which has been cut off we accept with wound the Church by schism, and still presume approval, if it has not been changed; but the to insist upon rebaptizing her members. Our branch, however perfect in its form, cannot bear brethren indeed demand help from the powers fruit, except it be united to the root. As to the which are ordained, not to persecute you, but to persecution, so gentle and tempered with clemprotect themselves against the lawless acts of ency, which you say you suffer at the hands of violence perpetrated by individuals of your party, our party, while unquestionably your own party which you yourselves, who refrain from such inflict greater harm in a lawless and irregular things, bewail and deplore; just as, before the way upon us, this is one question: the quesRoman Empire became Christian, the Apostle tion concerning baptism is wholly distinct from Paul took measures to secure that the protection it; in regard to it, we inquire not where it is, of armed Roman soldiers should be granted him but where it profits. For wherever it is, it is the against the Jews who had conspired to kill him. same; but it cannot be said of him who receives But these emperors, whatever the occasion of it, that wherever he is, he is the same. We their becoming acquainted with the crime of therefore detest the impiety of which men as your schism might be, frame against you such decrees as their zeal and their office demand. For they bear not the sword in vain; they are the ministers of God to execute wrath upon those that do evil. Finally, if some of our party transgress the bounds of Christian moderation in this matter, it displeases us; nevertheless, we do not

1 Ps. lxxii. II.

I

individuals are guilty in a state of schism; but we venerate everywhere the baptism of Christ. If deserters carry with them the imperial standards, these standards are welcomed back again as they were, if they have remained unharmed, when the deserters are either punished with a severe sentence, or, in the exercise of clemency,

2 Rom. xi. 23.

restored. If, in regard to this, any more particular inquiry is to be made, that is, as I have said, another question; for in these things, the practice of the Church of God is the rule of our practice.

that has been done, both on your side and on ours, is impartially considered, it is found that we are suffering what is written, "They rewarded me evil for good;" and (in another Psalm), "My soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace. I am for peace: but when I speak, they are for war." 5 For, seeing that you have arrived at so great age, we suppose you to know perfectly well that the party of Donatus, which at first was called at Carthage the party of Majorinus, did of their own accord accuse Cæcilianus, then bishop of Carthage, before the famous Emperor Constantine. Lest, however, you should have forgotten this, venerable sir, or should pretend not to know, or perhaps (which we scarcely think possible) may never have known it, we insert here a copy of the narrative of Anulinus, then proconsul, to whom the party of Majorinus appealed, requesting that by him as proconsul a statement of the charges which they brought against Cæcilianus should be sent to the Emperor aforesaid:

:

10. The question between us, however, is, whether your Church or ours is the Church of God. To resolve this, we must begin with the original inquiry, why you became schismatics. If you do not write me an answer, I believe that before the bar of God I shall be easily vindicated as having done my duty in this matter; because I have sent a letter in the interests of peace to a man of whom I have heard that, excepting only his adherence to schismatics, he is a good and well-educated man. Be it yours to consider how you shall answer Him whose forbearance now demands your praise, and His judgment shall in the end demand your fears. If, however, you write a reply to me with as much care as you see me to have bestowed upon this, I believe that, by the mercy of God, the error which now keeps us apart shall perish before the love of peace and the logic of truth. Observe that I have said nothing about the followers of Rogatus,' who call you Firmiani, as you call us Macariani. Nor have I spoken of your bishop of Rucata (or Rusicada), who is said to have made an agree- The welcome and adored celestial writing sent ment with Firmus, promising, on condition of by your Majesty to Cæcilianus, and those over the safety of all his adherents, that the gates whom he presides, who are called clergy, have should be opened to him, and the Catholics been, by the care of your Majesty's most humgiven up to slaughter and pillage. Many other such things I pass unnoticed. Do you therefore in like manner desist from the commonplaces of rhetorical exaggeration concerning actions of men which you have either heard of or known; for you see how I am silent concerning deeds of your party, in order to confine the debate to the question upon which the whole matter hinges, namely, the origin of the schism.

My brother, beloved and longed for, may the Lord our God breathe into you thoughts tending towards reconciliation.

LETTER LXXXVIII.
(A.D. 406.)

TO JANUARIUS,2 THE CATHOLIC CLERGY OF THE
DISTRICT OF HIPPO 3 SEND THE FOLLOWING.

1. Your clergy and your Circumcelliones are venting against us their rage in a persecution of a new kind, and of unparalleled atrocity. Were we to render evil for evil, we should be transgressing the law of Christ. But now, when all

1 Rogatus, bishop of Cartenna in Mauritania, who left the Donatists and suffered much persecution at the hands of Firmus, a brother of Gildo; hence the Donatists were named by the Rogatists Firmiani. See Augustin, Contra Literas Petiliani, book ii ch. 83.

2 Bishop of Casa Nigræ in Numidia, and at that time the Donatist primate, as the oldest of their bishops. Hipponensium Regiorum.

2. To Constantine Augustus, from Anulinus, a man of consular rank, proconsul of Africa, these:6

ble servant, engrossed in his Records; and he has exhorted these parties that, heartily agreeing among themselves, since they are seen to be exempted from all other burdens by your Majesty's clemency, they should, preserving Catholic unity,. devote themselves to their duties with the reverence due to the sanctity of law and to divine things. After a few days, however, there arose some persons to whom a crowd of people joined themselves, who thought that proceedings should be taken against Cæcilianus, and presented to me a sealed packet wrapped in leather, and a small document without seal, and earnestly besought me to transmit them to your Majesty's sacred and venerable court, which your Majesty's most humble servant has taken care to do, Cæcilianus continuing meanwhile as he was. The Acts pertaining to the case are subjoined, in order that your Majesty may be able to arrive at a decision concerning the whole matter. The documents sent are two: the one in a leathern envelope, with this title, "A document of the Catholic Church containing charges against Cæcilianus, and furnished by the party of Majori