was not repeated on them that were formerly baptized we read the same Divine Testament we invocate One God the Lord's Prayer is the same with us and you for they used it until they thought themselves so without sin that they could remit the sins of others and then they saw they could use it no longer without a manifest contradiction Quid vocaris dum peccata confiteris tua si sanctus es cum dimittis aliena Opt. l. 2. but the Schisme that was made to the dividing of the People of God and to the destroying of unity was the great grievance And it is also remarkable that though many Heresies were at this time vented in the Church as the Novatian Macedonian Audaean Apollinarian and Arian too yet none did so much afflict the Churches of Africa as this Schism against which as Optatus spent all his labour so St. Augustine wrote at least one of those great Volumes which the Church of GOD doth now injoy The good Emperor notwithstanding that the Donatists had defeated so many of his endeavours for Peace was resolved to trie one more which was to call in some of the Eastern Bishops to joyn with those of the West as he intimates in an Epistle written to Alexander and the other Bishops of Aegypt mentioned by Eusebius in the Life of Constantine who also says that the Emperor was much blamed for his too great indulgence toward these implacable Spirits But if the necessity of his affairs be considered it will appear that he could not do otherwise for having out of his Christian clemency condescended so far to them they take advantage of some unhappy Circumstances to force him farther For about this time Licinius Anno 315. to whom the Emperor had given his own Sister in Marriage and almost half the Empire revolted and begun a War against him The Arian Heresie also was spread over Aegypt and like a mighty Torrent overflowed the Christian World Of which Heresie it will not be impertinent to give a brief Account because many of the Donatists to strengthen their Faction against the Catholicks joyned with them And indeed the descent from Schisme to Heresie is very facile and familiar Arius a Presbyter of Alexandria in Egypt appeared about the Year 315. He was bred up under Meletius a Presbyter while Peter was Bishop of Alexandria by whom Arius was made Deacon but being found to have maintained Opinions contrary to the Catholick Faith both he and Meletius that had corrupted him were excommunicated Meletius persisted in his Heretical Opinions That Christ was not the Eternal Son of God but a very Man Ex utroque Parente and that it was lawful in times of Persecution to deny him which also he did pleading for himself that he had not denyed God but a Man only and at last Daemonibus sacrificavit he sacrificed to Devils Thus as from Schisme to Heresie so from Heresie to Infidelity and Atheisme the passage is obvious Arius refined this Opinion of his Master and differed but in one Letter from the Catholicks teaching that Christ was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a like substance with his Father not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. of the same nature and substance with the Father which Opinion for a while he dissembled until Peter the Bishop was dead to whom succeeded Achillas who did not only restore Arius to his Office of Deacon but afterward ordained him Priest and being a Man of subtile parts he was appointed to be a Reader of Divinity in the City of Alexandria which he performed with some applause and go◠such an esteem among the Inhabitant that the Bishoprick of Alexandria being void by the Death of Achillas he was Competitor with Alexander but Alexander being a Person of greater Wisdome and Piety was preferred by a general suffrage Whereat Arius being much discontented openly opposed Alexander and having nothing to object against his Life or Learning he began to contradict his Doctrine for whereas Alexander had taught that Christ was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the same substance and ought to receive the same Worship with the Father Arius taught that he was indeed the Son of God and more excellent than the other Creatures but that he was not from Eternity but made Ex praeexistentibus of things pre-existent and did not partake of the substance of the Father nor was of equal dignity and power but that the Son was inferior to the Father and the Holy Ghost inferior to the Son by whom he was made So that he affirmed Christ to be the Son of God by Adoption only not by Eternal Generation and that he was mortal and passible not only according to the flesh but as he was The Word of God These Doctrines the good Bishop could not indure and finding that Arius did diligently propagate and defend them he first excommunicates him and then procures his banishment and sends cautionary Epistles to his Colleagues throughout Alexandria to suppress those destructive Opinions and fortifie their People against them which notwithstanding a great part as well of the Clergy as the Laity were infected So that Hosius Bishop of Corduba a right good Catholick and a Favourite of the Emperor's by the intreaty of Alexander perswaded Constantine to Summon a General Council of Bishops and Presbyters at Nicaea a City of Bithynia where Three Hundred and Eighteen Bishops besides Presbyters and others assembled together the Emperor himself being present and moderating among them About this time Epiph. Heres 69 but whether during the Session of this Council or before it is not agreed by Ecclesiastical Writers Arius dyed Baronius thinks he dyed not until the Year 336. But his Death hapned thus Alexander provoked Arius to a publick disputation and the time and place being appointed Alexander sets a-part the precedent day for publick fasting and prayers to God to put a stop to that pernicious Doctrine which had so much infected the Catholick Church as that the very foundations of Christianity were shaken And the time of Meeting being come Arius going towards the place was troubled with a violent pain in his bowels whereupon going aside to ease himself the pains increased and became so yiolent that he voided his very Bowels and so miserably dyed But his Name and Doctrine survived in another Arius Arianus potius homo quam Arius who appeared and disputed with the great Athanasius in the Council of Nice to which Council there was presented a Confession of the Faith of the Arians which was no sooner read but condemned and presently rent in pieces and the judgment of the Council in Opposition thereto was drawn up in the Nicene Creed They also ordered the burning of such Tracts as Arius and his Party had written Constantine also published an Edict that none should conceal any of their Books on pain of Death However Lirinensis observes 〈◊〉 6. that by these Hereticks not only the Foundations of the Church but of the Roman Empire were shaken all
things sacred and civil brought to confusion Non solum affinitates cognationes Domus verum etiam Vrbes Provinciae Nationes imo Vniversum Romanum Imperium funditus concussum emotum est And St. Hierome says All the Eastern Churches except Athanasius and Paulinus were corrupted Among the Bishops Eusebius Nicomediensis was a chief Defender of the Arian Heresie and Eusebius of Caesarea was tainted also for he refused for a while to subscribe the Anathema against them though the next Day he was better perswaded and did it But notwithstanding all the Learning and care used by this Council the Arians increased for Constantine dying his Son Constantius succeeded him in part of the Empire who being of the Arian perswasion did so countenance those Hereticks that many of the Catholick Bishops were banished and wandred up and down in remote Parts among whom Athanasius whom they wickedly called Sathanasius was forced to flee as far as Triers and there lay obscure several Years until the Storm was over Of which the good Leontius a Catholick Bishop did foretel when putting his hand on his gray Hairs he said When this Snow shall be melted much filth will be dissolved with it Multum Luti sequetur meaning great Persecution and Impiety would shortly befall the Church To these Hereticks the Donatists joyned themselves many of whom defended the same Opinions and they that did not yet agreed in the Persecution of the Catholicks as their common Enemy To this Heresie saith St. Augustine those who are called Circumcellians in Africa do belong De Haeres c. 69. And St. Hierome saith that Donatus wrote a Book De Spiritu Sancto agreeable to the Doctrine of the Arians For before Arius was well known Ebion and Cerinthus and Corpocrates while St. John lived troubled the Churches of Asia with the like Opinions against which St. John at the desire of those Churches wrote his Gospel to assert the Eternal Deity of our Saviour And Eusebius and others say that Origen was the Father of Arius for he taught That As much as the Apostles were inferior to Christ to much was Christ inferior to God and that the Son was not to be prayed unto with the Father seeing he was not the Author of granting our requests but onely a Supplicator or Mediator And among these Hereticks the Gloria Patri was altered which they used in this form Gloria Patri per Filium in Spiritu Sancto Glory be to the Father by the Son in the Holy Ghost To this Council we find that Cecilian was called as appears by his Subscription but none of the Donatists they being excluded from the Communion of the Catholick Church The Donatists taking occasion of these troubles abroad did with the more violence prosecute their good old cause at home and now they take the confidence to petition the Emperor Constantine to rescind and abrogate the Laws made against them And whereas some of them had been denied the liberty of exercising their Functions either publickly or privately and others banished for transgressing the Laws and inforced to return to secular imployments they urge that their banished may be recalled particularly that Silvanus one of their Bishops of whom we have spoken before might return He was banished upon the accusation of Nundinarius for selling the Ornaments of his Church but his Party reported that he was banished for refusing to communicate with Vrsacius and Zenophilus two Catholick Officers under the Emperor who as they said did persecute him This slander St. Augustine refuteth l. 3. contra Cresconium c. 30. where he shews that the cause of his banishment was not as they pretended for denying to communicate with the Catholicks only but Quia cum jam traditor fuit permanere haereticus voluit ut falsum honorem in parte Donati haberet qui habere in Catholicâ nullum potuit tam manifestis traditionis suae gestis publico judicio reseratis because being evidently proved a Traditor he would continue in the Schisme hoping to find a false honor among the Donatists who could have none among the Catholicks It hapned that this Vrsacius being imployed in the Emperor's Wars lost his life at whose Death the Donatists rejoyced as a token of Divine vengeance against a Capital Enemy of theirs I may not omit another clause of their Petition which was that they might enjoy Libertatem Arbitrii that is as Valesius c. 17. interprets it Liberty of Conscience but St. Augustine calls it more fitly Licentiam agendi a Licence to do what they pleased and that they might no more be constrained to communicate Antistiti ipsius i.e. Constantini Nebuloni with that Prelatical Knave of his Cecilian Colloq Carth. l. 3. c. 54. Brevic. August c. 21. Declaring that neither by threats nor promises they would be thereunto induced bus would rather suffer a Thousand Deaths These demands of theirs how insolent soever were proposed in such a juncture of time that the Emperor could noâ— deny them but grants what they desired leaving them to the Divine vengeance which had begun to be revenged on them The consideration of this restless temper of theirs puâ—â—â— St. Augustine into so great a passion that hâ— said Epistle 167. Puto quod Diabolus ipseâ— I think that if the Devil himself had been so often condemned by Judges of his own choosing he would not have been so impudent as to persist in such a cause Now that this indulgence was extorted from the Emperor may appear by his consolatory Epistle written to the Catholick Bishops which I shalâ— here insert from the Appendix to Optatus p. 287. You well know that I have endeavoured by all the Offices of humanity and moderation which either faith requireth oâ— prudence and purity would admit that the most holy peace of that fraternity wherewith the grace of God hath indued the hearts of his Servants might in all things be kept inviolate But for as much as our good endeavours have not been effectual to subdue that power of wickedness which adheres to the judgment of those who still rejoyce in the mischiefs which they have acted we must expect until by the mercy of Almighty God the malice of these Men which from a few hath infected many be again mitigated for from thence we must expect a remedy from whence every good work proceeds and until this heavenly Medicine be applyed our counsels are to be moderated that we may give an Honourable testimony of our patience and by the virtue of true tranquillity we may endure whatever their wonted insolence shall do or attempt For it is a folly to usurp that revenge which we ought to leave to God especially when by faith we ought to be confident notwithstanding all that the fury of such Men may cause us to suffer that God will esteem it as Martyrdom for what else is it at such a time as this to overcome in the Name of God and with a constant heart no endure the insolent affronts of
Doctrine for a long time until they began to Rebaptize upon an Opinion that there were no true Ministers in the Catholick Church and by consequence no true Sacraments St. Augustine says that in his time they were Pares Doctrinâ Ritibus agreed in the chief points of Doctrine and in the Ecclesiastical Rites And when Optatus wrote against Parmenian Optat. p. 72 They had generally One Creed One Testament and One Baptism viz. in the Name of the Blessed Trinity they prayed to One God and used the Lord's Prayer alike The Controversie was not de Captie but de Corpore concerning the Head but the Body of the Church But their Schism which divided that Body was sufficient to condemn them Opt. p. 72. St. August cum Emerito Extra Ecclesiam omnia possunt habere praeter salutem possunt habere honorem possunt habere Sacramentum possunt cantare Hallelujah possunt respondere Amen possunt Evangelium tenere possunt in nomine patris filii Spiritus sancti fidem habere praedicare sed nusquam nisi in Ecclesiâ Catholica salutem possunt invenire He granted they had the Scriptures the Sacraments the Prayers and Preaching materially the same as in the Church but yet Salvation was not to be had but within the Church All which is true upon the grounds of St. Paul as well as St. Augustine because without Charity all these gifts and exercises do profit nothing 1 Cor. 13. And therefore the Primitive Fathers did so passionately declaim against Schisme not only because it was the Occasion of greater confusion in the Church than Heresies ordinarily were but because it did equally endanger the Salvation of those that obstinately persisted in it fitting them for any Error Dionysius Alexandrinus wrote to Novatian Quisquis ab Ecclesia Catholica separatus est quanquam laudabiliter se vivere existimet hoc solo scelere quod à Christi unitate disjunctus est non habebit vitam Epist 152. that he might rather do any thing than rent the Church of God by Schismes which saith he you ought to avoid as much as Idolatry for when you flye from Idolatry you consult only your own safety but when you avoid Schisme you consult for the benefit of the Universal Church I shall therefore only mention that great Error in the chief Article of Faith wherein Donatus himself and many of his Followers agreed with the Arians as divers of the * Aug ad quod vult Deum Ancients have recorded viz. That the Son was less than the Father and the Holy Ghost than the Son This being a Consequent of the Schisme And it is usual for such as first desert the Unity of the Church to deny the faith and verity therein professed within a short time It is my intent to speak chiefly of such Opinions as led them to it or hardned them in it that others may see and avoid them There was a strict Canon in the Catholick Church forbidding Christians to hold any Communion with such as had in times of Persecution turned Apostates or Traditors until they had undergone the censure of the Church and manifested their repentance but as if this Canon were not strict enough the Novatians first and then the Donatists made themselves wiser than the Laws and would not on any termes admit such Persons accounting that by Communion with them the whole Congregation was defiled and such as had been of the Clergy they accounted of as lay Persons and the lay People they esteemed of as Heathen their Baptisme being frustrated upon this ground they withdrew from the Communion of Cecilian and other Catholick Bishops pretending they had been Traditors and that all the People adhering to them were polluted and that the Bishops and Clergy of the Church could not lawfully rule or teach the People nor administer the Sacraments the efficacy of all these Ordinances depending oâ— the Holiness of the Minister and that there were no such true Ministers but among themselves For this Opinion they urge Acti 19.4 where St. Paul gives order that they who had been baptized by St. John should be baptized again in the Name of Jesus Now if John's Baptism say they who was a Friend of the Bridegroom was made void much more ought the Baptism of those that are Enemies and Apostates to be so accounted Against this Opinion Optatus argueth thus Non dotes Ministri sed Trinitatem in Sacramento operari cui concurrit fides professie credentium The efficacy of the Sacrament depends not on the endowments of the Minister but the grace of the blessed Trinity in whom if they that are baptized do believe and make profession accordingly their Baptisme will doubtless have its effect for the believer is regenerate not according to the abilities of the Minister but the power of the Sacrament Nascitur Credens non ex Ministri sterilitate sed ex Sacramentorum fertilitate This is handsomely expressed by Gregory Nazianzene in the allusion of an Image ingraven on two Seals one of Iron another of Gold where the Image being the same the Iron Seal makes the same impression as that of Gold But St. Augustine observes also the difference between the Baptisme of St. John and that of our Saviour Chriâ—â— which was in the Name of the Holy Trinity and therefore both Optatus and St. Augustine charge the Donatists with no less sin than Blasphemy when as their practice was they would exorcise those whom they had rebaptized with this form of words Maledicte exi for as calling the whole Trinity in whose Name they had been baptized accursed Optatus therefore farther urged Opt. p. 86 Si datis alterum baptisma date alteram fidem date alterum Christum It is superfluous to renew the Baptisme where there is no alteration of the Faith He adds Etsi hominum litigant mentes non litigant Sacramenta The Sacrament is the same although the judgment of those that administer it may differ The Bishops of the Catholick Church did therefore admit of those that were baptized by the Donatists although the Donatists would by no means approve of the Catholicks Baptisme Which plainly argues as well their excess of Pride as their defect of Charity both which St. Augustine observed in a Donatist Bishop that Preached in his City of Hippo who used this comparison that the Church of God was like Noah's Ark it was pitched both within and without without Nè admitteret baptisma alienum and within Nè emitteret suum that it might not admit of those that were baptized by others nor baptize any but such as were of their own perswasion They uâ—ged the bare Authority of St. Cyprian for their rebaptizing which as St. Augustine says theâ—â— despised when he pleaded for the unity of thâ—â— Church Cyprianus tolerandos in Ecclesia malos potius quam propter cos Ecclesiam deserendam exemplo consirmavit praecepto admonuit though his arguments weâ—â— inforced with Scripture