Benedict of nursia and intends to illustrate a strategy for. However, persecution fuels emotions, and by 350 the donatists had gained many converts and outnumbered the orthodox in africa. Optatus of milevis against the donatists free ebook download as word doc. Optatus doctrine against the donatists, a fourthcentury christian sect in north africa.
History of the donatists, david benedict reformed reader. This initiated the split of the african christian church into cecilianists, or catholics, and the. This morning, i pulled mark edwards translation optatus. It has been restored by human beings, page by page, so that you. In ad 303 emperor diocletian mounted a severe persecution against all christians. In 3912, aurelius, the new catholic bishop of carthage, had the qualities of an organizer, and he was blessed with longevity, which enabled him to guide the catholic church in africa on a continuous course until the vandal invasion. Africa that he desired, thus he granted toleration to the donatists. This book, history of the donatists with notes, by david benedict, is a replication of a book originally published before 1875. This belief was once held strongly among berber christians. The donatists and their relation to church and state the new search for historical roots nowadays, christians are becoming increasingly interested in the history of their churches and in the search for giants of the faith in the past who might be used as models for their future. Optatus, bishop of milevis, against the donatists is an english translation of st. As it turns out, he was an important figure in the early church, in part through his lasting influence on more.
A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. An appendix compiled between 330 and 347 comprises ten documents important for donatist. It is approved that it is of the triumphal power of royal majesty to turn round retorquere evil designs against their authors. The renowned translated texts for historians elibrary makes available historical sources from a. His treatise against the donatiststhe one work that he left to posterity, was translated into french in 1564. Persecutions of the donatists from the death of constantine the great to the reign of julian was a period of about a quarter of a century, during which constantine ii. Weinrich according to melanchthon in the apology, the eighth article of the augustana was added to allay any fear on the part of the romanists that the lutherans were sixteenth century donatists. While, therefore, the donatists calumniate us and call us traditors, i should be glad to know, supposing that any jew or pagan were found, who, after reading the records of that council should call both us and them, according to their own rules, traitors to the truth, how we should. Remarks on the church and the validity of sacraments william c. Donatists argued that christian clergy must be faultless for their ministry to be effective and their prayers and sacraments to be valid.
Optatus, bishop of milevis, against the donatists, with appendix by optatus, saint, bishop of mileve, 4th cent. By 321 constantine decided he would not be able to bring about the peace in n. Included after the main body of optatus work originally untitled, now often referred to as against the donatists is an appendix consisting of ten official documents relating to the donatist schism. Cyprian that baptism by those outside the church cannot be valid, and he anticipates st. Against the donatists down from the shelf and reread chapter five. History of the donatists by david benedict, paperback.
Donatism had its roots in the longestablished christian community of the roman africa province now. The constantinian letters in the appendix of against the donatists. We know very little about optatus, other than what we can glean of his theological position through his antidonatist treatise, which. History, parts of lactantius, life of anthony athanasius the author, parts of optatus against the donatists, parts of evagrius, conferences by john cassian, rule of benedict, sayings of the desert fathers, several works of greggory of nyssa, esp life of moses and his ascetical works. Optatus of milevis, against the donatists secondary sources j. This indispensable collection contains 72 volumes from the series that bring together a wealth of important early medieval texts in translation, with scholarship from leading academics. Named for its leader, the theologian donatus the great d. The history of the donatists by david benedict solid.
Optatus insists more than once, with emphasis, that he does not charge those against whom he writes with heresy sin against. On baptism, against the donatists bible study tools. Optatus, bishop of milevis in north africa in the late fourth century, wrote a detailed refutation of donatist. The donatists survived the vandal invasion which began in 429 ce, and the reconquest of the eastern emperor justinian beginning in 533. Optatus, bishop of milevis, against the donatists, with appendix, v assallphillips, ol iver rodie eds. Origen and universalism, origenist controversy in the. It shows that the sect was founded by traditors, condemned by pope and council, separated from the whole world, a cause of division, violence, and bloodshed. His popular psalm or abecedarium against the donatists was intended to make known to the people the arguments set forth by st. Emperor constantine and the donatists in 316 constantine. The problem with donatism is that no person is morally pure. Other readers will always be interested in your opinion of the books youve read. Although optatus of milevis was the first notable bishop to write against the donatists in the schism of the donatists, it was the indefatigable augustine who, in numerous works almost singlehandedly demolished the donatist challenge. The difficulties surrounding his name and position among the known vicarii of africa contribute to doubts concerning this documents authenticity. Bishop of milevis in numidia and author of an untidy work known as on the schism of the donatists or against parmenian the donatist bishop of carthage.
Augustines argument that the faith of the baptizer does not matter, since it is. Augustine on baptism against the donatists, book 7. Optatus of milevis, against the donatists 1917 translators. He lived at a time when then donatists dominated north africa and wrote the first catholic response to the movement. Their fortunes appear to have dwindled after that, however, they maintained a presence in northern africa nevertheless.
Donatists the adherents of a religious movement in roman north africa in the fourth and fifth centuries. The against the donatists is his only work and it seems to have gone through two slightly different editions. The theme of hunerics edict, announced in its prologue, is an ironic echo of augustines castigation of the donatists in letter 185. And finally, i tracked down the work in mignes patrologia latina volume xi.
Optatus, against the donatists by optatus, saint, bishop of mileve, 4th cent. He gave a biblical and theological explanation of the sacraments especially baptism, the eucharist, and holy. The history of the donatists by david benedict donatus at rome after the council at rome, according to fleury, the donatists waited on the emperor and complained of not being heard in that meeting. I also was able to find a much older translation by o. The donatists and their relation to church and state. Activity against donatism the donatists named for the berber christian donatus magnus were followers of a belief considered a schism by the broader churches of the catholic tradition, and most particularly within the context of the religious milieu of the provinces of. Alexander, the motive for a distinction between donatus of carthage and donatus of casae nigrae, journal of theological studies 31. Pdf optatus account of lucilla in against the donatists, or. Optate, was bishop of milevis, in numidia, in the fourth century, remembered for his writings against donatism. This is the only incident that could possibly be referred to when you read, after deciding against the donatists, constantine led an army of christians against the donatist christians. But it was the apologetic by augustine that turned the tide against the donatist movement which eventually died out in the next century. The form of baptism, according to optatus, was immersion.
Against parmenian, augustine published his first large work against the donatists. That event was followed by gildos usurpation of power in africa, and his alliance with one of the cruellest donatist bishops, optatus of thamugas. Whether youve loved the book or not, if you give your honest and detailed thoughts then people will find new books that are right for them. They valued martyrdom and found lapses of faith even under torture or threat of death inexcusable. The donatists considered theirs as the only true church and refused to acknowledge ordinances administered in other churches. Optatus lived a generation before augustine and lived in north africa. Pdf the early stage of the donatist schism a view from. This pdf is a digital offprint of your contribution in a. Optatus, bishop of milevis in north africa in the late fourth century, wrote a detailed refutation of donatist claims to be the one true and righteous church, an ark of purity in a world which was still corrupt despite constantines support for christianity. This article is brought to you for free and open access by the journals at scholar commons. Optatus, bishop of milevis in africa, is perhaps the least known of all the fathers of the church. This was not directed against the donatists particularly, and was probably not enforced against them previous to the death of theodosius a. Optatus of milevis, against the donatists 1917 book 1.
This first treatise of augustine against the donatists was published but a. Fides unathe one faith, untainted by any specific heresy. Publication date 1997 topics donatists controversial literature, donatists, donatisme publisher. The latter reference is a letter of constantine to aelafius, supposedly a vicarius of africa during the spring of 314. This volume contains all seven books written by optatus, wherein he emphasizes that there is only one true church of christ, united under peters successor in rome and scattered throughout the world. Optatus of milevis against the donatists catholic church. Against the donatists liverpool university press translated texts for historians 19980101 unknown on. Lucas osiander, professor in and chancellor of the university of tubingen, wrote a book against the anabaptists, in 1605, in which he says.
The donatist controversy was never actually resolved. Optatus argues, especially in book v, against the doctrine which the donatists had inherited from st. Donatists article about donatists by the free dictionary. The recent publication of a book titled the benedict option in the united states has sparked off much debate. The donatist movement originated in 311, when some members of the african church refused to recognize the recently elected carthaginian bishop cecilian. Augustine makes the donatists anabaptists migne, patrologis lat. I have written seven books on baptism against the donatists, who strive to defend themselves by the authority of the most blessed bishop and martyr cyprian. The background of donatism involves the roman persecution of the church. Books 16 were written about 367 and revised when book 7 incomplete was added about 385. Optatus account of lucilla in against the donatists, or, women are good to undermine.
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