Jarrel - Baptist Church Perpetuity - Landmark Baptist

CHAPTER 10. — THE DONATISTS.
“The Donatists agitation arose in north Africa, A.D. 311, in what are now
known as the Barbary States; but it centered in Carthage, Numidia, and the
Mauritanias. Its field covered nearly seven degrees of north latitude, immense
centers of commerce and influence, soils and climate, marking a stretch of
land 2000 miles long by about 300 wide, reaching from Egypt to the Atlantic
and fringing the Atlas mountains, the Mediterranean and the desert …
Mensurius, Bishop of Carthage, manfully opposed the mania which led thousands
to court martyrdom in order to take the martyr’s crown; because he
thought it savored more of suicide than of enforced sacrifice for Christ. But he
died in 311, and Caecilianus, who was of the same opinion, was ordained in
his place, with which election a majority were dissatisfied. Others were
displeased because he had been ordained by Felix, who was charged with
giving up the Bible to be burnt, and a division took place in the church. The
retiring party first elected Majorinus, their bishop, who soon died, and after
him Donatus, of Caste Nigrae. This party was greatly increased and was read
out of the Catholic body, Constantine taking sides against them.” f157
On this account it is well to remember that the giving up of the Bible to be
“burnt,” in connection with the well known fact, that many readily denied
Christ other-wise, throws much light upon the story of the Donatist party
courting martyrdom. It furnishes the strong presumption that these cowardly
and wealthy Christ deniers branded the true soldiers of the cross as hunting for
an opportunity to die for Christ’s sake. But, admitting that the enemies of
Donatists have not overdrawn the matter, instead of essentially affecting their
character as churches, it only shows that they had been persecuted until they
morbidly courted the privilege of testifying for Christ by their deaths — an
error far less serious than the compromising spirit of our own times by which
Christ is so often denied. To attribute the split between the Donatists and their
enemies to election of Felix as pastor, or the Novatian split to the election of
Cornelius, would be as ridiculous as to attribute the American Revolution of
1776, to a little tea. All the revolutions were only the outburst of a storm,
originating from great and intolerable wrongs. It was a protest of the pious part
of the church against the impious; the necessary result of loyalty to the
doctrine of a regenerate church membership. Says Kurtz:
“Like the Novatians, they insisted on absolute purity in the church, although
they allowed that penitents might be readmitted into their communion. Their
own churches they regarded pure while they denounced the Catholics as
schismatics, who had no fellowship with Christ, and whose sacraments were
therefore invalid. On this ground they rebaptized their proselytes.” f158
Mosheim: