THIKD PERIOD, A.D. 311-590. § 69. The Donatist Schism. External History. I. Sources. Augustine : Works against the Donatists (Contra epistolam Parmeniani, libri iii. ; De baptismo, contra Donatistas, libri vii ; Con- tra literas Petiliani, libri iii ; De Unitate Ecclesise, lib. unus ; Contra Cresconium, grammaticum Donat., libri iv. ; Brevicnlus Collationis cum Doaatistis ; Contra Gaudentium, etc.), in the 9th vol. of his Opera, ed. Bened. (Paris, 1688). Optatus Milevitanus (about 370): De schismate Donatistarum. L. E. Du Pin : Mouumenta vett. ad Donatist. hist, pertinentia, Par. 1700. Excerpta et Scripta Vetera ad Donatis- tarum Historiam pertinentia, at the close of the ninth volume of the Bened. ed. of Augustine's works. II. Literature. Valesius : De schism. Donat. (appended to his ed. of Eu- sebius). Walch : Historic der Ketzereien, etc., vol. iv. Neandek : AUg. K. G, ii. 1, p. 360 sqq. (Torrey's Engl, translation, ii. p. 182 sqq.). A. Roux: De Augustino adversario Donat. Lugd. Bat. 1838. F. Rib- beck : Donatus u. Augustinus, oder der erste entscheidende Kampf zwischen Separatismus u. Kirche., Elberf. 1858. (The author was for a short time a Baptist, and then returned to the Prussian established church, and wrote this work against separatism.) Donatism was by far the most important schism in the clmreh of the period before us. For a whole century it divi- ded the ITorth African churches into two hostile camps. Like the schisms of the former period/ it arose from the conflict of the more rigid and the more indulgent theories of discipline , in reference to the restoration of the lapsed. But through the Y intervention of the Chrisljanized state, it assumed at the same time an ecclesiastico-political character. The rigoristic peni- tential discipline had been represented in the previous period especially by the Montanists and Novatians, who were still living ; while the milder principle and practice had found its most powerful support in the Roman church, and, since the time of Constantino, had generally prevailed. The beginnings of the Donatist schism appear in the Dio- clesian persecution, which revived that controversy concerning church discipline and martyrdom. The rigoristic party, favored by Secundus of Tigisis, at that time primate of Numidia, and led by the bishop Donatus of Casse Nigrse, rushed to the martyr's ) Comp. vol. i. § 1"V^, p. 4^ sqq \ ''S '■'-■: H ^^1 § 69. THE DONATIST SCHISM. EXTEENAL HISTORY. 361 crown with fanatical contempt of death, and saw in Higlit from danger, or in tlie delivering up of the sacred books, only coward- ice and treachery, which should forever exclude from the fellow- ship of tlie church. The moderate party, at whose head stood tlie bishop Mensui'ius and his archdeacon and successor Caicilian, advocated the claims of prudence and discretion, and cast sus- picion on the motives of the forward confessors and martyi-s. So early as the year 305 a schism was imminent, in the matter of an episcopal election for the city of Cita. But no formal