out- break occurred until after the cessation of the persecution in 311 ; and "then the difficulty arose in connection with the hasty election of Caecilian to the bishopric of Carthage. The Dona- tists refused to acknowledge him, because in his ordination the Numidian bishops were slighted, and the service was per- formed by the bishop Felix of Aptungis, or Aptunga, whom they declared to be a traditor^ that is, one who had delivered up the sacred writings to the heathen persecutors. In Carthage itself he had many opponents, among whom were the elders of the congregation {seniores plebis)^ and particularly a wealtliy and superstitious widow, Lucilla, who was accustomed to kiss certain relics before her daily communion, and seemed to pre- fer them to the spiritual power of the sacrament. Secundus of Tigisis and seventy Numidian bishops, mostly of the rigor- istic school, assembled at Carthage, deposed and excommuni- cated Caecilian, who refused to appear, and elected the lector Majorinus, a favorite of Lucilla, in his place. After his death, in 315, Majorinus was succeeded by Donatus, a gifted man, of fiery energy and eloquence, revered by his admirers as a wonder worker, and styled the Great. From this man, and not from the Donatus mentioned above, the name of the party was derived.' Each party endeavored to gain churches abroad to its side, and thus the schism spread. The Donatists appealed to the ' "Pars Donati, Donatistse, Donatiani." Previously they were commonly called "Pars Majorini." Optatus of Mileve seems, indeed, to know of only one Donatus. But the Donatists expressly distinguish Donatus Magnus of Carthage from Donatus a Casis Xigris. Likewise Augustine, Contra Cresconium Donat. ii. 1 ; though he himself had icrmerly confounded the two. 362 THIRD PEKIOD. A.D. 311-590. emperor Constantino — the first instance of sncli appeal, and a step which they afterward had to repent. The emperor, who was at that time in Gaul, referred the matter to the Roman bishop Melchiades (Miltiades) and five Gallican bishops, before whom the accused Csecilian and ten African bishops from each side were directed to appear. The decision went in favor of Caecilian, and he was now, except i ,. Africa, universally re- garded as the legitimate bishop of Carthage. The Donatists remonstrated. A second investigation, which Constantino in- trusted to the council of Aries (Arelate) in 814, led to the same result. When the Donatists hereupon appealed from this ecclesiastical tribunal to the judgment of the emperor himself, he likewise declared against them at Milan in 316, and soon afterward issued penal laws against them, threatening them with the banishment of their bishops and the confiscation of their churches. Persecution made them enemies of the state whose help they had invoked, and fed the flame of their fanaticism. They made violent resistance to the imperial commissioner, Ursacius, and declared that no power on earth could induce them to hold church fellowship with the " rascal " {nebulo) Caecilian. Constantino perceived the fruitlossness of the forcible restriction