DONATISTS, ancient schismatics in Africa, so denominated from their leader Donatus. This sect arose in the year 311, when, in the room of Mensurius, who died in that year on his return to Rome, Caecilian was elected bishop of Carthage, and consecrated by the African bishops alone, without the concurrence of those of Numidia. The people refused to acknowledge him, and set up in opposition Majorinus, who, accordingly, was ordained by Donatus bishop of Casae Nigrae. The Donatists were condemned, in a council held at Rome, two years after their separation; again, in another held at Arles the year following; and a third time at Milan in 316, before Constantine the Great, who deprived them of their churches, sent their seditious bishops into banishment, and even punished some of them with death. Their cause was espoused by another Donatus, called the Great, the principal bishop of that sect, who, with numbers of his followers, was exiled by order of Constans. Many of them were punished with great severity. However, after the accession of Julian to the throne in 362, they were permitted to return, and restored to their former liberty. But Gratian published several edicts against them, and in 377 deprived them of their churches, and prohibited all their assemblies. Yet notwithstanding the severities which they suffered, it appears that towards the close of this century they had a very considerable number of churches; but about the same time they began to decline, on account of a schism among themselves, occasioned by the election of two bishops, in the room of Par-menian, the successor of Donatus; one party elected Pri-mian, and were called Primianists, and another Maximian, and were called Maxirnianists. Their decline was also precipitated by the zealous opposition of St Augustin, and by the violent measures which were pursued against them by order of the Emperor Honorius, at the solicitation of two councils held at Carthage, the one in 404, and the other in 411. Many of them were fined, the bishops were banished, and some were put to death. This sect revived and multiplied under the protection of the Vandals, who invaded Africa in 427, and took possession of this province; but it sunk again under new severities, when their empire was overturned in 534. Nevertheless they remained in a separate body till the close of this century, when Gregory, the Roman pontiff, having used various methods for suppressing them, his zeal at length succeeded, and there are few traces to be found of the Donatists after this period. They were distinguished by other appellations, as Circumcelliones, Montcnses or Mountaineers, Campites, Rupites, and so on. They held three councils, or conciliabules, one at Cyrta in Numidia, and two at Carthage.

The errors of the Donatists, besides their schism, consisted in holding that baptism conferred out of the church, that is, out of their sect, was null (for which reason they rebaptized those who joined their party from other churches, and re-ordained their ministers), and that theirs was the only true, pure, and holy church, all the rest of the churches being regarded as prostitute and fallen.

Donatus seems likewise to have inclined to the doctrine of the Arians, with whom he was closely allied; and accordingly St Epiphanius, Theodoret, and some others, accused the Donatists of z∖rianism; nor is it improbable that the charge was well founded, because they were patronized by the Vandals, who maintained that doctrine. But St Augustin affirms that the Donatists, in this point, kept clear of the errors of their leader.