A. D. 398. 1 Homil. contra A nom. Gr. tom. 6. p. 434. Lat. tom. 1. [Bened. tom. 1. p. 541.] In his first sermon, which is lost, he spoke of the combat of David with Goliath, and promised a discourse against the Anomoans, which he performed in the second, which begins thus': "I have spoken to you but one day, and have already "as much affection for you, as if I had been brought up among you; nor does this arise from my charity, but from your merit. Who would not admire your fervent zeal, your love without dissimulation, your affection for your teachers, and your unity among yourselves? All this "would move even a heart of stone. It is for this, that I "love you no less than the Church wherein I was born; this "Church is her sister; you prove the relationship by your "actions. If she is the elder, this is the more zealous for "the Faith. The congregation there is more numerous, and "the auditory more famous, but this sheweth more patience "and courage; wolves surround the flock on every side, which, however, decreases not; it is you that resist the "storm and flame of heresy." Although the Anomoans and other Arians were, indeed, afraid to assemble publicly at Constantinople, the country was still full of them; to say [* Supr. bk. nothing of the Marcionites, the Manichees, and the Valentinians, whom he attacks in the same discourse. note k.] XXVIII. Laws in fa The obstinacy of the heretics of Constantinople may be vour of the judged of, by the great number of laws made to suppress Church. them. Besides those in the preceding years, there are three in the year 396, one in 397, and one in 398, partly against heretics in general, and partly against the Eunomians and Cod. Th. Apollinarians in particular3. The last is the most severe. It [16. tit. 5.] 1. 30, 31, 32, ordains: "That the Eunomian and Montanist Clerks be 33, 34. de Hæret. [supr. bk. 18. 6. note r.] i Marcion was the son of a Bishop of Sinope, and studied at Rome (A.D. 140 -150), under the Syrian Cerdo. He formed a Gnostic system of his own. He received the Gospel of St. Luke and ten of St. Paul's Epistles, which however it seems that he altered to suit his purposes. He supposed three principles, a Good Deity, a Just Deity and matter (Hyle). To rescue men from the wrath of the Just Deity, CHRIST was, according to his theory, sent by the Good Deity, and all who obeyed Him obtained this deliverance. Among these were Cain and the Sodomites, who believed on Christ, when He descended into hell, while Abraham, Enoch, &c. remained subject to the Just Deity, in the state of death. He required of his perfect followers an ascetic life and abstinence from wedlock on the false principles of Gnosticism (see supr. 18.9. note p. 19. 22. note h). The scandalous practice of Clerks living with the συνείσακτοι (supra, 19. 22. note g; condemned infr. ch. 33. Conc. Carth. 4. can. 46), had its origin among the Gnostics and with Marcion probably in particular. In his Antitheses, he contrasted Judaism and Christianity. Giesel. vol. 1. § 45, 71. Beaven's St. Irenæus, ch. 21. § 4. "driven out of every city;" and forbids them even to as- A. D. 398. semble in the country, under the penalty of confiscation of the house, and extreme punishment on the keeper' of it. It ['procurator] likewise orders their books to be burned, and forbids any person to keep them, on pain of capital punishment. This law is dated on the fourth of March, and ascribed to Eutropius by the historian Philostorgius, who was an Eunomian Philost. heretic; which gives us reason to suppose that it was procured by the power of this eunuch, to give the greater authority to St. Chrysostom, at his entrance upon the Bishopric. 3 11. ch. 5. Cod. Th. [16. tit. 2.] 29, 30, 31. de Episc. duumvi There were laws likewise made in the West, under the Emperor Honorius, in favour of the Church. The two first were general laws for preserving the privileges of the Church; one made soon after the death of Theodosius, in the year 395; the other, in 397. There was a third more particular, on the twenty-fifth of April, 398, to restrain the violences committed against churches. It ordains, That if any, attacking the Catholic churches, shall offer any injury to the Priest, the Ministers, the service, or the holy place; the government shall be informed of the fact, by letters from the magistrates' [ veluti and stationary soldiers, specifying the names of the offenders; rorum. Gothof.] or if the violence be committed by a multitude, of such as they shall be able to find out, that some at least may be known, who may discover their accomplices: that the governor of the province shall punish capitally, such as shall be convicted, without staying for a complaint from the Bishop; "the sacredness of whose function leaves him only the glory "of pardoning." These are the terms of this law. It shall not only be lawful, but commendable for any person to prosecute as public crimes, any heinous injuries done to Priests and Ministers. If the rebellious multitude defend themselves by arms and strong positions, so that the officers cannot apprehend them, the governors of the provinces of Africa shall demand assistance of the Count who has the command of the forces. By this we see that this law was made with a particular XXIX. reference to Africa; and it is with reason supposed, that it Apparitores, quos Stationarios appellant; the Stationarii were appointed in various places and stations to inform against obnoxious persons. Vid. Gothof. War of Gildo. I Amm. [ Supr. bk. 19. ch. Marcellin. call. p. 273, A. D. 398. was occasioned by the outrages committed by the Donatists, which, in this year 398, grew to a greater height, by reason of the war with Gildo. Nubel', one of the most powerful of lib. 29. c. 5. the petty kings of the Moors, left, among others, three sons, [10, &c.] Firmus, Gildo, and Mascezel, who lived under the protection of the Romans. Firmus revolted in the time of Valentinian 53. note n.] the First, and was defeated by Theodosius, the father of the Emperor of the same name. Gildo remaining faithful to the Romans, was raised by the Emperor Theodosius to the dignity of a Count, with the command of the troops in Africa; but he too revolted after the death of the Emperor Theodosius. 3 Oros.7.36. On this his brother Mascezel3 deserted him, and returned to Chron. an. Italy, leaving in Africa his two sons, whom Gildo, their uncle, 298. [Ron- put to death. He was sent back to make war upon his 274.] brother; and going in his way to the Isle of Capraria, took thence some Monks, whom he entreated to go with him, to assist him with their prayers. It is supposed that these Monks were Eustasius and Andrew, whom St. Augustine mentions, and that their journey was the occasion of his writing to their Abbot Eudoxius and his Monks'. He exhorts them not to be so fond of ease, as to refuse to serve the Church, if she should stand in need of their labour. Mascezel carried these Monks into Africa, fasting and praying with them day and night, having learned under Theodosius the power of such arms. He had no more than five thousand men against seventy thousand; and despairing of the safety of his army, and even of his own life, he would have decamped, and retreated into a narrow pass, had not St. Ambrose appeared to him in the night, and striking the ground three times with his staff, said to him, "Here, here, here." From this he understood that the Saint promised him victory three days after, in that place. Here, therefore, he stayed; and on the third day, after having spent the night in prayers, he marched against the enemy, who surrounded him. He offered peace to the first that advanced, but seeing a standardbearer who opposed it, and encouraged the rest to battle, he struck him with his sword on the arm, so as to force him to lower the ensign which he carried. The troops at a distance believing that the first ranks had yielded, strove who should be the first to surrender to Mascezel; and the barbarians, S. Aug. Ep. 48. al. 81. [tom. 2. p. 113.] Paulin. Vit. S.Amb. $51. 1 of whom Gildo had great numbers in his army, being deserted A. D. 398. by the regular forces, were dispersed in flight. Gildo himself fled, and got on board a vessel; but being brought back into Africa, strangled himself a few days after. An end was put to this war, within the first three months' of the year 398. Pagi. an. 398. § 7, 8, Gildo was a pagan, but his wife a Christian and virtuous 9, &c. woman; he had a sister who dedicated her virginity to GOD. [14-16.] His daughter Salvina, who was married to Nebridius, nephew to the Empress, was also a religious woman, as appears by a letter' written to her by St. Jerome, concerning the conduct which she ought to observe in her widowhood. S. Hier. Ep. 9. [85. p. 663.] 3 contr. 9. Ap Contr.Ep. 388-398.] The Donatists took advantage of this war, to continue their outrages with the greater impunity. Optatus, Bishop of S. Aug. 1. Thamugada in the province of Carthage', signalized himself Gaud. c. among others; and was so much attached to Gildo's party, [tom. 9. 38. § 52. that he was called Optatus the Gildonian3. He was attended, P. 664.] [Numidia, wherever he went, with a troop of soldiers, with whom he Bingh. bk. committed numberless crimes throughout Africa, for ten pend.] years together. He oppressed' widows, ruined orphans, parted Parm. 2. men and their wives, and exposed the goods of the innocent c. 2. § 4. c. 4. § 8. to sale. He made war against the Catholic Church, both by [A. D. sea and land, to the uttermost, and became so terrible, even [ Contr. to the Donatists themselves, that those of Musti and Assurita compelled their Bishops, Felicianus and Pretextatus', to renounce the schism of Maximian, and return to the communion of Primian, and obliged the Primianists to receive them, although they had condemned them by name at their Council of Bagaia. At length Optatus, being accused' as an accom- 4.c.25. § 32. plice of Gildo, died in prison in this year 398. But the Petil. c. 92. § 209. Donatists did not separate from his communion, alwaysc.23.§54. acknowledging him for a Bishop; and after his death, gave him the title of a Martyr'. 3 Lit. Petil. 2. $53.] 9 c. 83. [$ 184.] Ep. 53. al. 165. § 6. Contr. Crescon. 3. § 17, 69. et 2 Cont. Lit. 1 Ep. 76. al. 171. § 3. XXX. St. Augus ference with Glo St. Augustine still continued his endeavours to reunite the Donatists to the Catholic Church, and made no scruple to tine's conconfer with or write to them, not indeed letters of communions, which they would not have received, but ordinary rius. letters, as to pagans, and without taking the title of Bishop. al. 162. § 1. One day when he happened to be at Tubursica, with Glorius, Eleusius, and some other Donatists, discoursing of their reunion, they produced the Acts, in which it was recorded, c. 2. § 3. 5 Ep. 43. [A. D. 397 or 398.] 6 311.] [Supr. bk. 19. ch. 53. note 1. A. D. 398. that Cæcilian, Bishop of Carthage, was condemned together ['A. D. with those who ordained him, by about seventy Bishops'; and the case of Felix of Aptunga was treated in a very invidious manner2. After they had read all this, St. Augustine said: "We also have Ecclesiastical Acts3, in which Secundus [3 Of the "of Tigisi, then Primate of Numidia, left to the judgment Council of Cirta, A.D. " of GOD, the Bishops who were present and who confessed 305.] "themselves Traditors, whose names now occur among "Cæcilian's judges, with Secundus at their head." He then relates, how, after the schismatical ordination of Majorinus, the Donatists demanded ecclesiastical judges from the Emperor Constantine4; how Cæcilian, being present, was absolved, by the sentence of Melchiades, Bishop of Rome [and his colleagues], and afterwards by the Council of Arles, and by the Emperor himself, to whom they had appealed; A.D. 316.] and how Felix of Aptunga was justified by the Proconsul. ['arbitro medio] [3 A. D. 313.] [ A. D. 314.] ['At Milan, 8 $ 17. 1 Supr. bk. 10. ch. 23. 2 §. 7. St. Augustine had the Acts brought which proved all these facts, and had them read before them through a whole day. In the forenoon they read what related to Secundus of Tigisi, and Felix of Aptunga; and in the afternoon the justification of Cæcilian: but they had not time to read the Acts of the condemnation of Silvanus of Cirtha 1. St. Augustine, on his return home, wrote them a letter, enlarging upon all these proofs. He dwells on the injustice? of Secundus of Tigisi, who, under pretence of maintaining unity, had left to the judgment of GoD the Traditors who were present and were convicted by their own confession; while he had condemned Cæcilian, though absent and innocent, with whom all the rest of the Church were in communion. On the contrary, he says: "Cæcilian might have "cared little for the number of his enemies, seeing himself "united by letters of communion to the Roman Church, in ['principa- "which the primacy of the Apostolic see hath ever floutus supr.bk.rished, and to the other countries, whence Africa itself hath and 18. ch. "received the Gospel. Complaint ought to have been made 18. 47. 16. note d.] • § 8. 4 [ tractatoria] "to [our brethren and colleagues] the Bishops beyond the sea, "of the contumacy of the persons accused; and if they had "persisted, it should have been declared by circular letters, "that they might have been cut off from the communion of "all the Churches in the world. Then we might have safely |