Donatism
Donatism was the
error taught by Donatus, bishop of Casae Nigrae that the effectiveness of the
sacraments depends on the moral character of the minister. In other words,
if a minister who was involved in a serious enough sin were to baptize a person,
that baptism would be considered invalid.
Donatism developed as a result of the persecution of
Christians ordered by Diocletian in 303 in which all churches and sacred
scriptures of the Christians were to be destroyed. In 304 another edict
was issued ordering the burning of incense to the idol gods of the Roman
empire. Of course, Christians refused, but it did not curtail the
increased persecution. Many Christians gave up the sacred texts to the persecutors and
even betrayed other Christians to the Romans. These people became known as
"traditors," Christians who betrayed other Christians.
(Note: traditor, not traitor)
At the consecration of bishop Caecilian of Carthage in
311, one of the three bishops, Felix, bishop of Aptunga, who consecrated
Caecilian, had given copies of the Bible to the Roman persecutors. A group
of about 70 bishops formed a synod and declared the consecration of the bishop
to be invalid. Great debate arose concerning the validity of the
sacraments (baptism, the Lord's Supper, etc.) by one who had sinned so greatly
against other Christians.
Ater the death of Caecilian, Aelius Donatus the Great
became bishop of Carthage and it is from his name that the movement is
called. The Donatists were gaining "converts" to their cause and
a division was arising in the Catholic church. They began to practice
rebaptism which was particularly troublesome to the church at the time and was
condemned at the Synod of Arles in 314 since it basically said the authority in
the Catholic church was lost.
The Donatist issue was raised at several ecumenical
councils and finally submitted to Emporer Constantine in 316. In each case
the consecration of bishop Caecilian was upheld. However, persecution
fuels emotions and by 350 the Donatists had gained many converts and outnumbered
the Orthodox in Africa. But it was the apologetic by Augustine that turned
the tide against the Donatist movement which eventually died out in the next
century.
The problem with Donatism is that no person is morally
pure. The effectiveness of the baptism or administration of the Lord's
supper does not cease to be effective if the moral character of the minister is
in question or even demonstrated to be faulty. Rather, the sacraments are
powerful because of what they are, visible representations of spiritual
realities. God is the one who works in and through them and He is not
restricted by the moral state of the administrant.
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Matthew J. Slick, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003