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Against the Donatists
St Optatus of Milevis, tr. Vassall-Phillips, 1917
Book 1, How Constantine Received the Appeal of Donatus from the Roman Judgement
It is, therefore, sufficient, that Donatus was condemned by the verdict of so many Bishops, and that Caecilian was cleared by the judgement of so great an authority.1 Yet Donatus thought well to appeal. To this appeal the Emperor Constantine replied in these words:
‘Oh, mad daring of their fury! A Bishop has thought fit to appeal to us, as is done in the lawsuits of the Pagans.’2
Notes
- Of the Pope.
- Constantine wrote these words in answer to the appeal of the Donatists after the Council of Arles. They are to be found in the same document from which Optatus has already quoted in chapter xxiii (Appendix, p. 397).