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Against the Donatists

St Optatus of Milevis, tr. Vassall-Phillips, 1917

Book 3, 7. Macarius is Defended from the Donatist Calumnies

But you contend that Macarius is to be blamed, because you think that his actions were not in accordance with the Will of God. Yet you will find men of old who were guilty of similar conduct. You should bring your charge first against Moses himself, the Lawgiver,¹ who, coming down from Mount Sinai, when the Tables of the Law on which it had been written:
‘Thou shalt not kill,’
had scarce been promulgated,² ordered three thousand men to be killed in one instant.³

Put Macarius aside for a little while. First appeal to⁴ Phineas, the priest’s son, whom I mentioned just now,⁵ to judge you----if indeed you know where to find any judge excepting God. For that which you blame has been praised by God in His own person, because it was done through zeal for God.⁶ Meanwhile suppress for the moment⁷ charges prompted by hatred against Macarius.

First give your mind⁸ to the Prophet Elias, who at the brook Cison,⁹ in obedience to the Will of God, slew four hundred and fifty men. But perhaps you will answer that these were slain deservedly----your partisans¹⁰ unjustly. Punishment never follows¹¹ without due cause. Moses inflicted punishment (as we have said), and Elias, and Phineas----but you will not have it that Macarius punished with justice.

If those who are said to have been killed had in no way offended, it may be granted that Macarius was guilty in that which was done by him alone----a business of which we know nothing, but which was provoked by you.

Why is prejudice created against us for things that were done by somebody else? Moreover, you are the cause of that which is said to have occurred, for it came about on your account, who were ‘outside’¹² (even as you are still outside), not on account of us, who dwell ‘within,’ and have never departed from the root.¹³

But, since we have spoken concerning the above instances in order, let us now see why Moses commanded three thousand to be slain, why Phineas two, why Elias four hundred and fifty, why Macarius those two whose names you daily (as I have already said) fan with the fan of hatred.¹⁴

It is clear that those were punished who despised a divine command; for
‘Thou shalt not make a graven image’¹⁵
is the Voice of God, and
‘Thou shalt not commit adultery’¹⁶
is the Voice of the same God. The same God has said
‘Thou shalt not offer sacrifice to idols ‘¹⁷
and
‘Thou shalt not make a schism.’¹⁸

And
‘Seek peace and thou shalt obtain it’¹⁹
is the Commandment of the same God.

In the days of Moses the people of Israel worshipped the head of a calf, which they had made in a sacrilegious fire²⁰; on this account three thousand men deserved death, because they despised the Voice of God. Phineas at one blow slew the adulterers. He deserved to be praised by God, because he put to death those who despised His Commands. And the four hundred and fifty whom we read to have been slain by Elias, were slain for this reason, that, contrary to the Command of God----false prophets that they were----they had despised the divine Precepts. So also those two whose death you lay to the charge of Macarius are not far removed from false prophets. (For that God said you would be false prophets, we shall prove very soon.) And in refusing to look at Peace, lest they should dwell in unity with their brethren, they stood out obstinately against the Commands and against the Will of God.

So you see that similar things were done by Moses and Phineas and Elias and Macarius, because the Commands of one God were vindicated by them all.

But I see you now distinguishing between times, and saying that the times before the Gospel were different from those after the Gospel,²¹ and you can bring forward the fact that it has been written that Peter put back into his sheath the sword with which he had cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant, whom, as though out of devotion,²² he might have slain.

But Christ had come to suffer, not to be defended. And if Peter had carried out his intention, it would have appeared that in the Passion of Christ, a servant was punished, not a people freed.

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