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Against the Donatists

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

Book 3, 12. A Calumny that Had Been Brought Against Macarius

And if anyone should be rather slow in giving adhesion to your deceitful words, you have no lack of arguments, with which you may with some ease¹ persuade men, even against their will, to do what you like----telling them that it has been heard from the lips of your old Bishops² that he who partook or received³ of the sacrifice of unity as it drew near,⁴ partook of a sacrilegious sacrifice.⁵ We do not deny that this was said by some, who, as is certain, afterwards offered, with complete security, that sacrifice from which shortly before they had held back the people.⁶ But one consideration made them speak in this fashion, quite another consideration determined their action.⁷

For with regard to those who are reported to have said these things, they were led thus to speak by a false rumour which had filled their ears, and those of all the people. For it was said that Paul and Macarius would come at that time, to be present at the sacrifice, and that, when the altars were set in festal array,⁸ they would bring out an image,⁹ which they would first place upon the altar, and that then in this way was the sacrifice to be offered.

As soon as their ears heard this, not only were their minds disquieted, but everyone’s tongue was stirred up to use these words, so that all who had heard the story cried out:
‘He who partakes of this, partakes of a sacrilege.’¹⁰ And rightly would this have been said, if any corresponding truth had attached to such a tale.

But when the above-mentioned officers arrived, nothing was seen of that, concerning which a little before lying reports had been spread. Christian eyes saw nothing to shock them, their sight afforded no proof of those things which had upset their hearing.

No stain was beheld, and the solemn rite was observed after the accustomed manner.¹¹ When they saw that in the divine sacrifices¹² nothing was changed, or added or taken away, the Peace which God has praised was pleasing to men of good will.¹³

On this account none of those ought to be blamed who from your body has made his way to Peace.¹⁴ They who had been disturbed by an unfortunate story were strengthened by the simple and pure truth. And let it not be said that he [who came from you to Unity] of the bitter has made the sweet, or that of the sweet he has made the bitter.

The bitterness, which was proclaimed by falsehood, remained and continued in the breast of [mere] opinion; the truth which was seen with the eyes, having its own sweetness in itself,¹⁵ was separated from the boundaries of a false opinion. So neither was that which is sweet made out of bitterness, nor was that which is bitter made out of sweetness. For what was seen was something else and quite different,¹⁶ and the report had been very far from¹⁷ the actual facts.

So, you perceive that you have brought forward your abusive accusation unjustly, making up a story, at your own pleasure, of whatever you liked, to tear in pieces¹⁸ Macarius and Taurinus. You have lost that, which you were quite clever enough to have seen, whilst hatred has led astray your senses, and closed the avenues of your understanding.

Notes

quasi facile.
qui iamdudum in vestro collegio fuerant.
qui gustaret aut acciperet.
de sacrificio adventantis unitatis, = ‘of the Sacrifice of [the newly recovered] Unity,’ i.e. who communicated at the general Communion of union.
de sacro----sc. sacrilege St. Optatus will explain immediately that the Donatists put about the calumny that Paulus and Macarius would cause the images of the Emperors to be exposed on the altar during the offering of the Sacrifice of the Eucharist in their camp. Hence they concluded that the Catholic Sacrifice was not dissimilar to the sacrifice of the Pagans----a sacrilege (sacro).
quos constat postea tota securitate fecisse, unde paulo ante populos deterrebant.
alia ratio exegit has voces, alia invitavit in factum.
cum alt aria solemniter aptarentur.
sc. of the Emperor.
qui inde gustat de sacro gustat.
visa est puritas, et ritu solito solemnis consuetudo perspecta est.
divinis sacrificiis.
volentibus:----the reference is to ‘Pax hominibus bonae voluntatis.’
i.e. to the Unity of the Church (cf. i, 1 etc.). qui de collegio vestro ad Pacem transitum fecit.
in se.
et aliud et extra est. Casaubon remarks here that he does not think that St. Optatus meant to say anything more than what no doubt he might have said much more simply; ‘That which is seen is very different from that which is heard.’ But he adds that, by the word extra, bitter gossip, which is outside of us, and is only heard, may perhaps be here subtly contrasted with the inherent sweetness which truth has in itself, and which we can, if we will, see for ourselves.
longe fuerat. Had been a complete misrepresentation.
ut lacerares.