Donatus Was Right

Circa 313, North Africa: A schism originated in the Church of Carthage. There were two bishops and two congregations. From the capital it spread through the whole province. A majority of the country people, and a considerable number of bishops, declared in favour of Bishop Donatus. Outside of Africa, however, Bishop Cæcilianus was generally recognized as the legitimate bishop;

In an edict of 313 Constantine promised the Church of Africa his protection; but the Donatists were expressly excluded from the imperial favour. They immediately addressed themselves to the emperor, and begged him to examine their complaints against Cæcilianus. He consented, and appointed a committee of five bishops from Gaul, with Melchiades, Bishop of Rome, at its head. The committee summoned, Cæcilianus, and ten African bishops of each party, to its presence. Donatus of Casæ Nigræ was the spokesman of the Donatists; but, in spite of all his exertions, Cæcilianus was acquitted, and Donatus was de posed.

The other Donatist bishops were allowed to retain their office and dignity, on the condition that they returned to the Roman Church.

But many did not want to return to the church of Rome. The reason for this was that to them the Roman Church was an imperialist system of the like Christ came to destroy.

The Donatists were right.

In 317 the Donatists were attacked by Constantine. This was exactly what the Donatists were expecting. North Africans regarded the Roman church as guided by Satan, Constantine was believed to be guided by Satan also Constantine the first Christian ruler set an example that many Christian kings and rulers have followed since of persecuting Christians.

The reason was the Roman church’s system of governance. It was less than 100 years since the dogma of Apostolic Succession had been invented. (A worthless piece of false theology solely invented by men whose ambition was to control The Church.) It was due to the invention of Apostolic Succession that such unloving terms as ‘heretic’ and’ false Christ’ came into use.

Donatists hated imperial government and rich Land Lords. This lead the Donatists to be involved in social protest.

Roman Christians could not hate imperial government and rich Land Lords because the Roman Churches system of governance was based on those very things with a bit of pharaseism put in for theological support.

The Donatists wanted to unmask the false values of imperialist government by joyfully excepting martyrdom.

Also to the Donatists the very notion of a Christian state was a contradiction until Christ returns.
The Church is not to be part of the state, but to speak against its injustices.

What destroyed Donatism was The feudal Lord Gildo and Augustine of Hippo.

As I said earlier Roman Christians could not hate imperial government and rich Land Lords because the Roman Churches system of governance was based on those very things with a bit of pharaseism put in for theological support. From the Roman system of ecclesial governance came the medieval feudal system.

The feudal system’s strength was that to act against it was to act against The Church.
This enabled peasants across Europe to be exploited and kept down.

Donatus on the matter of governance was in agreement with Jesus.

Jesus said “Do not lord it over each other.”

The ecclesiastical governmental system in wider society was destroyed by the black death. (Amazing how God works for the good in all things for those who love him)

Due to the dismantling of the feudal system the renaissance took place. This was a time of great works of music, art and literature in praise of Christ.

Still the system remained

Due to the renaissance reformers started speaking out against abuses of the ecclesiastical establishment. Many poor people in England were blessed by Wycliffe and his peasants priests as they spoke of Gods grace and against the superstitions the ecclesiastical establishment used to control the people.

Still the system remained.

Then the printing press was invented and Martin Luther’s 95 thesis were all over Europe in a matter of days. This lead to the reformation.

Still the system remained.

Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans, Baptists, Methodists all have a form of the system.

Every reformation has lead to the system be incorporated into that which has come after. It may alter slightly but it is still there.

Most of us in the Church of England don’t take the system seriously and I am a Disestablishmentarian. But the system is still there. Even if we don’t believe it and all the people wearing dog collars don’t believe it the world does.

The system can be found in Evangelical Churches that are not officially denominational. The pastor is like the local emperor. Some churches if the pastor, minister, priest or whatever you want to call him or her can say anything and because they are who they are it must be taken as the absolute truth. Some protestants adhere to a more extreme version of Papal Infallibility than any Roman Catholic would.

For the Church to be seen for what it is (The spotless, radiant bride of Christ, The Joy of The Whole World and pillar and Foundation of Truth) Christians must stop lording it over each other.