The Presbyters Project

Book 2

14. Et tu huius uocis oblitus ad inuidiam catholicis faciendam his locutus es uerbis: Neque enim illa ecclesia dici potest quae cruentis morsibus pascitur et sanctorum sanguine et carnibus opimatur. Certa membra sua habet ecclesia episcopos, presbyteros, diaconos, ministros et turbam fidelium. Dicite cui generi hominum in ecclesia nostra hoc possit adscribi quod obicere uoluisti. Specialiter nomina aliquem ministrum, ostende aliquem diaconum nomine suo, indica hoc ab aliquo factum esse presbytero, proba hoc episcopos admisisse, doce aliquem nostrum cuiquam insidiatum esse! Quis nostrum quemquam persecutus est? Quem a nobis persecutum esse aut dicere poteris aut probare? [...]

(ed. Ziwsa 1893: 48-49)

Book 2

14. And you, forgetting this saying, have spoken in these words to cast a slur on the Catholics: "For neither can that be called a church, which feeds on bloody morsels and battens on the blood and flesh of the saints". The church has certain limbs of its own, the bishops, presbyters, deacons, ministers and the host of the faithful. Tell me, to what class of people in our church can this imputation of yours be ascribed; above all, name some minister, point out some deacon by his own name, show that this was done by some presbyter, prove that bishops committed this, explain how one of our number lay in wait for anyone. Which of us has persecuted anyone? Whom can you either say or prove to have been persecuted by us? [...]

(trans M. Edwards 1997: 42)

Place of event:

Region

Latin North Africa

About the source:

Author: Optatus of Milevis
Title: Against the Donatists, Contra Parmenianum Donatistam, Contra Donatistas, Against Parmenian the Donatist, De Schismate Donatistarum, On the Donatist Schism
Origin: Milevis (Latin North Africa)
Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian

Optatus, the Catholic bishop of Milevis in North Africa, wrote his only book between 364 and 367. It answers the treatise written by Parmenian, the Donatist bishop of Carthage. It provides theological arguments against the Donatists and presents the history of the conflict from the beginning to the middle of the fourth century.

Edition:

K. Ziwsa ed., S. Optati Milevitani libri VII accedunt decem monumenta vetera ad Donatistarum historia pertinentia, Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum 26, Prague-Wien-Leipzig 1893.

Translation:

Optatus: Against the Donatists, translated and edited by Mark Edwards, Liverpool 1997.

Categories:

Described by a title - Presbyter/πρεσβύτερος

Relation with - Heretic/Schismatic

Theoretical considerations - On church hierarchy

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: S. Adamiak, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER773, http://www.presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=773