Infant Baptism Asserted and Vindicated, Part 2 · Chapter 7 · Section 4
Of the Witneſs pretended to be born by the Novatians and Donatiſts.
THe Novatians and Donatiſts, ſaith the Author, gave Witneſs againſt Infant-Baptiſm, as Auſtin's 3d and 4th Book againſt the Donatiſts doth demonſtrate, wherein he manageth the Argument fof Infant-Baptiſm againſt them with great Zeal, &c.
Reply.
1. In this the Author is guilty of a great miſtake, and we have no Authority for this thing but his ipſe dixit, his own ſaying ſo; neither the Magdeburgenſes that write largely of their Opinions, nor any of the Church-Hiſtories; nor Danaeus in his Opuſculum, nor Zanchy who treats of them in his Volumes, nor Beza, nor Mr. Fox in his Acts and Monuments, nor Clark that hath a large Story of them, nor any other that ever I could meet with, aſſert this, that the Donatiſts were againſt Infant-Baptiſm.
2. Though the Novatians, Donatiſts, and Pelagius denyed Original Sin, yet all three allowed and practiſed Infant-Baptiſm. Dr. Featly in his foreign, pag. 31.
3. Danaeus in his Opuſculum, ſpeaks of the Origianl,De Donatiſtis, & corum Origine, Progreſſu, & Doctrina. pag. 673. to 676. Progreſs, and Doctrine of the Donatiſts, from pag. 653. to 676. where though he ſets down the Errors of the Donatiſts, and gives us the ſum of all Auſtin's Diſputes with them, ſpeaks not a word of this, but in divers places ſhews they were for Rebaptization of ſuch as were Baptized by Hereticks, or not in their own Churches, which Auſtin vehemently oppoſeth; and this I conceive is the ground of the Authors miſtake, and which I am the more inclinable to believe, becauſe he hath a particular tract of all the Hereſies collected by Auſtin, Auguſtinus de Haereſibus Cap. 69. p. 995. Danaeus.and the 69th Chapter is, de Donatiſtarum Erroribus: The Errors of the Donatiſts. And in it is no mention made of their being againſt Baptizing Children, and in the 38. Chap. of the ſame Tract we have an account of Novatus, from whom they are called Novatians, and of the Errors they held, but not one hint of any ſuch thing as Antipaedobaptiſm: they were alſo called foreign, quatenus a reliquo Chriſtianorum hominum caetu ſe tanquam Sanctiores ſeparant; pretending that they were more pure than any of the Churches of Chriſt beſides:Poſterior aetas ad praegravandam bonam S. Sancti Evangelii cauſam, homines vere Evangelicos infami Catharorum nomine calumniata eſt —ut Waldenſes pauperes de Lugduno, Arnaldiſtae ab Arnoldo quodam, &c. which title of Cathariſts [or Puritans] came in proceſs of time, ſaith Danaeus, to be uſed to the reproach of Holy-Men; ſo, ſaith he, the Waldenſes and poor Men of Lions were branded with the infamous name of Cathariſts.
4. But let it be taken for granted that the Novatians and Donatiſts were of kindred to the Author and his party [as indeed the Lineaments of their Faces and Complexion are in many things alike with ſome that are againſt Infant-Baptiſm], ye… do not know what honour will redound to then cauſe from it, for both the Novatians and Donatiſts were vile perſons and always condemned for Hereticks. We ſhall therefore give the Reader an account of their Riſe, Errors, and Agreement; I dare not ſay with thoſe called Anabaptiſts amongſt us in every thing, that ſhall be ſet down, but moſt exactly with thoſe in Germany before mentioned.
Novatus.
Under the Perſecution of Deeius the Roman Emperour Anno Chriſti 250, being the 7th Perſecution, roſe up the firſt Quarrel and Hereſie of Novatus, who in thoſe days made a great diſturbance in the Church, holding this Opinion, That they who once renounced the Faith, and for fear of torments had offered incenſe to the Idols, although they repented thereof, yet could not afterward be reconciled nor admitted to the Church. This Novatus being firſt Prieſt under Cyprian at Carthage, afterward by ſtirring up diſcord and faction, began to diſturb the Biſhoprick of Cyprian, to appoint there a Deacon, againſt the Biſhop's mind or knowledg. and alſo to allure, and ſeparate certain of the Brethren from the Biſhop. After this he went to Rome, kept there the like ſtir with Cornelius, ſetting himſelf up as Biſhop of Rome againſt Cornelius [altare contra altare, as the Magdeburgenſes have it] which was the Lawful Biſhop of Rome before. The which to bring to paſs he uſed this practice: Firſt, he had allured to him to be his Adherents 3, or 4 good Men, and Holy Confeſſors, which had ſuffered before great torments for their Confeſſion. Afterward he inticed three ſimple Biſhops about the coaſt of Italy to repair to Rome, under pretence to make an end of certain Controverſies then in hand. This done, he cauſed them (whether by making them drunk, or by other crafty counſel) to lay their hands upon him and to make him Biſhop, and ſo they did. Fox Acts Monum. 1. Part, p. 84. We have it alſo for the moſt part in the Magdeb. Cent. 3. Cap. 7. p. 186. Sub Decio Schiſma Novati. He for his wicked Opinions was condemned in a Synod at Rome, Magd. Cent. 3. Cap. 9. p. 293.
Donatus.
In the year of our Lord 331, or a little more early, there ſprang up in Africa the Donatiſts, taking their name from Donatus. This Man,Initium ejus haereſeos Hieronimi Chronicom in Annum Chriſti, 331. & Paulo antiquiorem Donatum facit. Magd. Cent. 4. C. 5. p. 375. Donatus cumſua parte Schiſma illud in Haereſim convertit. Magdeb. ibid. They ſpeak of their cruelty, Cent 4. Cap. 5. p. 379. Clark of the Perſecution of the Donatiſts p. 89, 90. in his Martyrology. as the Magdeburgenſes inform us, Cent. 4. c. 5. p. 375. fell out with Cecilianus Biſhop of Carthage, becauſe he was againſt his will Ordained Biſhop, but when Donatus and his party could not prove what was Objected againſt Cecilianus, and they were found lyars; they were not contented to make a Schiſm only in the Church, but afterward broached Hereſies, as the Magdeburgs tell us in the ſame place, and this Schiſm ended not there, but came at length to Perſecution. For, as Glark in his Martyrology informs us, Auſtin complains in ſundry places, and in his 50th Epiſtle he thus writes; In hoc labore multi Catholici, & maxime Epiſcopi, & Clerici, horrenda & dura perpeſſi ſunt quae commemorare longum eſt. In this diſturbance the Orthodox, eſpecially the Biſhops and Miniſters, ſuffered cruel and horrible things, the particulars whereof are too long to recite. For ſome had their Eyes put out, ſome their Tongues cut off, ſome ſlain out-right; to ſpeak nothing of their plunderings and outragious burnings, not only of private Habitations, but Churches alſo. Julian the Apoſtate favoured theſe Hereticks, becauſe he knew they were ſuch a peſt to the Church of Chriſt.