More proofs of infants church-membership and consequently their right to baptism, or, A second…

§. 9. Re•der, the Donatists were a great party of men in Africa: They were Prelatical and for Ceremonies as the other Churches were: They differed from the rest on the account of the Personal succession of their Bishops. In a ⟨p. 243⟩time of persecution they said (truly or falsely was a great controversy) that one of the Bishops delivered up the Church-books to the Persecutors, to be burnt, rather than die himself, when they demanded them; And that the Catholic Bishops received successively their ordination from that man, and called them Traditores; whereas the Bishop that all their Bishops had successively been ordained by, was one that had refused to deliver up the Church-books; And consequently he was the right Bishop, and they that had their succession from him were true Bishops and Churches, and all the rest were no true Bishops or Churches; and therefore that all their Baptism and Sacraments were nullities, and their Communion unlawful, and that all people were bound in Conscience as ever they would be saved to separate from the rest (called Catholics) and to come to them and to be rebaptized. So that their Schism was much like the Papists, who confine the Church to their party, and condemn all others, save that the Papists (ordinarily) rebaptize not (though they say some Monks have done it, as elsewhere I have cited.) The Donatists were Episcopal ceremonious Separatists, that did it on the account of a purer Episcopal succession. Till their days the holy Doctors of the Church had almost all been against drawing the sword against Heretics, even Augustin himself. But the greatness of their party and the proud conceit of their greater zeal and strictness than the Catholics had, made them so furious that the Catholic Pastors could not live quietly by them. Insomuch that some of them ⟨p. 244⟩wounded the Ministers in the streets, and some of them made a salt sharp water and spouted into Ministers eyes as they past the street, to put out their eyes; till many such insolencies provoked Augustin to change his judgement of toleration, (and especially the multitudes seduced by them,) and the Bishops to crave the Emperors aid: The Emperor made Edicts for mulcts and banishment to those that persevered:

§. 9. Re•der, the Donatists were a great party of men in Africa: They were Prelatical and for Ceremonies as the other Churches were: They differed from the rest on the account of the Personal succession of their Bishops. In a