THE WORK OF ST. OPTATUS

THE WORK OF ST. OPTATUS PDF Author: SAINT OPTATUS (BP. OF MILEVE, )
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Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 492

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THE WORK OF ST. OPTATUS

THE WORK OF ST. OPTATUS PDF Author: SAINT OPTATUS (BP. OF MILEVE, )
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ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 492

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The Work of St. Optatus: A Catholic Church History, Wherein a Saint and Early Church Father Condemns the Donatist Schism After the Persecution

The Work of St. Optatus: A Catholic Church History, Wherein a Saint and Early Church Father Condemns the Donatist Schism After the Persecution PDF Author: Saint Bishop of Mileve Optatus 4th
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 9780359034055
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 212

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The Work of St. Optatus opens the door to the tumultuous history of the Catholic church in the early 4th Century. Saint Optatus served as Bishop in what is today Mila, Algeria during the Diocletian persecutions of Christians between 302-311 A.D. . As an early Father of the Church, St. Optatus is unique in leaving only this work behind. It is an extensive critique against the Donatists - whose interpretation of Christianity was declared heresy by the Catholic church - and also serves as a history and narrative of the upheavals and the conflicts within early Christianity. The main argument Optatus makes is that the Donatist assertion that the church can be located in Africa around the locality of Carthage is wrong. That Peter was given the title of Bishop of Rome made Rome itself a better and more representative location for the church. Furthermore elements of Donatist doctrine - such as teachings derived from St. Cyprian stating that baptism outside of the church is acceptable - are lambasted as heresy.

The Work of St. Optatus, Bishop of Milevis, Against the Donatists ; with Appendix

The Work of St. Optatus, Bishop of Milevis, Against the Donatists ; with Appendix PDF Author: Optatus Milevitanus (sanctus)
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ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 438

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WORK OF ST OPTATUS BISHOP OF M

WORK OF ST OPTATUS BISHOP OF M PDF Author: Saint Bishop of Mileve Optatus, 4th Ce
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781371664244
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 488

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The Work of St. Optatus

The Work of St. Optatus PDF Author: O. Vassall-Philipps
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781482764482
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 472

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A Donatist is a member of a rigoristic, schismatic Christian sect, strongly opposed by Saint Augustine, that arose in North Africa in the fourth century a.d. and believed in sanctity as requisite for church membership and administration of all sacraments. What they taught is that sanctity is necessary to validly administer the Sacraments. ST. OPTATUS, Bishop of Milevis in Africa, is perhaps the least known of all the Fathers of the Church. His treatise against the Donatists-the one work that he left to posterity, was translated into French in 1564.1 It is extremely improbable that, but for this exception, it has, until now, ever appeared in any language save Latin. It is quite certain that it has never yet been clothed in an English dress. There is indeed an advertisement still to be seen in The Oxford Library of the Fathers, in which it was announced (in 1848) that a translation of St. Optatus into English would 'soon' appear. Sixty-eight years have elapsed; but this intention has not yet been carried into execution. Until recently st. Optatus could hardly be found, even in the original Latin, anywhere but in the edition published by Du Pin at Antwerp in 1702, and subsequently incorporated by Migne. His work was until 1870 out of the reach of all persons who had not access to the largest libraries. In 1870-it is true Fr. Hurter, S.J., published Du Pin's text in convenient form with short notes, and in 1893 a new critical edition was brought out (edited by the late Professor Ziwsa) in the Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticomm, which has now for many years been in course of publication at Vienna. Comparatively few people, however, have heard of this excellent edition of the Latin Fathers; still fewer are aware that its volumes may be purchased separately, and that for the sum of a few shillings they may possess themselves of 'the Seven Books of St. Optatus concerning the Schism of the Donatists, against Parmenian.' Indeed it is not too much to say that the very name of Optatus is barely known even to many students of theology and ecclesiastical history. Yet his is no mean name, and he cannot be ignored with safety, for he has bequeathed to the Church material of no small value, both to the theologian and the ecclesiastical historian. Optatus was held in high repute by the great Augustine, upon whom his influence was undoubtedly considerable. To this Harnack bears witness 'Even when he entered into the Donatist controversy, Augustine did so as a man of the second or indeed the third generation. He therefore enjoyed the great advantage of having at his disposal a fund of conceptions and ideas already collected. In this sphere Optatus especially had worked before him.' The work of St. Optatus is, therefore, of consequence not only from the point of view of history-he is the historian of Donatism in its origins-but also from that of doctrine-of 'conceptions and ideas.' It derives special importance from the fact that here we find the first sustained argument from the Catholic side not merely against heresy (false doctrine) but also against schism (separation from the Church). Heresies come and go. They are essentially ephemeral, according to some transitory fashion of mental speculation. And in fact history proves that the limit of their duration is hardly known to last four centuries. Often indeed they pass into all but complete oblivion. Thus it comes about that a long and sometimes weary discussion concerning a heresy which has perhaps long since vanished from the midst of men is apt to lose much of its actuality. But the Church dies not, and in every age excuses are found by the rebellious for their rebellion against her supreme authority. The argument against heresy is necessarily specialised and multiform; the argument against schism is very simple and admits of no substantial variation in its presentment.

The Work of St. Optatus Against the Donatists

The Work of St. Optatus Against the Donatists PDF Author: St. Optatus
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 1773562800
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 270

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Against the Donatists

Against the Donatists PDF Author: Saint Optatus (Bishop of Mileve)
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781789628449
Category : Africa, North
Languages : en
Pages : 220

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WORK OF ST. OPTATUS, BISHOP OF MILEVIS, AGAINST THE DONATISTS

WORK OF ST. OPTATUS, BISHOP OF MILEVIS, AGAINST THE DONATISTS PDF Author: O. R. VASSALL-PHILLIPS
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ISBN: 9781033592793
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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The Works of Saint Augustine: v. 1. The Confessions

The Works of Saint Augustine: v. 1. The Confessions PDF Author: Saint Augustine (of Hippo)
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ISBN:
Category : Theology
Languages : en
Pages : 640

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The Writings of St. Augustine Against the Donatists

The Writings of St. Augustine Against the Donatists PDF Author: Augustine of Hippo
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ISBN: 9781499581010
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 814

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The Donatist schism in Africa began in 311 and flourished just one hundred years, until the conference at Carthage in 411, after which its importance waned. St. Augustine began his victorious campaign against Donatism soon after he was ordained priest in 391. His popular psalm or "Abecedarium" against the Donatists was intended to make known to the people the arguments set forth by St. Optatus, with the same conciliatory end in view. It shows that the sect was founded by traditors, condemned by pope and council, separated from the whole world, a cause of division, violence, and bloodshed; the true Church is the one Vine, whose branches are over all the earth. After St. Augustine had become bishop in 395, he obtained conferences with some of the Donatist leaders, though not with his rival at Hippo. In 400 he wrote three books against the letter of Parmenianus, refuting his calumnies and his arguments from Scripture. More important were his seven books on baptism, in which, after developing the principle already laid down by St. Optatus, that the effect of the sacrament is independent of the holiness of the minister, he shows in great detail that the authority of St. Cyprian is more awkward than convenient for the Donatists. The principal Donatist controversialist of the day was Petilianus, Bishop of Constantine, a successor of the traditor Silvanus. St. Augustine wrote two books in reply to a letter of his against the Church, adding a third book to answer another letter in which he was himself attacked by Petilianus. Before this last book he published his "De Unitate ecclesiae" about 403. To these works must be added some sermons and some letters which are real treatises.