DONATUS, Bishop of Casa Nigra hi Numblia, from whom, and from another Donatus originated tbo schismatic sect of the Donatiats. Donatue was the great opponent to the election of Cecilianue into the bishopric of Carthage. Ile accused Cecilianus of having delivered up the sacred books to the Pagans, and pretended that his election was thereby void, and all those who adhered to him heretics. Under this pretext of zeal he set up for the head of a party, and, about the year 312, taught that baptism administered by heretics was ineffectual : that the church was not infallible ; that it had erred in his time, and that Ito was to be the restorer of it. But a council held nt Arles, in 314, acquitted Cecilianus, and declared his election valid. Tho parti sans of Douatua, who were very numerous, irritated at tho decision, refused to acquiesce in the sentence of the council ; and the better to support their cause, they subscribed to the opinions of Donatus, and openly declaimed against the Catholics. It is said that they gave out that the church was become prostituted ; re-baptised the Catholics; trod under foot the hosts consecrated by priests attached to the Holy See; burned their churches : and committed various other acts of violence. They had chosen into the place of Cecilianus one Majorinus, but he dying soon after, they brought in another Donatus, different from him of Casa Nigra, as bishop of Carthage. It was from this new head of tho sect, who used so much violence against the Catholics, that the Donatists are believed to have received their name. They
appear to have sent one of their bishops to Rome, and to have attempted likewise to send some bishops into Spain, that they might say their church began to spread itself everywhere. They attained their greatest prosperity in the beginning of the 5th century, when they are said to have been little inferior in numbers to the orthodox party in Africa, and to have been directed by four hundred bishops. After many ineffectual efforts to crush this schism, the emperor Hone rims ordered a council.of bishops to assemble at Carthage in the year 410, where a disputation was held between seven of each party, when it was decided that the laws enacted against heretics had force against the Demands. The glory of their defeat was due to St. Augustine, bishop of Hippo, who bore the principal part in this controversy. The Donatiets however continued as a separate body, and attempted to mnitiply their sect even in the 6th century ; but the orthodox bishops used ee much prudence that they insensibly brought over most of those who had strayed from the bosom of the church. The church of the Donatists gradually dwindled to nothing. and became quite extinct in the 7th century. (Broughton, Diet, of all Religions, folio, Loud., 1756, pp. 340, 341; Moeheina, Reel. history, 4to, Lend., 1765, vol. i. pp. 211, 214, 259, 305; Moreri, Diet. Iliseorique, folio, Paris, 1759, tom. iv. p. 214.)