Optatus

And both Gregory of Nazianzen and Gregory of Nyssa praise and commend a like mode of disputation in Basil the Great, while Jerome especially commends it in Quadratus, a disciple of the apostles, and Aristides, Justin, Irenaeus, and very many others.

Augustine says, Do we not see Cyprian, that mildest of doctors and most blessed of martyrs, going out of Egypt laden with gold and silver investments? And Lactantius also, and Victorinus, Optatus, and Hilary? And, not to speak of the living, how many Greeks have done likewise? But if natural reason first sowed this rich field of doctrine before it was rendered fruitful by the power of Christ, it must have shortly become more prolific after the grace of the Savior has renewed and added to the native faculties of the human mind.

And who does not see that a plain and easy road is opened up to faith by such a method of philosophic study? But the advantage to be derived from such a school of philosophy is not to be confined within these limits.

The foolishness of those men is gravely reproved in the words of divine wisdom, who by these good things that are seen could not understand him, that is, neither by attending to the works could have acknowledged who was the workman.

We have seen in what Christian charity the general Church and novations could live in the great city of Constantinople.

Optatus, Bishop of Malevi in Numidia, deserves a place in these memoirs on account of his judicious and able treatise against the Donatists.

Of him, as of many other sensible writers, it is to be regretted that he did not choose a more useful subject.

The case of the Donatists I shall reserve to the time of Augustine, whose character and conduct are much connected with the history of these dissenters.

Of course I have little to say of Optatus' writings.

A serious spirit appears in them, and a single passage which is introduced in the way of digression contains matter so truly Christian that the writer will think it worth our attention, as it demonstrates that evangelical truth was far from being lost as yet amidst the thick mists of superstition, and that the true resting place of the soul in the doctrine of justification by Jesus Christ, the true humility and real plan of sanctification were understood in some degree at least by this author.

Rebuking the pride of the Donatists who boasted themselves to be holy and innocent, he says, Whence comes this sanctity of yours which the Apostle St. John dared not attribute to himself, seeing he says, If we say that we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

Saint Cyprian calls the church Sacramentum Unitatis et Veritatis, the sacrament of unity and truth, because by the supernatural unity of the church, the truth is incorporated, perpetuated, and promulgated to the world.

So Saint Optatus says, The heretics have not the keys which Peter alone received.

And Saint Augustine, Unity binds, unity looses.

That is, in the unity of the church alone, the power of loosing from sin is found.

We have seen in what Christian charity the general church and Novatians could live in the great city of Constantinople.

Optatus, Bishop of Milevi in Numidia, deserves a place in these memoirs on account of his judicious and able treatise against the Donatists.

Of him, as of many other sensible writers, it is to be regretted that he did not choose a more useful subject.

The case of the Donatists I shall reserve to the time of Augustine, whose character and conduct are much connected with the history of these dissenters.

Of course, I have little to say of Optatus' writings.

A serious spirit appears in them, and a single passage which is introduced in the way of digression contains matter so truly Christian that the writer will think it worth our attention, as it demonstrates that evangelical truth was far from being lost as yet amidst the thick mists of superstition, and that the true resting place of the soul in the doctrine of justification by Jesus Christ, the true humility and real plan of sanctification were understood in some degree at least by this author.

Rebuking the pride of the Donatists who boasted themselves to be holy and innocent, he says, Whence comes this sanctity of yours which the Apostle St. John dared not attribute to himself, seeing he says, If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

And both Gregory of Nazianzen and Gregory of Nyssa praise and commend a like mode of disputation in Basil the Great, while Jerome especially commends it in Quadratus, a disciple of the apostles, and Aristides, Justin, Irenaeus, and very many others.

Augustine says, Do we not see Cyprian, that mildest of doctors and most blessed of martyrs, going out of Egypt laden with gold and silver investments? And Lactantius also, and Victorinus, Optatus, and Hilary? And, not to speak of the living, how many Greeks have done likewise? But if natural reason first sowed this rich field of doctrine before it was rendered fruitful by the power of Christ, it must have shortly become more prolific after the grace of the Savior has renewed and added to the native faculties of the human mind.

And who does not see that a plain and easy road is opened up to faith by such a method of philosophic study? But the advantage to be derived from such a school of philosophy is not to be confined within these limits.

The foolishness of those men is gravely reproved in the words of divine wisdom, who by these good things that are seen could not understand him, that is, neither by attending to the works could have acknowledged who was the workman.