Publisher's Synopsis
The Work of St. Optatus, Bishop of Milevis, Against the Donatists is a book written by Oliver Rodie Vassall-Phillips and first published in 1917. The book is a translation of the work of St. Optatus, a bishop from the fourth century who wrote against the Donatist heresy. The Donatist controversy was a religious dispute that occurred in North Africa during the fourth and fifth centuries. The Donatists were a group of Christians who believed that the validity of the sacraments depended on the moral character of the minister who administered them. They believed that if a minister was a sinner or had lapsed from the faith, then the sacraments he administered were invalid. St. Optatus was a bishop of Milevis, a city in North Africa, who wrote a treatise against the Donatists. In his work, he argued that the validity of the sacraments did not depend on the moral character of the minister, but on the authority of the Church. He also defended the unity of the Church and the authority of the bishop of Rome. Vassall-Phillips' translation of St. Optatus' work provides readers with an insight into the Donatist controversy and the arguments made by St. Optatus. The book is an important resource for scholars of early Christianity and the history of the Church.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
