By Hieromartyr Hilarion (Troitsky), Archbishop of Vereya
The Donatists occasionally referenced the era of St. Cyprian, claiming the Church was pure in his time. Augustine discusses how, despite St. Cyprian’s severe judgment of the wicked, he maintained ecclesiastical communion with them, sharing the Lord’s Bread and Cup with unworthy individuals, including bishops. If the Church had perished then, Donatism is pointless, as a holy Church can’t arise from a corrupt one. Augustine argues that even the Donatist community doesn’t meet their own doctrinal standards of sanctity. The Donatists criticized the Church for its members’ vices, to which Augustine countered by highlighting Donatist flaws, especially with the Circumcellions, whom they never condemned. Past crimes of Church officials contrast with the ongoing actions of Circumcellions.
Such debates hold historical interest and dogmatic implications. The presence of sinners in the Church doesn’t threaten its holiness. Augustine recognized the Church’s sinful members but found this insufficient to deem the Church false. He highlighted how Donatists’ standards couldn’t be met within their framework, only leading to the conclusion of a non-existent Church. Augustine’s system posited the Church as a field where both wheat and tares coexist until Judgment Day. He distinguished the Church’s current mixed state from its future purity, as depicted in two miraculous fish catches in Scripture.
Augustine spoke of the visible Church beginning in Jerusalem and spreading globally, rejecting purely allegorical interpretations. A visible Church with a mix of good and evil emphasizes the Church’s role to educate and sanctify sinners.
While Augustine recognized a distinction between visible and invisible communion with the Church, he taught that the Holy Church comprises only the good. Sinners, though externally linked to the Church, aren’t part of this spiritual union. Augustine’s writings refuted the Donatist view by highlighting their inconsistency, especially concerning sacraments administered by unworthy clergy. He insisted that the validity of sacraments doesn’t depend on the moral state of the celebrant.
For Augustine, the Church sanctifies sinners, and its purpose is to reform them. Augustine maintained that the earthly Church isn’t of saints alone but aims to prepare sinners for a future without blemish, with the final separation of righteous and sinners occurring at the end of the age.
The moral worth of clergy was crucial in the Donatist schism. They believed sacraments from unworthy ministers are void, which Augustine contested as impractical, illustrating through logical arguments and Donatist contradictions.
Overall, Augustine’s writings affirm that the Church isn’t solely composed of saints but aims to guide sinners to righteousness, with predestination not excluding but often intertwining with ecclesiastical unity. His arguments against Donatism underscored the necessity of the Church for all believers, regardless of their moral state, underscoring the Church’s role in sanctification and guidance.
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