By Water & Blood

On the Donatists

In what was formerly called Libya, but now Africa, the common destroyer displayed the madness of those called Donatists. These, as to the heresy, agree with those of Arius. But they invented a novel form of madness. For they name a violent death martyrdom; and those who desire to obtain this designation announce it long beforehand to those of like mind. These offer them every attendance and bring food of every kind, fattening and cramming them like sacrificial victims. Having enjoyed this luxury to the full, they compel those they find on the roads to inflict on them the death-dealing blows of the sword. And some attain their aim, while some miss it. For what sober person would endure to receive the guilt of murder? Frenzied, then, they throw themselves from a height down precipices.

I wish, amid the Arian narratives, to recount a charming incident that happened concerning these. For many of them, fattened like pheasants, fell in with a certain noble young man; then offering a bare sword, they ordered him to inflict the blows, and threatened to slaughter him if he would not do what was commanded. He said he was afraid that when some had been killed, those remaining, repenting, would exact from him the penalties of the slaughter; therefore each must first be bound, and then the sword applied. When they yielded and accepted the bonds, he mistreated them all with rods and went off leaving them bound. Into such a true frenzy of mind the wicked demon has cast these also.