Religious Intolerance in the Later Roman Empire - Bad request ...

Although in this letter the bulk of Constantine's opprobrium was reserved for
the Donatists, he clearly had little respect for the Caecilianists either, and it appears as
if he regarded both parties with near equal suspicion and disapprobation; they were to
be treated equally. Constantine ordered Celsus to “ignore them [the Donatists] and
accept the necessity of dissimulation with regard to them.” 105 Moreover, Celsus should
also act “as openly towards Caecilian as towards them” 106 because when Constantine
came to Africa he would demonstrate “as much to Caecilian as to those who are seen
to be acting against him, what sort of devotion should be paid to the highest deity and
what kind of cult he would seem to delight it.” 107
Constantine then went on to announce his intention to hold a “diligent
examination” into the affair in order to reveal the facts to the ignorant whose actions
ensured that “the supreme God is not worshipped with the requisite devotion, [and
those] I shall destroy and scatter.” 108 Constantine made a connection between the
offence of incorrect religious worship and that of stubbornness: those who did not
worship God properly would “suffer the due penalties of their madness and their
reckless obstinacy.” 109 Constantine's use of seditio (in his opening and sympathetic
sentence to Celsus) indicated that at this point, the behaviour of the Donatists was not
just arrogant and obstinate, and possibly religiously incorrect, but was also indicative
of their treasonous nature; all three offences were combined together and collectively
personified in the Donatists. Constantine finished the letter by reminding Celsus of
105
Opt. App. 7; Ziwsa 211; Edwards 193: ut interim quidem eosdem om ittas et dissim ulandum super ipsos
esse cognoscas
106
Opt. App. 7; Ziwsa 211; Edwards 193: Caeciliano quam hisdem palam facias
107
Opt. App. 7; Ziwsa 211; Edwards 193: quod cum fav ente pietate div ina Africam v enero; plen issim e
univ ersis tam Caeciliano quam his, qui contra eum agere v identur, lecto dilucido iudicio dem onstraturus
sum , quae et qualis sum m ae div initati sit adhibenda v eneratio et cuiusm odi cultus delectare v ideatur
108
Opt. Att. 7; Ziwsa 211; Edwards 194: diligenti exam ine and v eneratione sum m us deus colatur, perdam
atque discutiam
109
Opt. Att. 7; Ziwsa 212 Edwards 194: sine ulla dubitatione insaniae suae obstination isque tem erariae
faciam m erita exitia persoluere
78